Midnight in Madrid

This book is fast paced and has all the elements of a stellar book. It keeps you in suspense whilst tying in plot lines that swirl amidst facts and flashbacks. A+ to Noel Hynd for this great read!

Noel Hynd's book Midnight in Madrid, one of The Russian Trilogy, was so good I didn't want the book to end. The book has political intrigue, non-stop action, historical references, and descriptive locations. It is a political/spy thriller about international crime. The story is wonderfully descriptive and includes information about art theft and historical references of Spain. The book is so well-written that the story just takes off and does not stop the suspense and surprises until the very end. The main character of Alex (Alexandra LaDuca) is very likeable as she struggles with the moral and ethical decisions she has to make in the course of her high-stakes job. She relies on her faith, but also struggles with doubt and questions - as do real people of faith. This book is not a Christian book that preaches anything; it is a book by a person of faith who creates characters that struggle with faith and moral issues. The other two books in this trilogy are Conspiracy in Kiev and Countdown in Cairo. Noel Hynd has also written the novels, The Enemy Within, Flowers from Berlin, and Ghosts. I have received so many good books this year, but this is certainly one of my top favorites.

This was another excellent read from Noel Hynd. I had thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series due to its fast paced action sequences and very impressive and engaging storyline. The second book in the series lived up to my expectations and brought me on another thrill ride. This time, Alex is taken from her vacation to go back into the force and finds herself on another mission that could possible harm her life. Once again, the historical research and details in this book are top notch. I learned a lot about art history from this book. Also of interest was the history of the Spanish Civil War. That is a topic that is usually never brought up in history classes and I've only read about it one other fiction series, so to see it here was a delightful surprise. If only for the historical facts alone, this book is a gem. I really like how the author uses current events to develop the story without having to resort to using pop culture references that go out of date almost immediately. The locales in this book are exotic and I really enjoyed reading about the history of Spain. It made me feel like I was actually there. A lot of the conversation deals with political issues, which can possibly get boring at times, but if you want to learn while you read, this is a fun and exciting way to get some knowledge. There is, again, quite a bit of violence in this book. There's nothing gory, but the action sequences are very intense and there are many of them. The scene near the end is quite nail biting and a bit terrifying. There is some language but it's been bleeped out. The only thing in the book I did not seem to get was Alex and Peter's relationship. One minute Peter's the good guy, the next he's the bad guy and by the end of the book I still couldn't tell which side he was on. It made me wonder if Alex was able to tell as well. As I finished this book, all I could think was that Noel Hynd has become one of my new favorite suspense authors. I've honestly never really enjoyed reading a book more. This series is on par with mainstream books and would hold up to all the major suspense kings of literature. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in the series. HIGHLY recommended.

'Midnight in Madrid' starts with Alex DaLuca, FBI agent on loan to the US Treasury, sunning herself on a beach in Barcelona as she recovers from her adventures - and loss - in 'Conspiracy in Kiev'. Her boss calls from the US, asking her to head to Madrid to work with a multi-national team on an art theft. This leads to research, travel and danger in several countries, with the assistance of some characters from the previous book, and some new faces. The story is fast-paced, well-written, with interesting, well-drawn lead and secondary characters. Alex is intelligent, athletic and beautiful, but is by no means the perfect Christian. She struggles with forgiveness, and with some of the elements of her life and job and how they relate to her faith. She trouble accepting the opinions and actions of some of the other characters, particularly Federov and Chang. The villians are equally real, Federov in particular with his warped sense of right and wrong. I'm still trying to decide if Chang is a villian or a friend, as (I suspect) is Alex. Although this is the second book in a trilogy, it could easily be read as a stand-alone. The author strikes a good balance between refering to the previous book without re-telling the entire story. In the same way, there are certain aspects of this novel that appear to foreshadow the third book - but I will have to wait for the release to find out if I'm right. I'm looking forward to it.

I first read this author when he was writing supernatural thrillers. "Ghosts" remains one of my favorite ghost stories of all time. I subsequently have read some of his international thrillers and have not been disappointed. I've not read the first book in this series, but I plan to. This one was a very solid read. I'm still thinking about it two days after finishing. The story takes place in various places in Europe but mostly contemporary Spain. I lived in Spain in the '80's for two years and feel the author had an excellent grasp of the country and the people. He also seems to know a lot about international art theft and how things work between countries and police agencies. The plot here is tricky but solid and intriguing. It zips along at a nice speed, also, though the author takes time out to make sure the readers understands the history and background of where things are happening. No spolier: what seems like a simple art theft in Madrid at first leads into something much much bigger. I liked the way that was done. The main character is a woman, Alex, who's a US Treasury agent who seems to zip around the globe solving problems for her government. I like her. She can be a woman in her job but still be as tough as the guys, though she tends to solve things through smarts more than bashing heads. That works for me. Overall, I'm torn between 4 stars or 5. If this were a letter grade I'd give an A-minus. So I'll go with the 5. The more I think about it, the more I want to know where the character is going next.