This is a review of Avalanche Express.

This is a cold war escape story of a high-ranking member of the Politburo of the Soviet Union who defects in Romania and is flown to Milan, just before the airport is closed by a severe snowstorm blanketing Northern Europe. He and his Western handlers have to catch the Express train from Milan to Amsterdam as Schiphol airport is the only airport open.

The train goes via Lugano, the Gotthard Tunnel, Zurich, Basel, and Karlsruhe into Belgium. There are numerous attempts at assassination by the KGB and GRU all of which are unsuccessful due to the planning of the western intelligence services though there are some narrow escapes including from the Avalanche set off on the Wasserhorn by Soviet agents.