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.
Download and start listening now!
"In this extremely good thriller (I guess that would be the closest term), Earl Swagger, just back from WWII, is recruited by an ambitious prosecutor to help clean up the corrupt town of Hot Springs. This is a very fictionalized take on a real historical event, and it's really extremely good, barring a couple of predictable developments and one rather whopping coincidence. Hunter is a very good writer, indeed." — Dominick (4 out of 5 stars)
"In this extremely good thriller (I guess that would be the closest term), Earl Swagger, just back from WWII, is recruited by an ambitious prosecutor to help clean up the corrupt town of Hot Springs. This is a very fictionalized take on a real historical event, and it's really extremely good, barring a couple of predictable developments and one rather whopping coincidence. Hunter is a very good writer, indeed."
" stephen hunter truly knows how to hold his readers captive! "
" While a great tale, it is not nearly as good as it's sequel. I enjoyed the descriptive setting and the background given to the characters. The book reads extremely well and gives a great deal of background to Earl. Hunter does a great job of placing you in Hot Springs, AR back in the mid 40's and you feel like you are walking down the roads and into the casinos with Earl and his gang. "
" Listened to this book on tape. Law enforcement/cleaning up the town/military tactics. "
" 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. "
" Earl Swagger is back from war and looking for a job. He gets hired to help clean up a dirty town. There is more than meets the eye to this story. Earl reminds me of Joe Pike, but he seems to be a more real person than Joe. I have enjoyed everything I have read by Hunter and I look forward to the rest of this series. "
" Interesting enough, but seemed somewhat slow-moving. I didn't finish (made it about half way) "
" i love this guy. a GREAT main character. very fun book "
" 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. "
" Earl Swagger is another great character. It is interesting to find out more about him and other characters that I have met in Stephen Hunter's Bob Lee series. More great writing. "
" This book is wonderful! pure action....you could almost hear the gun shots.... i love Earl Swagger...a really fine character! definitely a great read!!!!!!!!!!! "
" Bob Lee Swaggers dad, i had alot of doubt with this book, but i am a beleiver now. strong languge, but he was awesome. I love the 1950's setting. Great cop, and military man. "
" Lots of great gunfights, but be prepared for simplistic characters, overly melodramatic writing, and a lot of subhuman villains pitted against a too-good-to-be-true Southern lawman. "
" Starting off brilliantly. Written in 2000 "
" If you like action books with cool kick-ass heroes look no further, Hunter's hero Swagger takes no prisoners. "
" Familiar enough plot, clear good guys and bad guys, but enough action and twists to keep it interesting. Good easy read. "
" Interesting topic (attempts to clear out gambling and gangsters from an Arkansas town) and unobtrusive, well-done writing. This was a pass-along that will be donated to the library, as there are several of our regular patrons who might like this as well. "
" Not as bad as Dirty White Boys, but not nearly as good as others in the series. "
" I liked it. I listened to it, and the reader is the best.. Total entertainment. "
" Earl is a bad man. No wonder Bob Lee is so darn tough. Good clean fun. "
" 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. "
" Really enjoyed this. I picked it up in the Gangster Museum during a recent Hot Springs visit. Great museum and now I'm hooked on this author as well. "
" this shit is raw manly fuck your face for crossing my path fun "
" Character Earl Swagger is someone I loved reading about in this book. He is a Medal of Honor winner with demons and honor. It was a wonderful story. "
" The first Earl Swagger book. We got to see flashbacks to Earl's life in the Bob Lee novels. Now we get the full story behind this great hero. "
" Fantastic suspense novel. One of Hunter's best. "
" Sometimes you need a shot of testosterone. "
" book on tape #1 earl swagger so far, so good. like the guy., set in post WWII terific but short series of father, then of son. very likeable and tough dudes. "
Stephen Hunter is the author of several bestselling novels, including Time to Hunt, Black Light, Point of Impact, and the New York Times bestsellers Havana, Pale Horse Coming, and Hot Springs. He has also published two collections of film criticism and other nonfiction works. He was a film critic at the Washington Post, where he won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for criticsm, as well as the 1998 American Society of Newspaper Editors Award for Distinguished Writing in Criticism.
Amy Landon, Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a voice artist and classically trained actress with numerous film, television, and off-Broadway stage credits. Her voice can also be heard on many television and radio commercials. She has an easy facility with dialects, which she also coaches and teaches, and she is happy to find her lifelong obsession with books pairing up with her acting and vocal work. Her narration of Texts from Jane Eyre placed as a finalist for the Audie Award for Best Humor Narration in 2016.
Audiobooks Were Restored to Your Cart
[ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. You may view or remove these audiobooks on the shopping cart page.