Publication Date: January 1, 2026
Ophelia Harris, a former CIA analyst who went to work for a private intelligence and security firm working in Afghanistan, has been trying hard to stay under the radar.
What seems like a lifetime ago and a world away, she disappeared from the sandbox after a raid on an insurgent money laundering operation went terribly wrong. Every operator on the team was killed save one.
Ophelia escaped. And she got away with two suitcases filled with cash.
Gerhard Mueller runs Grendel Security Group and is Ophelia’s former employer. He knows a traitor set up the ambush that killed his team and he believes he knows who that traitor is.
He wants Harris found – and he wants her dead.
Austin Medford, a former Army Ranger, is sipping a beer at an airport lounge when he runs into a woman he believes he’s seen before during his deployment overseas. A woman running from trouble.
Soon Harris and Medford find themselves being brutally hunted by forces known and unknown trying to take them off the board.
The rules of the game are simple – run, fight, or die.
Ophelia Harris relies on her skills as a former government operative to stay in the shadows, but she’s forced on the run after dodging a deadly attempt on her life.
Author Steven Max Russo turns up the action in The Hunted. Fortunately for Ophelia, she runs into Austin Medford, a former Army ranger, who recognizes her from a past encounter.
Together, they try to determine why Ophelia’s former employer puts a target on her back. It all seems to tie back to a mission from Afghanistan.
Out of the gate, the character development stands out. While Ophelia is the epitome of a calm operative, there’s a sense of vulnerability. Austin’s willingness to get involved in this potentially deadly mess speaks volumes about his character. Meanwhile, Gerhard Mueller’s determination to punish Ophelia as a traitor is rooted in emotion.
This fast-paced thriller races to a successful conclusion as all the pieces finally slot into place.
The Hunted serves up a high-octane adventure where staying alive means fighting back.
Steven Max Russo has spent most of his professional career as an advertising copywriter and agency owner. He got interested in writing fiction after one of his short stories was accepted by an online literary journal in 2013. Then he caught the bug and began writing seriously. The publication of his first novel, THIEVES, has garnered praise from renowned crime and thriller authors from around the globe. With a gritty writing style and unique voice, he is quickly winning a legion of new fans. Steve is proud to call New Jersey his home.
