Dead Zero: Bob Lee Swagger, Book 7

I've read many Bob the Nailer novels by Stephen Hunter and I'd like to say I have done so because it is a guilty pleasure but in reality I'm getting kinda sick of reading how Bob goes from this cool customer dealing out justice from the barrel of a rifle yet now, for some reason, Hunter has felt compelled to make Bob into an old doddering FOP who's become the male version of Angela Lansbury's character in "Murder She Wrote"... perhaps Hunter should write a 'Nailer novel entitled "Murder He Wrote" or "Sought"; turning Bob into a sleuth rather than continue on with Bob being, well, Bob. I know Hunter is "growing" the Bob character, making him mature, mellow out in his old age, rather than him grow old and grumpier; give him a wife, a child, a life of leisure with many properties and growing wealth yet burden him with Alistair MacClean-esque past injuries that limit mobility, slow him down, constantly cause him pain and suffering whilst solving a "whodunnit". All Hunter needs to do to complete the MacClean-esque Bob is end each novel with Bob having an all-out battle royale with the primary antagonist, and oh, during a thunderstorm in 32 degree weather.One wonders if in future novels, Hunter is going to fast forward into time where Bob is an Octogenarian living at some Good Samaritan Society enclave and is once again asked by the US Government to solve a "whodunnit" or break some cabal single handedly, all from his tennis ball "shoed" walker whilst dragging an oxygen tank behind him that he'll use as an IED to kill an attacker ... yet he'll still be able to shoot sub MOA with his Wilson Combat 1911 .45acp at 200 yards, all six rounds in the bullseye in under 2 seconds?Yes, I'm going over the top. I don't think I'll be buying any more Bob novels unless Hunter comes out with one where Bob takes his last stand, takes down the baddest of the bad in the ultimate shootout and succumbs to his wounds and reunites with Danny, otherwise, I fear Hunter will do the Bob-in-the-old-folks-home storyline that none of us will want to read.Another thing about Hunter's characters in the Bob Nailer novels... the bad guys are always talking smack like kids in junior-high, very sophomoric in style. If the Contractors in this story were the former professionals that they allegedly were, they'd pretty much not say much of anything other than what was required to do 'the op' as it were. Also, in every novel, his bad guy characters are into sexual deviancy of every stripe, big into dope and booze, boys, girls, men, women, money, tons of cursing... I'm no boyscout but I've been around spec ops types... they don't talk much, even when they let their few hairs down. Former SpecOps types, when their careers in the US Military are over, don't devolve into deviants as per the usual in Hunter's Bob novels. Then near the end of the novel Hunter somehow redeems these deviant's character through a short paragraph or two... I don't get it... either they are truly "bad guys" or they aren't, you can't just instantly redeem them like this just to save face with your Contractor and SpecOps buddies.One more thing... spoiler alert! Don't read this next line if you plan to buy this book.We get to know Bob's thoughts here and there throughout the novel, but never get to the "a ha!" moment he discovers the RFID chipped credit card in his wallet, only we get to find out he put that card in his target's briefcase AND this help justify blowing up an American with a Reaper drone only because he's doing high-fives with a Taliban leader and his gang out in the desert. And the American colonel who orders the Contractors to take down Cruz... nothing is said of him and his disposition... all we get is a short paragraph where the Colonel AND the Contractors are doing evil because they think it's for the good of America when in reality we know these characters are criminals and should be prosecuted; I'd say this is a big hole in the storyline but Hunter puts in that paragraph to make what we see them as bad guys but near the end of the story Hunter justifies their nefarious actions through that one paragraph about their true intentions to do good by America and that they are not the "bad guys" we were lead to believe they were... its almost like Hunter thought, "Oops! Forgot to put that paragraph in there!" at the last second before sending the manuscript off to the publisher.But Hunter is a Pulitzer-Prize winning film critic, so what I have I done lately, right?Bob

Fictional "real time" heroes are not comic book super heroes who never seem to age. They cannot stay young, vibrant, and 35 forever--to have fought in the Vietnam War makes Bob Lee Swagger a 64-65 year old man today with his skills and reflexes seriously eroded by age, yet some reviewers are outraged he is no longer performing heroics and physical actions as he did 20 years ago. Aging a beloved signature character can be a dangerous undertaking for an author. A clever author like Stephen Hunter can find ways to keep the aging hero involved but in an alternative manner as Hunter is doing with Bob Lee. Hunter has wisely and gently evolved Swagger from action hero to action consultant where his tremendous country-bred hunting skills, intuition, and ability to "read" people and crime scenes can be deeply engaged in solving perplexing crimes without having to pull a trigger himself. Circumstances are certainly ripe for Bob Lee to discover and mentor a "new" and improved "nailer"."Dead Zero" is a noteworthy addition to the Bob Lee Swagger novels and, along with his last 2 novels, a satisfying transition from "doer" to thinker. No longer is he the stunning sniper who leaped from the pages of "Point Of Impact" nearly 20 years ago; however, his ability to see through governmental bureaucracy, read "tells" and motives of suspects, and breakdown crime scenes from a sniper's eye remain unmatched. In "Dead Zero", Swagger is called for assistance by old friend Nick Memphis to help trackdown a rogue marine sniper and/or thwart a possible sniper assassination of an Afghan leader, Ibrahim Zarzi, who has morphed in the liberal press and certain CIA offices from a former warlord known as "the beheader" to "our man in Kabul" as so often happens in international intrigue. But, as usual, all is not as it seems to Bob Lee Swagger who soon begins to doubt the whole enterprise while growing increasingy respectful of the potential sniper.Ray "Cruise Missle" Cruz led a sniper infiltration team into Afghanistan six months earlier to assassinate Zarzi. Cruz was ambushed by apparent mercenaries who succeeded in killing his spotter and wounding Cruz. A cat and mouse game ensues across Afghanistan as Cruz labors to complete his mission and shake the assassins who are out for his head. A tremendous explosion destroys the building containing the sniper spot where Cruz is believed to be waiting for an attempt at Zarzi. Months later, as Zarzi is visiting Washington, D.C. to announce his intention to run for the Afghan presidency and to cement relations with the US, Cruz reappears with promises to complete his mission. Swagger is called in by the FBI for his sniper expertise and the band of mercenaries reappears energized to terminate Cruz. Who is behind this band of assassins and how high in the governement does a potential conspiracy to protect Karzi and get Cruz at all costs go? And why?Swagger quickly determines that something is awry as he, Memphis, and several other recurring characters race to prevent the assassination and, hopefully, save Cruz's life. As usual, Bob Lee intuits Ray's thinking and shooting potential. Uncomfortably, he becomes a reluctant advisor to both the government and Cruz who proves his mettle by finding Swagger whenever he needs him. There are distant parallels to some of the plot lines in "Point Of Impact" but the fun for the reader is watching as Swagger outthinks and outmanuevers the bad guys while building an association based on mutual respect with another sniper. Dead Zero" is fast-paced, rich in characters, filled with information not only on guns but also on the modern snipers who operate military drones from afar, and some significant surprises. Highly recommended for those Swagger fans who are intrigued by a great story as well as by his transtion into a new era.

Book Review - With its hallmark accuracy on modern-day sniper killing technologies, author Stephen Hunter’s “Dead Zero” features an older, more contemplative Bob Lee Swagger. Dead Zero with Swagger as the legendary protagonist of seven of Stephen Hunter’s novels, never lets up on the razor-sharp dialogue, the vivid characterizations, the extraordinary action scenes, and the dazzling ‘prose’ that defines Hunter’s landmark Bob Lee Swagger series. In this tale, Bob Lee Swagger is pulled out of retirement to help the FBI track down a rogue Marine sniper; Gunnery Sergeant Ray Cruz, aka “the Cruise Missile”. Cruz has been unjustly labeled because he escaped an ambush by an American CIA kill team. Underlying political issues were involved in the incident where Cruz was the only survivor, so he decides to go after those that tried to kill him. As Swagger investigates and tries to stop Cruz, he uncovers covert illegal dealings by the CIA that link them to the Cruz investigation. By now, all sorts of allegations are flying around and more political involvement only clouds the issues. Ultimately, Swagger finds himself supporting Cruz and changing the focus of his investigation to those that wanted Cruz ‘dead’! Dead Zero is an exciting, fast-paced sniper thriller, and a solid read recommendation. I enjoyed this exciting thrill ride and thought this book had some shades of the Mark Walburg movie, "The Shooter" — which was based on Hunter’s very first Bob Lee Swagger novel, “Point of Impact.” Lots of action, plenty of guns and fun, and, as always, one of the best written sniper books in the thriller genre.

I like Stephen Hunter's stuff, but I haven't read them all and tend to dip in and out and often not in sequence. But he has made Bob Lee Swagger an iconic character and done very well to keep rolling out stories on the fairly limited subject of snipers.Here we have an older semi-retired Swagger being asked to help out the FBI in tracking down a top marine sniper that is almost a younger version of Swagger himself. The sniper has gone off the range to complete a compromised mission and in addition to the legitimate forces after him, there is also a very well informed kill squad. The plot and the characters work pretty well as Swagger starts to wonder who the good guys and the bad guys actually are. So it moves quickly and is a good page turner. That's the good news, the bad news is a slightly odd writing style that I don't remember from previous books. It's almost like the author is, at times, almost winking and having a private joke with the reader as part of the narrative. I found it annoying but not overly intrusive and the action was enough for me to be able to move on past it. But for me, it takes the book down from a potential four stars to a three star read.

Not the old Bob Lee kill em and eat em type stuff, Bob is getting on so is becoming a background operator, hence the introduction of Cruz, the new Bob Lee! Hunters usual good story lines and perhaps too much technical info on the guns and ammo but I've read everything he's produced and have yet to be disappointed, keep writing them Stephen and I'll keep buying em!

Stephen Hunter never disappoints couldn't put it down

First in the BLS series...definitely will NOT be the last!

good