NIGHT OF THUNDER: A Bob Lee Swagger Novel
Stephen Hunter
Simon & Schuster
Thriller
ISBN: 9781416565116
Stephen Hunter is single-handedly responsible for the facts that 1) I won’t sit in any room with my back to the door and 2) I will not eat at Denny’s (although Hunter’s characters, as demonstrated in NIGHT OF THUNDER, still do). The reason for this is set forth in a scene in his classic novel DIRTY WHITE BOYS. Hunter continues to write memorable books that transfix and haunt, as demonstrated by his latest work. You won’t hear or see the acronym NASCAR without thinking of it.
Bob Lee Swagger, the Marine sniper known as Bob the Nailer, returns in NIGHT OF THUNDER, his hair turned gray practically overnight as the result of the events that took place in THE 47th SAMURAI. The hair and a noticeable limp make Swagger appear to be old and infirm; as readers of Hunter’s previous Nailer books know, he is anything but. Swagger is more accurately described as hard-seasoned and able to bring out the best in those around him, to the regret and detriment of those who stand against him. Notwithstanding his combat abilities, he would like nothing more than to enjoy his hard-won peace with his wife and Miko, their adopted daughter, but that is not to be.
Swagger’s older daughter Nikki, an investigative reporter for a newspaper in Bristol, Tennessee, is the victim of an assassination attempt that leaves her comatose. The local police department seems to be convinced that the incident is connected to the huge NASCAR event about to take place nearby and that Nikki’s injuries are the result of some wild, drunken horseplay gone wrong. Swagger, however, has other ideas and with a bit of detective work establishes that there was a deliberate attempt to murder his daughter, perhaps due to her investigation of the crystal meth labs in the area.
Having established the “what,” Swagger begins turning over rocks and Tennessee mud to determine the “who.” His painstaking and deliberate investigation leads him to the Reverend Alton Grumley, the patriarch of a multi-state outlaw clan who has major plans, with an unlikely ally, to pull off a spectacular and lucrative event that will have repercussions far beyond the hills of the Tennessee-Virginia border. The chief instrument of Grumley’s plan is an enigmatic hit man known as the Sinnerman. It is the Sinnerman who is responsible for Nikki’s injuries, and woe be to him, the Grumleys, or anyone who attempts to get between Bob Lee Swagger and his loved ones.
Swagger is not a genius, but is possessed of a canny intelligence that enables him to distinguish what he knows from what he does not and to seek out the answers in the right places. His most deadly talent, however, is his steely prowess when it comes to weaponry. He appears to be nothing more or less than a stubborn old guy whose best days are behind him; perhaps they are, but Swagger on a fair day is better than most people on their best day. As NIGHT OF THUNDER heads toward two tumultuous climaxes --- one large, the other small but no less important --- Swagger demonstrates once again that no one attacks him or his family with impunity.
Hunter, recently retired as the film critic for a major newspaper, once again has masterfully crafted a tale filled with quiet honor, courage and toughness. While the book is full of memorable action sequences, it is his characterizations, true-to-life dialogue and knowledge (particularly of weapons ordnance) that separate NIGHT OF THUNDER from some of its literary cousins.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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