34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Time to read!, October 4, 2005
In TIME TO HUNT, Stephen Hunter further embellishes the legend of master sniper Bob Lee Swagger. Known as "Bob the Nailer" in professional circles, Swagger is cunning, resourceful, and a remarkable marksman, skills he developed in his youth and honed during several memorable tours of duty in Vietnam. Because of these talents, Swagger is often drawn into scenarios that erupt into nightmarish violence, as depicted in POINT OF IMPACT and BLACK LIGHT, the first two books to feature this character.
Although the prologue and final third of the novel occur today, the backbone of the book is set in Washington, DC and Vietnam circa 1970. The story focuses on a marine named Donny Fenn, serving in Washington after completing a tour of duty in Vietnam. Fenn, forced to spy on a fellow marine with ties to the peace movement, fails to carry out the wishes of his superiors and is summarily cycled back to the 'Nam. There, he links up with Swagger, the deadliest sniper in the Corps. Their subsequent heroics (set forth in violent detail by Hunter in some of his most gripping writing to date), add to the myth surrounding Swagger. Bona fide heroes, they are days away from returning home when they are attacked by their nemesis, the Russian sniper Soloratov. Swagger is wounded, and Fenn is killed. Although Swagger has no way of knowing it at that time, this attack holds the key to the mystery of why Soloratov has returned to threaten Swagger's wife and daughter three decades later.
Hunter, like Swagger, is in a league by himself -- compulsively readable, he plunges readers into a world where conspiracies are the norm and sudden death is commonplace. From its explosive prologue to its gripping finale, TIME TO HUNT is certain to be one of the best pure suspense novels you'll ever have the pleasure of reading.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Highly charged plot, predictable, yet fascintaing reading., June 13, 1999
By A Customer
"Time To Hunt" is the third in Hunter's Bob Swagger trilogy. It explains the cause behind Donny Fenn's death and Bob's near fatal wounding during the final days of the Viet Nam war. It is a twisting and well told tale of conspiracy in high places. Hunter is a master at maintaining a high level of suspense, I was complelled to read on right to the end. Hunter writes about shooting with a level of technical detail usually found in a Tom Clancy novel, yet it does not detract from the pace of his story. Hunter leaves enough clues for the reader to unravel things before he gets to them, but with enough twists to create a doubt that makes you read on. If you like high adventure and masterful conspiracies, you will enjoy this book. I do recommend however that you first read "Point Of Impact" and "Black Light" (parts one and two of the Swagger trilogy). Although in truth, each part stands well on its own as a separate tale. And remember, it is just a story!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hunter Does It Again, December 21, 1999
First off I should let it be known that I am a fan of the Bob Lee Swagger novels and I also thought that Dirty White Boys was a good read. Stephen Hunter's first novels showed promise but they were awkward. They came across as trying to be works of literature. But with Point Of Impact Hunter found his stride. For those who are involved with the "gun culture" this series is superb. The technical details are dead on. But in Time To hunt Swagger comes full circle. The great American war hero finally finds peace with himself and has a re-match with his nemisis. This novel is more then just a suspense/thriller. In Time To Hunt Hunter finally achieves a level of literature and the best part of it is he isn't trying. Slow moving? No it trys to capture the pacing of real life. Rest assured though when the action happens it happens in buckets. Being from Idaho I especially enjoyed the sequence in the Sawtooths. If I have any complaint and it is minor is the fact that there are two hospitals in Boise. There is no Boise General Hospital.
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