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While I like Hunter's books most of the time, I loved this one. While it's perhaps a little over dramatized, it is well written and suspenseful.Earl Swagger, a returning WW II vet and Medal of Honor winner, joins a group taking on Mafia member Owney Meany and his crew who run Hot Springs, Arkansas and its gambling, prostitution and other illegal activities. The story has lots of action as Earl and ex-FBI agent D.A. Parker train and lead a group of young police officers to put Meany out of busine...
Hot Springs6 out of 5 stars. I know you can only give 5 stars on GoodReads, but this is only the second book that I’ve felt was a star better than several 5 star books I’ve read.This is a period piece, taking place in 1946, in the very real town of Hot Springs Arkansas. Mr. Hunter taps into the Eldridge quality of that place at the time. People Like Ben Siegel, and Al Capone came to the town to relax. These were powerful people from the major metropolitan areas who came to Hot Springs under the
Part 1940s post-WWII, part alternative reality; inspired by true crime but written into a smart, well crafted suspense with deeply complicated characters. I believe this is first in a series, if I could I'd get all the rest of them immediately.
This author has great action. Never boring.
I'm torn between 4/5 stars. But this novel catapults Hunter into "my must read" list. Part WEB Griffin, part Michael Connelly. I can't hardly wait for the next in this series.
I actually prefer Earl to his son Bob Lee. Must be the fact that I love anything within an historical context. I wish that Hunter would produce a guideline for his readers with regard to what order the books should be read in.
Even cooler than "Pale Horse." Mobsters, a really hacked-off Marine, an old-school gunslinger, a gambling and whoring Mickey Rooney...this book has everything.
Hunter is a knife-man with words. He cuts to the bone wherever he wants the words to go.Earl Swagger is just back from the war in the Pacific. He sees Hot Springs, Arkansas, 1946, in all its reptilian life: “The club was dark and jammed. Gambling was king here on the upstairs floor, and the odor of the cigarettes and blue density of the smoke in the air were palpable and impenetrable. It smelled like the sulfur in the air at Iwo and the place had a sort of frenzy to it like a beach zeroed by the...
More great 'redneck' noir--deep and dark and filled with bullets and fedoras.
Just what I needed, a good shoot 'em up kind of a story. Earl is my kind of guy.
This one's crazy. It's a good read, but won't stick with you. It's no classic, but it'll keep you glued to it. I love books like this for long plane rides. I was taken out of my uncomfortable seat on my flight to Bangalore to a corrupt and broken Arkansas and didn't leave it until the wheels hit the runway.
Loved the story. Started a bit slow and then the story sucked me in until I was obsessed to finish the book....I got clued into this series by author Stan R. Mitchell who reference this series in his book "Sold Out"....
Initially, let me say that this book wasn't awful. I understand that is not an endorsement but, since I refuse to complete reading books that I view as awful, it is an important clarification, if only in my somewhat addled mind. The previous Stephen Hunter books that I have read were about Bob Lee Swagger, ex-military sniper and all around good guy. This book focused on his father, Earl, and his grandfather, Charles. The book opens with Earl receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor in Washingt...
A very well written novel. The character and plot development have many sophisticated layers and even though the ending is a bit predictable, the story development isn't. I also really appreciate the way that Stephen Hunter incorporates real life figures into many of his stories. I will note that I like the Earl Swagger novels far better than the Bobby Lee Swagger novels. I feel that Stephen Hunter spends more time caring about Earl's character. The Bobby Lee novels have the serial writer feel w...
3 ½ stars. A lot of good action and suspense. But audiobook narrator’s BREATHS hurt the book.Neat characters. I loved the Earl Swagger tough-guy-soldier fighting mobsters. He uses automatic guns and rifles. Great use of land around him during fights. I had some problems with it, but I still enjoyed it.One part made me mad. I kind of don’t want to trust this author. Becker the prosecuting attorney hires a dozen soldiers headed by Earl and D.A. Becker wants them to raid gambling casinos owned by t...
I loved this book. Hunter writes like he was born and raised in the south. Earl Swagger is back from WWII a decorated hero. He doesn't cotton to all the attention he gets because of his war record. Earl has a whole new life ahead of him, new wife, a new job and a baby on the way that he's none to excited about. He is plagued by demons from the war as well as his childhood. To add insult to injury he seeks to drown it all in alcohol. I find myself rooting for Earl, wanting him to pull himself tog...
As far as I’m concerned Stephen Hunter is one of the very top-tier candidates of Thriller King. Even when he’s writing about shit that I don’t have a lot of interest in (most obviously the focus on sniping and all kinds of long rifle technologies and tactics from the Bob Lee books) I still find myself getting sucked in, enjoying the over-indulgent details on gun shit and whatnot and reading every book obsessively until it’s finished. Dude just knows how to write a gripping book and it’s so obvio...
WOW. I picked this book up at the airport because it looked like the best one on the shelf to keep my attention and boy did it an more. I have to tell you, this southern detective noir reminded me of everything I loved about noir fiction. I've since bought the next two Earl Swagger books. Thanks Stephen!
A friend lent me “Pale Horse Running”, the second book in the series. It was great! I’m so glad that I went back and read the first Earl Swagger book. (Mitch Rapp would look up to Earl Swagger!)I enjoyed how the author adds vignettes using real life characters of the 40’s i.e. Bugsy Siegel, Mickey Rooney, Burt Lancaster, etc. Also, in a small way, the book helped me to understand what a Medal of Honor recipient feels.(I wonder if this book was the geneses of HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”.)
Great book. I enjoy the Earl Swagger character as much as his son Bob Lee!This story reminds me a lot of movies like Gangster Squad & the Untouchables. Terrific 40's gangster storyAnd being familiar with NW Arkansas area it is neat to read a story set there. Thats one of the reasons why I rwally like Stephen Hunters novels, they are set in my area.