Eternal Empire — Alec Nevala-Lee

An electrifying mystery that will draw one woman into a global conspiracy--and into the sights of one of the most dangerous men in the world...

Maddy Blume is a survivor. Years ago, while working as an art analyst in New York, she was changed forever by an encounter with Ilya Severin, the thief and former assassin once known as the Scythian. Now, in London, she is presented with an unusual proposition: to go undercover as an art consultant to a Russian oil billionaire suspected of channeling profits to military intelligence.

As Maddy grows closer to her new boss, however, she discovers that his ambitions extend far beyond natural resources. He is out to shape the future of Russia on a massive scale, using the secret of the mythical empire of Shambhala in a quest that will lead Maddy on a violent odyssey across Europe and to the far edge of the Black Sea.

Yet her involvement has not gone unnoticed. Not by the secret police. Not by her employer's rivals. And least of all by the Scythian himself...