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Nick Stone #6
Dark Winter
When maverick agent Nick Stone is despatched to Malaysia by the CIA to assassinate a shadowy biochemist, he expects his mission to be a straightforward part of the fight against Osama Bin Laden’s network of terror. But there are complications — not least the attractive woman who he is working alongside.
Target neutralized, Stone returns to the USA and a maelstrom of personal problems. Kelly, the fourteen-year-old orphan to whom he is joint guardian, cannot escape the ghosts of her traumatic past; she has a prescription drug habit that’s spiralling out of control, and Stone knows he is the only one who can help her. He takes her to recuperate in England, but the terrible consequences of what happened in Penang are never far behind.
Before very long, the conspiracy he has uncovered unravels to reveal a doomsday threat against the populations of New York, London and Berlin. And Stone finds himself facing the ultimate the life of someone he loves, against those of millions he doesn’t even know…
From the Paperback edition.
Target neutralized, Stone returns to the USA and a maelstrom of personal problems. Kelly, the fourteen-year-old orphan to whom he is joint guardian, cannot escape the ghosts of her traumatic past; she has a prescription drug habit that’s spiralling out of control, and Stone knows he is the only one who can help her. He takes her to recuperate in England, but the terrible consequences of what happened in Penang are never far behind.
Before very long, the conspiracy he has uncovered unravels to reveal a doomsday threat against the populations of New York, London and Berlin. And Stone finds himself facing the ultimate the life of someone he loves, against those of millions he doesn’t even know…
From the Paperback edition.
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
246 people are currently reading
1014 people want to read
About the author
Andy McNab
205 books1,160 followersAndy McNab joined the infantry in 1976 as a boy soldier. In 1984 he was badged as a member of 22 SAS Regiment. He served in B Squadron 22 SAS for ten years and worked on both covert and overt special operations worldwide, including anti-terrorist and anti-drug operations in the Middle and Far East, South and Central America and Northern Ireland.
Trained as a specialist in counter terrorism, prime target elimination, demolitions, weapons and tactics, covert surveillance and information gathering in hostile environments, and VIP protection, McNab worked on cooperative operations with police forces, prison services, anti-drug forces and western backed guerrilla movements as well as on conventional special operations. In Northern Ireland he spent two years working as an undercover operator with 14th Intelligence Group, going on to become an instructor.
McNab also worked as an instructor on the SAS selection and training team and instructed foreign special forces in counter terrorism, hostage rescue and survival training.
Andy McNab has written about his experiences in the SAS in two bestselling books, Bravo Two Zero (1993) and Immediate Action (1995). Bravo Two Zero is the highest selling war book of all time and has sold over 1.7 million copies in the UK. To date it has been published in 17 countries and translated into 16 languages. The CD spoken word version of Bravo Two Zero, narrated by McNab, sold over 60,000 copies and earned a silver disc. The BBC's film of Bravo Two Zero, starring Sean Bean, was shown on primetime BBC 1 television in 1999 and released on DVD in 2000.
Immediate Action, McNab's autobiography, spent 18 weeks at the top of the bestseller lists following the lifting on an ex-parte injunction granted to the Ministry of Defence in September 1995. To date, Immediate Action has now sold over 1.4 million copies in the UK.
McNab is the author of seven fast action thrillers, highly acclaimed for their authenticity and all Sunday Times bestsellers. Published in 1997, Remote Control was hailed as the most authentic thriller ever written and has sold over half a million copies in the UK. McNab's subsequent thrillers, Crisis Four, Firewall, Last Light , Liberation Day , Dark Winter , Deep Black and Aggressor have all gone on to sell equally well. The central character in all the books is Nick Stone, a tough ex-SAS operative working as a 'K' on deniable operations for British Intelligence.
McNab's fiction draws extensively on his experiences and knowledge of Special Forces soldiering. He has been officially registered by Neilsen Bookscan as the bestselling British thriller writer of the last year.
Trained as a specialist in counter terrorism, prime target elimination, demolitions, weapons and tactics, covert surveillance and information gathering in hostile environments, and VIP protection, McNab worked on cooperative operations with police forces, prison services, anti-drug forces and western backed guerrilla movements as well as on conventional special operations. In Northern Ireland he spent two years working as an undercover operator with 14th Intelligence Group, going on to become an instructor.
McNab also worked as an instructor on the SAS selection and training team and instructed foreign special forces in counter terrorism, hostage rescue and survival training.
Andy McNab has written about his experiences in the SAS in two bestselling books, Bravo Two Zero (1993) and Immediate Action (1995). Bravo Two Zero is the highest selling war book of all time and has sold over 1.7 million copies in the UK. To date it has been published in 17 countries and translated into 16 languages. The CD spoken word version of Bravo Two Zero, narrated by McNab, sold over 60,000 copies and earned a silver disc. The BBC's film of Bravo Two Zero, starring Sean Bean, was shown on primetime BBC 1 television in 1999 and released on DVD in 2000.
Immediate Action, McNab's autobiography, spent 18 weeks at the top of the bestseller lists following the lifting on an ex-parte injunction granted to the Ministry of Defence in September 1995. To date, Immediate Action has now sold over 1.4 million copies in the UK.
McNab is the author of seven fast action thrillers, highly acclaimed for their authenticity and all Sunday Times bestsellers. Published in 1997, Remote Control was hailed as the most authentic thriller ever written and has sold over half a million copies in the UK. McNab's subsequent thrillers, Crisis Four, Firewall, Last Light , Liberation Day , Dark Winter , Deep Black and Aggressor have all gone on to sell equally well. The central character in all the books is Nick Stone, a tough ex-SAS operative working as a 'K' on deniable operations for British Intelligence.
McNab's fiction draws extensively on his experiences and knowledge of Special Forces soldiering. He has been officially registered by Neilsen Bookscan as the bestselling British thriller writer of the last year.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
August 12, 2021
One of the best thriller I've read so far. It was my first book from Andy McNab and I have no doubt that I'm going to read more of his works. I just finished reading it and not to give spoiler alert but I'm in crying my eyes out right now,at 1am. I need time to recover from what the writer did to me in the last 30 pages. Totally worth a read. I'm in love with the writing style.
June 17, 2022
The many sparkling reviews drew me into this one and yes, fluid and entertaining for the most part, yet slowwww. Excellent narration saved the day but I leave wanting to repeatedly say, "Shut your gob".
October 17, 2020
The rating for this book is 3/5.
This book is a part of the Nick Stone series and it’s my first read. It was slow throughout until I completed 300 or further pages.
Even though it’s my first read, I expected a lot after the exciting synopsis. I wanted a more mysterious side of Nick rather than having few twisted counterparts in the story which are just dragging the book more. I felt bad for Nick because he always tried the best for Kelly and yet, he failed in her eyes. He did everything he could to save all the droughts and disasters surrounding him. I love this genre but, I doubt if this book fits well into it.
Nick works for a secret agency that is a part of the former government. He becomes associated with an intelligent teammate, Suzy who is highly competitive just like Nick. They both came from dets serving for their country. They are here to fight for their country despite all the risks. Suzy plays a fascinating character which made me more interested to know her personally and I did! Andy surely does have some Great War insights to create such strong characters for the readers, he is observant and plotting seems to fit right in the place. I liked the way he has emphasized on Nick and Suzy to make his readers know them personally.
*Spoiler alert*
The terror was spreading, the lives of people were at risk. The terrorists were risking people’s lives for the sake of the betterment of the country, to clear of sins, and bring purity to the world. A biochemical attack that will infect through air-passages passed on through air, or saliva(SARS), similar to COVID-19. The Yes Man holds control of the operation ’The Dark Winter’ that diverts into something unexpected. The ending was so not happy or caught my breath, rather just plain insight of a cruel tragedy with such a sad loss.
Andy McNab tells the story from top to bottom rather than keeping his readers wait for long. He ensures to give in all the detail while filling up the story mixed with history and the current situation with the attack alert going on. No matter how harder the situation could be, Nick and Suzy were best at their job. He has portrayed Suzy as a strong character, he is involved in her character that is visible as he brings women empowerment as well as fight to serve the public.
This book is a part of the Nick Stone series and it’s my first read. It was slow throughout until I completed 300 or further pages.
Even though it’s my first read, I expected a lot after the exciting synopsis. I wanted a more mysterious side of Nick rather than having few twisted counterparts in the story which are just dragging the book more. I felt bad for Nick because he always tried the best for Kelly and yet, he failed in her eyes. He did everything he could to save all the droughts and disasters surrounding him. I love this genre but, I doubt if this book fits well into it.
Nick works for a secret agency that is a part of the former government. He becomes associated with an intelligent teammate, Suzy who is highly competitive just like Nick. They both came from dets serving for their country. They are here to fight for their country despite all the risks. Suzy plays a fascinating character which made me more interested to know her personally and I did! Andy surely does have some Great War insights to create such strong characters for the readers, he is observant and plotting seems to fit right in the place. I liked the way he has emphasized on Nick and Suzy to make his readers know them personally.
*Spoiler alert*
The terror was spreading, the lives of people were at risk. The terrorists were risking people’s lives for the sake of the betterment of the country, to clear of sins, and bring purity to the world. A biochemical attack that will infect through air-passages passed on through air, or saliva(SARS), similar to COVID-19. The Yes Man holds control of the operation ’The Dark Winter’ that diverts into something unexpected. The ending was so not happy or caught my breath, rather just plain insight of a cruel tragedy with such a sad loss.
Andy McNab tells the story from top to bottom rather than keeping his readers wait for long. He ensures to give in all the detail while filling up the story mixed with history and the current situation with the attack alert going on. No matter how harder the situation could be, Nick and Suzy were best at their job. He has portrayed Suzy as a strong character, he is involved in her character that is visible as he brings women empowerment as well as fight to serve the public.
November 17, 2009
Andy McNab’s long-running Nick Stone books started out on a high with no less than three brilliant novels, all of them action-packed and full of authentic suspense: Remote Control, Crisis Four and Firewall. Since then, the novels have been on a slide, and this one’s no exception.
The problem is a sense of lethargy running for the first two-thirds of the book. Yes, we get the message that Nick Stone is a covert operative, primarily a surveillance man, but there’s way too many chapters when absolutely nothing happens. Our hero meets a source, watches a building, occasionally kills a couple of people, and so on, packed with endless pages telling you how to take a gun apart or describing a character eating a sandwich. These scenes slow the pacing down to a sluggish level and its hard to build up enthusiasm while you read.
Later on, when the action moves to Berlin, things start to pick up and this gets as good as it was back in the first three books. There’s repulsive, violent action, mucho death and destruction, and a breakneck speed that doesn’t disappointment. Plus a truly heartbreaking ending which even caused this reader to shed a tear or two.
If only McNab could sustain this pace for the rest of the novel. It’s a shame, because the plot – about a planned biological attack on the London Underground – precedes real-life events by a couple of years (although the terrorists used bombs rather than chemical agents) and makes for a frightening, enthralling read. Less padding, more action, and then McNab might hit the level of the first books in this never-ending series.
The problem is a sense of lethargy running for the first two-thirds of the book. Yes, we get the message that Nick Stone is a covert operative, primarily a surveillance man, but there’s way too many chapters when absolutely nothing happens. Our hero meets a source, watches a building, occasionally kills a couple of people, and so on, packed with endless pages telling you how to take a gun apart or describing a character eating a sandwich. These scenes slow the pacing down to a sluggish level and its hard to build up enthusiasm while you read.
Later on, when the action moves to Berlin, things start to pick up and this gets as good as it was back in the first three books. There’s repulsive, violent action, mucho death and destruction, and a breakneck speed that doesn’t disappointment. Plus a truly heartbreaking ending which even caused this reader to shed a tear or two.
If only McNab could sustain this pace for the rest of the novel. It’s a shame, because the plot – about a planned biological attack on the London Underground – precedes real-life events by a couple of years (although the terrorists used bombs rather than chemical agents) and makes for a frightening, enthralling read. Less padding, more action, and then McNab might hit the level of the first books in this never-ending series.
April 27, 2015
More like a 3 and a 1/2 than a 3 but not a 4. Was ok then improved in the last 100 pages or so when I actually became interested in what happened.
Was given a few of these books and doubt if I would buy another
Was given a few of these books and doubt if I would buy another
February 27, 2023
Having read this series out of order, i knew going in how it would end and believe me, it's not happily. It's a sad end to a chapter of Nick Stone's life that was starting to show ray of sunshine. Beware if you start this hoping for happy thoughts.
Looking past that, this is a gritty thriller that delievers everything McNab's fans love.
Looking past that, this is a gritty thriller that delievers everything McNab's fans love.
August 26, 2009
After first setting eyes on this book, it didn't take me long to get right in on the action. You quickly become immersed in Nick Stone's secret life, featuring vivid characters and brilliant descriptions, partly because of Andy's real life experience in the field. The story is exciting and shocking as it twists and turns into a plotline that just a few pages before you completely wouldn't have expected. It is a testament to Andy's writing style that he manages to turn what would have been a good story of an agent under cover in suburban England into a great one. The ending was a bit of a disappointment though, but overall, great!
September 27, 2017
Pretty dam good. At first I was "Oh crap... Kelly Kelly Kelly". But then along came Suzy and I was interested. The two were good together (personally and professionally).
Plot is plausible if somewhat stock. The bad guys are not really interesting. I won't put in a spoiler. But the ending is not all rainbows and unicorn farts.
I liked the narration. It was sort of 'genuine'. Overall, in a series I thought I would NOT continue, Dark Winter has convinced me to 'do another'.
Plot is plausible if somewhat stock. The bad guys are not really interesting. I won't put in a spoiler. But the ending is not all rainbows and unicorn farts.
I liked the narration. It was sort of 'genuine'. Overall, in a series I thought I would NOT continue, Dark Winter has convinced me to 'do another'.
November 5, 2017
Was not sure I could get thru this book.......
This was my first Andy McNab book. Some of the terminology from this British writer had me scratching my head.. The protagonist comes across as wimpy in this story. He cares for Kelly but his job interfers, with all his plans. I did not care for the ending at all. Thanks but NO thanks. Amarillo Turtle
This was my first Andy McNab book. Some of the terminology from this British writer had me scratching my head.. The protagonist comes across as wimpy in this story. He cares for Kelly but his job interfers, with all his plans. I did not care for the ending at all. Thanks but NO thanks. Amarillo Turtle
June 10, 2018
This could have done so much more with the plot.Boring for big chunks had to force myself to finish it.Abrupt poor ending. Maybe it would have been better if I had read some of the earlier Nick Stone series.
March 13, 2019
This book was difficult to read and could have easily been shelved 1/3 of the way through. The story plods on with unremarkable characters scattered throughout.
March 11, 2022
Dark Winter - Andy McNab (2004) -
I was disappointed to realise that this was a book that features an existing character, as I usually like to start everything from the beginning (It’s a very good place to start). However, the story is told in such a way that most of the relevant information is all provided in this new instalment of Nick Stone’s tale. A summary of his previous missions might benefit things, but you can limp along well enough.
What was difficult though was all the jargon, I still don’t know what a “K” is. There should definitely be some sort of Glossary to refer to at the back.
It’s hard to keep track of the abbreviations too and perhaps Mr. McNab could use a thesaurus every once in a while to think of words to describe a cup of tea other than a “Brew” all the time. Actually alongside that the book is very Brit-centric. There are lots of brands and things that other countries and cultures wouldn’t necessarily recognise at all.
Andy also seems to spend an inordinate amount of time explaining how to load guns or put on other equipment, which really slows things down and doesn’t interest me in the slightest. It just doesn’t contribute to the story, but I assume that there are people from various military and police forces that would appreciate the detail.
I think one of the biggest issues for me though is that Suzy is actually the real hero of the hour. Nick tends to get in to more trouble than he gets out of.
It doesn’t really explore the building of sexual tension between them as much as it could either, as if it was put in as an afterthought. There seems to be a struggle to write the emotional stuff, with lots of important conversations being put off until they are no longer necessary to write.
I also felt that having Kelly in the story dragged it out a bit, like the metaphorical equivalent of the child or woman that falls over when running away from danger, she was a tombstone around his neck and restricted things.
But actually once the story really got going and even with a step by step explanation of too many things, it moved quite well, with interest and a tension that enabled you to feel with the lead character.
Essentially this wouldn’t be a story that I would choose for myself, but I wouldn’t turn down the chance of reading more of Andy’s works at a later date.
Overall the story is enjoyable, although not really my sort of thing (It would score higher if it had aliens or orcs in it).
There are quite a few issues with proof reading that I corrected with my pencil as I went, mostly regarding tenses, Here instead of There, but also some mix up of Round and Around.
Other than that it flows very well, although it is a tad slow to start.
6.34/10.
I was disappointed to realise that this was a book that features an existing character, as I usually like to start everything from the beginning (It’s a very good place to start). However, the story is told in such a way that most of the relevant information is all provided in this new instalment of Nick Stone’s tale. A summary of his previous missions might benefit things, but you can limp along well enough.
What was difficult though was all the jargon, I still don’t know what a “K” is. There should definitely be some sort of Glossary to refer to at the back.
It’s hard to keep track of the abbreviations too and perhaps Mr. McNab could use a thesaurus every once in a while to think of words to describe a cup of tea other than a “Brew” all the time. Actually alongside that the book is very Brit-centric. There are lots of brands and things that other countries and cultures wouldn’t necessarily recognise at all.
Andy also seems to spend an inordinate amount of time explaining how to load guns or put on other equipment, which really slows things down and doesn’t interest me in the slightest. It just doesn’t contribute to the story, but I assume that there are people from various military and police forces that would appreciate the detail.
I think one of the biggest issues for me though is that Suzy is actually the real hero of the hour. Nick tends to get in to more trouble than he gets out of.
It doesn’t really explore the building of sexual tension between them as much as it could either, as if it was put in as an afterthought. There seems to be a struggle to write the emotional stuff, with lots of important conversations being put off until they are no longer necessary to write.
I also felt that having Kelly in the story dragged it out a bit, like the metaphorical equivalent of the child or woman that falls over when running away from danger, she was a tombstone around his neck and restricted things.
But actually once the story really got going and even with a step by step explanation of too many things, it moved quite well, with interest and a tension that enabled you to feel with the lead character.
Essentially this wouldn’t be a story that I would choose for myself, but I wouldn’t turn down the chance of reading more of Andy’s works at a later date.
Overall the story is enjoyable, although not really my sort of thing (It would score higher if it had aliens or orcs in it).
There are quite a few issues with proof reading that I corrected with my pencil as I went, mostly regarding tenses, Here instead of There, but also some mix up of Round and Around.
Other than that it flows very well, although it is a tad slow to start.
6.34/10.
October 1, 2024
I've been reading these in order, but for me they peaked with the first book, which is still one of my favourites and then they descended until the 5th book was just too slow and was perhaps one of the worst books I've read.
A few months on I decided to give them another go and this book starts out in a similar vein to his best work. I rather like the personal element, the dealing with Kelly, the struggles he has to balance work and life. Then in the middle we slow down and go back into the ridiculously over-the-top detail of walking down streets and watching houses. Thankfully the pace picks back up again, around when Nick heads to Germany.
As I have come to learn, things don't always go as planned for Nick and things are in fact often pretty bad. This book is perhaps as bad as it's gotten though.
3.5 stars might be a better representation of the overall grading of this book.
A few months on I decided to give them another go and this book starts out in a similar vein to his best work. I rather like the personal element, the dealing with Kelly, the struggles he has to balance work and life. Then in the middle we slow down and go back into the ridiculously over-the-top detail of walking down streets and watching houses. Thankfully the pace picks back up again, around when Nick heads to Germany.
As I have come to learn, things don't always go as planned for Nick and things are in fact often pretty bad. This book is perhaps as bad as it's gotten though.
3.5 stars might be a better representation of the overall grading of this book.
March 31, 2020
One of my favourites from the Nick Stone series so far. I love Andy’s writing style, everything feels authentic from the characters to the settings to the plot. Absolutely love Nick; especially his complexities but also his sweet side that seems to be appearing more often.
I adored Nick and Kelly’s relationship from the get go. The two dynamics colliding due to unfortunate circumstances but it worked so so well. She gave him a reason to keep on fighting amidst some of the toughest encounters in his life - he always knew he had her to go back to. She was somebody who unconditionally loved, looked up to, and relied on him. I am absolutely devastated by the ending of this book. It is written so well, but I never ever thought this would happen. I, like Kelly, always thought that Nick would keep her safe. It was two stomach blows at once: Kelly and Suzy (another great character who I grew to love and obviously so did Nick.) I cant wait to read the next one, but I think I need to mentally regather first as I’m still crying - haha.
I adored Nick and Kelly’s relationship from the get go. The two dynamics colliding due to unfortunate circumstances but it worked so so well. She gave him a reason to keep on fighting amidst some of the toughest encounters in his life - he always knew he had her to go back to. She was somebody who unconditionally loved, looked up to, and relied on him. I am absolutely devastated by the ending of this book. It is written so well, but I never ever thought this would happen. I, like Kelly, always thought that Nick would keep her safe. It was two stomach blows at once: Kelly and Suzy (another great character who I grew to love and obviously so did Nick.) I cant wait to read the next one, but I think I need to mentally regather first as I’m still crying - haha.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2018
"Dark Winter" is a continuation of a coherent and ongoing story-arch, which makes it impossible (for me at least) to discuss in depth merits of this book and reasons why I like it as much as I do. So I will limit myself to saying that if you've read previous five volumes, expect more of the same odd mix of mundane and über-special, secret agent/assassin mix that makes this book cycle stick apart from the rest of the genre. And perhaps, as I do quite often when I read books by McNab, keep wondering which parts are pure fiction and which are camouflaged recollections of real life events in which author did take part or knows of because of his SAS past. :-)
If you're on the other hand are new to Nick Stone cycle and just picked up "Dark Winter" by chance, I'm afraid that the plot of this book won't make much deeper sense to you. Find yourself "Remote Control" and enjoy the ride properly and from the beginning.
If you're on the other hand are new to Nick Stone cycle and just picked up "Dark Winter" by chance, I'm afraid that the plot of this book won't make much deeper sense to you. Find yourself "Remote Control" and enjoy the ride properly and from the beginning.
October 18, 2019
Nick Stone is back in action, the sands of time ebbing as he strives to unravel a terrorist biological weapons plot.
Written in the MacNab style, wrapped in the authenticity of sailor language with intense firearms and operations knowledge, the details are key to making this engaging and believable.
The character development is excellent, not only for the terrorists and the good guys but also the family members who go on with their normal lives. Issues such as drug use and other social problems were approached, although these topics could have been elaborated on, the book kept to the central theme.
There are some harsher turns of misery too, dealing emphatically with a past loss of loved ones and PTSD, the shocking reenactment of a traumatic event in Nicks life really brought a humanistic feel.
The unrelenting plot does not hold its punches, taking the reader through a rollercoaster ride but with very few ups. This is some of the best writing of its genre.
Written in the MacNab style, wrapped in the authenticity of sailor language with intense firearms and operations knowledge, the details are key to making this engaging and believable.
The character development is excellent, not only for the terrorists and the good guys but also the family members who go on with their normal lives. Issues such as drug use and other social problems were approached, although these topics could have been elaborated on, the book kept to the central theme.
There are some harsher turns of misery too, dealing emphatically with a past loss of loved ones and PTSD, the shocking reenactment of a traumatic event in Nicks life really brought a humanistic feel.
The unrelenting plot does not hold its punches, taking the reader through a rollercoaster ride but with very few ups. This is some of the best writing of its genre.
August 13, 2020
L'intelligence dell'Occidente è in allarme arancio: massimo livello di allerta. New York, Londra e Berlino sono nel mirino di terroristi islamici che stanno per diffondere il micidiale virus di una peste polmonare: nome in codice Dark Winter. Nick e la compagna Suzy devono trovare le bottiglie contenenti la peste, ma allo stesso tempo Nick deve dedicarsi alla figlia adottiva Kelly che non riesce a superare i traumi del suo doloroso passato. Nick è di fronte a una scelta impossibile: la vita di chi ama contro quella di milioni di sconosciuti. La trama è avvincente, ma ci sono troppi particolari e descrizioni relative ad armi, tute anti-virus, difficili da capire se non si è esperti nelll'ambito del terrorismo. Inoltre la fine è stata molto deludente: tutto sembrava sistemarsi, sia dal punto di vista della missione sia dal punto di vista affettivo, e alla fine Nick si ritrova senza figlia e senza Suzy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2020
Dark Winter. Andy McNab
Nick Stone and his partner Susan are sent to Malaysia to terminate a biochemist. Straightforward assignment, no worries. Mission completed. Then problems in his personal life begin to unravel. A deadly virus, pathogen is in the hands of suicidal terrorists. If unleashed the aftermath will be monumental. Stone and Susan are again assigned to recover the pathogen contained in bottles by any means necessary. This is an extremely well written fast paced action thriller with a tragic ending. Stone will lose someone he deeply cares about as well as his partner. My highest recommendation!
Nick Stone and his partner Susan are sent to Malaysia to terminate a biochemist. Straightforward assignment, no worries. Mission completed. Then problems in his personal life begin to unravel. A deadly virus, pathogen is in the hands of suicidal terrorists. If unleashed the aftermath will be monumental. Stone and Susan are again assigned to recover the pathogen contained in bottles by any means necessary. This is an extremely well written fast paced action thriller with a tragic ending. Stone will lose someone he deeply cares about as well as his partner. My highest recommendation!
January 13, 2024
Another grim and gritty Nick Stone novel, with all the trademark violence, as bleak, unflinching and unrelenting as ever, this time dealing with a biological terror threat against Great Britain and the United States. No punches are ever pulled in this series, but Dark Winter is probably - no, actually, definitely - his grimmest and darkest outing yet.
(McNab probably could have trimmed off about fifty pages across Dark Winter's length just to tighten things up a little, as there is a lot of time spent on fieldcraft that tends to get a little repetitive now that we are six books in to Stone's adventures.)
(McNab probably could have trimmed off about fifty pages across Dark Winter's length just to tighten things up a little, as there is a lot of time spent on fieldcraft that tends to get a little repetitive now that we are six books in to Stone's adventures.)
December 16, 2021
Easily the best Nick Stone book thus far, with each one steadily improving over the last. This was a solid read throughout in the usual McNab style, but the ending was one of those that had me reflecting on it for the next hour (much to the chagrin of my need to fall asleep). To best feel the impact of this one, you should read the prior five novels. Otherwise it would make just a shred of the impression.
August 24, 2024
VOTO: 3.5
PRO: personaggi realistici, finale
CONTRO: problemi di ritmo, trama lineare
Un romanzo di spionaggio diverso dal solito, con una coppia di protagonisti relativamente umani anziché eroi invincibili, che soffre una trama eccessivamente lineare e piatta e un ritmo narrativo altalenante.
PRO: personaggi realistici, finale
CONTRO: problemi di ritmo, trama lineare
Un romanzo di spionaggio diverso dal solito, con una coppia di protagonisti relativamente umani anziché eroi invincibili, che soffre una trama eccessivamente lineare e piatta e un ritmo narrativo altalenante.
September 16, 2017
I have been looking forward to reading this book as some of the actions were taking place in Penang. Another page turner with dramatic ending. I thought I would stop at #6, but the plot thickens...maybe one more. ;-)
July 22, 2020
A great thriller, exciting story, lots of drama. Nice storyline and quite fitting to our crazy pandemic world. Sorry for Nick, like the man, not invincible and very human compared to other action heroes. Recommend reading in sequence to follow the history of the characters
June 17, 2021
Deeply disappointing
It's pathetic that Stone always misses with his first shot or punch.I
All the tech garbage and delay. Waiting for action is like waiting for Godot.
Also couldn't we have a happy ending for once
It's pathetic that Stone always misses with his first shot or punch.I
All the tech garbage and delay. Waiting for action is like waiting for Godot.
Also couldn't we have a happy ending for once
January 13, 2022
This was a bit average for me compared to the other books I’ve read. Read it over 4 days whilst tramping the Abel Tasman Coastal Track so had good continuity but the story wasn’t that gripping for me. Disappointing.
July 2, 2023
Great book. The author puts in so much detail it can get numbing. You are literally on a ride where you hear about every step taken over the time frame of the action. The story was great, but the ending was just crushing....
December 9, 2025
2.5 rounded up to 3 stars. This book and the last one are by far my least favorites of the series up to this point. It had some interest that pulled it up a bit, but overall it felt like a bit of a letdown.
August 12, 2017
Used to love Jack Reacher. Now Nick Stone is my man I'm reading whole series.
August 27, 2018
Struggled to read
This book was treading old ground from a previous book, therefore losing my attention before eventually getting to the storyline,
This book was treading old ground from a previous book, therefore losing my attention before eventually getting to the storyline,
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