Targeted: A Bob Lee Swagger Novel

In bestseller Hunter’s superb 12th Bob Lee Swagger novel, a determined New York Times reporter wants to interview Bob, who’s 74, about his part in recently bringing down a bad guy known as Juba the Sniper in 2019’s Game of Snipers. Bob, who’s recovering from a bullet wound in his upper body, declines, but after the reporter publishes an article describing Bob’s role, Bob is subpoenaed to testify before a House subcommittee. A confrontational congresswoman, who’s facing a tough upcoming election campaign, leads the hearing, which is held in a Boise, Idaho, high school auditorium near Bob’s home for his convenience. Bob holds his own at the hearing, but eventually the committee charges him with “wanton endangerment” for his behavior during the confrontation with Juba the Sniper. In a battle where “words are bullets,” he’s on the ropes, until a prison bus commandeered by five escaped inmates crashes through the wall of the auditorium and mayhem ensues. The suspense rises as Bob must try to save the lives of the very people accusing him of wrongdoing. With this inventive nail-biter, Hunter sets a new bar for both himself and the genre. Agent: Esther Newberg, Curtis Brown. (Jan.)