Hard Cold Winter
Author(s): Glen Erik Hamilton

Former Army Ranger and thief Van Shaw is thrust into danger as lethal and unpredictable as the war he left behind in this emotionally powerful and gritty follow up to the acclaimed Past Crimes.

When an old crony of Van Shaws late grandfather calls in a favor, the recently-discharged Ranger embarks on a dangerous journey to the Olympic Mountains, in search of a missing girl tied to Vans own criminal past. What he finds instead is a brutal murder scene, including a victim from one of Seattles most influential families.

But the dead bodies are only the start of Vans troubles. A fellow Ranger from Afghanistan turns up at Vans doorstep, seeking support from his former sergeant even as Van wrestles with his own reemerging symptoms of PTSD. The murder investigation leads to heavy pressure, with a billionaire businessman on one side and vicious gangsters on the other, each willing to play dirty to get what they want.

The price of his survival may be too high, demanding moral compromises that could destroy Vans relationship with his iron-willed girlfriend, Luce. And when a trusted friends betrayal pushes him to the edge, Van has to enlist help from some unexpected placesincluding someone he believed was lost forever.

The Ranger will need every ally he can get. A powerful, unseen player is about to unleash a firestorm on Seattle that will burn Van and his people to ashesand it will take a miracle to stop it.

Review(s):
Hamilton renders the ample violent action effectively, but the best parts of the story are the vignettes he intersperses depicting Van and Elanas criminal exploits when they were 17.
Hamilton skillfully creates a well-oiled situation with a direct writing style… brimming with action, conflict, and realistic and compelling characters. Readers of the first book will be delighted with the backstory, and aficionados of the genre will eat this one up.
Hard Cold Winter by Glen Erik Hamilton combines a mysterious plot with very powerful characters. In Hard Cold Winter, readers will learn more about what makes Van tick through an interesting backstory. This plot has likeable characters, a good mystery, and is informative about what combat veterans must face.
The Seattle setting is wet and wild, and the action rings true, even when it borders on James Bond outrageousness. Its a noirish mystery, a caper in a conundrum, a buddy action tale, a bittersweet romance, and a nail-biter of a thriller.

ISBN:9780062344595