What do you think?
Rate this book
Aidan Snow #3
Cold East
The clock is ticking. Will Aidan Snow be able to save the world…again?
In Ukraine, MI6 operative Aidan Snow rescues a British national held by Russian insurgents.
In the United States, a terrorist attack is thwarted by a man who does not exist.
In Russia, a notorious Chechen terrorist escapes from the nation's most secure prison
In Afghanistan, a Red Army soldier long given up for dead delivers a chilling message: Al-Qaeda has an RA-115A.
As the connection between these separate events begins to become clearer, MI6 and the CIA must attempt to prevent the world's first act of nuclear terrorism.
Aidan Snow faces his biggest challenge yet, and if he fails, thousands will be incinerated.
The clock is ticking. And you never know who you can trust.
In Ukraine, MI6 operative Aidan Snow rescues a British national held by Russian insurgents.
In the United States, a terrorist attack is thwarted by a man who does not exist.
In Russia, a notorious Chechen terrorist escapes from the nation's most secure prison
In Afghanistan, a Red Army soldier long given up for dead delivers a chilling message: Al-Qaeda has an RA-115A.
As the connection between these separate events begins to become clearer, MI6 and the CIA must attempt to prevent the world's first act of nuclear terrorism.
Aidan Snow faces his biggest challenge yet, and if he fails, thousands will be incinerated.
The clock is ticking. And you never know who you can trust.
- GenresThriller
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2015
68 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Alex Shaw
22 books159 followersALEX SHAW B.A.(Hons), P.G.C.E. spent the second half of the 1990s in Kyiv, Ukraine, teaching Drama and running his own business consultancy before being head-hunted for a division of Siemens. The next few years saw him doing business for the company across the former USSR, the Middle East, and Africa.
Alex is an active member of the ITW (The International Thriller Writers organisation) and the CWA (the Crime Writers Association). He is the author of the #1 International Kindle Bestselling 'Aidan Snow SAS thrillers' HETMAN & COLD BLACK and the new DELTA FORCE VAMPIRE series of books. His writing has also been published in the thriller anthologies DEATH TOLL, DEATH TOLL 2 and ACTION PULSE POUNDING TALES 2 alongside International Bestselling authors Stephen Leather and Matt Hilton. DANGEROUS, DEADLY, ELITE - The third Aidan Snow Thriller will be available in October 2014.
COLD BLACK is commercially published by ENDEAVOUR PRESS.
Alex, his wife and their two sons divide their time between homes in Kyiv, Ukraine and Worthing, England. Alex can be contacted via his website www.alexwshaw.com You can also follow Alex on twitter: @alexshawhetman
Alex is an active member of the ITW (The International Thriller Writers organisation) and the CWA (the Crime Writers Association). He is the author of the #1 International Kindle Bestselling 'Aidan Snow SAS thrillers' HETMAN & COLD BLACK and the new DELTA FORCE VAMPIRE series of books. His writing has also been published in the thriller anthologies DEATH TOLL, DEATH TOLL 2 and ACTION PULSE POUNDING TALES 2 alongside International Bestselling authors Stephen Leather and Matt Hilton. DANGEROUS, DEADLY, ELITE - The third Aidan Snow Thriller will be available in October 2014.
COLD BLACK is commercially published by ENDEAVOUR PRESS.
Alex, his wife and their two sons divide their time between homes in Kyiv, Ukraine and Worthing, England. Alex can be contacted via his website www.alexwshaw.com You can also follow Alex on twitter: @alexshawhetman
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 23, 2015
As if ripped from the Top Secret files beneath today's headlines; we find ourselves in the midst of Putin's Crimean invasion and ISIL's nihilistic terror ambitions. Author Alex Shaw is familiar with the geopolitics of the region, as the Ukraine is his home, and as such "Cold East" shows the all authenticity of someone who knows of what he speaks. And that to me is what's so interesting about this novel; and the currency of its topicality. Overall the plot line is very tightly structured--there are many moving parts and a complex cast of characters, yet I never felt lost as the drama and tension developed logically. From the perspective of procedure, location and situation the details are most intriguing. As a reader I felt I had an insider’s perspective on the world of counter-terrorism and espionage. This alone is an inducement to read further books by Alex Shaw.
July 2, 2015
****SPOILERS**** maybe.
This book was recommended and I didn't realize it was #3 in the series until I started reading. So I have not read the 1st two yet.
The main good guy is Aiden Snow. He is English and belongs to one of those alphabet soup counter-terrorism organizations. The book starts out with James East. Not his real name, but a lot easier to pronounce. He is a super sniper and is seeking revenge for the murder of his brother. He is recruited and tasked with eliminating Aiden Snow, although he does not know it at the time. He notices it in time and realizes that he was set up. Thus they end up working together. Enter, The Bomb. A suitcase bomb developed by the Soviets during the Cold War. Will it still work? Is there more than one? Turns out East's brother wasn't murdered after all. He was protecting the bomb from falling into the wrong hands, until it falls into the wrong hands. This begins the game of Bomb, bomb, who has the bomb?
This was a very enjoyable and action packed story and a must read for thriller lovers.
This book was recommended and I didn't realize it was #3 in the series until I started reading. So I have not read the 1st two yet.
The main good guy is Aiden Snow. He is English and belongs to one of those alphabet soup counter-terrorism organizations. The book starts out with James East. Not his real name, but a lot easier to pronounce. He is a super sniper and is seeking revenge for the murder of his brother. He is recruited and tasked with eliminating Aiden Snow, although he does not know it at the time. He notices it in time and realizes that he was set up. Thus they end up working together. Enter, The Bomb. A suitcase bomb developed by the Soviets during the Cold War. Will it still work? Is there more than one? Turns out East's brother wasn't murdered after all. He was protecting the bomb from falling into the wrong hands, until it falls into the wrong hands. This begins the game of Bomb, bomb, who has the bomb?
This was a very enjoyable and action packed story and a must read for thriller lovers.
May 18, 2015
This is an exciting romp
The story is compelling and rich with characters and action. The pace is invigorating and provokes page-turning.
The only fault I could see (for which I gave it four instead of five stars) is the lack of good editing.
If the author indeed employed an editor, that person should be fired. Shaw should at the very least ask for his money back. There were way too many spelling and grammatical errors.
To be fair, I think that Shaw writes well enough to have avoided an avalanche of spelling errors. Thus, the reader isn't unduly bogged down by grammatical speed bumps. However, the ones that exist distract and detract from a fulsome enjoyment of this otherwise excellent book.
Despite my hatred for bad editing I would heartily recommend this book to readers of espionage novels. I know that sounds like Pyrrhic praise but it is nevertheless true.
The story is compelling and rich with characters and action. The pace is invigorating and provokes page-turning.
The only fault I could see (for which I gave it four instead of five stars) is the lack of good editing.
If the author indeed employed an editor, that person should be fired. Shaw should at the very least ask for his money back. There were way too many spelling and grammatical errors.
To be fair, I think that Shaw writes well enough to have avoided an avalanche of spelling errors. Thus, the reader isn't unduly bogged down by grammatical speed bumps. However, the ones that exist distract and detract from a fulsome enjoyment of this otherwise excellent book.
Despite my hatred for bad editing I would heartily recommend this book to readers of espionage novels. I know that sounds like Pyrrhic praise but it is nevertheless true.
May 5, 2022
Alex Shaw is a top thriller writer and deserves far greater recognition. I thought I’d read all his excellent thrillers but somehow missed this one, delighted to catch up with it.
Aidan Snow is ex SAS and now working for the British Intelligence services, he is called into action when an antique suitcase nuke is found and delivered into the hands of terrorists, as the British SIS and the CIA try and track it down, it becomes apparent that there are those with different agendas and friends may not be trusted and traditional enemies might be allies.
Alex Shaw sets many of his thrillers in Ukraine and although this is four years old, it remains very topical. Set after Crimea was annexed and obviously before the current 2022 war in Ukraine it absolutely captures the vibe of the country and the undercurrents and attitudes of those involved. I liked that the Ukrainian Security Services were depicted as a valuable part of the “chase” and not subservient to the SIS or CIA and the characters were played with a deft and insightful approach.
So lots of moving parts, action and plot twists that will thrill but will also help you understand the attitudes within the region.
Aidan Snow is ex SAS and now working for the British Intelligence services, he is called into action when an antique suitcase nuke is found and delivered into the hands of terrorists, as the British SIS and the CIA try and track it down, it becomes apparent that there are those with different agendas and friends may not be trusted and traditional enemies might be allies.
Alex Shaw sets many of his thrillers in Ukraine and although this is four years old, it remains very topical. Set after Crimea was annexed and obviously before the current 2022 war in Ukraine it absolutely captures the vibe of the country and the undercurrents and attitudes of those involved. I liked that the Ukrainian Security Services were depicted as a valuable part of the “chase” and not subservient to the SIS or CIA and the characters were played with a deft and insightful approach.
So lots of moving parts, action and plot twists that will thrill but will also help you understand the attitudes within the region.
September 4, 2015
...another terrific Special Ops agent Aiden Snow novel...
..Alex Shaw makes the writing of tight plot lines and great-paced narrative look easy-- the sign of an excellent story-teller... for new readers to his work, the main character, Aiden Snow, will delight the aficionado of clandestine special forces and undercover agent work, and for those familiar with him, another gripping slalom is in store... current geopolitical events 'twixt Russia, its neighbours, and the major international antagonists, are wrapped in with skilful insights and simply adds to the credibility imbedded in the players... high risk action with high reward or disastrous failure lurk in each chapter... get aboard and enjoy the ride...
..Alex Shaw makes the writing of tight plot lines and great-paced narrative look easy-- the sign of an excellent story-teller... for new readers to his work, the main character, Aiden Snow, will delight the aficionado of clandestine special forces and undercover agent work, and for those familiar with him, another gripping slalom is in store... current geopolitical events 'twixt Russia, its neighbours, and the major international antagonists, are wrapped in with skilful insights and simply adds to the credibility imbedded in the players... high risk action with high reward or disastrous failure lurk in each chapter... get aboard and enjoy the ride...
November 26, 2020
Cold East is Alex Shaw's most cohesive, engaging novel yet. He deftly weaves multiple threads involving intelligence operatives, subversive groups, and greedy individuals from the US, England, Russia, Ukraine, and the middle east. With all the double-crossing (actual and perceived) going on, it's a suspenseful ride to a very satisfying conclusion.
I have to applaud Shaw for achieving a sense of realism and grit with skillful scene-building, not the profanity and gore which detract from some novels written by lesser (IMO) talents. And I like the cast of characters he has assembled. It's impressive how Shaw creates characters who reveal a vulnerable or heroic side that you want to root for, even though they do ruthless things. Having read the previous Aidan Snow books helped me to appreciate the interconnections between characters who turn out to have some shared history.
Although the book is very well written, a careful proofreader could find occasional typos to fix. Those didn't bother me, because I listened to most of the book using text-to-speech. In any case, I call Cold East five-star entertainment.
I have to applaud Shaw for achieving a sense of realism and grit with skillful scene-building, not the profanity and gore which detract from some novels written by lesser (IMO) talents. And I like the cast of characters he has assembled. It's impressive how Shaw creates characters who reveal a vulnerable or heroic side that you want to root for, even though they do ruthless things. Having read the previous Aidan Snow books helped me to appreciate the interconnections between characters who turn out to have some shared history.
Although the book is very well written, a careful proofreader could find occasional typos to fix. Those didn't bother me, because I listened to most of the book using text-to-speech. In any case, I call Cold East five-star entertainment.
June 2, 2019
This was an amazing espionage thriller of the highest caliber. 3rd in the series for the character of Aiden Snow, a British secret agent . The story involves American and Russian secret services. This was certainly an action packed adventure worthy of James Bond and Jason Bourne novels.
Solid characters and storyline. It’s a longish book but so worth the read.
No spoilers from me except to say,?if you like spy novels , you’ll LOVE this.
Hope there are more in the pipeline.
Thanks Alex
Solid characters and storyline. It’s a longish book but so worth the read.
No spoilers from me except to say,?if you like spy novels , you’ll LOVE this.
Hope there are more in the pipeline.
Thanks Alex
February 11, 2025
Proper spy story but a bit too close to the truth I think for many politicians
Great read especially seeing how thinks are at the moment in Ukraine. The west's secret services are sly at best and not always in our best interests only to politicians and not to the people
Great read especially seeing how thinks are at the moment in Ukraine. The west's secret services are sly at best and not always in our best interests only to politicians and not to the people
September 23, 2021
Finished off this trilogy with a bang!! Had me gripped.
June 11, 2024
A silly story really - filled with racial stereotypes. But I listened through to the end
July 29, 2025
I got through the book, it was ok. The usual spy novel, a lot of twists and turns. For my liking, there were too many names to remember and goodies turning out to be baddies.
March 28, 2016
Don’t expect to get much sleep until you’ve reached the final page!
During the Russian occupation of Afghanistan, a nuclear bomb disguised in a brief case was handed to Mikhail Gorodetski, a member of the Spetsnaz, to guard until it can be used as a weapon against the Afghanistan fighters. Mikhail finds the idea of the bomb impossible to live with and hides it. As far as his family is concerned, he’s dead, in fact murdered. He settles into a village in Afghanistan. He’s got a family and enjoys the simple life he is living, that is, until the brief case bomb is stolen by a faction of al-Qaeda. They are hell bent on finding the maker of the bomb so that they obtain the parts that will make the bomb live and thus enable them to blow up a city in Europe. Mikhail can’t let this happen, so approaches Captain Mike Webster, one of the last remaining members of the British Army Intelligence Corps in Afghanistan, and asked that the British help him trace these terrorists calling themselves (and the device) The Hand Of God.
Aiden Snow and his boss, Jack Patchem, employed by the United Kingdom’s SIS, get Mikhail flown back to the UK, so that he can help them track the terrorists as they make their way to their target in the West (Mikhail knows their names). They notify Vince Casey of the CIA of this potential terrorist attack and he assigns a team to also start hunting them down to retrieve the bomb.
Meanwhile in Russia, the dangerous leader of the Islamic International Brigade, Aslan Kishiev, a Chechen, escapes from Black Dolphin, a maximum security prison, and is making his way to join with this terrorist group. The Russian FSB send out a team to find Aslan Kishiev and return him to prison.
As the terrorists are known to be heading towards Ukraine, Aiden Snow flies there and with the help of the Ukrainian SBU starts investigations to find the original maker of the bomb.
What nobody can foresee is that one group of operatives from one of the countries’ security services have their own agenda and they are also going to need to be brought to justice.
I hope this short summary of the story will encourage you to read this book. Alex Shaw is a story teller who manages to keep his readers on the edge of their seats as he leads us through the warren of tangled lives on the search for this device. The idea that a nuclear bomb had been developed by both the Russians and Americans this small brought pure fear to me, knowing that it could land up in the hands of Jihadis who would think nothing of blowing themselves up while murdering innocent bystanders. He also tackles the uncomfortable scenario of rogue agents deciding to hijack this type of device to bring about even more friction between nations, raising the question, ‘do the heads of these secret services throughout the world know exactly what their agents are doing while out in the field?’
This is the third book featuring Aiden Snow. Alex Shaw has created the leading protagonist who I find likeable, trustworthy and right for the job of keeping the United Kingdom safe. So often, with characters that are going to be these tough enforcers of good over evil, it tends to get boring and when you start the next book featuring them, you more or less know what you’re going to find. Not so with Aiden Snow. Each book seems to show a different side of him and he’s maturing into an all-round decent person.
Alex Shaw you’ve managed to write one of the most realistic scenarios of what can happen thanks to terrorism. I’m looking forward to the next Aiden Snow case while he brings down more bad guys so that we can sleep safely at night.
Treebeard
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
During the Russian occupation of Afghanistan, a nuclear bomb disguised in a brief case was handed to Mikhail Gorodetski, a member of the Spetsnaz, to guard until it can be used as a weapon against the Afghanistan fighters. Mikhail finds the idea of the bomb impossible to live with and hides it. As far as his family is concerned, he’s dead, in fact murdered. He settles into a village in Afghanistan. He’s got a family and enjoys the simple life he is living, that is, until the brief case bomb is stolen by a faction of al-Qaeda. They are hell bent on finding the maker of the bomb so that they obtain the parts that will make the bomb live and thus enable them to blow up a city in Europe. Mikhail can’t let this happen, so approaches Captain Mike Webster, one of the last remaining members of the British Army Intelligence Corps in Afghanistan, and asked that the British help him trace these terrorists calling themselves (and the device) The Hand Of God.
Aiden Snow and his boss, Jack Patchem, employed by the United Kingdom’s SIS, get Mikhail flown back to the UK, so that he can help them track the terrorists as they make their way to their target in the West (Mikhail knows their names). They notify Vince Casey of the CIA of this potential terrorist attack and he assigns a team to also start hunting them down to retrieve the bomb.
Meanwhile in Russia, the dangerous leader of the Islamic International Brigade, Aslan Kishiev, a Chechen, escapes from Black Dolphin, a maximum security prison, and is making his way to join with this terrorist group. The Russian FSB send out a team to find Aslan Kishiev and return him to prison.
As the terrorists are known to be heading towards Ukraine, Aiden Snow flies there and with the help of the Ukrainian SBU starts investigations to find the original maker of the bomb.
What nobody can foresee is that one group of operatives from one of the countries’ security services have their own agenda and they are also going to need to be brought to justice.
I hope this short summary of the story will encourage you to read this book. Alex Shaw is a story teller who manages to keep his readers on the edge of their seats as he leads us through the warren of tangled lives on the search for this device. The idea that a nuclear bomb had been developed by both the Russians and Americans this small brought pure fear to me, knowing that it could land up in the hands of Jihadis who would think nothing of blowing themselves up while murdering innocent bystanders. He also tackles the uncomfortable scenario of rogue agents deciding to hijack this type of device to bring about even more friction between nations, raising the question, ‘do the heads of these secret services throughout the world know exactly what their agents are doing while out in the field?’
This is the third book featuring Aiden Snow. Alex Shaw has created the leading protagonist who I find likeable, trustworthy and right for the job of keeping the United Kingdom safe. So often, with characters that are going to be these tough enforcers of good over evil, it tends to get boring and when you start the next book featuring them, you more or less know what you’re going to find. Not so with Aiden Snow. Each book seems to show a different side of him and he’s maturing into an all-round decent person.
Alex Shaw you’ve managed to write one of the most realistic scenarios of what can happen thanks to terrorism. I’m looking forward to the next Aiden Snow case while he brings down more bad guys so that we can sleep safely at night.
Treebeard
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
March 2, 2016
Ich lese sehr selten Thriller, aber dieser hat mich überzeugt.
Der Autor hat ein aktuelles Thema, nämlich den Terrorismus und die Rangelei der Geheimdienste
(CIA, SIS, SBU, FSB), in einer großartigen Story zusammengefasst. Die vielen Abkürzungen und Personen sind manchmal sehr schwer zuzuordnen. Der ein oder andere Leser hat oder hätte vielleicht aufgegeben. Ich aber war bereits relativ früh gefesselt von der Story und deren Entwicklung, bin drangeblieben und habe es nicht bereut.
Der Al-Qaida ist ein Koffer mit einer Atombombe in die Hände gefallen. Die Geheimorganisationen erfahren hiervon über unterschiedliche Wege und Mittel.
So nimmt die Geschichte ihren Lauf und ein Katz- und Mausspiel beginnt.
Alle informierten Geheimdienste hetzen jeder Spur nach um die Bombe als erstes in ihre Hände zu kriegen. Am Anfang geht jede Organisation einer eigenen Spur nach und entwickelt eigene Ideen wie die Terroristen wohl vorgehen und was bzw. wo das Ziel ist.
In diesem Thriller gibt es viele verschiedene Handlungsorte und man sieht die Entwicklung aus der Sicht der Terroristen und dann wieder aus der Sicht der unterschiedlichsten Geheimdienste / Agenten und Nebenfiguren.
Dadurch entstehen verschiedene Handlungsstränge die einen durch diese Geschichte geleiten und manchmal auch in die Irre führen. Das hat mir sehr gut gefallen, denn sonst wäre es zu einfach gewesen schmunzel.
Das Thema wirkt so realistisch und auch aktuell es hat mir Gänsehaut verursacht.
Die Spannung blieb hoch und das Tempo nahm mit der Zeit immer mehr zu.
Fazit:
Die vielen Figuren, Handlungsorte und Organisationen ließen mich ganz schön straucheln. Aber es macht diese Story aus und diese war für mich sehr gut und detailliert beschrieben. Die Figuren waren undurchschaubar, ich konnte manchmal Gut und Böse nicht auseinander halten. Viel Mißtrauen, unerwartete Entwicklungen, Einfallsreichtum bezüglich der Handlungsorte und interessante Figuren hielten mich fest.
Durch die letzten Kapitel bin ich regelrecht geflogen und war am Ende überrascht und nachdenklich zurückgeblieben.
Der Autor hat ein aktuelles Thema, nämlich den Terrorismus und die Rangelei der Geheimdienste
(CIA, SIS, SBU, FSB), in einer großartigen Story zusammengefasst. Die vielen Abkürzungen und Personen sind manchmal sehr schwer zuzuordnen. Der ein oder andere Leser hat oder hätte vielleicht aufgegeben. Ich aber war bereits relativ früh gefesselt von der Story und deren Entwicklung, bin drangeblieben und habe es nicht bereut.
Der Al-Qaida ist ein Koffer mit einer Atombombe in die Hände gefallen. Die Geheimorganisationen erfahren hiervon über unterschiedliche Wege und Mittel.
So nimmt die Geschichte ihren Lauf und ein Katz- und Mausspiel beginnt.
Alle informierten Geheimdienste hetzen jeder Spur nach um die Bombe als erstes in ihre Hände zu kriegen. Am Anfang geht jede Organisation einer eigenen Spur nach und entwickelt eigene Ideen wie die Terroristen wohl vorgehen und was bzw. wo das Ziel ist.
In diesem Thriller gibt es viele verschiedene Handlungsorte und man sieht die Entwicklung aus der Sicht der Terroristen und dann wieder aus der Sicht der unterschiedlichsten Geheimdienste / Agenten und Nebenfiguren.
Dadurch entstehen verschiedene Handlungsstränge die einen durch diese Geschichte geleiten und manchmal auch in die Irre führen. Das hat mir sehr gut gefallen, denn sonst wäre es zu einfach gewesen schmunzel.
Das Thema wirkt so realistisch und auch aktuell es hat mir Gänsehaut verursacht.
Die Spannung blieb hoch und das Tempo nahm mit der Zeit immer mehr zu.
Fazit:
Die vielen Figuren, Handlungsorte und Organisationen ließen mich ganz schön straucheln. Aber es macht diese Story aus und diese war für mich sehr gut und detailliert beschrieben. Die Figuren waren undurchschaubar, ich konnte manchmal Gut und Böse nicht auseinander halten. Viel Mißtrauen, unerwartete Entwicklungen, Einfallsreichtum bezüglich der Handlungsorte und interessante Figuren hielten mich fest.
Durch die letzten Kapitel bin ich regelrecht geflogen und war am Ende überrascht und nachdenklich zurückgeblieben.
January 28, 2016
Cold East. Alex Shaw
Book three in the Aidan Snow series. Aidan, a former SAS soldier, now M16, SIS, is tasked with retrieving a suitcase nuclear device from a rather unsavory group of individuals. Security forces from America, Great Britain, Ukraine and Russia all are involved. This is an excellent action thriller mystery, full of deceit and the ultimate betrayal. This is a stand alone novel, but for a greater understanding of all characters, I would recommend reading books one and two first. Cold East is a fantastic read!! I highly recommend.
Book three in the Aidan Snow series. Aidan, a former SAS soldier, now M16, SIS, is tasked with retrieving a suitcase nuclear device from a rather unsavory group of individuals. Security forces from America, Great Britain, Ukraine and Russia all are involved. This is an excellent action thriller mystery, full of deceit and the ultimate betrayal. This is a stand alone novel, but for a greater understanding of all characters, I would recommend reading books one and two first. Cold East is a fantastic read!! I highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews