I, Sniper

Stephen Hunter is an awesome writer, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat all the way through! Am adding this book to my large collection of his and other thrillers...

The pendulum has swung back to center. After his hero takes up sword fighting in "47th Samurai" and motocross in "Night of Thunder", with mixed results, Hunter gets back to familiar territory here. In this tale, Bob Lee Swagger's sniper-craft is a central element to the plot. Also in the mix are familiar characters, as dopplegangers for real people (Jane Fonda, Ted Turner, Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn are pretty obvious to liberals and anyone who came of age during the Vietnam War, while Carlos Hathcock is immediately apparent to nearly everyone who has worn an American military uniform since then). Of course, small and seemingly irrelevant details of old and new firearms figure in the storyline--appealing to the segment of Hunter's core fans that know firearms pretty well. Even Marty Robbins' fans, at least the ones who know the lyrics of one of his gunfighter ballads, are treated here. Hunter uses all this to weave a can't-put-it-down novel that plays to a loyal audience that has had its fill of political correctness. While those overtones keep it from being the Great American Novel, I think the only ones who will complain about this one are 60's war protesters and the PC crowd. The only thing in it for them is disappointment. Good one, Mr. H. Keep 'em coming.

The "sixties" are long gone... and yet the images and memories of hippies... free love... and the mistreated Vietnam era vets (of which I am proudly one) come back to life... as four "sixties" anti-establishment major and minor icons are all murdered in a way that could only have been accomplished by a highly skilled and trained sniper. With the largest "LITERARY-WINK" imaginable the author names one of the victims Joan Flanders. (Hint 1: JF same initials as Jane Fonda) Joan is an aging Hollywood star (Hint 2: Just like Fonda) whose Father was a Hollywood star (Hint 3: Henry Fonda) and Joan/Jane made a fortune as an exercise guru (Hint 4: Jane... but I think you're getting the point by now!) and during the Vietnam War had "her picture taken in the gunner's chair on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft battery" and was known as "Hanoi Joan". (*BULL'S-EYE BY THE AUTHOR*) There's so much more... but I have to share one more non-spoiler *WINK* by the author: Her ex-husband is T.T. Constable (T.T. get it? Ted Turner) who just like Turner is a billionaire mogul and made his money the same way the real Turner did including colorizing old films. The FBI handles the case and it literally solves itself when all evidence leads directly to the corpse of suicide victim Carl Hitchcock who "was the most famous sniper in America." (Note: in real life Carlos Hathcock II was the king of all American snipers with NINETY-THREE-CONFIRMED KILLS-IN-VIETNAM.) In charge of the FBI team working the sniper case is Nick Memphis who is receiving immense pressure from the top brass in D.C. including the puppets controlled by billionaire T.T. Constable. (Wink! Wink! Ted Turner). Before Nick will close the case he asks old friend former Marine and ace sniper Bob Lee Swagger to look at the evidence. Swagger finds an anomaly that no one else would have ever found and the case is kept open. From that point on the action and intrigue is non-stop. What is so uniquely mesmerizing is that even though the crux of the crime is present time... the background information regarding the individual snipers in this tale... and there are others besides Swagger and Hitchcock (homage to Hathcock)... shine a positive light on a select few that have not been praised high enough. Men such as these have literally changed the way most of our wars are fought. The author also dissects the modern media regarding leaks and non-verified information... along with big wallets influencing the news. The author seamlessly weaves a path from today's headlines to Vietnam and back without ever missing a beat. He even intricately involves "water-boarding" with views from both sides of its use. This book is a breath of fresh air as the protagonist has aged the way real people actually age and he still gets the job done even if he creaks and aches along the way.

I, like many others, gave up on Stephen Hunter. His last few books have left something to be desired, though, in all honesty, a lukewarm effort by Hunter is better than the best efforts of several celebrated authors. I Sniper is a return to the old Hunter. Fast paced, well developed plot, great characters, and suspense squared, I Sniper might make your palms sweat. The story begins with the assassinations of four prominent and rapidly aging Viet Nam anti war protestors. One, Joan Flanders, a Jane Fonda knock off, is killed on the second page. The others happen in quick succession leaving the reader wondering where the story is going. As the book moves on, the FBI feels the killer has to be a Viet Nam vet with an axe to grind and a very specific set of skills. The list of prospective suspects isn't that long and the authorities settle on Carl Hitchcock. But Hitchcock throws them a curve when he commits suicide. Bob Lee Swagger, a Hunter regular, doesn't believe that Hitchcock was the culprit and for reasons of his own decides to prove it but eventually finds himself in the real killer's sights Hunter takes his shots (no pun intended) at the New York Times as well as the antiwar protestors as well. Interesting! I Sniper won't disappoint the reader. With a mix of international intrigue and just plain down to earth imagination, Hunter delivers big time. A five star read for sure.

Bob Lee Swagger is back in the game and Stephen Hunter is at the top of his form. One of Bob Lee's fellow snipers is the prime suspect in a series of horrific shootings and the press and the public want him brought down. No need for jury and judge. The guy is guilty: Just put him away! The deal is, the whole thing just doesn't sit right with Bob Lee. Once again, it's time to hunt. From the opening pages of this latest Hunter work to the edge-of-your-seat ending, readers are in for a fast, furious and violent ride. The characterizations are vivid and entirely believable. Bob Lee looks at things as black or white, but much of this story is colored in shades of gray. Things are not always what they seem, or are they? As usual, Bob Lee is operating on his own much of the time. He's working for the good guys but they don't always see it that way. Some of the good guys actually may be bad guys. The opposition includes at least one very likable assassin. He even fools eagle-eye Bob. Hunter is right on in development of his characters, and the gunfights and other action scenes are superbly believable. There is much in the story line that should please many, many Vietnam veterans. Members of the so-called gun culture will be delighted, and rightly so.Hunter gets guns right! I like to ration myself to a chapter or two a night of Hunter's new works, stretching out the pleasure they bring for as long as possible. Sometimes I even manage to do that for two or three evenings. Impossible with "I, Sniper"! I went to bed, picked it up, read two chapters, got out of bed, went to the study and, several hours later, finished it. Now I can take it again, a chapter or two a night. Thanks, Hunter, but why couldn't the book have been published in time for Christmas gifts?