Countdown in Cairo (Russian Trilogy, The) [Paperback]

Noel Hynd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 2009 | Series: Russian Trilogy, The (Book 3)

Why won't the dead stay dead? Federal agent Alexandra LaDuca travels to Egypt to investigate the possible sighting of a former mentor, a CIA agent who everyone thought was dead. She is thrown into the deadliest game of double cross of her career as the events that began in Kiev and continued in Madrid find their culmination in the volatile Middle East. Her assignment is to locate a man she once knew. But to find the answers, Alex needs to move quickly into the underworld of the Egyptian capital, a nether society of crooks, killers, spies, and Islamic fundamentalists. And she must work alone, surviving on her wits, her training, and a compact new Beretta. Her search immerses Alex deeply into the explosive international politics of the day, touching on Arab-American relations and the new balance of terror between Russia and the United States. And it doesn't help that she's forced into a partnership with a quirky double agent known only as Voltaire, one of the most shadowy and powerful members of the Cairo underworld. If you've been waiting for Alex LaDuca's next adventure, this fast-paced thriller is it. If you've never met Alex, Countdown in Cairo offers a first-rate introduction. You will be holding your breath from its explosive beginning to the very last twist.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hynd (The Enemy Within) completes the Russian trilogy that features U.S. Treasury agent Alexandra LaDuca. A stark opening chapter concludes with LaDuca zipped in a body bag in a morgue outside Cairo, and the action then goes back two months to introduce the central puzzle—the sighting of Michael Cerny, a CIA agent believed to be dead, then the bang of a car-bomb explosion. After that breathtaking beginning, the action gets leisurely—too leisurely. It takes half the book for LaDuca to get to Cairo to solve the puzzle of Cerny, for whom she worked, following complications in New York and in Rome that weave into the action two major supporting characters, the Russian Yuri Federov and the Italian Gian Antonio Rizzo, who are in some respects more intriguing and complex than protagonist LaDuca. LaDuca's main partner in Cairo, Voltaire, provides more dramatic tension in his moral ambiguity than the offstage character, Cerny. Despite some plotting softness, this espionage thriller is stylish and provides an especially satisfying close without being in the least preachy. (Jan.)
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Review

Hynd (The Enemy Within) completes the Russian trilogy that features U.S. Treasury agent Alexandra LaDuca. A stark opening chapter concludes with LaDuca zipped in a body bag in a morgue outside Cairo, and the action then goes back two months to introduce the central puzzle--the sighting of Michael Cerny, a CIA agent believed to be dead, then the bang of a car-bomb explosion. After that breathtaking beginning, the action gets leisurely--too leisurely. It takes half the book for LaDuca to get to Cairo to solve the puzzle of Cerny, for whom she worked, following complications in New York and in Rome that weave into the action two major supporting characters, the Russian Yuri Federov and the Italian Gian Antonio Rizzo, who are in some respects more intriguing and complex than protagonist LaDuca. LaDuca's main partner in Cairo, Voltaire, provides more dramatic tension in his moral ambiguity than the offstage character, Cerny. Despite some plotting softness, this espionage thriller is stylish and provides an especially satisfying close without being in the least preachy. (Jan.) --Publishers Weekly, October 26, 2009

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan; 1 edition (December 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310278732
• ISBN-13: 978-0310278733
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #849,700 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Noel Hynd is an American author who has more than four million books in print. Most of his books have been in the action-espionage-suspense genre (Conspiracy in Kiev, Midnight in Madrid, Countdown in Cairo, The Enemy Within) but others (Ghosts, The Prodigy, A Room For The Dead and Cemetery of Angels) were highly acclaimed ghost stories. He currently has a multi-book publishing contract with Zondervan/HarperCollins.
He is also a former contributor to Sports Illustrated and several other national magazines. His 1988 non-fiction book, The Giants of The Polo Grounds, was an Editor's Choice of The New York TIMES Review of Books in 1988. He has also written several produced screenplays.
Mr. Hynd was born in New York City, is a graduate of the University of Pennsylavnia, and lives in southern California with his wife Patricia.
The Kindle editions of Midnight in Madrid and Conspiracy in Kiev were simultaneously numbers 1 and 2 among all books on Amazon's Kindle Best Seller lists in December 2009.
Several dozen foreign editions of his books have been published over the years. Readers are welcomed to reach Mr. Hynd at [e-mail].

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very impressed!, January 3, 2010

By 

M.O. Castro (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Countdown in Cairo (Russian Trilogy, The) (Kindle Edition)

I read the Russian Trilogy in order over the past week. I thought the first two books were very entertaining but, frankly, I debated on whether or not I should read this last book. Thankfully, my compulsion to finish something after starting it took over and I bought "Countdown in Cairo". I was blown away! The characters were fully developed now and, of course, all loose ends were tied. The political background and international intrigue were somewhat forced in the previous books but flowed effortlessly in "Cairo". I did not think it was slow in the middle at all. It was a true page turner! What impressed me the most was the author's style and storytelling ability, which shone in this last book. It helped that the story, itself, is fantastic. Not to be missed!

*I do think this book can stand alone but is immensely better if read after "Conspiracy in Kiev" and "Midnight in Madrid", in that order.*

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book from the trilogy, December 17, 2009

By 

L. Brandau - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Countdown in Cairo (Russian Trilogy, The) (Paperback)

Countdown in Cairo starts out with a dramatic beginning with the morgue as the backdrop and then drops back to the beginning of the story. The set up to the main story was slow at times, but that is because the story is rich in detail of locations and background. It is certainly worth the wait! There are a number of background facts about the Russian events mixed in with the fiction creating an interesting blend.

All three of the books feature Alexandra LaDuca, a strong female character that is smart, formidable, and a woman of faith. There were more spiritual elements to this story than the other books as Alex has struggles with moral consequences in her employment and with forgiveness. This is another GREAT book by this author.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning and powerful end to a 3 book series...., December 16, 2009

By 

Natalie Hernandez (Near San Diego) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Countdown in Cairo (Russian Trilogy, The) (Paperback)

I got an early copy of this last book in the trilogy by Noel Hynd and was not disappointed. Far from it. It was fabulous. I felt I'd been living with a friend (Alex, the main character) through her career with the Treasury Department, her loves, her friends, her enemies, (<<<overlapping there) and her efforts to rebuild her life after 'Kiev'.....Hynd is very savvy with history, spies and inside information and detail and yet then it was the emotional impact of the series' conclusion that really got me. The conclusion absolutely blew me away. I ended up reading the final 100 pages in one swoop, far too late at night, then went back and re-read the next night, knocked out again at the intricate plotting of the first book that pulled the rug out from under me in the 3rd. This story line would seem to be complete, but I'm hoping the character continues. Bravo!