A compelling and expansive novel by Karl Marlantes, a bestselling author from The New York Times, challenges the depths of loyalty, friendship, and love. Helsinki, 1947. Finland vacillates between the Soviet Union and the West. Everyone gets watched. A look or word out of place could result in a disaster. Natalya Bobrova from Russia and Louise Koski from the United States are young wives of their country's military attachés. When the two couples reunite at a diplomatic gathering, their spouses, Arnie and Mikhail, esteemed skiers, playfully propose a clandestine cross-country wilderness competition while under the influence. Delighted is Louise, yet worried is Natalya. The secret police of Stalin and Beria govern with ruthless harshness. Should news of the race be disclosed and if Mikhail fails, Natalya is aware that it could result in his demise, her confinement, and the separation from her two kids. Louise, who doesn't have children, seizes the race as a chance to collect funds for a nearby orphanage, oblivious to the peril it will pose to Natalya and her family. Natalya watches in horror as Louise's scheme unfolds, with news of the race spreading worldwide, portrayed by newspapers and politicians as a symbolic clash between freedom and communism. In order to reverse her error, Louise needs to contact Arnie to instruct him to lose the race and rescue Mikhail. But how can she reach him? The racers have entered a realm of isolation within the vast Arctic wilderness of Finland. "The writer of the contemporary masterpiece, Matterhorn, showcases yet another masterful novel with a breakneck writing style that is passionate and haunting. " E. B. Griffin). Layered with rapid action, historical intricacies, and a sharp perception of how authoritarianism jeopardizes love and friendship through truth and privacy loss, Cold Victory emerges as a success.
