Point Of Impact

Recent American history is laced with conspiracy theories, each fed with the rich milk of post-Vietnam, post-Kennedy gun-nut puppets, dancing to a tune whistled by mysterious figures high up in government agencies - the FBI or the CIA, each ruled by a strict code of omerta. All that needs to be done is to pull the many, many strings together to prove the terrifying reality of the situation. Stephen Hunter draws on such easy pickings, but dos so with great verve and imagination, creating a tumultuous tale, laced with macho certainties, but set against a crime-laced realpolitik that is tremendously convincing. Bob Lee Swagger, a Vietnam veteran and ace sniper (with 87 confirmed kills), is called in to help thwart an assassination attempt on the president. The bid succeeds, in its way, but Swagger has been set up as the patsy who will take the rap. But the agencies, meticulous in their planning had failed to take into account Swagger's astounding resilience and the perseverance of a disgraced FBI agent. Hunter's marvellous take on modern American mythology starts in third gear and then just cranks it up. But it's intelligent stuff, peppered with subtle (and less so) references to both high and low culture. This is the latest in a series of thrillers featuring Swagger; all are violent, but not to the point of psychotic, with characters who are driven but not obsessive. This is a high-paced technothriller, but passionate and searching for redemption. Oh, and you'll learn a lot about rifles. (Kirkus UK)