[IrishCop]

...no Bob Lee (at least he's not the main character). This one features Ray Cruz from the last book.

It was inevitable I suppose. Bob would be getting pretty long in the tooth. I'm sure he'll at least make an appearance in this one, though.

Here's a link to an excerpt...

Soft Target by Stephen Hunter - Excerpt

 

[Snake45]

Due out in December sometime, isn't it?

I'll put it on my Christmas list and let some loving relative buy it for me.

 

[dfariswheel]

I wondered how Hunter was going to get out of the corner he'd painted himself in.

Bob is getting too old, although there is the two other tours in Vietnam he did, including the one with SOG. I'd imaging Hunter could do a really juicy story about that one.

Earl just ran out of time. There's only so much time between his Marine service in WWII and when he was killed.

Then too, there's Bob's grandfather, described as a near monster.

I'm not sure I really like the Cruz direction, but it allows using contemporary techniques and weapons.
In any case, a not so great Hunter novel is worth a dozen of the current women written demon-werewolf-vampire novels.
I see them running in terror from the Bob Lee of "Point of Impact".

 

[IrishCop]

I wondered how Hunter was going to get out of the corner he'd painted himself in.

Bob is getting too old, although there is the two other tours in Vietnam he did, including the one with SOG. I'd imaging Hunter could do a really juicy story about that one.

Earl just ran out of time. There's only so much time between his Marine service in WWII and when he was killed.

Then too, there's Bob's grandfather, described as a near monster.

I'm not sure I really like the Cruz direction, but it allows using contemporary techniques and weapons.
In any case, a not so great Hunter novel is worth a dozen of the current women written demon-werewolf-vampire novels.
I see them running in terror from the Bob Lee of "Point of Impact".

Yeah, I think Mr. Hunter squeezed just about all he could out of Earl Swagger...a shame, 'cause Hot Springs is one of my all time favorites.

He could well go back to Bob's tours in Viet Nam...or maybe even better, his post Viet Nam - pre Point of Impact life. He had some run-ins with some white supremacists according to POI that could be expounded upon, not to mention his drinking/divorce and other problems which could easily woven into the story(ies).

Guess it just depends on how many more sniper books he wants to write. ;-)

 

[Snake45]

Well, he squeezed a good deal more out of Earl as recently as 47th Samurai. There's always more "back stories" to tell, all Hunter has to do is figger out a clever way to segue into them.

 

[DavidE]

If the grandfather was a near monster, doing a story set in "the day" with an antihero who ends up on the good side of something could be really fun.

Like, imagine if Clive Cussler's "The Chase" had a guy who considered himself King of the Hobo bandits chasing the bad guy instead of a rail investigator? Ther was a movie from the 1970s like that I think, with a railroad cop who had crossed the line feuding with a hobo guy.

 

[WaltGraham]

There was a movie from the 1970s like that I think, with a railroad cop who had crossed the line feuding with a hobo guy.

I think that was Emperor of the North; just watched it again a few weeks ago.

 

[DavidE]

I think that was Emperor of the North; just watched it again a few weeks ago.

You're absolutely right, I bing'd it:

Emperor of the North - Bing Movies

A Quigley type book or movie with, say, a Buffalo Hunter driven out of work by the loss of the herds, or a Harry Tracy type rifleman outlaw, chasing someone who is basically more indiscriminate or psychotic in their violence, could be very interesting.

 

[IrishCop]

Like Snake, I hinted at "Soft Target" for a Christmas present, and got it.

Finished it in one sitting (it's a real page turner and only about 260 pages long).

Really liked this book. Somali terrorists (with the guidance and assistance of a computer/video game geek) take over Hunter's version of the Mall of America, where Ray Cruz is shopping with his fiance on Black Friday.

There is a thinly veiled (but in my opinion, very accurately portrayed) version of President Obama as the chief LEO on scene.

I remember an interview with Hunter where he was bemoaning the fact that he was contractually obligated to one more sniper book, and was having a hard time coming up with an idea. The book mentions the death of bin Laden several times, so it was written after May and released prior to Christmas -pretty fast for a novel. 'Course he coulda had it rough drafted out and just added in the bin Laden tidbits in last minute editing. Who knows?

Still worth the read. The way he crafted it, it's very hard to stop reading once you start. Kinda like the old Matt Hem paperbacks by Donald Hamilton. He never ended a chapter that didn't force you to start the next one.

 

[Charlie Petty]

"finished it in one sitting"... pun intended?

I just started the new Clancy book so maybe by the time I finish it Sams will have Hunter.

 

[Snake45]

Like Snake, I hinted at "Soft Target" for a Christmas present, and got it.

Finished it in one sitting (it's a real page turner and only about 260 pages long).

Really liked this book. Somali terrorists (with the guidance and assistance of a computer/video game geek) take over Hunter's version of the Mall of America, where Ray Cruz is shopping with his fiance on Black Friday.

There is a thinly veiled (but in my opinion, very accurately portrayed) version of President Obama as the chief LEO on scene.

I remember an interview with Hunter where he was bemoaning the fact that he was contractually obligated to one more sniper book, and was having a hard time coming up with an idea. The book mentions the death of bin Laden several times, so it was written after May and released prior to Christmas -pretty fast for a novel. 'Course he coulda had it rough drafted out and just added in the bin Laden tidbits in last minute editing. Who knows?

Still worth the read. The way he crafted it, it's very hard to stop reading once you start. Kinda like the old Matt Hem paperbacks by Donald Hamilton. He never ended a chapter that didn't force you to start the next one.

Just finished it yesterday myself. Very accurate review/description of the work.

Bob Lee is mentioned but makes no appearance, not even on the phone or something. Swagger family/friends Nikki (daughter) and Nick Memphis have peripheral roles.

The book is basically Die Hard in a Big-Ass Mall, as Hunter himself more or less admits near the end.

I didn't find any gun goofs in this one, but then I'm not overly familiar with the weapon systems used here.

As always, a good read and a good ride, if a bit short and a little predictable.

 

[IrishCop]

"finished it in one sitting"... pun intended?

I just started the new Clancy book so maybe by the time I finish it Sams will have Hunter.

Not intentional...but wish it had been.

 

[Charlie Petty]

Maybe Hunter should follow Clancy's lead. He's taken one character, Jack Ryan from his first hit- Red October- to president and now his son, Jack Jr. is a rising star in the spook business.

Hunter is a certified gun nut (see Midway "Gun Stories") who can sometimes write magic but Clancy has more diverse characters.

Net... have to buy all their books

 

[bearcat6]

Well I just finished the book. Colonel Obobo reminds me of another politician whose name starts with an O.

 

[Snake45]

Well I just finished the bhook. Colonel Obobo reminds me of another politician whose name starts with an O.

You noticed that too, did you?

I suspect it was intentional.

 

[bearcat6]

No doubt.

 

[IrishCop]

Maybe Hunter should follow Clancy's lead. He's taken one character, Jack Ryan from his first hit- Red October- to president and now his son, Jack Jr. is a rising star in the spook business.

Hunter is a certified gun nut (see Midway "Gun Stories") who can sometimes write magic but Clancy has more diverse characters.

Net... have to buy all their books

Hunter seems to be following Clancy's lead. Ray Cruz is Bob Lee's half Filipino son he didn't know he had. And he seems to have inherited the Swagger gift for himself in the middle of a pile of deep doo-doo and fighting his way out.

 

[IrishCop]

...I didn't find any gun goofs in this one, but then I'm not overly familiar with the weapon systems used here.

As always, a good read and a good ride, if a bit short and a little predictable.

SPOILER ALERT!!!​

Yeah,Snake. As usual, Hunter gets his gun stuff mostly right. Although the SWAT cops using their subguns on full auto to take out the big Somali after all the mall ladies tried to whip his ass made me cringe a bit. Most police agencies don't have an ammo budget that would allow their cops to become that proficient with full auto guns - trust me.