Midnight in Madrid (The Russian Trilogy, Book 2) [Paperback]

Noel Hynd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 3, 2009

When a mysterious relic is stolen from a Madrid museum, people are dying to discover its secrets. Literally. U.S. Treasury agent Alexandra LaDuca returns from Conspiracy in Kiev to track down the stolen artwork, a small carving called The Pieta of Malta. It seems to be a simple assignment, but nothing about this job is simple, as the mysteries and legends surrounding the relic become increasingly complex with claims of supernatural power. As aggressive, relentless, and stubborn as ever, Alex crisscrosses Europe through a web of intrigue, danger, and betrayal, joined by a polished, mysterious new partner. With echoes of classic detective and suspense fiction from The Maltese Falcon to The Da Vinci Code, Midnight in Madrid takes the reader on a nonstop spellbinding chase through a modern world of terrorists, art thieves, and cold-blooded killers.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

When a mysterious relic is stolen from a Madrid museum, people are dying to discover its secrets. Literally. U.S. Treasury agent Alexandra LaDuca returns from Conspiracy in Kiev to track down the stolen artwork, a small carving called The Pieta of Malta. It seems to be a simple assignment, but nothing about this job is simple, as the mysteries and legends surrounding the relic become increasingly complex with claims of supernatural power. As aggressive, relentless, and stubborn as ever, Alex crisscrosses Europe through a web of intrigue, danger, and betrayal, joined by a polished, mysterious new partner. With echoes of classic detective and suspense fiction from The Maltese Falcon to The Da Vinci Code, Midnight in Madrid takes the reader on a nonstop spellbinding chase through a modern world of terrorists, art thieves, and cold-blooded killers. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Noel Hynd lives in Culver City, California. He has over four million books in print throughout the world and is the bestselling author of the highly acclaimed novels The Enemy Within, Flowers from Berlin, and Cemetery of Angels, and the previous titles in the Russian Trilogy, Conspiracy in Kiev, Midnight in Madrid, and Countdown in Cairo.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 364 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (March 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310278724
• ISBN-13: 978-0310278726
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (98 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #622,163 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

102 of 107 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First Rate, March 6, 2009

By 

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

This review is from: Midnight in Madrid (The Russian Trilogy, Book 2) (Paperback)

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.

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Faced-paced Exciting Read, May 19, 2009

By 

Iola (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Midnight in Madrid (The Russian Trilogy, Book 2) (Paperback)

'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.

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed it!, October 29, 2009

By 

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

This review is from: Midnight in Madrid (The Russian Trilogy, Book 2) (Paperback)

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.