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Grilling Martinis: A Dirty Spy Thriller
Grilling Martinis is a spy thriller with action galore.
Attorney Hank Hart takes a short vacation to visit her father at their family lake cabin in Northern Wisconsin. Hank’s getaway is suddenly upended when she’s plunged into an explosive assassination attempt. Turns out, her father isn’t who she thought he was, and they’re both surprised to discover that Hank’s got survivor skills in spades when being hunted by a drone.
Hank is rattled from the encounter, so her father convinces her to undergo some self-defense training at a top-secret training camp—the French Farm—which means putting her legal career and budding romance with a judge on hold. While learning the ropes about weapons, hand-to-hand combat, and undercover work, Hank is recruited for a deadly mission in the French Alps that stretches her emotionally. As Hank gets her bearings in a duplicitous world, she discovers an inner strength and affinity for danger that she didn’t know she possessed.
In a surprising twist, one of Hank’s covert team members sets her sights on Hank, using the most lethal weapon of all—the striptease. With a lover’s encouragement, Hank rearranges her personal and professional goals.
★★★★★ “This thriller burns as hot in the field as it does between the sheets. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy the intrigue and action of a thriller combined with high-octane sex scenes. The action sequences crackle with cinematic detail, from icy lake escapes to mountain adventure to shuttle hijackings, while quieter moments—like Hank and Bob paging through photo albums of her late mother—add emotional ballast. Layered atop the adrenaline is Hank’s burgeoning romance with an Air Force pilot who is transitioning to the CIA. As usual, Venice demonstrates her flair for crafting eye-popping scenes.” Best Thrillers 2025
★★★★★ “A spy thriller that offers more than just danger and intrigue. By balancing action with intimacy, grounding spectacle in emotion, and crafting a heroine whose evolution is as compelling as the plot itself, Venice demonstrates that the genre can be as emotionally resonant as it is pulse-pounding. With each twist and turn, readers are pulled into a world where danger and desire blur together, making Grilling Martinis a captivating cocktail of espionage—shaken, stirred, and set ablaze.” Women Using Words 2025
Attorney Hank Hart takes a short vacation to visit her father at their family lake cabin in Northern Wisconsin. Hank’s getaway is suddenly upended when she’s plunged into an explosive assassination attempt. Turns out, her father isn’t who she thought he was, and they’re both surprised to discover that Hank’s got survivor skills in spades when being hunted by a drone.
Hank is rattled from the encounter, so her father convinces her to undergo some self-defense training at a top-secret training camp—the French Farm—which means putting her legal career and budding romance with a judge on hold. While learning the ropes about weapons, hand-to-hand combat, and undercover work, Hank is recruited for a deadly mission in the French Alps that stretches her emotionally. As Hank gets her bearings in a duplicitous world, she discovers an inner strength and affinity for danger that she didn’t know she possessed.
In a surprising twist, one of Hank’s covert team members sets her sights on Hank, using the most lethal weapon of all—the striptease. With a lover’s encouragement, Hank rearranges her personal and professional goals.
★★★★★ “This thriller burns as hot in the field as it does between the sheets. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy the intrigue and action of a thriller combined with high-octane sex scenes. The action sequences crackle with cinematic detail, from icy lake escapes to mountain adventure to shuttle hijackings, while quieter moments—like Hank and Bob paging through photo albums of her late mother—add emotional ballast. Layered atop the adrenaline is Hank’s burgeoning romance with an Air Force pilot who is transitioning to the CIA. As usual, Venice demonstrates her flair for crafting eye-popping scenes.” Best Thrillers 2025
★★★★★ “A spy thriller that offers more than just danger and intrigue. By balancing action with intimacy, grounding spectacle in emotion, and crafting a heroine whose evolution is as compelling as the plot itself, Venice demonstrates that the genre can be as emotionally resonant as it is pulse-pounding. With each twist and turn, readers are pulled into a world where danger and desire blur together, making Grilling Martinis a captivating cocktail of espionage—shaken, stirred, and set ablaze.” Women Using Words 2025
- GenresRomance
318 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 8, 2025
7 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Alexi Venice
21 books399 followersAward-winning author Alexi Venice’s legal and crime thrillers with sapphic leads serve up deadly appetizers, spicy main dishes, and HEA desserts. Both the San Francisco Mystery Series and the Monica Spade Trilogy are Lesfic Bard Award winners. Thirty-four years of practicing law informs Venice’s legal, medical, and crime fiction. Her heart and imagination are pesto on the pizza. When she isn’t writing, Venice is wrangling grandchildren and playing on the lake.
Instagram: alexivenice_author
Twitter: @VeniceAlexi
Website: www.alexivenice.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alexivenicenovels
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 13, 2025
4.5 rounded to 5⭐
I took a chance on a new author to me and so pleased I did. Action, adventure, undercover agents all set against a France and USA backdrop. Excellent writing style.
I took a chance on a new author to me and so pleased I did. Action, adventure, undercover agents all set against a France and USA backdrop. Excellent writing style.
October 3, 2025
Readers seeking a thriller that fires on all cylinders—intellectually, emotionally, and viscerally—will find Grilling Martinis by Alexi Venice impossible to put down. Fast-paced yet thoughtful, it delivers all the hallmarks a spy thriller, including assassination attempts, drone chases, and covert operations. At the same time, it layers in emotional depth and sly romantic tension. The result is a story that feels both familiar in its adrenaline rush and refreshingly original in its perspective.
Fans of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series will find much to admire in Hank Hart. Like Ryan, she is intelligent, intuitive, and analytical, yet Venice gives her a distinct voice and a richer emotional dimension. Hank leads with her mind, stays true to her values, and embraces vulnerability even while navigating betrayals, explosions, and covert missions. Thrust from her role as attorney into the world of espionage, she grows sharper and more resilient with each challenge, her evolution shaped as much by danger as by desire. A budding romance with a judge and the allure of a seductive team member force her to confront questions of trust, risk, and uncertainty, adding layers of complexity to her transformation.
The action in Grilling Martinis is never mere spectacle. Each confrontation, clash, and mission acts as a crucible for change, compelling Hank to adapt, hone her instincts, and uncover reserves of strength she didn’t know she possessed. Venice scripts this with precision. From a secluded cabin in northern Wisconsin to a launchpad in Texas, every twist tests Hank’s resolve, forging her into a heroine who grows tougher yet more nuanced with every trial. At the same time, Venice never lets the relentless pace eclipse the humanity at the story’s core. Moments of humor, sparks of romance, and flashes of fragility weave through the danger, creating a reading experience that balances breathless suspense with genuine emotional payoff.
Venice’s settings are more than mere backdrops; they function as forces that shape the story and intensify its tension. The tranquil lake cabin in Wisconsin becomes a site of explosive danger, the secretive “French Farm” training camp serves as a proving ground for skill and trust, the snowy French Alps offer a breathtaking yet treacherous stage for high-stakes missions, and a Texas space shuttle launchpad fuels more than wonder and curiosity into the atmosphere. As a result, each location amplifies the suspense and intrigue that drive the plot, making the novel a true page-turner.
Perhaps most refreshing, however, is the way Venice masterfully navigates the complexities of human relationships. She refuses to shy away from emotional bonds and entanglements, drawing characters who reveal vulnerabilities that resonate beyond their roles as spies, fathers, daughters, friends, or lovers. She capitalizes on intimacy within these relationships, creating intrigue that not only propels the plot but also prompts readers to ponder questions of trust and loyalty in a world where nothing is as it seems. Moreover, her characters grapple with a volatile mix of desire and danger simmering beneath the surface. Venice wields this sexual chemistry as a powerful storytelling tool, heightening the stakes and making the novel as unpredictable as it is fun.
Final remarks…
Alexi Venice’s Grilling Martinis is a spy thriller that offers more than just danger and intrigue. By balancing action with intimacy, grounding spectacle in emotion, and crafting a heroine whose evolution is as compelling as the plot itself, Venice demonstrates that the genre can be as emotionally resonant as it is pulse-pounding. With each twist and turn, readers are pulled into a world where danger and desire blur together, making Grilling Martinis a captivating cocktail of espionage and erotica—shaken, stirred, and set ablaze.
Strengths…
Propulsive Action and High Stakes
Adrenaline-Fueled Action That Shapes Character and Story
Dynamic, Evolving Protagonist
Blend of Spy Thrills With Unexpected Romantic Twists
Sexual Chemistry and Emotional Depth
Vivid Settings That Amplify Tension
Fans of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series will find much to admire in Hank Hart. Like Ryan, she is intelligent, intuitive, and analytical, yet Venice gives her a distinct voice and a richer emotional dimension. Hank leads with her mind, stays true to her values, and embraces vulnerability even while navigating betrayals, explosions, and covert missions. Thrust from her role as attorney into the world of espionage, she grows sharper and more resilient with each challenge, her evolution shaped as much by danger as by desire. A budding romance with a judge and the allure of a seductive team member force her to confront questions of trust, risk, and uncertainty, adding layers of complexity to her transformation.
The action in Grilling Martinis is never mere spectacle. Each confrontation, clash, and mission acts as a crucible for change, compelling Hank to adapt, hone her instincts, and uncover reserves of strength she didn’t know she possessed. Venice scripts this with precision. From a secluded cabin in northern Wisconsin to a launchpad in Texas, every twist tests Hank’s resolve, forging her into a heroine who grows tougher yet more nuanced with every trial. At the same time, Venice never lets the relentless pace eclipse the humanity at the story’s core. Moments of humor, sparks of romance, and flashes of fragility weave through the danger, creating a reading experience that balances breathless suspense with genuine emotional payoff.
Venice’s settings are more than mere backdrops; they function as forces that shape the story and intensify its tension. The tranquil lake cabin in Wisconsin becomes a site of explosive danger, the secretive “French Farm” training camp serves as a proving ground for skill and trust, the snowy French Alps offer a breathtaking yet treacherous stage for high-stakes missions, and a Texas space shuttle launchpad fuels more than wonder and curiosity into the atmosphere. As a result, each location amplifies the suspense and intrigue that drive the plot, making the novel a true page-turner.
Perhaps most refreshing, however, is the way Venice masterfully navigates the complexities of human relationships. She refuses to shy away from emotional bonds and entanglements, drawing characters who reveal vulnerabilities that resonate beyond their roles as spies, fathers, daughters, friends, or lovers. She capitalizes on intimacy within these relationships, creating intrigue that not only propels the plot but also prompts readers to ponder questions of trust and loyalty in a world where nothing is as it seems. Moreover, her characters grapple with a volatile mix of desire and danger simmering beneath the surface. Venice wields this sexual chemistry as a powerful storytelling tool, heightening the stakes and making the novel as unpredictable as it is fun.
Final remarks…
Alexi Venice’s Grilling Martinis is a spy thriller that offers more than just danger and intrigue. By balancing action with intimacy, grounding spectacle in emotion, and crafting a heroine whose evolution is as compelling as the plot itself, Venice demonstrates that the genre can be as emotionally resonant as it is pulse-pounding. With each twist and turn, readers are pulled into a world where danger and desire blur together, making Grilling Martinis a captivating cocktail of espionage and erotica—shaken, stirred, and set ablaze.
Strengths…
Propulsive Action and High Stakes
Adrenaline-Fueled Action That Shapes Character and Story
Dynamic, Evolving Protagonist
Blend of Spy Thrills With Unexpected Romantic Twists
Sexual Chemistry and Emotional Depth
Vivid Settings That Amplify Tension
November 18, 2025
Hank and Dad’s Adventure
Hank Hart visits her Dad and learns many things. Alexi Venice’s “Grilling Martinis” is loaded with surprises for Hank - some of them very unpleasant! Recovering from an assault during her latest trial, attorney Hank Hart visits her dad, where she finds he has rebuilt the family lake cabin as a high tech fortress! What?? It’s on a speedboat ride with Dad, that Hank learns some surprising things. One, Dad is, and has always been, a spy! If that’s not surprise enough, Dad’s friend is targeted and supposedly blown up while landing his seaplane … and, Dad and Hank land in the lake when his speedboat is blown up too! That’s when Hank learns just how tough she really is - a swim from the middle of the lake to shore in 50 degree water is the proof. Hank has lots of questions - Dad finally provides answers, plus the suggestion that Hank might want to join the “Catholics In Action” (uhmmm … CIA, that is). So Hank finds herself at a crossroad stick with her successful law career, or change careers to become a CIA operative herself. Hank accepts Dad’s invitation to visit “the Farm” for some self defense training, where she is introduced to much more - an actual CIA mission, and a gorgeous blond Air Force pilot. She’s soon immersed in frighteningly intense missions that put Hank to the real test of her toughness and courage. Decision time for Hank. Will it be the challenging, rewarding, but staid continuation of her law career, OR the incredible challenges, dangers, and rewards of a new career with the CIA (plus the possibility of something exciting and meaningful with that blond pilot!)?? “Grilling Martinis” is overflowing with life changing-experiences, danger, and serious problem-solving for Hank. A really great read!
Hank Hart visits her Dad and learns many things. Alexi Venice’s “Grilling Martinis” is loaded with surprises for Hank - some of them very unpleasant! Recovering from an assault during her latest trial, attorney Hank Hart visits her dad, where she finds he has rebuilt the family lake cabin as a high tech fortress! What?? It’s on a speedboat ride with Dad, that Hank learns some surprising things. One, Dad is, and has always been, a spy! If that’s not surprise enough, Dad’s friend is targeted and supposedly blown up while landing his seaplane … and, Dad and Hank land in the lake when his speedboat is blown up too! That’s when Hank learns just how tough she really is - a swim from the middle of the lake to shore in 50 degree water is the proof. Hank has lots of questions - Dad finally provides answers, plus the suggestion that Hank might want to join the “Catholics In Action” (uhmmm … CIA, that is). So Hank finds herself at a crossroad stick with her successful law career, or change careers to become a CIA operative herself. Hank accepts Dad’s invitation to visit “the Farm” for some self defense training, where she is introduced to much more - an actual CIA mission, and a gorgeous blond Air Force pilot. She’s soon immersed in frighteningly intense missions that put Hank to the real test of her toughness and courage. Decision time for Hank. Will it be the challenging, rewarding, but staid continuation of her law career, OR the incredible challenges, dangers, and rewards of a new career with the CIA (plus the possibility of something exciting and meaningful with that blond pilot!)?? “Grilling Martinis” is overflowing with life changing-experiences, danger, and serious problem-solving for Hank. A really great read!
October 14, 2025
A Great Series Opener
This book takes you on a wild ride. I was hooked immediately and can’t wait for the next Hank Hart book!
Alexi Venice has another winner!
This book takes you on a wild ride. I was hooked immediately and can’t wait for the next Hank Hart book!
Alexi Venice has another winner!
November 6, 2025
This book was interesting, but I really liked Hank as a lawyer.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews