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Soft Target Audiobook
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(3.01) - 829 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Ten thousand people jam the aisles, the corridors, the elevators, and the escalators of America, the Mall—a giant Rubik’s Cube of a structure with its own amusement park located in the spacious center atrium. Of those people, nine thousand nine hundred and eighty-eight have come to shop.
The other twelve have come to kill.
Ray Cruz, one of the heroes of Hunter’s last bestseller, Dead Zero, is in the mall with his fiancée and her family. The retired Marine sniper thought he was done with stalking and killing—but among the trapped thousands, he’s the only one with a plan and the guts to confront the self-proclaimed “Brigade Mumbai.” Now all he needs is a gun.
FBI Sniper Dave McElroy has a gun. But positioned on the roof of the vast building and without explosives or fuses—or the go-ahead from his superiors—he is cut off from his targets and forced into the role of witness to the horror unfolding below.
Having learned the lessons of Columbine, the feds believe that immediate action is the only solution. But Douglas Obobo, the charismatic and ambitious commandant of the state police, orders cooperation, tolerance, communication, and empathy for the gunmen. He feels that with his superior negotiating skills, he can make contact with the shooters and gently nudge them into surrender. But what if their goal all along has been unparalleled massacre—and they’re only waiting for prime time?
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"Stephen Hunter has always had a knack for keeping me reading, and this story is no different. As I read I felt it hit similar points as Die Hard and the author seemed to agree, as he paid homage to the movie later in the book. Good page turner."
— Cullen (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Stephen Hunter spent years reviewing movies for the Washington Post. That work gave him a keen sense of pacing and timing. The evidence shows up in Soft Target, which unrolls a complicated and grabby plot in just 256 tense pages. And Hunter packs in a surprise with the identity and motive of the individual behind the terrorist attack.”
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch -
“Hunter’s writing is sharp, detailed…Hunter has produced a fast, gratifying read.”
— Houston Chronicle -
“Stephen Hunter didn’t invent the high-action thriller. But, as he once again demonstrates in the lightning-paced Soft Target, he might as well have…Soft Target is Die Hard with a brain and a plan. A lean, action-packed tale that begs to be read in a single sitting.”
— Providence Journal -
“[A] fast-paced thriller…As this straightforward adventure tale builds to its fearsome climax, it’s the actions of Cruz and Oates to thwart the terrorists that captivate.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Combining elements of the locked-room mystery, the disaster novel, and the lock-and-load thriller, Hunter produces a remarkably gripping tale, building character (the captives, the bureaucrats, and the ‘terrorists’ all get compelling backstories) every bit as convincingly as he drives the narrative to its High Noon–style finale.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“Any thriller in which Middle Eastern terrorists whack Santa on the first page is bound to be exciting. As always, Hunter has crafted a fast-paced and all-too-plausible telling of our worst nightmares coming true. Ray Cruz is a worthy successor to Swagger. Hunter’s fans, along with new readers, will enjoy the violent battle between Cruz and the bad guys.”
— Library Journal -
“Black Friday [is] on the cusp of becoming blood-soaked Friday…Among the shoppers, albeit reluctantly, is Ray Cruz, a retired marine sniper, son of the iconic marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger, whose valorous exploits Hunter has richly detailed…Snipers and SWAT teams gather, but only one man is in an advantageous tactical position, behind enemy lines, as it were. Only one man, but he’s Bob Lee Swagger’s son, and what a good thing it is that the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree…The action scenes are well done as usual, and the premise chills.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“Narrator Phil Gigante’s expert pacing and deep tones bring intensity to the suspense and vividness to the violence. The story unfolds in real time, covering both the terrorists’ and law enforcement’s perspectives. Gigante captures the essence of both sides and the conflicts between the FBI and Minnesota police. He offers a range of American and international accents that, when combined with commentary on consumerism and politics, along with plenty of action, creates an exceptional thriller.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
Soft Target Listener Reviews
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" Gripping thriller "
— Kenneth, 2/17/2014 -
" excellent storyline with great characters. Very suspenseful. "
— Tom, 1/25/2014 -
" I don't think this author likes Obama very much. Some the association does ring true though. "
— Joe, 1/20/2014 -
" I like Stephen Hunter books, as a rule. This one was just ok. It really fell flat at the end. "
— False, 1/15/2014 -
" Very exciting, very intense, very fun. "
— Don, 1/4/2014 -
" Excellent fast moving, and full of good technical info. "
— Michael, 12/28/2013 -
" Hunter has replaced Swagger with Ray Cruz, kind of a Swagger Lite. Pure action escapism. "
— Jonathan, 11/19/2013 -
" Great spoof on our nation's politacal situation - an empty suit cop (Mr. Obobo...)with no credentials or tack record, but loved by his followers due to an artfully controlled media. Sound familiar? Also a good terrorist/hostage situation. Quick read. "
— Steve, 11/13/2013 -
" I like. Might try some other by hunter. A jihad against the mall of America. Cruz happens to be inside before lock down. Still not sure why he put the terrorist clothes on. Obobo is probably president by now. "
— Scott, 11/2/2013 -
" As other reviewers have commented, this is not at the same level as, say, ISniper, but a decent story with some high moments. The writing is better than average, but I would have liked a bit more action. Overall, I'd recommend it as a fast read. "
— Christopher, 10/19/2013 -
" I got this specifically for my husband but we both read it and really liked it. "Didn't want it to end" -good. "
— Debra, 11/5/2012 -
" a 3.5 read. You know the good guys, you know the bad guys, you know how it will turn out but you still enjoy it. "
— Mara, 10/26/2012 -
" Just as good as all the others. "
— Robert, 6/16/2012 -
" might be time to move onto a different story/characters. this one was a big miss from me "
— George, 6/1/2012
About Stephen Hunter
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.
About Phil Gigante
Phil Gigante has narrated more than two hundred audiobooks, earning ten AudioFile Earphones Awards and three of the prestigious Audie Awards for best narration. An actor, director, and producer with over twenty years of experience in theater, film, television, and radio, he is currently the artistic director of Gigantic Productions and Little Giant Children’s Theatre.