Scorpion Winter (Scorpion Novels, 3)

"Scorpion Winter" is the second of Andrew Kaplan's Scorpion series that I have read. Scorpion, the ex-CIA agent turned freelance spy, is tasked with preventing an assassination attempt on a candidate in the Ukraine presidential election--an assassination that might send the world tumbling into WWIII as Russia and NATO are entangled in alliances.But someone is always seemingly one step ahead of him and Scorpion senses a betrayal. Who is responsible for blocking his every move and possibly setting him up as a fall guy--Russian spies, the beautiful Ukranian freedom fighter he is aligned with, or possibly someone from his own country? Scorpion finds himself caught in deep treachery as he fights to carry out his assignment while trying to survive various Russian and Ukranian police forces along with the Russian mob. Who can he trust and for how long as a possible war looms and he is not sure anyone is who they say they are? These questions and the somewhat convoluted mystery are resolved in a bold, fast-paced conclusion that will have the reader stopping to breathe at times.My quibbles with the book revolve around some uneven pacing that results from Kaplan's propensity to over-describe the scenery and locales, often in minute details. And after reading two novels, Scorpion himself remains somewhat of an enigma to me. There has been very little backstory or character building for those of us who just recently climbed aboard resulting in a super spy and Cold War warrior with little for the reader to invest in beyond our hope he wins out for the good cause. Where is his heart, what of his past, and what drives him are questions, as yet, unanswered or vague for this reader.On the other hand, Kaplan's extensive prose can sometimes allow the reader to feel or see locales as if they were actually present. He makes you "feel" the cold and desolation of Eastern Europe. In an intriguing chapter, Kaplan allows the reader to visit the exclusion zone surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear accident and actually see the resulting desolation of the deserted cities of Chernobyl and Pripyat while Scorpion seeks a hidden witness. All in all, "Scorpion Winter" is recommended for those who love a good spy adventure filled with mysteries, betrayals, double crosses, and high speed action.

The freelance intelligence agent Scorpion goes to the Ukraine with a daunting mission. With a contentious presidential campaign provoking violence by political gangs, a rumored plot to assassinate one of the candidates, if successful, may trigger a Russian invasion and start a war, perhaps dragging in the U.S. and NATO.Scorpion has to stop it, he only has a few days, and he faces a lot of enemies: Ukrainian police, Russian intelligence and counterintelligence, Chinese spies, Ukrainian gangsters and the bully boys of the pro-Russian candidates. He doesn't know who he can trust, including the CIA who originally sends him in, or the members of the opposition candidates whose ranks may contain moles. And the only thing he's got working in his favor is their distrust of one another.The action is pretty much breathless and non-stop in the Scorpion style, with the savagery and bleakness now de rigeur for novels set in the former Soviet Union, (And there's a scene set at Chernobyl, an obligatory stop now for thrillers set in the Ukraine. It's visited both in the latest "Die Hard" movie and a recent Tom Clancy novel.)Scorpion gets hot and heavy with the opposition candidate's top ally, the daughter of a famous Ukrainian independence activist, as the two of them seek to stop the plot and rescue a young campaign worker caught up in it.Scorpion's improvisational abilities allow them to survive countless attacks as they press through the Ukrainian winter towards uncovering the plot.What I enjoy about this character is his detachment, the cool assessment of what needs to be done instant by instant during a fight, almost as if he were watching it from outside his own body. Plus there's the real-politik, particularly at the end. Scorpion may harbor soft feelings for the innocent but the world forces he contends with are utterly devoid of sentiment. At the end Kaplan dips surprisingly far back into history to provide the secret at the heart of the plot.

This is a good book - very fast paced, but not a great book. I bought this after reading the Scorpion Betrayal - I thought the Betrayal was better.The plot in Scorpion Winter is a little too convoluted to be taken seriously. Also, the author has given up some of his shown ability to make the readers believe they are actually at the location being described - the locations mentioned in this book are more flat and two, rather than three dimensional.All that being said, this is a fast paced fun book to read, if you enjoy the old style "super spy" type novels - where all women are beautiful and ready to jump into bed with the super spy. This reminds me of many of the "male" oriented action novels of the 70's, in that regard.Fun, and not to be taken seriously, a good book to read off and on while visiting the pool at the end of the summer.

If you are a fan of the Bourne series, Scorpion is Jason Bourne on steroids! Andrew Kaplan's books have this magnet that starts working from the 3rd paragraph and keeps you attached to the very last page. Scorpion Winter is no different. You are brought into the world of Russian and Ukranian nationalism, where ethnic pride is the Achilles heel and probable catalyst of a regional, if not global conflict. "Can one man's death start a war?" It has in past and will again if Scorpion does not decode who is setting him and the heroine as villains and criminals against the State. From the streets of Moscow & Kiev oblasts to the deep, twisted and fallout areas around Chernobyl, seeking truth to clear their names while saving a nation. You are so involved you can feel the Ukranian winter frozen in your bones. Torture scenes so graphic you feel banged and bruised as you move from page to page and chapter to chapter. Another 5 star gem by Andrew Kaplan. Keep bringing them on. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

I agree with some reviews that say that this book is great but not as the previous ones.I liked it and found very interesting and very well written but maybe it took me a little bit more to finish it. I didn't become as addicted as with the first two and as the next one (Scorpion deception). However, I recommend it. Andrew Kaplan rocks.