Hard Cold Winter
Book 2
Former Army Ranger and thief Van Shaw is thrust into a maelstrom of 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’s career criminal grandfather calls in a favor, the recently-discharged veteran embarks on a dangerous journey to the Olympic Mountains, in search of a missing girl tied to Van’s own felonious past. What he discovers taps into dark memories, leaving Van vulnerable when an avalanche of trouble hits. A fellow Ranger from Afghanistan appears on his doorstep, desperate for help. And as the investigation heats up, Van finds himself caught between a billionaire businessman and vicious gangsters, each with different methods of playing dirty.
US
UK
Praise
One of Kirkus Review‘s “PLUCKY 13: Fresh Crime Novels Dare to Spice Up Your Spring”
“From the very first page, this thriller is clever, timely, and definitely an attention grabber. Readers of the first book will be delighted with the backstory, and aficionados of the genre will eat this one up.”
—Library Journal (starred review)
“In Hamilton’s entertaining sequel to 2015’s Past Crimes, Elana Coll, the niece of the massive Will Willard, who was once the closest crony of former Army Ranger Van Shaw’s late granddad in Seattle, has gone missing. Hamilton renders the ample violent action effectively, but the best parts of the story are the vignettes he intersperses depicting Van and Elana’s criminal exploits when they were seventeen.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Chandler once said that the importance of Hammett was that he wrote scenes that had never been written before. Hard Cold Winter has that freshness to it, due to the characters, the writing, the plot—the whole damn thing. You’ll find yourself speeding through it, impatient to find out how it all will end … It’s only the end of January and I may’ve just read the best book of the year.”
—Seattle Mystery Bookshop
“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 likable characters, a good mystery, and is informative about what combat veterans must face.”
—Military Press
“The Seattle setting is wet and wild, and the action rings true, even when it borders on James Bond outrageousness. It’s a noirish mystery, a caper in a conundrum, a buddy action tale, a bittersweet romance, and a nail-biter of a thriller.”
—Kings River Life Magazine
“The twisty, surprising, brutal mystery will keep [readers] turning the pages at breakneck speed. Hard Cold Winter is destined to secure Hamilton’s ranks among thriller writers like Lee Child and Gregg Hurwitz.”
—Jathan & Heather Blog