Welcome to the website of Max Eastern,
author of the World War II espionage thriller Red Snow in Winter. 

It can be ordered on Amazon now 

Read the book on Netgalley.

“Red Snow in Winter is a gripping, ingenious cat-and-mouse political thriller set in early 1945, just before the end of World War II. A  U.S. Army intelligence officer finds himself caught up in a deadly espionage battle involving Americans, Nazis, and Russians that he can only survive by finding out who to trust – and also by finally uncovering the truth about long-buried secrets from his own shadowy intelligence past. Smart writing, a high-stakes plot, and a fascinating historical background. Author Max Eastern really delivers the goods in this page-turner of a novel.”  —R.G. Belsky, author of the Clare Carlson series

In the final weeks of World War II, a young American intelligence officer becomes entangled in a web of deceit that spans from the Pentagon to the war-ravaged streets of Europe. Lieutenant Julius Orlinsky, a veteran of clandestine operations in Prague, is thrust back into the field when a seemingly routine assignment leads to murder and attempted murder.

Determined to uncover the truth, Orlinsky’s quest takes him from the quiet suburbs of Washington, D.C., 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 the lines between patriotism and treason are blurred. And the personal stakes couldn’t be higher. Investigating who was responsible for a family’s tragedy in Prague could expose a betrayal by the first woman he has ever loved.

Orlinsky has no choice. Racing against the clock, 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.

PRAISE FOR MAX EASTERN’S MODERN NOIR DEBUT ‘THE GODS WHO WALK AMONG US,’

WINNER OF KINDLE SCOUT:

“I found a great new-to-me author in Max Eastern. I love how he brought his characters to life and made the situations in this novel seem as though they were happening in front of me.”—Terrie Farley Moran, national bestselling co-author of the Jessica Fletcher Murder, She Wrote mystery series

“Max Eastern’s debut is witty, clever, and superbly executed, and I could not get enough of Adam Azoulay, the down-on-his-luck, failing lawyer turned paparazzi. If you want a fun ride and read, look no further than The Gods Who Walk Among Us.” —Robert K. Lewis, author of Critical Damage, finalist for the Shamus Award.

“This is a smart, sharp read that would appeal to Elmore Leonard fans and people who actually peruse a newspaper from time to time.”
— Mariah Fredericks, author of The Girl in the Green Dress

To follow Max Eastern on Twitter, go here. To enjoy his photos on Instagram, go here.