When a thermonuclear bomb disappears from an air force base in Turkey, it is up to Special Agent Alexandra Martel to find it. Well-equipped with a background in Special Ops and an unfailing sniper's eye, Alex hops from one European capital to the next, acquiring new allies as old allies and friends betray her. The narrative proceeds at a dizzying pace, but Alex's unrelenting determination to prevent a global catastrophe keeps the bullet train on track. Her recklessness may sometimes strain credulity, but then again, James Bond was not known for cautious behavior. Seasoned fans of the thriller genre will be impressed by the agency acronyms and weaponry details, including a close-up look at the workings of a device capable of unimaginable destruction. Urszenyi brings his background as a police tactical medic to this boldly authentic debut, introducing an impressive female warrior in the first of an anticipated series.

Urszenyi's fun-but-formulaic debut sets FBI agent Alexandra "Alex" Martel on a high-stakes quest to recover a stolen nuclear bomb before it destroys Paris, where world leaders have gathered for an annual "Peace Summit." Alex, a combat medic turned sniper turned FBI agent, learns from Interpol that her old friend, a British intelligence officer, has been killed in the City of Light, and uncovers the impending nuclear plot by decoding a message left in the woman's personal effects. Alex's warnings are met with eye rolls and scorn from her fellow agents, until a team of Russian operatives succeeds in lifting a nuclear bomb from the U.S. Air Force base in Incirlik, Turkey. With a CIA colleague in tow, Alex launches a whirlwind chase for the nuke, which leads to several rip-roaring action set pieces, including a well-choreographed air attack and a sweat-inducing pursuit of the bomb and its handler in the Paris catacombs. Urszenyi's characters are a bit stiff, and his dialogue can feel flat-footed, but he nails a golden thriller rule on his first try: give readers enough action to chew on, and they'll eagerly turn the pages. Urszenyi is a writer to watch. (Nov.)