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Tom Clancy's Power Plays #5
Cold War
A new strain of mass destruction...
The most dangerous man of this century has employed the most dangerous weapon yet. Criminal mastermind Harlan DeVane has developed -- and spread -- a deadly, genetically engineered "superbug" resistant to all known cures. A microscopic time bomb, it will lie dormant inside its human hosts until detonated by specific biochemical triggers.
The most dangerous man of this century has employed the most dangerous weapon yet. Criminal mastermind Harlan DeVane has developed -- and spread -- a deadly, genetically engineered "superbug" resistant to all known cures. A microscopic time bomb, it will lie dormant inside its human hosts until detonated by specific biochemical triggers.
DeVane plans to auction off the triggereing elements to the highest bidder, but first he'll use them to destry the greatest threat to his operation: Roger Gordian, head of UpLink Technologies. As Roger falls prety to the disease, his medical and intelligence teams race to find the cause and the cure -- because in Roger's fate lies the fate of the world...
352 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2001
15 people are currently reading
774 people want to read
About the author
Jerome Preisler
64 books109 followersJerome Preisler is the prolific author of almost forty books of fiction and narrative nonfiction, including all eight novels in the New York Times bestselling TOM CLANCY'S POWER PLAYS series.
His latest book is NET FORCE:DARK WEB (November 2019), the first novel in a relaunch of the New York Times bestselling series co-created by Tom Clancy. Forthcoming in May 2020 is the enovella NET FORCE: EYE OF THE DRONE.
Among Jerome's recent works of narrative history are CODE NAME CAESAR: The Secret Hunt for U-boat 864 During World War Two, and FIRST TO JUMP: How the Band of Brothers Was Aided by the Brave Paratroopers of Pathfinders Company. His next book of nonfiction, CIVIL WAR COMMANDO: William Cushing's Daring Raid to Sink the Invincible Ironclad C.S.S. Albemarle,will be published by Regnery Books in October 2020.
Jerome lives in New York City and coastal Maine.
His latest book is NET FORCE:DARK WEB (November 2019), the first novel in a relaunch of the New York Times bestselling series co-created by Tom Clancy. Forthcoming in May 2020 is the enovella NET FORCE: EYE OF THE DRONE.
Among Jerome's recent works of narrative history are CODE NAME CAESAR: The Secret Hunt for U-boat 864 During World War Two, and FIRST TO JUMP: How the Band of Brothers Was Aided by the Brave Paratroopers of Pathfinders Company. His next book of nonfiction, CIVIL WAR COMMANDO: William Cushing's Daring Raid to Sink the Invincible Ironclad C.S.S. Albemarle,will be published by Regnery Books in October 2020.
Jerome lives in New York City and coastal Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 18, 2019
The cold barrenness of Antarctica is about to become a battleground as an international uranium consortium aims to take out UpLink’s research base to hide their illegal activities. Cold War is the fifth book of Tom Clancy’s Power Plays series written by Jerome Preisler as UpLink security chief Peter Nimec journeys to Antarctica when a prototype Mars probe and recovery team goes missing only to find himself battling mercenaries employed by consortium with tentacles stretching to such places around the world like Scotland and Switzerland.
Three personnel from UpLink’s Antarctic base, Cold Corners, are attacked by an unknown group while searching for a missing Mars rover prototype, prompting Roger Gordian to Peter Nimec to the base to find the missing people. Having to quickly get use to the living conditions, Nimec deals with a storm that also contains a group do mercenaries that attack the water usage plant making Nimec want to strike back and find their missing people. A huge solar flare storm interferes with communications with both the Sword assault team and the mercenaries, but Nimec’s team was able to overpower the mercenaries. In Scotland, a series of accidents, murders, and suicides gets the attention of a detective that gets a tip from UpLink security after following a hacker and finding suspicious emails about a hit on one of the dead individual’s from the head of the UK’s nuclear authority. In Switzerland, Gabriel Morgan the head of the consortium whose mercenaries attacked UpLink is looking to take out Cold Corners, get rid of his UK partner for her mishandling of the events in Scotland, and arranging to buy Picassos the world didn’t know exist after verification from his favorite forger.
All three subplots are interesting and slowly threads connect each one of them making this a very intriguing book until suddenly it was over, all three plots cut short. Of the three subplots, the Scottish plot was the best even though it ended abruptly (not counting the tacked-on Epilogue) and frankly due to how it was cut short the Morgan subplot was worthless. Given that the previous installment was over 100 pages longer, this book was too short and really hurt the overall product of the book that was shaping up to be a great page turner.
Cold War is probably the most disappointing book in the series so far, Jerome Preisler’s creation and set up of all three subplots were great and as they slowly twisted together the book was hard to put down then suddenly it ended with a thud and empty feeling. While this book isn’t the worst in the series, it was a major letdown given how it started off.
Three personnel from UpLink’s Antarctic base, Cold Corners, are attacked by an unknown group while searching for a missing Mars rover prototype, prompting Roger Gordian to Peter Nimec to the base to find the missing people. Having to quickly get use to the living conditions, Nimec deals with a storm that also contains a group do mercenaries that attack the water usage plant making Nimec want to strike back and find their missing people. A huge solar flare storm interferes with communications with both the Sword assault team and the mercenaries, but Nimec’s team was able to overpower the mercenaries. In Scotland, a series of accidents, murders, and suicides gets the attention of a detective that gets a tip from UpLink security after following a hacker and finding suspicious emails about a hit on one of the dead individual’s from the head of the UK’s nuclear authority. In Switzerland, Gabriel Morgan the head of the consortium whose mercenaries attacked UpLink is looking to take out Cold Corners, get rid of his UK partner for her mishandling of the events in Scotland, and arranging to buy Picassos the world didn’t know exist after verification from his favorite forger.
All three subplots are interesting and slowly threads connect each one of them making this a very intriguing book until suddenly it was over, all three plots cut short. Of the three subplots, the Scottish plot was the best even though it ended abruptly (not counting the tacked-on Epilogue) and frankly due to how it was cut short the Morgan subplot was worthless. Given that the previous installment was over 100 pages longer, this book was too short and really hurt the overall product of the book that was shaping up to be a great page turner.
Cold War is probably the most disappointing book in the series so far, Jerome Preisler’s creation and set up of all three subplots were great and as they slowly twisted together the book was hard to put down then suddenly it ended with a thud and empty feeling. While this book isn’t the worst in the series, it was a major letdown given how it started off.
March 1, 2016
Not only a cold war but a cold story with even colder characters. This novel, thought up by Tom Clancy but written by Jerome Preisler left me even colder. A world power communication company called UP LINK maintains a base on Antarctica where they are testing a rover style device for future Mars exploration but it mysteriously disappears, along with members of the testing crew, and the adventure begins. A mysterious European oligarch, who is also undoubtedly the penultimate art connoisseur of all time (after the Nazis of course) is behind the Antarctic disappearance and nothing (as usual) will stand in the way of his consummate victory. Of course, defeat is in the wings for his plans and a couple of “everyman” heroes make it happen but none of the characters are very well rounded or believable and I know at this point I'm now upsetting Tom Clancy aficionados so I'll stop here. By the way, what ever happened to the imprisoned rover scientists? I like spy novels but this one was not for me.
November 25, 2020
It’s a book. I read it
December 8, 2025
⭐ A Structural Disaster With No Plot, No Purpose, and No Pulse
Cold War is, without exaggeration, one of the worst techno-thrillers I have ever read. If negative stars were possible, this book would deserve them without hesitation. It is a complete narrative failure, a hollow and bloated mess that offers no tension, no coherence, and absolutely no reason for a reader to care. Nothing in these pages resembles a functioning story.
I continued this book only because it is the fifth entry in the Power Plays series, but finishing it felt like a punishment. I honestly have no idea how I will get through the remaining three books after this experience. Cold War is so thoroughly incompetent that it almost destroys the series by itself.
The only part of this novel that works at all is the Inverness subplot with Detective Gorrie. Those sections feel grounded, atmospheric, and written by someone who actually understands pacing and character. Everything else collapses immediately. The Antarctica storyline is a lifeless trudge from one pointless scene to another. The villains are never explained, never motivated, never threatening, and never connected to anything in a meaningful way. The “secret base” under the ice is so implausible that it borders on parody. UpLink supposedly has unmatched satellite surveillance, yet an entire underground installation goes unnoticed. It is not just unrealistic. It is insulting.
The character work is even worse. Annie vanishes for an entire book and then reappears near the end so the author can force a cringe inducing romance scene during an armed assault. Pete and Annie have no chemistry, no arc, and no reason to be together except authorial desperation. Megan Breen teleports to Antarctica for no logical reason whatsoever. Random filler characters like Hal Pruit and Elata drift into the narrative without introduction or purpose. Nothing they do matters. Nothing they say matters. Their existence only highlights how sloppy and unfocused the writing is.
The pacing is diabolical. Pages of filler swamp the narrative: baseball chatter, irrelevant news broadcasts, pointless technical jargon, and scenes that go nowhere. The book leaps between unrelated plotlines with no rhythm or intention. It reads like two separate drafts stapled together. There is no structure, no escalation, no payoff. Every chapter feels like padding.
This novel adds nothing to the series, deepens nothing, and clarifies nothing. Instead, it exposes just how hollow the Power Plays world becomes when placed in the hands of incoherent storytelling. Cold War drags the entire franchise down to a level I did not think possible.
Cold War left me with nothing but regret for the hours I wasted on it. This is not just a weak entry in a middling series. It is an outright failure of craft, structure, and basic storytelling competence. By the final page, the book has not earned a single moment of tension, emotion, or clarity. It simply collapses under its own confusion. Finishing it felt less like completing a novel and more like enduring a mistake. Cold War is lifeless, soulless, and utterly pointless, and it stands as one of the worst techno-thrillers I have ever forced myself to finish.
Cold War is, without exaggeration, one of the worst techno-thrillers I have ever read. If negative stars were possible, this book would deserve them without hesitation. It is a complete narrative failure, a hollow and bloated mess that offers no tension, no coherence, and absolutely no reason for a reader to care. Nothing in these pages resembles a functioning story.
I continued this book only because it is the fifth entry in the Power Plays series, but finishing it felt like a punishment. I honestly have no idea how I will get through the remaining three books after this experience. Cold War is so thoroughly incompetent that it almost destroys the series by itself.
The only part of this novel that works at all is the Inverness subplot with Detective Gorrie. Those sections feel grounded, atmospheric, and written by someone who actually understands pacing and character. Everything else collapses immediately. The Antarctica storyline is a lifeless trudge from one pointless scene to another. The villains are never explained, never motivated, never threatening, and never connected to anything in a meaningful way. The “secret base” under the ice is so implausible that it borders on parody. UpLink supposedly has unmatched satellite surveillance, yet an entire underground installation goes unnoticed. It is not just unrealistic. It is insulting.
The character work is even worse. Annie vanishes for an entire book and then reappears near the end so the author can force a cringe inducing romance scene during an armed assault. Pete and Annie have no chemistry, no arc, and no reason to be together except authorial desperation. Megan Breen teleports to Antarctica for no logical reason whatsoever. Random filler characters like Hal Pruit and Elata drift into the narrative without introduction or purpose. Nothing they do matters. Nothing they say matters. Their existence only highlights how sloppy and unfocused the writing is.
The pacing is diabolical. Pages of filler swamp the narrative: baseball chatter, irrelevant news broadcasts, pointless technical jargon, and scenes that go nowhere. The book leaps between unrelated plotlines with no rhythm or intention. It reads like two separate drafts stapled together. There is no structure, no escalation, no payoff. Every chapter feels like padding.
This novel adds nothing to the series, deepens nothing, and clarifies nothing. Instead, it exposes just how hollow the Power Plays world becomes when placed in the hands of incoherent storytelling. Cold War drags the entire franchise down to a level I did not think possible.
Cold War left me with nothing but regret for the hours I wasted on it. This is not just a weak entry in a middling series. It is an outright failure of craft, structure, and basic storytelling competence. By the final page, the book has not earned a single moment of tension, emotion, or clarity. It simply collapses under its own confusion. Finishing it felt less like completing a novel and more like enduring a mistake. Cold War is lifeless, soulless, and utterly pointless, and it stands as one of the worst techno-thrillers I have ever forced myself to finish.
May 12, 2025
Cold War is a fast-paced techno-thriller that keeps you hooked from start to finish. The story is packed with action, high-stakes politics, and modern warfare. It follows the team at UpLink, a private security and tech company, as they face off against a new threat in the Russian Arctic.
The characters are sharp and smart, especially Roger Gordian, the leader of UpLink. He’s tough, patriotic, and always ready to make the hard calls. The plot moves quickly, with just enough tech talk and strategy to keep things interesting without being too confusing.
If you enjoy spy stories, military action, and global danger, this book delivers. It’s not too deep, but it’s thrilling and fun — like watching a great action movie in your head.
The characters are sharp and smart, especially Roger Gordian, the leader of UpLink. He’s tough, patriotic, and always ready to make the hard calls. The plot moves quickly, with just enough tech talk and strategy to keep things interesting without being too confusing.
If you enjoy spy stories, military action, and global danger, this book delivers. It’s not too deep, but it’s thrilling and fun — like watching a great action movie in your head.
February 8, 2021
So much to unpack in this book. It could have been so much more and there were many story lines not fully developed and yet it kept you entertained all the way through. The author does a nice job in tying everything up but there are times he goes into too much detail on non-important things and then times he just wraps up a major story line in 3 sentences. It is a good book but could have been even better. On to the next one in the series.
August 18, 2025
The beginning in Antarctica was interesting, but the following chapters which were set in Scotland were too wordy and the plot was slow.
I also wasn't interested in the various digressions such as Morgan at the restaurant or buying paintings, though they did fill out his character and potentially showed a way he could be trapped. Other side stories (such as the co-anchor and Pruitt the security guard) went on too long.
The Antarctica story was fast-paced and action filled.
I also wasn't interested in the various digressions such as Morgan at the restaurant or buying paintings, though they did fill out his character and potentially showed a way he could be trapped. Other side stories (such as the co-anchor and Pruitt the security guard) went on too long.
The Antarctica story was fast-paced and action filled.
July 15, 2023
Perfect? Not even close. Good? Eh.
But for periods, it does become a page turner.
A few of the plots just end, with no real impact. The main plot gets tied up neatly at the end in a way that is to convenient.
A very low 3 stars. Probably should be 2.
I will keep reading, only because my desire to finish the series has kicked in.
But for periods, it does become a page turner.
A few of the plots just end, with no real impact. The main plot gets tied up neatly at the end in a way that is to convenient.
A very low 3 stars. Probably should be 2.
I will keep reading, only because my desire to finish the series has kicked in.
September 5, 2021
too much science. baddies speak german, some translated some not. glasgow policeman's american visitor not explained.
February 18, 2023
Struggle to get into this one.
March 20, 2023
Pretty typical Tom Clancy. An ok read with a glass of wine. Ending was a bit rubbish.
November 25, 2025
Not as good as the previous entries in the Power Plays series. Decent, but lacking in the final quarter.
The endings to the Scottish and the Morgan plotlines were a little underwhelming.
The endings to the Scottish and the Morgan plotlines were a little underwhelming.
June 7, 2012
This is an interesting story of action, adventure and mayhem on the cold and lonely Antarctic continent. The tale begins with the disappearance of an experimental Mars rover and its research team. The narrative then takes the reader around the world as we try to find out who and what is behind this drama. Who lives and who dies, and will come out on top, is a question everyone is struggling to find out. So, put on a warm coat, grab your gun and hope that the weather does not kill you before the bad guys get to you…
March 31, 2015
At the sentence and paragraph level, even the chapter level, the book is well enough written. The ending is curiously incomplete and readers who expect all threads to be wound up and all characters fully accounted-for at the end of a book may be a little disappointed. All in all it's about as convincing as any other thriller being written these days.
April 21, 2013
Una compañía privada se dedica a especular con arte las ganancias de un negocio ilegal de vertidos radiactivos depositados en la Antártida. Otra empresa privada, Uplink, acabará con ellos. ¿Dónde están los gobiernos nacionales?
October 19, 2010
An amusing fiction story with a heavy sprinkling of intrigue and a healthy dash of action. =)
May 22, 2012
I wish it was better. This really turned me off of reading just anything written under Clancy's name.
July 10, 2012
Uranium mining, spent uranium disposal, Picasso paintings, Antarctica landscapes and a few murders thrown in for good measure.
Clancy does not live upto his reputation.
Clancy does not live upto his reputation.
August 28, 2014
One of my least favourite Clancy novels. The two plots didn't seem to come together, or least in a logical fashion. Glad this book is finally done.
February 11, 2014
Good, fast read. Fairly well-written. The pages of science and tech facts make for some tedious reading, but the interesting characters and storyline help make up for it.
April 30, 2015
This is a very good book. It grabs your attention from the start and holds it till the end.
May 24, 2015
Pretty standard airport novel.
January 24, 2016
Enjoyed learning about working in the antarctica, about classic paintings, forgeries, uranium, etc etc.....lots of interesting things covered.
March 29, 2017
Read this years ago!!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews