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Bob Lee Swagger #9
Sniper's Honor
In this tour de force—part historical thriller, part modern adventure—from the New York Times bestselling author of I, Sniper, Bob Lee Swagger uncovers why World War II’s greatest sniper was erased from history…and why her disappearance still matters today.
Ludmilla “Mili” Petrova was once the most hunted woman on earth, having raised the fury of two of the most powerful leaders on either side of World War Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler. But Kathy Reilly of The Washington Post doesn’t know any of that when she encounters a brief mention of Mili in an old Russian propaganda magazine, and becomes interested in the story of a legendary, beautiful female sniper who seems to have vanished from history.
Reilly enlists former marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger to parse out the scarce details of Mili’s military service. The more Swagger learns about Mili’s last mission, the more he’s convinced her disappearance was no accident—but why would the Russian government go to such lengths to erase the existence of one of their own decorated soldiers? And why, when Swagger joins Kathy Reilly on a research trip, is someone trying to kill them before they can find out?
As Bob Lee Swagger, “one of the finest series characters ever to grace the thriller genre, now and forever” (Providence Journal-Bulletin), races to put the pieces together, Sniper’s Honor takes readers across oceans and time in an action-packed, compulsive read.
Ludmilla “Mili” Petrova was once the most hunted woman on earth, having raised the fury of two of the most powerful leaders on either side of World War Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler. But Kathy Reilly of The Washington Post doesn’t know any of that when she encounters a brief mention of Mili in an old Russian propaganda magazine, and becomes interested in the story of a legendary, beautiful female sniper who seems to have vanished from history.
Reilly enlists former marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger to parse out the scarce details of Mili’s military service. The more Swagger learns about Mili’s last mission, the more he’s convinced her disappearance was no accident—but why would the Russian government go to such lengths to erase the existence of one of their own decorated soldiers? And why, when Swagger joins Kathy Reilly on a research trip, is someone trying to kill them before they can find out?
As Bob Lee Swagger, “one of the finest series characters ever to grace the thriller genre, now and forever” (Providence Journal-Bulletin), races to put the pieces together, Sniper’s Honor takes readers across oceans and time in an action-packed, compulsive read.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 20, 2014
615 people are currently reading
2399 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Hunter
110 books1,971 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Stephen Hunter is the author of fourteen novels, and a chief film critic at The Washington Post, where he won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
Stephen Hunter is the author of fourteen novels, and a chief film critic at The Washington Post, where he won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews
January 7, 2015
Sniper's Honor was 4 Sniper Rounds on target, losing only a star for a slightly implausible modern day bad guy. But the part of the book that takes place back in WWII is superb. Hunter knows how to write sniper tactics and CQB, just great fights.
In this latest Bob Lee Swagger tale, “Bob the Nailer” is pushing 68, retired and bored out of his mind on his western ranch. He needs something to get him interested and it just so happens an old journalist acquaintance needs help researching the story of a Russian female sniper from WWII, called the “Die weisse Hexe”! So Bob is off to Russia and the Ukraine to apply his considerable sniper knowledge to decipher what happened on Ludmilla “Mili” Petrova’s last mission. The book alternates between the present and the past. Hunter captures the essence of modern historical appreciation of the war on the Ostfront:
The female sniper is a great character, strong, sure, quiet, competent, deadly. The Germans run the gamut from evil SS to some cocky fallschirmjaegers. The mission given to Mili is almost impossible and she is hunted by all, betrayed and almost alone. Of course Swagger runs into some bad guys while researching the story because it may reveal a current day terrorist attack (that was the weakest part of the book). Note to bad guys: don't take on Swagger in a gunfight, it usually goes badly for you. At the end, even Swagger sheds a tear at Mili’s ending. Great story!
In this latest Bob Lee Swagger tale, “Bob the Nailer” is pushing 68, retired and bored out of his mind on his western ranch. He needs something to get him interested and it just so happens an old journalist acquaintance needs help researching the story of a Russian female sniper from WWII, called the “Die weisse Hexe”! So Bob is off to Russia and the Ukraine to apply his considerable sniper knowledge to decipher what happened on Ludmilla “Mili” Petrova’s last mission. The book alternates between the present and the past. Hunter captures the essence of modern historical appreciation of the war on the Ostfront:
The female sniper is a great character, strong, sure, quiet, competent, deadly. The Germans run the gamut from evil SS to some cocky fallschirmjaegers. The mission given to Mili is almost impossible and she is hunted by all, betrayed and almost alone. Of course Swagger runs into some bad guys while researching the story because it may reveal a current day terrorist attack (that was the weakest part of the book). Note to bad guys: don't take on Swagger in a gunfight, it usually goes badly for you. At the end, even Swagger sheds a tear at Mili’s ending. Great story!
August 9, 2014
This is Stephen Hunter at his best. He gave us here three stories in one, which intertwine and complete each other:
1. An historical novel about a master sniper named Ludmilla "Mili" Petrova nicknamed Die weisse Hexe (the white witch). If you Google "female snipers and WWII", you will find a Ludmilla and a Petrova, both beautiful female snipers, both very efficient with a rifle and deadly. This part of the story follows Mili’s last special mission in Ukraine while the Nazis were pulling out, the Soviets were pulling in and the Ukrainians were caught in the middle. Mili had to assassinate a monster named Groedl, who killed thousands of Ukrainians, particularly the Jews among them. Mili had even a flashback about a previous battle during which she killed many German soldiers to stop their slow death in horrible pain.
2. An investigation in present time full of gunfights, car chases and escapes. Swagger and Kathy Reilly, a newspaper correspondent for the Washington Post, based in Moscow, investigate about what happened to Mili. We discover that she managed to anger both Stalin and Hitler causing both sides to hunt her. We follow her last mission in Yaremche in 1944, before her disappearance. Why was she erased of all documents as Russian, than German? Did she succeed to achieve her mission? Was she killed or did she survive? If she survived, how? And where did she disappear? Swagger’s and Reilly’s investigation didn’t please everybody and they were stalked and even hunted by killers who didn’t want the truth to be unearthed. Our two MCs maneuver to evade Russian gangsters and merciless intelligence operatives to unveil a mystery that nobody wants to be solved.
3. A thriller about present time terrorism. This part is a cerebral cyber-intelligence narrative in which a skillful Mossad operative in the suburbs of Tel Aviv managed to piece together a terrorist plot against Israel, which represented the last impulse of the Third Reich. The terrorists were preparing an operation to destroy the Mossad and as many Jews as possible. The leader of this group of terrorists, named Vassily Strelnikov (about to be sworn minister of trade in Moscow), was the son of Basil Krulov, a traitor and a spy for the SS, who is an important character of the historical sub-plot of the novel.
The magic of Hunter consists in following these three sub-plots in parallel, each of them bringing something to understand the others and encasing perfectly in each other at the right time.
As usual, Hunter demonstrates his encyclopedic knowledge of weapons of all kinds, his understanding of WWII and his facility to create very believable characters. No one is perfectly evil, no one only good. As a matter of fact, one of his most likable characters of this novel in a German soldier named Karl Von Drehle.
As said before, this novel is full of action in present time as in the past. Some of the battles are so well described that it's as if we are seeing, feeling, smelling, living what’s happening with his characters. Some parts of the story are funny, particularly the end of chapter 26 and chapter 30. One of the mistreated soldiers complaining: “I thought we were heroes!” Yes! We too thought that. But apparently not Groedl nor the German authorities.
Hunter demonstrates very well that most soldiers do not care about ideology. Some of them even using propaganda leaflets (Signal) as toilet paper. They do their job and try to survive, period.
Thank to you, Mr. Hunter, now the West can acknowledge it.
The happy ending is a little airy fairy and far fetched though. But since most of his American readers are addicted to HEAs, the ending will surely please them. So I give it five stars.
1. An historical novel about a master sniper named Ludmilla "Mili" Petrova nicknamed Die weisse Hexe (the white witch). If you Google "female snipers and WWII", you will find a Ludmilla and a Petrova, both beautiful female snipers, both very efficient with a rifle and deadly. This part of the story follows Mili’s last special mission in Ukraine while the Nazis were pulling out, the Soviets were pulling in and the Ukrainians were caught in the middle. Mili had to assassinate a monster named Groedl, who killed thousands of Ukrainians, particularly the Jews among them. Mili had even a flashback about a previous battle during which she killed many German soldiers to stop their slow death in horrible pain.
2. An investigation in present time full of gunfights, car chases and escapes. Swagger and Kathy Reilly, a newspaper correspondent for the Washington Post, based in Moscow, investigate about what happened to Mili. We discover that she managed to anger both Stalin and Hitler causing both sides to hunt her. We follow her last mission in Yaremche in 1944, before her disappearance. Why was she erased of all documents as Russian, than German? Did she succeed to achieve her mission? Was she killed or did she survive? If she survived, how? And where did she disappear? Swagger’s and Reilly’s investigation didn’t please everybody and they were stalked and even hunted by killers who didn’t want the truth to be unearthed. Our two MCs maneuver to evade Russian gangsters and merciless intelligence operatives to unveil a mystery that nobody wants to be solved.
3. A thriller about present time terrorism. This part is a cerebral cyber-intelligence narrative in which a skillful Mossad operative in the suburbs of Tel Aviv managed to piece together a terrorist plot against Israel, which represented the last impulse of the Third Reich. The terrorists were preparing an operation to destroy the Mossad and as many Jews as possible. The leader of this group of terrorists, named Vassily Strelnikov (about to be sworn minister of trade in Moscow), was the son of Basil Krulov, a traitor and a spy for the SS, who is an important character of the historical sub-plot of the novel.
The magic of Hunter consists in following these three sub-plots in parallel, each of them bringing something to understand the others and encasing perfectly in each other at the right time.
As usual, Hunter demonstrates his encyclopedic knowledge of weapons of all kinds, his understanding of WWII and his facility to create very believable characters. No one is perfectly evil, no one only good. As a matter of fact, one of his most likable characters of this novel in a German soldier named Karl Von Drehle.
As said before, this novel is full of action in present time as in the past. Some of the battles are so well described that it's as if we are seeing, feeling, smelling, living what’s happening with his characters. Some parts of the story are funny, particularly the end of chapter 26 and chapter 30. One of the mistreated soldiers complaining: “I thought we were heroes!” Yes! We too thought that. But apparently not Groedl nor the German authorities.
Hunter demonstrates very well that most soldiers do not care about ideology. Some of them even using propaganda leaflets (Signal) as toilet paper. They do their job and try to survive, period.
“Forgotten fights that were as big, really, as Normandy… Those fights were too obscure to have names. There was a sadness to it. People should know about this stuff. People should care about the sacrifice, the pain, the death that convulsed the world; yet here was a whole huge piece of it so obscure that no one in the West had ever acknowledged it.”
Thank to you, Mr. Hunter, now the West can acknowledge it.
The happy ending is a little airy fairy and far fetched though. But since most of his American readers are addicted to HEAs, the ending will surely please them. So I give it five stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2015
Back in September I rated The Third Bullet by Stephen Hunter. I deemed that novel worthy of three stars(average), but included negative comments in my review, specifically regarding excessive detail, prolonged scenes, and a disjointed pace that switched form present to past. Thankfully, Sniper's Honor exhibited none of these perceived shortcomings.
In Sniper's Honor, Bob Lee Swagger finds himself embroiled in a deadly mystery conceived nearly seventy years in the past during the German retreat from Ukraine. Kathy Reilly, a journalist and friend, contacts Swagger from Russia. She is working a story about one of Russia's most prolific snipers during WWII, a woman known as the "White Witch." Mili Pretrova was a hero of the motherland, until she suddenly disappeared. The most unusual aspect of the enigma, Mili's files have been purged by both sides, Russia and Germany.
Sensing a cover up, both Swagger and Reilly scour Ukraine in search of answers. Unknown to them, powerful people need the mystery of the White Witch to remain buried. As expected in most Swagger novels, gunfights, pragmatic discourse, and detailed fighting nomenclature abound. Swagger quickly concludes that a brave and selfless sniper's honor may have been expunged to protect the powerful and elite of both sides.
As with The Third Bullet, chapters alternate between present and past. I voiced my displeasure with this style previously, however, in this instance Hunter does a much better job presenting and linking the different periods. While disconcerting initially, I found myself enjoying the back and forth as the book progressed.
Finally, Hunter includes a few plot twists as the story unfolds, bolstering interest in the characters' outcomes. Hunter and Reilly face death in the present, while Mili faces it in the past. Action abounds as the tale reaches a crescendo and conclusion you may not expect.
That's it for detail. No sense in ruining the story for those inclined to read it. On a more detailed scale, I provide Sniper's Honor with a 4.2.
In Sniper's Honor, Bob Lee Swagger finds himself embroiled in a deadly mystery conceived nearly seventy years in the past during the German retreat from Ukraine. Kathy Reilly, a journalist and friend, contacts Swagger from Russia. She is working a story about one of Russia's most prolific snipers during WWII, a woman known as the "White Witch." Mili Pretrova was a hero of the motherland, until she suddenly disappeared. The most unusual aspect of the enigma, Mili's files have been purged by both sides, Russia and Germany.
Sensing a cover up, both Swagger and Reilly scour Ukraine in search of answers. Unknown to them, powerful people need the mystery of the White Witch to remain buried. As expected in most Swagger novels, gunfights, pragmatic discourse, and detailed fighting nomenclature abound. Swagger quickly concludes that a brave and selfless sniper's honor may have been expunged to protect the powerful and elite of both sides.
As with The Third Bullet, chapters alternate between present and past. I voiced my displeasure with this style previously, however, in this instance Hunter does a much better job presenting and linking the different periods. While disconcerting initially, I found myself enjoying the back and forth as the book progressed.
Finally, Hunter includes a few plot twists as the story unfolds, bolstering interest in the characters' outcomes. Hunter and Reilly face death in the present, while Mili faces it in the past. Action abounds as the tale reaches a crescendo and conclusion you may not expect.
That's it for detail. No sense in ruining the story for those inclined to read it. On a more detailed scale, I provide Sniper's Honor with a 4.2.
June 5, 2014
Author Stephen Hunter obviously did his research for this, his third adventure with ex-sniper Bob Lee Swagger. He describes the historical aspects of the World War as well as the contemporary underside of a mafia-influenced Russian government excellently.
Hunter illustrates the main characters—Bob Lee Swagger and Kathy Reilly—well, although Swagger seems a bit old for some of the physical action. I also understood Ludmilla and her motivation to fight for her country, even though she mistrusted the Soviet government and viewed it with contempt.
Something the author understands is that a great sniper *becomes* the geography. Where others see streets, buildings, and debris (or trees, rocks, and brush) a sniper sees opportunity and camouflage. On the one hand, they instinctively and intellectually understand how to reach their target using those elements of the environment. On the other hand, they can calculate the ballistics of a shot in their heads—wind, moisture, motion, distance, and threats.
Some amazing coincidences were a little too much, but this isn’t a documentary, it’s a novel. The reader must wait patiently for some of the adventure to unfold, too, but I’m not describing it as “non-stop action.”
The book includes aspects of mystery, action/adventure, and politics, which all tied together in the plot. Pacing was great—it was definitely a page-turner in all the right ways. The story’s ending was also satisfactory and left plenty of room for more in the series. I am definitely going to snag the first two and catch up.
Highly recommended for those interested in military history and tactics, WWII, action thrillers.
[Simon and Schuster sent me this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.]
Hunter illustrates the main characters—Bob Lee Swagger and Kathy Reilly—well, although Swagger seems a bit old for some of the physical action. I also understood Ludmilla and her motivation to fight for her country, even though she mistrusted the Soviet government and viewed it with contempt.
Something the author understands is that a great sniper *becomes* the geography. Where others see streets, buildings, and debris (or trees, rocks, and brush) a sniper sees opportunity and camouflage. On the one hand, they instinctively and intellectually understand how to reach their target using those elements of the environment. On the other hand, they can calculate the ballistics of a shot in their heads—wind, moisture, motion, distance, and threats.
Some amazing coincidences were a little too much, but this isn’t a documentary, it’s a novel. The reader must wait patiently for some of the adventure to unfold, too, but I’m not describing it as “non-stop action.”
The book includes aspects of mystery, action/adventure, and politics, which all tied together in the plot. Pacing was great—it was definitely a page-turner in all the right ways. The story’s ending was also satisfactory and left plenty of room for more in the series. I am definitely going to snag the first two and catch up.
Highly recommended for those interested in military history and tactics, WWII, action thrillers.
[Simon and Schuster sent me this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.]
April 26, 2014
Stephen Hunter's "Sniper's Honor" which I won from Goodreads Giveaways is a fast-paced, action-packed history- based thriller set in the Ukraine during WWII during the Nazi regime's reign of terror. It begins when Kathy Reilly, a journalist for The Washington Post and Bob Lee Swagger, a retired expert sniper travel to the Carpathian Mountains to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of WWII's greatest sniper. Kathy and Bob try to piece together the history that made Ludmilla “Mili” Petrova, a pariah to two powerful leaders during the war and why her brave deeds have been scrubbed from Russian and German records. What they don't expect is to face danger from a third player in a contest of wills that could mean their death.
Set against the atrocities and horror of WWII, the description evokes starkly realistic images of the brutality and devastation of a landscape under siege. Even in the present Stephen Hunter captures the political undercurrents, and a national mood that reveres the valour of its past heroes. His passion for the weaponry and tools of warfare is evident. Integral to the plot he endows them with life and even personality. With skilful dexterity Stephen Hunter draws together threads of a story that not only includes a hunt for missing pieces of a puzzle and a terrorist plot in the present, but also follows Mili Petrova's last mission in Yaremche in 1944. Without losing continuity he weaves them together in a story that ends in an explosive and surprising climax.
Historically-based, "Sniper's Honour" is set in a war ravaged country where both sides demonstrate their inhumanity and cruelty, where there are no good or bad guys and where the innocent suffer the fallout of maniacal dogma and hatred. It is a story of courage, determination, mercy and deliverance amid political mayhem, brutality and tragedy.
The characters are well-developed and complex, adding power and emotional intensity to a story that's a page turner from beginning to the end. Bob Lee (Nailer) Swagger is a haunting personality. A man in his sixties with an adventurous spirit who's plagued by ghosts and memories of the past,he's intuitive, clever and brave. Kathy Reilly his friend and journalist is a subtle provocateur who's tart , inquisitive and armed with a wry sense of humour. Mili ("the White Witch") Petrova is as beautiful as she is skilled with a gun. Haunted by the tragic demise of her family, she seems automatic in her responses , immune to death, but stirs compassion and loyalty in her comrades. She is determined, courageous, and bold. Karl Von Diehl, the leader of the Green Devils seems nonchalant, but is a skilled fighter and clever strategist who cares deeply about the survival of his team.
But in the mix of characters in this novel it is the antagonists that bring a chilling reality to the story. Captain Yusif Salid, leader of the "Scimitars" is disciplined, skilled and patient; a man of refined tastes who's fanatical in his beliefs and his hatred for the Jews. Dr. Hans Groedl, the German Director of Kiev District is obsessive about numbers, an idealist and an organizer without a soul. Even Stalin's trouble-shooter, the Russian Basil Kurlov with his sharp eyes and brutal charm is a heartless genius who uses his resources to further his own evil agenda.
"Sniper's Honor" is a masterfully laidout thriller and I highly recommend this latest achievement for Stephen Hunter.
Set against the atrocities and horror of WWII, the description evokes starkly realistic images of the brutality and devastation of a landscape under siege. Even in the present Stephen Hunter captures the political undercurrents, and a national mood that reveres the valour of its past heroes. His passion for the weaponry and tools of warfare is evident. Integral to the plot he endows them with life and even personality. With skilful dexterity Stephen Hunter draws together threads of a story that not only includes a hunt for missing pieces of a puzzle and a terrorist plot in the present, but also follows Mili Petrova's last mission in Yaremche in 1944. Without losing continuity he weaves them together in a story that ends in an explosive and surprising climax.
Historically-based, "Sniper's Honour" is set in a war ravaged country where both sides demonstrate their inhumanity and cruelty, where there are no good or bad guys and where the innocent suffer the fallout of maniacal dogma and hatred. It is a story of courage, determination, mercy and deliverance amid political mayhem, brutality and tragedy.
The characters are well-developed and complex, adding power and emotional intensity to a story that's a page turner from beginning to the end. Bob Lee (Nailer) Swagger is a haunting personality. A man in his sixties with an adventurous spirit who's plagued by ghosts and memories of the past,he's intuitive, clever and brave. Kathy Reilly his friend and journalist is a subtle provocateur who's tart , inquisitive and armed with a wry sense of humour. Mili ("the White Witch") Petrova is as beautiful as she is skilled with a gun. Haunted by the tragic demise of her family, she seems automatic in her responses , immune to death, but stirs compassion and loyalty in her comrades. She is determined, courageous, and bold. Karl Von Diehl, the leader of the Green Devils seems nonchalant, but is a skilled fighter and clever strategist who cares deeply about the survival of his team.
But in the mix of characters in this novel it is the antagonists that bring a chilling reality to the story. Captain Yusif Salid, leader of the "Scimitars" is disciplined, skilled and patient; a man of refined tastes who's fanatical in his beliefs and his hatred for the Jews. Dr. Hans Groedl, the German Director of Kiev District is obsessive about numbers, an idealist and an organizer without a soul. Even Stalin's trouble-shooter, the Russian Basil Kurlov with his sharp eyes and brutal charm is a heartless genius who uses his resources to further his own evil agenda.
"Sniper's Honor" is a masterfully laidout thriller and I highly recommend this latest achievement for Stephen Hunter.
June 8, 2014
Hunter extends the Bobie Swagger series with a finely crafted tale that links a WWII Russian sniper's story with a present day quest for the true story of the sniper's fate. The scale of the Eastern Front battles of WWII, seventy years of political intrigue, and the Snipers' Code, embodied in Swagger's quest, will hold your attention to the conclusion. I always finish the series wanting more B.L. Swagger.
June 13, 2014
This has the feel of non-fiction and maybe should have been written as such. Bob Lee Swagger takes off for Moscow–without much to justify it–and helps a Washington Post writer get the real story behind the disappearance of a WWII female Russian sniper, which in turn tells the story of the Eastern Front in an interesting and engaging manner. The author delivers his expertise in small arms and the story is pretty good. If you like Bob Lee, as I do, you’ll like this book. Otherwise, it might seem a little bit contrived from characters who seem to show up for purpose of carrying the story along. Still, if you have a Swagger soft spot, don’t miss this one.
April 9, 2014
If you are a lover of military action and drama than this is the book for you. The story is compelling and the characters are solid and believable. This book is intricately detailed and technical so if you are former military you will really appreciate this attention to detail. That being said I, being non military, found the intense description a little tedious to read through at times. But it was good enough to keep me reading to the end. 4 star review
***I was provided my copy of Sniper's Honor for free from Goodreads First Reads***
***I was provided my copy of Sniper's Honor for free from Goodreads First Reads***
January 6, 2017
I enjoyed this book significantly more than the previous Swagger books I'd read, largely because of the historical information and the setting of the flashbacks in WW2. What I know about the time period and Russian culture, history, etc, was matched by the details in the book, and the story of Mili the sniper was well done. The parts with Swagger in them were less interesting, but overall the book was a quality read except for the very last chapters which I won't spoil, but felt unlikely and as if Hunter just wanted things to work out a certain way at the last minute.
December 27, 2015
It's a bit hard to believe in 68-year-old Bob Swagger as action hero, but at least he's not quite as superhuman here as he has been in some of the other books. He does shrug off getting shot, but it was barely a graze, after all, and other than that, he doesn't do anything that's really unbelievable (like learning how to use a samurai sword--and actually defeat an expert--in a few days, as he did in one book). The plot is nicely constructed around parallel actions in the past and present--a device Hunter has used before to good effect. He's even done it with WWI and the present, as here (in said samurai adventure, in fact). In the past, we track the efforts of female sniper Mili Petrova (did Russia really have female snipers? I don't know, but why not?) to nail a high-ranking Nazi, while dealing with betrayal from within. In the present, we track Swagger trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Mili and of course running afoul of all sorts of bad folk who want to keep that seventy-year-old secred buried. Swagger even covers a lot of the same terrain as Mili, and Hunter does an expert job of weaving the shared space/different time elements together. There are some creaky plot points (such as the seventy-year-old cache of weapons and ammo Swagger conveniently finds, and Mili's fate strains credulity somewhat), but this nevertheless offers, generally, a good thriller plot, replete with lots of weapons details for the fetishists in the crowd. (Does Hunter get it all right? I dunno, but it sure sounds good.) We even get some more or less nice Nazis (well, German soldiers, anwyay). Unsurprisingly, right prevails, all the bad guys pay (one quite horribly--a flame-thrower is involved), and order is restored to the universe, until the next time Swagger is called out of retirement. Since he seemed to be getting retired something like three or four books ago now, I guess that we can expect Bob to be dusting himself off again before too much longer....
May 22, 2014
Sixty eight year old Bob Lee Swagger journeys to the Ukraine to research why Ludmilla "Milli" Petrova, a female Russian sniper, was deleted from both Russian and German records during WW2 action on the Eastern Front. Bob Lee and his journalist friend Reilly, meet resistance to their efforts at finding the truth about her last mission; to kill one Dr Groedle, a high ranking Nazi was criminal. Stephen Hunter's prodigious research on troop movements, unit designations and ordinance used by both sides on the WW2's Eastern Front is impressive and informative. The action alternates between 1944 and the present in the Ukraine sector of the Eastern Front.
Stephen Hunter's Bob Lee Swagger is a uniquely drawn, recurring character in this long running series. He's come a long way since the exceptional early thriller's; "Point of Impact", "Black Light" and "Dirty White Boys" which, at his age, is understandable but also somewhat disappointing. Bob Lee Swagger's character is loosely based on the the legendary Marine sniper from the Viet Nam war, Carlos Hathcock. As an ex-Marine, Viet Nam veteran myself, I could somewhat relate to the veracity of Bob Lee's early adventures and keep me turning the pages. This book - not as much. ......Ed
Stephen Hunter's Bob Lee Swagger is a uniquely drawn, recurring character in this long running series. He's come a long way since the exceptional early thriller's; "Point of Impact", "Black Light" and "Dirty White Boys" which, at his age, is understandable but also somewhat disappointing. Bob Lee Swagger's character is loosely based on the the legendary Marine sniper from the Viet Nam war, Carlos Hathcock. As an ex-Marine, Viet Nam veteran myself, I could somewhat relate to the veracity of Bob Lee's early adventures and keep me turning the pages. This book - not as much. ......Ed
November 8, 2014
This was the ninth book written by Stephen Hunter with Bob Lee Swagger as the central character. This book was different than the other Swagger books. Swagger was a retired cowboy living on his homestead ranch near the Cascades. He became enamored in the story of a crack sniper in WW II who fought for the Russians and is rumored to have killed a Nazi war criminal. She was a lady who had developed a reputation for being a superb crack sniper. The Germans made it a number one mission to kill this sniper they called the White Witch. The shot required to kill this Nazi was considered impossible at the time however through strange circumstances Mili, the White Witch was able to obtain a newly developed English sniper rifle that was up to the task. After the demise of the SS war criminal the Germans were hot on her trail and presumably killed her. Swagger was determined to find out the story of her final days and he and his friend Reilly went to the scene in the Ukraine to learn the facts. Strange events occurred and the story went from 1944 to present day throughout the book to unravel the tale. This is an entertaining book and well worth the effort to purchase and read.
March 16, 2015
I am a huge fan of Stephen Hunter, and Sniper's Honor doesn't disappoint. His prose is always fantastic, his characters completely alive, and most importantly, his tricky, intertwined plot lines are unmatched.
Minor negatives: as with Soft Target, there are some leaps of faith necessary to accept the plot. Bob Swagger takes up the cause of a long dead WWII sniper by flying to Moscow and the Ukraine, risking his life, enlisting others in his cause, etc. It's the thinnest of motivations: he's interested, why not devote his life? Once we're past that it rolls nicely, matching action from WWII with Bob's contemporary investigation. Those two stories merge nicely, but Hunter also throws in a third story line: the big contemporary bad guy, linked to the WWII bad guy. Unfortunately, this part of the story doesn't come out until the last chapter: it feels like it was pasted on after the fact.
Plenty of other action and mystery to pull you along anyway.
Minor negatives: as with Soft Target, there are some leaps of faith necessary to accept the plot. Bob Swagger takes up the cause of a long dead WWII sniper by flying to Moscow and the Ukraine, risking his life, enlisting others in his cause, etc. It's the thinnest of motivations: he's interested, why not devote his life? Once we're past that it rolls nicely, matching action from WWII with Bob's contemporary investigation. Those two stories merge nicely, but Hunter also throws in a third story line: the big contemporary bad guy, linked to the WWII bad guy. Unfortunately, this part of the story doesn't come out until the last chapter: it feels like it was pasted on after the fact.
Plenty of other action and mystery to pull you along anyway.
April 17, 2017
If you like historical novels, thrillers, particularly involving snipers, you'll surely love this book. And for once, the main sniper of this story is a female.
I think that nobody realized that's a love story: one male snipper in present time, Swagger, trying to find out what happened to Mili, a beautiful female snipper of the past. We wish they will meet even though Mili would be very old. Hunter was certainly fascinated by that part of the WWII history and by those female snipers.
If I give it only 4 stars is only because I read all Hunter's story and there are other that I preferred. But it's an excellent story and I loved it.
I think that nobody realized that's a love story: one male snipper in present time, Swagger, trying to find out what happened to Mili, a beautiful female snipper of the past. We wish they will meet even though Mili would be very old. Hunter was certainly fascinated by that part of the WWII history and by those female snipers.
If I give it only 4 stars is only because I read all Hunter's story and there are other that I preferred. But it's an excellent story and I loved it.
July 20, 2014
Stephen Hunter is an excellent author. Unfortunately, narrator Buck Schirner performs in a flat, dull monotone without inflexion that literally put me to sleep. Consequently, I had to snipe this story long before its conclusion. 1 of 10 stars
January 11, 2018
SUBJECTIVE READER REVIEW WITH PLOT SPOILERS FOLLOWS:
Sweet Jesus, if every novel's DNA centered around the improbable rescue and escape of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed smoking hot Russian female hero sniper, there'd be no need for the lower sixty percent of Goodread's rating scale! I mean, come on, everyone who has even tangential involvement with Ludmilla 'Mili' Petrova falls in love with her, including Bob Lee Swagger 70 years after the Wehrmacht's defeat and retreat from the 'eastern front.' To give 'Sniper's Honor' some modern relevance, Hunter deploys Bob Lee Swagger to southeastern Ukraine to meet up with Washington Post's Moscow correspondent Kathy Reilly. The two of them investigate the total disappearance of Russian Sergeant Ludmilla Petrova once given the spy assignment of infiltrating fictional Stanislov in the retreat alley of southeast Ukraine to terminate with prejudice Wehrmacht Logistics Director Dr. Hans Groedl. No one ever heard of her or him afterwards, so the mystery must be solved, da?
This book's got enough mystery and spiny tentacles to belay the less stubborn, but it turns out the Germans and certain communists shared an interest in Jewish extermination. So NKVD Senior Director and Politburo member Basil Krulov is really secrets buddies with Dr. Groedl, and in fact becomes the highest ranking Soviet spy working for the OSS/CIA following the war. The problem is that old Joe Stalin's getting tired of Groedl's uncanny ability to juggle assets and orders the NKVD to assassinate him. Basil Krulov draws the short straw, so he's gotta bring in the Russian White Witch to Moscow, inordinately commend her efforts in killing a hundred German's in Stalingrad and advise her of what sounds like the suicide mission to Stanislov to take out Groedl. Of course Basil sends urgent notice to the partisan guerillas fighting the Germans in the Carpathians that Sergeant Petrova must be killed as a very top priority. Now why the hell the truth behind this little sordid double cross wouldn't have come out with the fall of the USSR confounds Bob Lee and Kathy until they discover that the CIA's been hiding the truth all these years about Krulov.
Of course not all of the partisan's obeyed the kill order--especially once they met Mili--so she got some timely help, escaping the Red Army's pursuit making it to Bern, Switzerland. Wehrmacht MAJ Karl Von Drehle saw the obvious prize, so he managed to smuggle he and Mili to Australia, marry her, have five kids and live out their lives, dying of old age in their eighties. In the meantime to maintain the vital link to relevance, Basil Krulov lives another ten years before one of the Stanislov veterans takes him out, but it's too late; Basil's got evil spawn Vassily Strelnikov carrying out the eternal quest.
Of all the incredible plots, Vassily's wealth enables him to establish a manufacturing plant in Astrakhan, a Russian port on the Caspian Sea. Here in a controlled process involving the combination of methane, ammonia & oxygen over platinum at 1400 degrees Centigrade he was able to produce large quantities of Zyklon B, the nerve gas the Nazis had used in the showers of the concentration camps. The plan is to export a ship-full to Iran for use against Israel. This can only be enabled if Vassily is appointed Trade Minister of Russia, but is taken out in a timely car-bombing twenty minutes before appointment.
Don't miss this one folks, you'll love it, and you'll love Mili too, I guarantee it!
Sweet Jesus, if every novel's DNA centered around the improbable rescue and escape of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed smoking hot Russian female hero sniper, there'd be no need for the lower sixty percent of Goodread's rating scale! I mean, come on, everyone who has even tangential involvement with Ludmilla 'Mili' Petrova falls in love with her, including Bob Lee Swagger 70 years after the Wehrmacht's defeat and retreat from the 'eastern front.' To give 'Sniper's Honor' some modern relevance, Hunter deploys Bob Lee Swagger to southeastern Ukraine to meet up with Washington Post's Moscow correspondent Kathy Reilly. The two of them investigate the total disappearance of Russian Sergeant Ludmilla Petrova once given the spy assignment of infiltrating fictional Stanislov in the retreat alley of southeast Ukraine to terminate with prejudice Wehrmacht Logistics Director Dr. Hans Groedl. No one ever heard of her or him afterwards, so the mystery must be solved, da?
This book's got enough mystery and spiny tentacles to belay the less stubborn, but it turns out the Germans and certain communists shared an interest in Jewish extermination. So NKVD Senior Director and Politburo member Basil Krulov is really secrets buddies with Dr. Groedl, and in fact becomes the highest ranking Soviet spy working for the OSS/CIA following the war. The problem is that old Joe Stalin's getting tired of Groedl's uncanny ability to juggle assets and orders the NKVD to assassinate him. Basil Krulov draws the short straw, so he's gotta bring in the Russian White Witch to Moscow, inordinately commend her efforts in killing a hundred German's in Stalingrad and advise her of what sounds like the suicide mission to Stanislov to take out Groedl. Of course Basil sends urgent notice to the partisan guerillas fighting the Germans in the Carpathians that Sergeant Petrova must be killed as a very top priority. Now why the hell the truth behind this little sordid double cross wouldn't have come out with the fall of the USSR confounds Bob Lee and Kathy until they discover that the CIA's been hiding the truth all these years about Krulov.
Of course not all of the partisan's obeyed the kill order--especially once they met Mili--so she got some timely help, escaping the Red Army's pursuit making it to Bern, Switzerland. Wehrmacht MAJ Karl Von Drehle saw the obvious prize, so he managed to smuggle he and Mili to Australia, marry her, have five kids and live out their lives, dying of old age in their eighties. In the meantime to maintain the vital link to relevance, Basil Krulov lives another ten years before one of the Stanislov veterans takes him out, but it's too late; Basil's got evil spawn Vassily Strelnikov carrying out the eternal quest.
Of all the incredible plots, Vassily's wealth enables him to establish a manufacturing plant in Astrakhan, a Russian port on the Caspian Sea. Here in a controlled process involving the combination of methane, ammonia & oxygen over platinum at 1400 degrees Centigrade he was able to produce large quantities of Zyklon B, the nerve gas the Nazis had used in the showers of the concentration camps. The plan is to export a ship-full to Iran for use against Israel. This can only be enabled if Vassily is appointed Trade Minister of Russia, but is taken out in a timely car-bombing twenty minutes before appointment.
Don't miss this one folks, you'll love it, and you'll love Mili too, I guarantee it!
August 15, 2018
Hunter’s post Night of Thunder streak continues with the awfully-titled Sniper’s Honor.. Honestly, I know this is petty and doesn’t affect the quality of the book but that is seriously unimaginative titling. Thankfully it goes well with the completely bland cover! Writing this good seriously deserves better than this cheesy bargain-bin shit Hunter seems to be cool with. Anyways, although Hunter has touched on WW2 in a couple previous books I’m kind of surprised it took him this long to write one that mostly deals with the subject (although I’ve only read the Swaggerverse stuff).
That’s right, this story mostly has little to do with Swagger or any of his ancestors! Instead we join Russian sniper Mili Petrova, named Die Weisse Hexe (The White Witch) by her enemies due to her blonde hair, striking good looks, and absolute lethality with a sniper rifle. After being sent on what seems like a suicide mission to assassinate a high-ranking SS officer Mili disappears from history and Swagger, sensing a kindred spirit, sets out to find out what happened to her. Turns out Mili was trapped between her country’s NKVD and the Nazis, which at the time would pretty much reduce your life expectancy to a couple hours. As the plot thickens and ties into a current-day conspiracy the screws tighten in past and present, although it’s less tense in the present as we know Hunter isn’t gonna kill off Bob the Nailer (at least, not yet).
Hunter’s prose is in great shape here, full of detail and information but delivered smoothly and with some humor despite the grim setting. I fucking CHALLENGE any reader to not root for Mili, especially considering her target is a particularly sociopathic and gross SS obersturmfuhrer or whatever the fuck named Groedl. I did like the fact that Hunter included a few German soldier characters that made it plain that not every single German was a murderous psychotic or even a believer in the Nazi party. Rather these men were just dudes stuck on the losing side of a horrible war that only wanted to survive and do right by their comrades. As usual, the action is visceral and beautifully painted. I’m not a big gun nerd but Hunter always entertains and informs me when it comes to them. Good stuff here, folks!
That’s right, this story mostly has little to do with Swagger or any of his ancestors! Instead we join Russian sniper Mili Petrova, named Die Weisse Hexe (The White Witch) by her enemies due to her blonde hair, striking good looks, and absolute lethality with a sniper rifle. After being sent on what seems like a suicide mission to assassinate a high-ranking SS officer Mili disappears from history and Swagger, sensing a kindred spirit, sets out to find out what happened to her. Turns out Mili was trapped between her country’s NKVD and the Nazis, which at the time would pretty much reduce your life expectancy to a couple hours. As the plot thickens and ties into a current-day conspiracy the screws tighten in past and present, although it’s less tense in the present as we know Hunter isn’t gonna kill off Bob the Nailer (at least, not yet).
Hunter’s prose is in great shape here, full of detail and information but delivered smoothly and with some humor despite the grim setting. I fucking CHALLENGE any reader to not root for Mili, especially considering her target is a particularly sociopathic and gross SS obersturmfuhrer or whatever the fuck named Groedl. I did like the fact that Hunter included a few German soldier characters that made it plain that not every single German was a murderous psychotic or even a believer in the Nazi party. Rather these men were just dudes stuck on the losing side of a horrible war that only wanted to survive and do right by their comrades. As usual, the action is visceral and beautifully painted. I’m not a big gun nerd but Hunter always entertains and informs me when it comes to them. Good stuff here, folks!
November 17, 2023
Well this was a swing and a foul tip for me. Not exactly a miss but certainly not Hunter or Bob the "Nailer's" best effort. In this installment of the series Bob Lee Swagger is experiencing boredom and ennui on his ranch and gets a call to help a series journalist (I forget her name. File under who cares) research a Russian female sniper from WWII who somehow disappears from history. During the course of the investigation a bunch of convoluted horrible plot shit happens that involves a CIA hit team trying to whack the intrepid duo. Did I mention they are in their late 60's? But somehow they manage to climb high in the mountains above the tree line into a cave and find weapons left in the cave 70 years before. Did I mention the weapons in a Ukrainian cave 70 years later were not rusty and work perfectly so the old people can kill the thug CIA team? Also, on page 349 Hunter, who is a gun enthusiast incorrectly calls an AKSU Krinkov a "short" AK-74 with a 40 round plum magazine. Incorrect Hans! (Sorry couldn't resist a Die Hard reference, tis the season) The 5.45 plum extended Molot magazines are 45 rounds. A minor quibble but combined with the rest of the silly shit, just annoying. I did enjoy his descriptions of the Battle of Kursk, which was the largest tank battle ever fought in WWII, or ever in fact. He also Nails (get it, pun intended) the fact the German equipment was far superior but the Russians just kept throwing insane numbers at the Germans until they won. So of you are looking for a good Bob the Nailer book pick one of the other dozen plus floating around out there and give this one a pass.
November 2, 2020
I have read several of Stephen Hunter's book that are about Bob Lee Swagger and his sniper career. This one I will say it a little different in that there are three story lines in it. Now some people would say that is too confusing for me to keep up with, but I will say that Stephen Hunter is flawless in this book. The main story is about why is the most famous Russian sniper an unknown figure in the history of sniping. What happened to her and why was she erased from the records. Well you find out as Bob Lee Swagger and Kathy Reilly dig for the fact on Mili Petrova, a sniper on par with Bob Lee, what happened by reading about her last mission and it is a page turning story. The third line of this story has to do with a blip that is picked up by the Israeli intelligence having to do with platinum. Now this is where the waters get a little murky, but don't worry because if there is one thing to say about Bob Lee is real good at unmurking the waters.
Now this book is a great war story of the Eastern Front in World War II and if you are like me you will come to see Mili Petrova as a female Bob the Nailer. In the present it shows just how far people will go to keep the upperhand in the world power struggle. The interlude in Israel show that evil never dies it just gets sneakier in how it operates. This has to be another book that I will be glad that I read it, because it is a fine story. Oh, yes the good guys win and that maybe a worn out trope for some people, but for me I like it when the good guys win as it happens so seldom in real life.
Now this book is a great war story of the Eastern Front in World War II and if you are like me you will come to see Mili Petrova as a female Bob the Nailer. In the present it shows just how far people will go to keep the upperhand in the world power struggle. The interlude in Israel show that evil never dies it just gets sneakier in how it operates. This has to be another book that I will be glad that I read it, because it is a fine story. Oh, yes the good guys win and that maybe a worn out trope for some people, but for me I like it when the good guys win as it happens so seldom in real life.
June 16, 2022
I apparently felt differently than most readers about this book.
As I mentioned in an earlier update, I had to go from CD to book because the story was dragging horribly, and that gave me the opportunity to scan the uninteresting parts. By that, I meant that I would scan or skip a paragraph on occasion. I started the hardback at the 35% percent point of the book. At the 60% mark, I started skipping chapters.
The story is -- Vietnam sniper Bob Lee Swagger, 68, was bored out of his mind (I can relate). A writer contacted him about a story of a female Russian sniper in WWII, and he went to Ukraine to help her suss out the story.
I read Swagger stories to read about Swagger. Every other chapter was about him. Most of the others were deep dives into WWII from both the Russian and German sides, with an Arab throw into the Third Reich for additional taste. IN ADDITION, there were about a half-dozen "Interludes" about present-time Israel and shipping Platinum from South Africa to Russia -- a country that mines the most Platinum of any other. I'm sure there was SOMETHING relative to the story regarding that, but I stopped reading the Interludes and do not believe I missed anything.
If this was a novel about WWII from both sides regarding a female sniper, it probably would have been a decent book.
But in the Swagger chapters, Swagger figures out in 2-3 pages what it took the author 10-20 to describe in the WWII chapters.
I just think it was a horrible presentation. I would give it one star, but the ending was solid, so I gave it a 1.75 rating.
As I mentioned in an earlier update, I had to go from CD to book because the story was dragging horribly, and that gave me the opportunity to scan the uninteresting parts. By that, I meant that I would scan or skip a paragraph on occasion. I started the hardback at the 35% percent point of the book. At the 60% mark, I started skipping chapters.
The story is -- Vietnam sniper Bob Lee Swagger, 68, was bored out of his mind (I can relate). A writer contacted him about a story of a female Russian sniper in WWII, and he went to Ukraine to help her suss out the story.
I read Swagger stories to read about Swagger. Every other chapter was about him. Most of the others were deep dives into WWII from both the Russian and German sides, with an Arab throw into the Third Reich for additional taste. IN ADDITION, there were about a half-dozen "Interludes" about present-time Israel and shipping Platinum from South Africa to Russia -- a country that mines the most Platinum of any other. I'm sure there was SOMETHING relative to the story regarding that, but I stopped reading the Interludes and do not believe I missed anything.
If this was a novel about WWII from both sides regarding a female sniper, it probably would have been a decent book.
But in the Swagger chapters, Swagger figures out in 2-3 pages what it took the author 10-20 to describe in the WWII chapters.
I just think it was a horrible presentation. I would give it one star, but the ending was solid, so I gave it a 1.75 rating.
May 29, 2021
While I think the first 3 books on Bob are the best, this is a welcome return to form. Its slightly let down by a couple of minor "too convenient" moments (I'm thinking of you blood on the rock and shooting spot) but is a believable escapade for our aged warrior.
Nearing the end of my reread of his work I'm finding the majority still hold up well despite the years since my last visit. The same unfortunately doesn't apply to all authors.
Hunter is still my favorite thriller writer, his ability to write the minutiae of guns, ammo, and shooting, while making it actually interesting and engaging to a non gun person is a large part of that, as well as the variety of story he has wrapped around an ornery old bastard like Swagger. On top of that we have a protagonist who is so much more than his clichéd lone gunman. He's a loving husband/father, a self acknowledged drunk, and searcher for truth(even when his own truth isn't something he wants to hear).
My thanks to Garth Ennis for his comments in a Preacher letter column some 20 years ago for championing Dirty White Boys as having THE best opening paragraph in a thriller novel ever. You introduced me to Mr Hunter, Bob, and Earl and my reading life is richer for it.
Nearing the end of my reread of his work I'm finding the majority still hold up well despite the years since my last visit. The same unfortunately doesn't apply to all authors.
Hunter is still my favorite thriller writer, his ability to write the minutiae of guns, ammo, and shooting, while making it actually interesting and engaging to a non gun person is a large part of that, as well as the variety of story he has wrapped around an ornery old bastard like Swagger. On top of that we have a protagonist who is so much more than his clichéd lone gunman. He's a loving husband/father, a self acknowledged drunk, and searcher for truth(even when his own truth isn't something he wants to hear).
My thanks to Garth Ennis for his comments in a Preacher letter column some 20 years ago for championing Dirty White Boys as having THE best opening paragraph in a thriller novel ever. You introduced me to Mr Hunter, Bob, and Earl and my reading life is richer for it.
March 6, 2018
Really cool sniper book. I have been reading Kindle Unlimited books, most of which have amazing, crazy plots with horribly sub-par execution. I am reminded yet again why Kindle Unlimited has such a huge library for so little per month... BUT I am glad to step away from it to remind me how it's really done! Like many of SH's novels, this one bounces back and forth in timelines and characters, 3rd-person limited. The historical timeline comes to us from the Ukraine towards the end of WWII, as told by a series of Russian and German protagonists. The Bob Lee Swagger piece is "present day" (2014 pub date) and has him and his lawyer buddy in Moscow and the Ukraine investigating why a gorgeous and talented and deadly female sniper (Mili Petrova) was erased from history books completely. Conspiracy theorists get ready, because holy crap it gets intense! Reminds me what a really well-written page-turner feels like.
April 17, 2020
Another great Bob Lee Swagger story. This one was quite different from the others in the series to this point. With Bob now a spry old 68, it is easy to see that he may be slowing down a bit, but his analytical mind is as sharp as ever and he still has a knack for anticipating trouble in his surroundings.
This story has an interesting sub plot that is hard to figure out initially, but as the tale unravels, you begin to start seeing how this is somewhat connected, but the big reveal isn't done until near the end when several threads of the story all get tied up quite nicely.
It is interesting to see Bob working on a tactical problem of historical nature in this book (similar to what he does in "The Third Bullet" another excellent story much like this one in Bob unravelling history to get to the 'truth').
All in all, I get a thrill ride in every Bob Lee Swagger story I read. I have read them all up to this one and will work on the next one in the series soon.
Thanks Stephen Hunter, I appreciate these books, they have kept me company for many many hours.
This story has an interesting sub plot that is hard to figure out initially, but as the tale unravels, you begin to start seeing how this is somewhat connected, but the big reveal isn't done until near the end when several threads of the story all get tied up quite nicely.
It is interesting to see Bob working on a tactical problem of historical nature in this book (similar to what he does in "The Third Bullet" another excellent story much like this one in Bob unravelling history to get to the 'truth').
All in all, I get a thrill ride in every Bob Lee Swagger story I read. I have read them all up to this one and will work on the next one in the series soon.
Thanks Stephen Hunter, I appreciate these books, they have kept me company for many many hours.
June 28, 2019
This was my favorite, so far, of the BLS books. I have read them consecutively, and this is a great tale. As usual, Hunter masterfully weaves the future with the past. In this one, Mili, a famed Russian sniper, is sent to kill a high-ranking Nazi creep in charge of Germany's fast eroding Ukraine territory. In its own, hers is a great story-tracking down the egomaniacal SS general. There's a lot more, though. BL, along with intrepid Moscow-based, Washington Post reporter, Kathy, want to know the real story of the sniper-a story that has been mysteriously erased from history, and of course, the culprit for the chicaneryis the CIA. As is the practice in government, the CIA is protecting the bad guys believing they are the good guys. The story could have ended twice, pages before not one, but two additional endings. It's a great read!
June 22, 2021
Stephen Hunter’s books are almost always entertaining, and his character, Bob Lee Swagger, is a sniper / soldier of great renown even though he is starting to show his age in this novel. He and an investigative journalist travel to the Carpathian Mountains to investigate what happened to one of the Soviet Union’s best snipers from World War II; a beautiful woman whose own government wants her dead after she completes her final mission. She is to executed regardless of her success as she knows too much. Ironically, the 70 year old mystery has present day complications and Swagger finds himself dodging his own would be executioners. The best parts of the novel were when Hunter described the violence and tragedy of the action from 1944 and the events leading to the sniper’s ultimate end. Enjoyable read!
March 8, 2023
This was another excellent and most enjoyable Bob Lee Swagger story. In this book, Bob is drawn with a journalist friend into researching the mysterious erasure from history of a female Soviet WW2 sniper. Bob travels to the border of Poland and Ukraine to investigate. The story is multi-layered as we follow two threads in the current day (one involving Bob) and one thread from 1944 (involving the sniper Ludmilla and German soldiers). As Bob follows the clues and discerns what happened back in 1944, we read the flashback of the events. In the end, we learn Ludmilla’s fate, why she was disappeared from the history books, and why it was still important to keep her disappeared even to the current day. Bob gets into a tight spot and needs to use his martial skills to escape, so there is plenty of action. A very enjoyable and riveting book.
May 24, 2014
SNIPER’S HONOR – “the war was hungry”
A quick note: I’m writing this review from the perspective of a Stephen Hunter fan and someone who has read all the books in the Bob Lee Swagger series.
For readers already familiar with Bob Lee Swagger’s violent gun world I’d rate this book on par with I, SNIPER or THE THIRD BULLET, far better than NIGHT OF THUNDER or THE 47th SAMURAI, but not as good as the old classics POINT OF IMPACT or TIME TO HUNT.
In other words, among Hunter’s recent books it’s a very good read. If you’ve never read a Bob Lee Swagger book that’s okay – there’s no need for having done so in order to enjoy this book.
About the plot: Swagger is bored and grumpy, as usual, prompting his wife to suggest he needs to “find a new war” to fight. And of course he does just that after receiving an email from Kathy Reilly, an American reporter in Russia who teamed up with Swagger in an earlier adventure in Russia. Reilly is writing a story about a Russian female sniper whose legendary war record against the Germans has mysteriously been erased from seemingly all official accounting of World War II.
Swagger flies to Russia and begins assisting Reilly in her research, and soon enough everything “goes to guns” as he is fond of saying … but that’s okay, because we all know Swagger lives for these moments.
So here’s what I really liked about this book:
MILI PETROVA – she’s the sniper, and her character is written beautifully. The book weaves the story of her final wartime mission in 1944 with Swagger’s dogged present-day pursuit to find out what happened to her. I kept turning the pages because I was immersed in her story and wanted to find out what happened to her.
THE TEACHER, PEASANT and VON DREHLE – one Russian, one Ukrainian and one German … Swagger laments the lack of heroes in his search for the truth about Petrova, but ultimately we find that heroes abound and they come in the form of three superbly nuanced characters whose varied perspectives adds immeasurable depth to the story.
THE PACING – it’s a fast read, with events racing seamlessly from the past to the present; and as the story progresses we meet an enigmatic Mossad analyst in Israel and a soon-to-be appointed trade minister in Russia whose stories bring into focus how events in the past still have repercussions in the present.
THE THEME – yes, it actually has one beyond seeing how many guys Swagger can outsmart and gun down … or at least I think it does. It’s actually a … love story. No kidding. Swagger’s in love with this female sniper from the past, but really that’s a pretext for showing the bond between soldiers past, present and future. You see the Sniper’s Honor (now I understand why the original She, Sniper title was changed…) is Petrova’s commitment to serving her country regardless of the corrupt officials running it; it’s her commitment to her fellow soldier’s she’s defending; it’s the way she honors the memory of her family by her perseverance; and it’s her willingness to complete a mission even after she’s been betrayed, sent to die, and left with no hope for a future even if she’s successful; but beyond all that, it’s Swagger’s own perseverance to honor this heroic female sniper by assuring her story is never completely erased.
A few things that might annoy some readers:
Look, it’s fiction – we all need to check our disbelief at the door and just accept that Swagger is one bad dude and really is capable of deducing what happened in a gun battle seventy years in the past by noticing the color of present-day tree branches on a hillside in the Carpathian mountains … and if you’re not good at suspending disbelief, then my guess is you’d have a hard time enjoying this or similar books in this genre.
However … (trying not to write any spoilers here) there are two specific incidents of this where I believe the author really took a risk that might distract some readers to the point of irritation.
The first is the idea that Petrova was betrayed yet somehow she’s the only person outside of the bad guys who is capable of deducing not only that she was betrayed but also who it was that betrayed her. That really just doesn’t make sense – especially when Swagger can figure it out in one afternoon without any of the knowledge the Russians had seventy years ago; and when the motive for the betrayal is discovered by Swagger, it’s something that absolutely there’s no way the Russian spymasters would have missed in 1944. The reason this is so annoying is that protecting the person who betrayed Petrova is a critical link from the past events to the attempts on Swagger’s and Reilly’s lives in the present day.
The second is probably worse … and that’s when you find out who it is trying to kill Swagger. Won’t write a spoiler, but I honestly felt the story would have been much better if Hunter had just gone with the most obvious group rather than trying to stun and surprise the readers with the big reveal that’s followed by an impassioned speech about duty and honor by Swagger that pretty much falls flat because of who it is he’s talking with.
I don’t know … I still enjoyed the book very much.
There are some very poignant moments during the war scenes – in particular, when Swagger describes the violence by writing “the war was hungry.” In a lot of ways, I felt Hunter was crafting the story as he did with the intent of honoring soldier’s past and present – be it intentional or not, he certainly succeeded.
My overall rating is 4 out of 5 stars, again that’s coming from someone who has very high expectations when reading Stephen Hunter – and especially when it’s a new Bob Lee Swagger novel.
A quick note: I’m writing this review from the perspective of a Stephen Hunter fan and someone who has read all the books in the Bob Lee Swagger series.
For readers already familiar with Bob Lee Swagger’s violent gun world I’d rate this book on par with I, SNIPER or THE THIRD BULLET, far better than NIGHT OF THUNDER or THE 47th SAMURAI, but not as good as the old classics POINT OF IMPACT or TIME TO HUNT.
In other words, among Hunter’s recent books it’s a very good read. If you’ve never read a Bob Lee Swagger book that’s okay – there’s no need for having done so in order to enjoy this book.
About the plot: Swagger is bored and grumpy, as usual, prompting his wife to suggest he needs to “find a new war” to fight. And of course he does just that after receiving an email from Kathy Reilly, an American reporter in Russia who teamed up with Swagger in an earlier adventure in Russia. Reilly is writing a story about a Russian female sniper whose legendary war record against the Germans has mysteriously been erased from seemingly all official accounting of World War II.
Swagger flies to Russia and begins assisting Reilly in her research, and soon enough everything “goes to guns” as he is fond of saying … but that’s okay, because we all know Swagger lives for these moments.
So here’s what I really liked about this book:
MILI PETROVA – she’s the sniper, and her character is written beautifully. The book weaves the story of her final wartime mission in 1944 with Swagger’s dogged present-day pursuit to find out what happened to her. I kept turning the pages because I was immersed in her story and wanted to find out what happened to her.
THE TEACHER, PEASANT and VON DREHLE – one Russian, one Ukrainian and one German … Swagger laments the lack of heroes in his search for the truth about Petrova, but ultimately we find that heroes abound and they come in the form of three superbly nuanced characters whose varied perspectives adds immeasurable depth to the story.
THE PACING – it’s a fast read, with events racing seamlessly from the past to the present; and as the story progresses we meet an enigmatic Mossad analyst in Israel and a soon-to-be appointed trade minister in Russia whose stories bring into focus how events in the past still have repercussions in the present.
THE THEME – yes, it actually has one beyond seeing how many guys Swagger can outsmart and gun down … or at least I think it does. It’s actually a … love story. No kidding. Swagger’s in love with this female sniper from the past, but really that’s a pretext for showing the bond between soldiers past, present and future. You see the Sniper’s Honor (now I understand why the original She, Sniper title was changed…) is Petrova’s commitment to serving her country regardless of the corrupt officials running it; it’s her commitment to her fellow soldier’s she’s defending; it’s the way she honors the memory of her family by her perseverance; and it’s her willingness to complete a mission even after she’s been betrayed, sent to die, and left with no hope for a future even if she’s successful; but beyond all that, it’s Swagger’s own perseverance to honor this heroic female sniper by assuring her story is never completely erased.
A few things that might annoy some readers:
Look, it’s fiction – we all need to check our disbelief at the door and just accept that Swagger is one bad dude and really is capable of deducing what happened in a gun battle seventy years in the past by noticing the color of present-day tree branches on a hillside in the Carpathian mountains … and if you’re not good at suspending disbelief, then my guess is you’d have a hard time enjoying this or similar books in this genre.
However … (trying not to write any spoilers here) there are two specific incidents of this where I believe the author really took a risk that might distract some readers to the point of irritation.
The first is the idea that Petrova was betrayed yet somehow she’s the only person outside of the bad guys who is capable of deducing not only that she was betrayed but also who it was that betrayed her. That really just doesn’t make sense – especially when Swagger can figure it out in one afternoon without any of the knowledge the Russians had seventy years ago; and when the motive for the betrayal is discovered by Swagger, it’s something that absolutely there’s no way the Russian spymasters would have missed in 1944. The reason this is so annoying is that protecting the person who betrayed Petrova is a critical link from the past events to the attempts on Swagger’s and Reilly’s lives in the present day.
The second is probably worse … and that’s when you find out who it is trying to kill Swagger. Won’t write a spoiler, but I honestly felt the story would have been much better if Hunter had just gone with the most obvious group rather than trying to stun and surprise the readers with the big reveal that’s followed by an impassioned speech about duty and honor by Swagger that pretty much falls flat because of who it is he’s talking with.
I don’t know … I still enjoyed the book very much.
There are some very poignant moments during the war scenes – in particular, when Swagger describes the violence by writing “the war was hungry.” In a lot of ways, I felt Hunter was crafting the story as he did with the intent of honoring soldier’s past and present – be it intentional or not, he certainly succeeded.
My overall rating is 4 out of 5 stars, again that’s coming from someone who has very high expectations when reading Stephen Hunter – and especially when it’s a new Bob Lee Swagger novel.
January 30, 2021
I really compare these novels with Lee Child's character of Jack Reacher. Bob Lee falls into these innocuous situations as he travels thru life. And just like Jack Reacher, the story line expands from straight forward thinking to life taking violence and a possible global impact. Don't get me wrong both authors write in different styles and character descriptions couldn't be more apart. I mean short of both main characters were in the military and possibly stationed at some of the same posts. I think it would be cool if both authors could do a cross over novel together. But getting way off point here, this novel carries the Bob Lee Swagger story line along very well. Cannot wait to read the next novel in line.
December 9, 2025
Sniper’s Honor was an absolute blast from start to finish. Stephen Hunter knows exactly how to blend history, action, and suspense into something completely gripping. I loved the dual timeline structure — the mystery of Ludmilla’s fate kept me turning pages way past when I meant to stop.
Bob Lee Swagger is, as always, a fantastic lead: calm, methodical, quietly intense, and endlessly compelling to follow. The historical sections were just as strong, and Ludmilla herself is one of the most memorable characters Hunter’s written.
Smart, cinematic, and consistently exciting. If you enjoy military thrillers or historical mysteries, this one is a guaranteed five-star ride.
Bob Lee Swagger is, as always, a fantastic lead: calm, methodical, quietly intense, and endlessly compelling to follow. The historical sections were just as strong, and Ludmilla herself is one of the most memorable characters Hunter’s written.
Smart, cinematic, and consistently exciting. If you enjoy military thrillers or historical mysteries, this one is a guaranteed five-star ride.
August 19, 2025
Sorry Mr. Hunter [and Bob Lee] but this book was disappointing and I almost rated it lower but can't do that to old Bob Lee and the usual 6 stars out of 5 rating.
Vizslas as war dogs just isn't going to fly. The Germans had German Shepherd dogs [first choice] as well as Rottweilers and Dobermans and would not use a Hungarian bird dog as a man-tracker/apprehender. Not going to happen.
I was not a fan of the back-and-forth past-to-present day format, although it has worked in some of his other books.
Vizslas as war dogs just isn't going to fly. The Germans had German Shepherd dogs [first choice] as well as Rottweilers and Dobermans and would not use a Hungarian bird dog as a man-tracker/apprehender. Not going to happen.
I was not a fan of the back-and-forth past-to-present day format, although it has worked in some of his other books.
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