For fans of James Rollins and Matthew Reilly comes a heart-stopping, globe-spanning adventure in Andy McDermott’s explosive series featuring American archaeologist Nina Wilde and ex-SAS bodyguard Eddie Chase. MYSTERIOUS RUNESTONES. AN ANCIENT VIKING MYTH. AND A PROPHECY OF LIFE OR DEATH. In a Stockholm museum, thieves steal an enormous Norse runestone, but not before killing a security guard. When Nina Wilde, head of the International Heritage Agency (IHA), and her husband, ex-mercenary Eddie Chase, arrive to investigate, they are told a chilling story: A scholar has discovered that the stone may be one of two keys to finding the mythological site of Valhalla, where the Vikings predicted the world’s final battle would begin. The second stone lies at the bottom of a Norwegian lake. But when Nina and Eddie race to the scene, they’re hit with a shocking surprise. Covert agents from around the world, including a ruthless mole in the IHA, are drawn into a lethal game, . Then a disturbing secret surfaces from Eddie’s past, involving a mission in Vietnam and a woman he tried to save. Suddenly suspicious of her own husband, Nina cannot afford to stop the perilous search for the artifact. For somewhere in a remote wilderness, two forces are about to converge: one that could save the world . . . and one that could destroy it. Praise for the novels of Andy McDermott “Raises the bar to please adventure junkies who prefer to mainline their action.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) , on The Hunt for Atlantis “A fun, action-filled James Bond/Indiana Jones-esque story.” —Geek Speak Magazine , on Return to Atlantis “Adventure stories don’t get much more epic than this.” — Daily Mirror (U.K.) Praise for the novels of Andy McDermott “Raises the bar to please adventure junkies who prefer to mainline their action.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) , on The Hunt for Atlantis “A fun, action-filled James Bond/Indiana Jones-esque story.” —Geek Speak Magazine , on Return to Atlantis “Adventure stories don’t get much more epic than this.” — Daily Mirror (U.K.) Andy McDermott is a former journalist and movie critic who now writes novels full-time following the international success of his debut thriller, The Hunt for Atlantis, which has been sold around the world in more than twenty languages. He is also the author of The Tomb of Hercules, The Secret of Excalibur, The Covenant of Genesis, The Pyramid of Doom, The Sacred Vault, Empire of Gold, Return to Atlantis, The Valhalla Prophecy, and The Shadow Protocol . He lives in Bournemouth, England. 9780345537041
excerpt McDermott / THE VALHALLA PROPHECY 1 New York City Fifty-Three Years Later “Nina, Eddie!” cried Lola Adams—née Gianetti—across the coffee shop. “Long time no see!” Nina Wilde hopped to her feet to greet her friend. Lola had, until a few months earlier, been Nina’s personal assistant at the International Heritage Agency. The reason for her departure was peering curiously at the world around him from a papoose on the chest of Lola’s husband. “Lola, Don, hi! Wow, it’s so great to see you both again! And to meet this little guy in person for the first time. Oh, he’s beautiful!” Nina’s own husband also stood. “Yeah, that’s not a bad-looking sprog you’ve got,” said Eddie Chase with a grin. “Shame about the name, though.” Lola pouted. “What’s wrong with Gino? It was my grandpa’s name.” “There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just not as good as my suggestion. Now, Eddie—that’s a name for a baby.” He frowned. “Wait, that didn’t come out like I meant it to.” Nina laughed. “Accurate, though.” The balding Englishman pulled a face, to which Gino responded with a gurgling laugh of his own. “Aw, look at that! He’s so sweet.” “He is,” said Lola, embracing the pair, “when he’s not occupying every moment of my time. And I thought you were demanding, Nina!” Now it was Nina’s turn to look affronted, while Eddie chuckled. “Come on, sit down,” he said, pulling a chair out for the young mother. “So being a parent’s a bit stressful, is it?” “You have no idea, man,” said Don as he unfastened the papoose. “I thought being a firefighter was tough, but pulling people out of burning buildings is a cakewalk compared with watching out for a baby.” “Don’s worse than I am,” Lola said as she sat. “There’s danger everywhere, isn’t there, hon? To him, every room looks like a death trap out of a Final Destination movie. It drives me nuts, ’cause now I can’t even plug in my hair dryer without unlocking the gadgets he’s put on all the outlets.” “Safety’s a serious business, babe,” Don replied, in a way that suggested it was far from the first time he had been teased. The big-haired blonde took Gino from the papoose, settling the baby on her lap. “Anyway, we’re just about getting a handle on things, so we can finally catch up with everybody. What have I missed? What have you guys been up to? Have you found any more
excerpt McDermott / THE VALHALLA PROPHECY 1 New York City Fifty-Three Years Later “Nina, Eddie!” cried Lola Adams—née Gianetti—across the coffee shop. “Long time no see!” Nina Wilde hopped to her feet to greet her friend. Lola had, until a few months earlier, been Nina’s personal assistant at the International Heritage Agency. The reason for her departure was peering curiously at the world around him from a papoose on the chest of Lola’s husband. “Lola, Don, hi! Wow, it’s so great to see you both again! And to meet this little guy in person for the first time. Oh, he’s beautiful!” Nina’s own husband also stood. “Yeah, that’s not a bad-looking sprog you’ve got,” said Eddie Chase with a grin. “Shame about the name, though.” Lola pouted. “What’s wrong with Gino? It was my grandpa’s name.” “There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just not as good as my suggestion. Now, Eddie—that’s a name for a baby.” He frowned. “Wait, that didn’t come out like I meant it to.” Nina laughed. “Accurate, though.” The balding Englishman pulled a face, to which Gino responded with a gurgling laugh of his own. “Aw, look at that! He’s so sweet.” “He is,” said Lola, embracing the pair, “when he’s not occupying every moment of my time. And I thought you were demanding, Nina!” Now it was Nina’s turn to look affronted, while Eddie chuckled. “Come on, sit down,” he said, pulling a chair out for the young mother. “So being a parent’s a bit stressful, is it?” “You have no idea, man,” said Don as he unfastened the papoose. “I thought being a firefighter was tough, but pulling people out of burning buildings is a cakewalk compared with watching out for a baby.” “Don’s worse than I am,” Lola said as she sat. “There’s danger everywhere, isn’t there, hon? To him, every room looks like a death trap out of a Final Destination movie. It drives me nuts, ’cause now I can’t even plug in my hair dryer without unlocking the gadgets he’s put on all the outlets.” “Safety’s a serious business, babe,” Don replied, in a way that suggested it was far from the first time he had been teased. The big-haired blonde took Gino from the papoose, settling the baby on her lap. “Anyway, we’re just about getting a handle on things, so we can finally catch up with everybody. What have I missed? What have you guys been up to? Have you found any more