What do you think?
Rate this book
Red Snow in Winter
Kindle Scout winner Max Eastern is back with an espionage thriller set in the final weeks of World War II that is so packed with twists and turns that "it will keep you guessing until the last page."
January 1945: Haunted by the memory of a secret love affair in Nazi-occupied Prague, American intelligence officer Julius Orlinsky is caught in a deadly web of espionage when a routine assignment in Washington, D.C., disintegrates into murder, attempted murder, and blackmail.
Determined to uncover the truth, Orlinsky's quest takes him from the halls of the Pentagon to a prisoner-of-war camp in Maryland, and, finally, to the city of Budapest under siege. It's a shadow world where allies can be enemies and a lifetime of loyalty can be undone by one secret revealed. Orlinsky soon learns the personal stakes couldn't be higher. Investigating who was responsible for a family's tragedy in Prague might expose a betrayal by the woman he believed was the love of his life.
But Orlinsky has no choice. Charged with an assignment critical to ensuring America’s safety, he must confront the ghosts of his past as he navigates a terrain of double agents, war-hardened German and Russian soldiers, and fanatics who will stop at nothing to silence him.
This thrilling espionage novel, with its captivating plot of secrets, conspiracy, and trust betrayed, is perfect for fans of Philip Kerr, James R. Benn, Pam Jenoff, and Susan Elia MacNeal.
"As morally charged as Le Carré, as immersive as Furst, and as dangerous as Kerr—RED SNOW IN WINTER. delivers a taut spy thriller."
—Gabriel Valjan, author of the Shane Cleary mysteries and The Company Files thrillers
January 1945: Haunted by the memory of a secret love affair in Nazi-occupied Prague, American intelligence officer Julius Orlinsky is caught in a deadly web of espionage when a routine assignment in Washington, D.C., disintegrates into murder, attempted murder, and blackmail.
Determined to uncover the truth, Orlinsky's quest takes him from the halls of the Pentagon to a prisoner-of-war camp in Maryland, and, finally, to the city of Budapest under siege. It's a shadow world where allies can be enemies and a lifetime of loyalty can be undone by one secret revealed. Orlinsky soon learns the personal stakes couldn't be higher. Investigating who was responsible for a family's tragedy in Prague might expose a betrayal by the woman he believed was the love of his life.
But Orlinsky has no choice. Charged with an assignment critical to ensuring America’s safety, he must confront the ghosts of his past as he navigates a terrain of double agents, war-hardened German and Russian soldiers, and fanatics who will stop at nothing to silence him.
This thrilling espionage novel, with its captivating plot of secrets, conspiracy, and trust betrayed, is perfect for fans of Philip Kerr, James R. Benn, Pam Jenoff, and Susan Elia MacNeal.
"As morally charged as Le Carré, as immersive as Furst, and as dangerous as Kerr—RED SNOW IN WINTER. delivers a taut spy thriller."
—Gabriel Valjan, author of the Shane Cleary mysteries and The Company Files thrillers
- GenresHistorical Fiction
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 9, 2025
6 people are currently reading
1035 people want to read
About the author
Max Eastern
3 books27 followersThe stories he heard growing up from his father about being an intelligence officer in World War II inspired Max Eastern to write his debut historical novel, ‘Red Snow in Winter.’ He has written nonfiction articles about subjects ranging from Ulysses Grant's first command to Attila the Hun. His modern noir novel, ‘The Gods Who Walk Among Us,’ was a Kindle Scout selection in 2016. A lawyer specializing in publishing, he resides in New York State.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 5, 2025
This is a fast paced thriller set in the closing days of WW2 and moves from Washington to Europe as the story plays out.
Julius Orlinsky is an American intelligence officer who becomes involved in a complicated plot involving betrayal and double cross.
Tasked with attending a party by his superior officer, Julius narrowly avoids being killed by an assassin as he is leaving. When he starts to investigate he realises he has been blamed for an atrocity and betrayal in Prague when he was living there undercover earlier in the war.
Trying to clear his name and still harbouring feelings for a woman who may have been the traitor, Julius begins a perilous journey across the atlantic on behalf of a secret government department. However he can trust no one and he is also being pursued by the Russians who are threatening to expose him as a traitor.
This was an interesting read with many characters who were both murky and unpleasant. Julius was a likeable hero and despite his youth, well trained and able to take care of himself. I found myself hoping that all would work out for him but on several occasions this seemed extremely unlikely.
I liked the fact that the first part of the book was set in DC, a city I know well as my son lives there. It was well described and the author caught the wartime atmosphere very well. It was interesting to read a WW2 book with a setting in the USA . Julius’s journey to Europe on the Queen Mary troop ship was also well researched and added to the authenticity of the story.
This was a gripping read which held my attention from page one and I’d recommend it to those who enjoy espionage thrillers that keep you guessing till the final page!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.
Julius Orlinsky is an American intelligence officer who becomes involved in a complicated plot involving betrayal and double cross.
Tasked with attending a party by his superior officer, Julius narrowly avoids being killed by an assassin as he is leaving. When he starts to investigate he realises he has been blamed for an atrocity and betrayal in Prague when he was living there undercover earlier in the war.
Trying to clear his name and still harbouring feelings for a woman who may have been the traitor, Julius begins a perilous journey across the atlantic on behalf of a secret government department. However he can trust no one and he is also being pursued by the Russians who are threatening to expose him as a traitor.
This was an interesting read with many characters who were both murky and unpleasant. Julius was a likeable hero and despite his youth, well trained and able to take care of himself. I found myself hoping that all would work out for him but on several occasions this seemed extremely unlikely.
I liked the fact that the first part of the book was set in DC, a city I know well as my son lives there. It was well described and the author caught the wartime atmosphere very well. It was interesting to read a WW2 book with a setting in the USA . Julius’s journey to Europe on the Queen Mary troop ship was also well researched and added to the authenticity of the story.
This was a gripping read which held my attention from page one and I’d recommend it to those who enjoy espionage thrillers that keep you guessing till the final page!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.
November 10, 2025
This is a fast paced thriller set in America and in Hungary in the dying days of WW2. Julius Orlinsky is an intelligence officer in the American army and is asked to attend a party by his senior officer and keep an eye on one particular guest. Orlinsky is shot at as he leaves the party which opens the gates to different groups trying to manipulate him and get him to work for them. He is blamed by one group for the death of partisans in Prague when he was working there, undercover. As events from the past come back to haunt him, Orlinsky decides his only way out of the confusion of betrayal and subterfuge is escape America altogether and face the war head on.
This is a story of twist on twist and just as you feel you've worked out what one group want, another pop up with other demands. It keeps the plot turning on itself again and again.
Orlinsky is a likeable hero, sensible and able. That someone should be put in his position is quite mind blowing, but presumably much worse happened during the war. The descriptions aboard the Queen Mary as Orlinsky sailed to Great Britain were done, and the tales of the destroyed Budapest were horrendous.
Much as I enjoyed the plot, I couldn't give the book five stars however, as I found the writing a bit silted. In some places it flowed well and read well but in others it read like a text book or report with lots of very short sentences and little description. Overall I felt it could have done with a touch more editing, but that didn't detract from the plot itself which was excellent.
With thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publishers for an arc copy in return for an honest review.
This is a story of twist on twist and just as you feel you've worked out what one group want, another pop up with other demands. It keeps the plot turning on itself again and again.
Orlinsky is a likeable hero, sensible and able. That someone should be put in his position is quite mind blowing, but presumably much worse happened during the war. The descriptions aboard the Queen Mary as Orlinsky sailed to Great Britain were done, and the tales of the destroyed Budapest were horrendous.
Much as I enjoyed the plot, I couldn't give the book five stars however, as I found the writing a bit silted. In some places it flowed well and read well but in others it read like a text book or report with lots of very short sentences and little description. Overall I felt it could have done with a touch more editing, but that didn't detract from the plot itself which was excellent.
With thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publishers for an arc copy in return for an honest review.
November 4, 2025
A tense and dark WW2 spy thriller.
"Red Snow in Winter" opens in the closing days of WW2. In Washington, DC, young American intelligence officer Julius Orlinsky is bored, feeling his war is already over. But when he is ordered to attend a party, to set the bait for a suspected traitor, things look more interesting. And when someone attempts to shoot him on his way home from the party, he knows something is up. He is soon caught up in a deadly conspiracy, involving the FBI, GRU and his own JIC masters.
Quickly, the story gathers pace, as Orlinksy's own past mingles with the larger conspiracy, and his search for truth leads him from American POW camps to Europe. Not sure who to trust, he uses his wartime skills to work his way to the truth.
This is a spy story with a liberal mix of "Noir". It's dark, violent and complex. Orlinksy is a troubled soul - young, yet experienced, speaks several languages, and finding himself having to make difficult decisions as his life and that of others, spirals into confusion and mayhem. The Cold War is already heating up, and the players are out to win. In places it reads like a Chandler novel, and although he's in his mid twenties, I couldn't help but picture Orlinksy as a middle-aged Marlowe. None of which detracts from the st0ry. The cast of characters is broad, most of whom are well enough fleshed out to make you care. And the background of 1944 Washington, and Europe is nicely portrayed, as the various powers manoeuvre towards the endgame.
If you're a fan of Simon Scarrow or Luke McCallin, you'll love this.
"Red Snow in Winter" opens in the closing days of WW2. In Washington, DC, young American intelligence officer Julius Orlinsky is bored, feeling his war is already over. But when he is ordered to attend a party, to set the bait for a suspected traitor, things look more interesting. And when someone attempts to shoot him on his way home from the party, he knows something is up. He is soon caught up in a deadly conspiracy, involving the FBI, GRU and his own JIC masters.
Quickly, the story gathers pace, as Orlinksy's own past mingles with the larger conspiracy, and his search for truth leads him from American POW camps to Europe. Not sure who to trust, he uses his wartime skills to work his way to the truth.
This is a spy story with a liberal mix of "Noir". It's dark, violent and complex. Orlinksy is a troubled soul - young, yet experienced, speaks several languages, and finding himself having to make difficult decisions as his life and that of others, spirals into confusion and mayhem. The Cold War is already heating up, and the players are out to win. In places it reads like a Chandler novel, and although he's in his mid twenties, I couldn't help but picture Orlinksy as a middle-aged Marlowe. None of which detracts from the st0ry. The cast of characters is broad, most of whom are well enough fleshed out to make you care. And the background of 1944 Washington, and Europe is nicely portrayed, as the various powers manoeuvre towards the endgame.
If you're a fan of Simon Scarrow or Luke McCallin, you'll love this.
October 24, 2025
Julius Orlinsky thought his war was over, stuck behind a desk at the Pentagon, near the end of of World War 2 and on the cusp of the Cold War. He’s dead wrong. On his way home from a party, someone takes a shot at him, and suddenly he’s an intelligence man in the dark—and on the run, but whether it’s from Nazis, Reds, Uncle Sam, or a secret society that holds the secrets of all three, he can’t tell, and he’s running out of time to put the pieces of the puzzle together. His war is far from over.
D.C. is a small town getting smaller every moment. Every shadow holds a threat or revelation, but the wartime past is a vast world of lies, half-truths, and misunderstandings in every shade. That’s the world he’ll be forced to revisit if he’s going to survive.
Max Eastern attacks his story with dry aplomb and a stripped-down journalistic surety, yet it’s got more switchbacks than San Francisco’s Lombard Street, and every curve is taken with his foot on the gas. There’s a certain Hitchcockian lunacy to all the twists and turns in this one. It’ll keep you guessing till the last page.
D.C. is a small town getting smaller every moment. Every shadow holds a threat or revelation, but the wartime past is a vast world of lies, half-truths, and misunderstandings in every shade. That’s the world he’ll be forced to revisit if he’s going to survive.
Max Eastern attacks his story with dry aplomb and a stripped-down journalistic surety, yet it’s got more switchbacks than San Francisco’s Lombard Street, and every curve is taken with his foot on the gas. There’s a certain Hitchcockian lunacy to all the twists and turns in this one. It’ll keep you guessing till the last page.
November 3, 2025
A masterclass in espionage and moral ambiguity, Red Snow in Winter is a gripping thriller that plunges readers into the dangerous, final weeks of World War II. The guns may be going silent, but a colder, deadlier conflict is just beginning as American intelligence officer Julius Orlinsky careens from Washington to an American P.O.W. camp for German soldiers to Budapest in a struggle to unmask double agents and stay alive.
Many WWII thrillers take place exclusively in Europe for obvious reasons. But author Max Eastern also brings the war home to America. I loved his descriptions of Washington, D.C., a city so crowded with government employees working on the war effort that apartments were hard to come by ... of America's P.O.W. camps for captured German soldiers ... and even of conditions on the Queen Mary with Julius and 17,000 soldiers heading from NYC back to Europe. An atmospheric ride of a thriller with plot twists worthy of Hitchcock and even a touch of romance. Looking forward to this author's next book.
Many WWII thrillers take place exclusively in Europe for obvious reasons. But author Max Eastern also brings the war home to America. I loved his descriptions of Washington, D.C., a city so crowded with government employees working on the war effort that apartments were hard to come by ... of America's P.O.W. camps for captured German soldiers ... and even of conditions on the Queen Mary with Julius and 17,000 soldiers heading from NYC back to Europe. An atmospheric ride of a thriller with plot twists worthy of Hitchcock and even a touch of romance. Looking forward to this author's next book.
November 11, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Admiral Road Books for the opportunity to read in advance for an honest review.
The task set before Julius Orlinsky seems simple enough, yet nothing is simple in the life of an intelligence agent at the tail end of WWII — especially on home soil.
Initially set in Washington DC, author Max Eastern does a tremendous job of dropping readers right into Orlinsky’s world.
Although the story introduces us to a wide cast of characters, it never feels too big to handle. Things are contained just enough — aided by Orlinsky’s secretive nature — to keep the story grounded as the mystery unravels.
Eastern sets a largely high-octane pace with just enough downtime to catch our breath. It feels very much like a classic thriller film from the 50s and 60s.
The third act’s pacing suffers a bit, with the story ending a little abruptly, but the send off is earned.
This is an enjoyable read from start to finish. A genuinely pleasant surprise. Fans of historical war fiction and/or espionage thrillers should have a good time in these pages.
The task set before Julius Orlinsky seems simple enough, yet nothing is simple in the life of an intelligence agent at the tail end of WWII — especially on home soil.
Initially set in Washington DC, author Max Eastern does a tremendous job of dropping readers right into Orlinsky’s world.
Although the story introduces us to a wide cast of characters, it never feels too big to handle. Things are contained just enough — aided by Orlinsky’s secretive nature — to keep the story grounded as the mystery unravels.
Eastern sets a largely high-octane pace with just enough downtime to catch our breath. It feels very much like a classic thriller film from the 50s and 60s.
The third act’s pacing suffers a bit, with the story ending a little abruptly, but the send off is earned.
This is an enjoyable read from start to finish. A genuinely pleasant surprise. Fans of historical war fiction and/or espionage thrillers should have a good time in these pages.
November 17, 2025
Red Snow is a well-paced thriller capturing the paranoia and moral complexity of WWII’s twilight hours. Max Eastern sustains excellent tension while developing his main character, Julius Orlinsky, into a genuinely compelling protagonist—intelligent, vulnerable, and forced to question everything he once held certain. Each revelation builds toward a satisfying climax with enough twists and turns to keep you turning pages. This is spy fiction that respects its readers' intelligence, offering a nuanced exploration of loyalty, betrayal, and a little romance. I recommend it!
November 23, 2025
Courtesy of Admiral Road Books and Netgalley, I received the ARC of Red Snow in Winter by Max Eastern. This well researched historical thriller is focused on a young military intelligence officer in Washington DC in 1945 as he gets involved in espionage circles. Involving many agencies and spies, he travels back to Europe to investigate episodes from earlier in WWII when he was stationed there, in an effort to uncover the truth.. Compelling and fast paced, this novel held my attention!
January 9, 2026
Red Snow in Winter by Max Eastern was a gripping thriller set at the end of WW2, it takes you to Prague then to Washington and then to Budapest. It was an interesting read full of twists and turns and lots of red herrings which made you think who can I trust!? which made it an excellent read, especially as it was reserved very well and it fast paced throughout and a great page turner.
I am so glad the cover caught my eye. A very enjoyable read
I am so glad the cover caught my eye. A very enjoyable read
did-not-finish
December 19, 2025This book just wasn’t for me. I did DNF.
January 31, 2026
Action Packed!!
What a great book!! It was action-packed from the being! This may be a book I will read again. Highly recommend reading this book.
What a great book!! It was action-packed from the being! This may be a book I will read again. Highly recommend reading this book.
Currently reading
January 29, 2026To be transparent, I edited this novel. In addition to being a novelist and screenwriter, I am an editor. I worked on the staffs of five magazines and bought my first Chicago Manual of Style when I was 25 years old. And to be even MORE transparent, the author is my husband. I am very proud of this book and I feel strongly that it delivers a fast paced, fascinating espionage story with a heart beating under the thrills. If you like WWII thrillers, Cold War espionage, and hard-boiled tone in your fiction--plus detailed historical atmosphere!--you will not be disappointed.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews