Cold Snap

Stephen King’s THE STAND meets ONE SECOND AFTER by William R. Forstchen in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author John Gilstrap’s second pulse-pounding thriller set in the wake of a global conflict that has devastated America. Those who survived live in a world without technology or governance and ruled by the whims of nature. They look to one woman – single mother and former West Virginia Congressperson Victoria Emerson – to lead and protect those determined to rebuild all they have lost… They call it Hell Day—a world war that lasted less than twenty-four hours. Nations unleashed weapons that destroyed more than a century’s worth of technology. Electrical grids cannot generate power. Communications and computers cannot run. And the remnants of the U. S. government cannot be depended upon. Those who survived must live as their ancestors did, off a land ruled by the whims of nature. One-time congressional representative Victoria Emerson has become the new leader of the small town of Ortho, West Virginia. She has been struggling to provide food and shelter for the town’s inhabitants, while coping with desperate refugees. An autumn morning’s calm is shattered when her teenage son sounds the alarm with the cry “Blue Fire”—the code phrase for imminent danger. A band of National Guardsmen intends to take Ortho and its resources for themselves. They have enough soldiers and firepower to eliminate anyone who dares to stop them. But Victoria swore an oath to defend and protect her people, and she isn’t about to surrender. It’s time to tap into the traditional American values of courage, ingenuity, and determination—and fight fire with fire. —Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author “Snaps with action from the very first page.” —Marc Cameron, New York Times bestselling author of Stone Cross and of Tom Clancy’s Code of Honor From John Gilstrap, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Jonathan Grave novels, comes Crimson Phoenix—first in the new Victoria Emerson Thriller series. With America brought to the brink of destruction, one woman becomes the last hope of a nation and its people . . . Victoria Emerson is a congressional member of the U. S. House of Representatives for the state of West Virginia. Her aspirations have always been to help her community and to avoid the ambitious power plays of her peers in Washington D. C. Then Major Joseph McCrea appears on her doorstep and uses the code phrase Crimson Phoenix, meaning this is not a drill. The United States is on the verge of nuclear war. Victoria must accompany McCrea to a secure bunker. She cannot bring her family. A single mother, Victoria refuses to abandon her three teenage sons. Denied entry to the bunker, they nonetheless survive the nuclear onslaught that devastates the country. The land is nearly uninhabitable. Electronics have been rendered useless. Food is scarce. Millions of scared and ailing people await aid from a government that is unable to regroup, much less organize a rescue from the chaos. Victoria devotes herself to reestablishing order—only to encounter the harsh realities required of a leader dealing with desperate people . . . “A gripping page-turner.” —Taylor Stevens, New York Times bestselling author “An explosive story that keeps your mind churning and pulse racing . . . Don't miss this powerful new series from a master thriller writer.” —Jamie Freveletti, international bestselling and award-winning author "Hits that elusive sweet spot yet again with an impeccable blend of intelligent and relatable characters confronted with a dangerous and complex crime in a fascinating setting. Hill masterfully ratchets up the tension until it's impossible to look away. Hester Thursby fans will not be disappointed!" --Karen Dionne, award-winning bestselling author of The Wicked Sister While attending a gala at Prescott University's lavish new campus, Hester Thursby and fellow guest, Detective Angela White, are called to the home of the college's owners, Tucker and Jennifer Matson. Jennifer claims that someone broke into Pinebank, their secluded mansion on the banks of Jamaica Pond. The more Hester and Angela investigate, the less they believe Jennifer's story, leaving Hester to wonder why she would lie. When Hester is asked by the college's general manager to locate some missing alumni, she employs her research skills on the family and their for-profit university. Between financial transgressions, a long-ago tragedy, and rumors of infidelity, it's clear that the Matsons aren't immune to scandal or mishap. But when one of the missing students turns up dead, the mystery takes on new urgency. Hester is edging closer to the truth, but as a decades-old secret collides with new lies, a killer grows more determined to keep the past buried with the dead. . . .