Gold Train (Jade Snow International Adventure #1) by Lada Ray

For the fans of The Da Vinci Code and National Treasure comes this gripping new thriller, based on true historic events!


1918: Civil War in Russia. The entire Gold Reserve of the Russian Empire vanishes without a trace. But what if it's about to resurface? And what if it's about to be used to shift the global balance of power?

Today: the world's largest treasure; dangerous adventure; forbidden passion, defying time and space; conspiracy that threatens to plunge the country into darkness.

International journalist, Jade Snow, travels to Russia to investigate tantalizing mystery of the Gold Train, instead, she finds herself a pawn in a struggle between forces beyond her control. Running is not an option, as commitment to solve a murder makes her play the deadly game. Jade must choose between her worst friends and best enemies, and the fate of the world just might depend on her choice!(synopsis from Barnes and Noble)

Gold Train by Lada Ray is a non-stop adult-fiction thriller set in Russia. Protagonist, Jade Snow, a journalist and amateur detective who appeared in Ray’s previous novel entitled Stepford U.S.A. is back in an new tale.  Based on historical facts, Ray takes us to Russia, to discover what happen to the entire Gold reserve of the Russian Empire. It vanished without a trace during the Civil War in 1918. The tale offers, suspense, mystery, murder and a touch of paranormal.

We are introduced to Jade Snow, former journalist, wife and stay-at-home Mom to her thirteen month old daughter. They reside on the Upper East Side of New York. Her husband works for Time magazine and while they seem to have the good life, Jade admits she misses her career.  Jade’s family is from Russia and she longs to visit, when a phone call offers her a chance to collaborate on a book surrounding the Gold Train, Jade jumps at the opportunity.  Jade is in Russia less then forty-eight hours when the Russian journalist she is working with is murdered.  The tale that unfolds is suspenseful, full of twists and takes us to Moscow, St Petersburg, the Menshikov Mansion, the infamous KGB headquarters and the grand houses. We travel on high-speed trains, attend balls and walk through the gorgeous Russian Metro.  Not everyone is who they appear to be, and Jade will have to use her wits to solve it. The conspiracies, political intrigue and cast of characters had me racing to the dramatic ending.
While the ending is intense, it wraps up nicely, without a lot of unanswered questions and even hints at where Jade’s next adventure will be.

Jade is a bright likeable character. She is educated and good at connecting the dots. While she has no training as a detective, her inquisitive mind and investigative reporting skills find her entwined in the mystery.  I loved Jade the detective, but struggled to like Jade the person.  While on this adventure she strays and breaks her marriage vows. Call me old fashioned, but this doesn’t sit well with me; even though the romance was passionate and Jade felt he was her soul mate.  I realize this won’t affect everyone, so do not let this deter you from a great adventure.  For my more delicate readers, I must warn you that while most is implied, the romance does get pretty hot and heavy.  

The plot developed at a good pace, and the tale kept me captivated. Ray’s description of Russia and the grand houses were delightful.  I recommend Gold Train to fans of mystery, suspense, spy thrillers and historical fiction. Gold Train is currently available in eBook formats. On April 25, 2012 it will be available in paperback.  I am looking forward to reading more of Lada Ray’s work.

Cover: This cover fits perfectly and immediately made me think of Russia.

I want to thank Lada Ray for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I gave this novel 4 coffee cups out of 5. 

Author's website:Lady Ray

Pick up your copy here: 

Barnes and Noble:Gold Train by Lada Ray
Amazon:Gold Train (Jade Snow Russia Adventure)