Hot Springs (Earl Swagger) - Softcover

Hunter, Stephen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1451627238 ISBN 13: 9781451627237

Publisher: Pocket Star, 2011

Synopsis

The undisputed master of the tough thriller, New York Times bestselling author Stephen Hunter delivers a masterpiece of crime fiction set in 1940s Arkansas, where law and corruption ricochet like slugs from a .45 automatic.

Earl Swagger is tough as hell. But even tough guys have their secrets. Plagued by the memory of his abusive father, apprehensive about his own impending parenthood, Earl is a decorated ex-Marine of absolute integrity--and overwhelming melancholy. Now he's about to face his biggest, bloodiest challenge yet.

It is the summer of 1946, organized crime's garish golden age, when American justice seems to have gone to seed for good. Nowhere is this more true than in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the reigning capital of corruption. When the district attorney vows to bring down the mob, Earl is recruited to run the show. As casino raids erupt into nerve-shattering combat amid screaming prostitutes and fleeing johns, the body count mounts--along with the suspense.

About this title

Review:

"Los Angeles Times" Hunter is a consummate yarn-spinner whose eye for detail and ear for nuance...create their own riveting brand of reality.

"The Denver Post" Hunter is Robert B. Parker on steroids, Mickey Spillane with a thesaurus. He writes crime fiction like no one before him.

"The San Francisco Examiner" "Hot Springs" is a richly told tale driven by complex characters, strong dialogue, and a unique plot....Hunter is one of the best storytellers of his generation and he just keeps getting better.

"The San Diego Union-Tribune" In this fourth Swagger episode, Hunter has lost none of his touch. "Hot Springs" is an action novel that is almost as hot as the 142-degree water percolating from the "Hot Springs" mountain.

"The Providence Sunday Journal" (RI) Hunter brings power and poignancy to a tale that should be thought of as a great novel, not just a great thriller. Simply stated, he is one of the best novelists working today in any genre and "Hot Springs" is hands down the best book of the year so far.

"The San Francisco Examiner""Hot Springs" is a richly told tale driven by complex characters, strong dialogue, and a unique plot....Hunter is one of the best storytellers of his generation and he just keeps getting better.

"Publishers Weekly" (starred review) Brilliant...His prose has that rare visual quality that takes the action off the page and into the mind....Furnished with brilliant period detail and a dynamo of a lead character, this big, brawny crime drama recountsin highly fictionalized formthe true story of the backlash against corruption and decadence in Hot Springs, Arkansas, during the years following World War II....Hunter has written a powerful, sweeping story, one that effectively deals with multiple themes: the anguish of war vets, deep-seated racism, and fairness and duty in personal and professional life.

From the Publisher:

'Hunter is in the front rank of thriller novelists'

About this edition

• Publisher: Pocket Star
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1451627238
• ISBN 13: 9781451627237
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 556