This is not my type of book I enjoy reading. That said, I know that Stephen Hunter has a fan base and is a good writer.

Stephen Hunter has written several books about Bob Lee Swagger and his father, Earl. He now goes further back and writes about Bob Lee’s grandfather, Charles, and his experience working with the FBI to take down major gangsters in 1934. If you are not familiar with his books and the characters Bob Lee and Earl Swagger, I recommend you start with some of his earlier books. To me, they are the most exciting and would give the reader a better understanding and appreciation of the Swagger characters. I enjoy later books featuring Bob Lee and enjoyed G-Man. I did find it jarring when the 1934 characters used what seemed to be very current language, such as talking about “haters” and “disrespecting” someone. I remember these expressions coming into use, so I’m fairly certain they were not used in the same manner in that time period. I think this book would appeal to gun enthusiasts. I began with the first story and have read most of this series, so I enjoy them through the characters. Without the background, I’m not sure if I would have found it as enjoyable. Hunter is a solid writer, though, so I can’t be certain that is the case. It did have me looking on the internet for background about the historical figures in the book. Having enjoyed the Swagger series so much, I hate to say I think Mr. Hunter has gotten to the point where he would have to stretch things too far to give us much more about the Swaggers.

This one’s premise sounded more intriguing than it actually turned out for me. A man in current times explores his grandfather’s likely involvement with the early FBI’s efforts to fight organized crime. The plot device used involves his investigation alternated with vignettes from the mindset of his ancestor and that of famous gangsters, notably Baby Face Nelson, John Dillinger, and Pretty Boy Floyd. The fictional details Hunter puts in to tell the story of these gangsters and the FBI leaders Melvin Purvis and Sam Cowley comprise a form of theory for the whys and wherefores of their actions in the fateful year of 1934. It was a crazy time, when the populace struggling with the economic despair of the depression frequently read in the paper about bank robberies and wild shootouts with the police in Chicago and various cities in the Midwest and often rooted for them.

Bob Lee Swagger, in his retirement from farming and services to law enforcement based on his expertise as a military sniper, gets nudged to explore mysteries in the life of his grandfather, Charles, who was Sheriff of Polk County, Arkansas, starting in the 1930s. A hidden cache is found buried at an abandoned hunting cabin he used to own. In it is a Colt 45, an FBI badge, an unusual mint-condition $1,000 bill, and a crude map showing the location of something buried relative to an unknown dwelling. Bob pulls strings to learn that the FBI has no official record of Charles working with the FBI, but learns about their campaign in 1934 to bring in certain civilian law enforcement officers skilled in gunfighting to help train and build up the FBI capacity to deal with the escalating violence. As Bob accumulates more and more circumstantial evidence that his grandfather might indeed have played a critical role in this campaign, we watch Charles working to gain credibility with the FBI and put himself Zelig-like in the middle of famous shootouts and successive takedowns of Floyd, then Dillinger, and finally Nelson.

I’ve long enjoyed Hunter’s skills in portraying the cat-and-mouse buildup between of heroic good guys on the trail and devious bad guys and the rich details of their gunfights. Usually the special thrill of his stories come from the good guy being an underdog. Here the law enforcement team achieves their victories with overwhelming force. You almost feel sorry for the bad guys. Hunter’s consciousness of this perspective is signaled in the beginning by having Charles involved in police killing of Bonnie and Clyde through an ambush with the massive firepower played up in the iconic movie version. Another factor that diminished my personal pleasure was that the interleaving of current and historical episodes undermined my immersion in Charlie’s story and that of his prey.

Hunter tried especially hard to bring Les (Baby Face) Nelson to life as a personality, as well as his beloved wife Helen, who was so devoted she rode along on his road trips. But he didn’t give himself enough room in the narrative to do the job to my satisfaction. These samples show how Hunter paints him as one who mysteriously glories in the shootouts while showing a clichéd appreciation of the perks of the gangster life:
"That’s why he liked the gangsters so much: they took shit from no man and gave shit when and where it pleased them, never looking back, always having the best dames, cars, clothes, and pals. …"
...
"His enthusiasm for firearms filled him with energy, and the prospect of using one against human targets always made him happy—that is, if he weren’t boiling with rage, which was his other mode of being. He was a contradiction, and no one could explain him, a handsome dapper fellow, a family man, the proud father of Ronald and Darlene, a loyal husband to one wife …and, to see him, you’d think he was one of life’s little mechanics, solid, a churchgoer. But he did like to shoot thinks up, he liked adventure, he had an abnormal absence of fear, and killing wasn’t a thing that lingered in his mind for long."

The big mystery of the story is how it is that Charles played such an important role in the FBI victories that year but all evidence of that has been erased from the official record. For Bob, that must have something to do with why he spent the rest of his life as an embittered alcoholic loner. Bob eventually learns that some criminal types have been secretly monitoring his progress with the hope that the map left behind might be for a hidden treasure of bank robbery loot. There is some decent suspense over this mystery, but it is not in leagues with Hunter’s legendary apocalyptic showdowns in most of his books.

This book was provided by the publisher for review through the Netgalley program.

Years ago, I was a huge fan of the author's "Bob Lee Swagger" series of books. I can remember my father-in-law and I devouring them, and having spirited discussions about them. Then, along about the time Hunter began the "Earl Swagger" series, the author's plot lines devolved, and his verbiage became unbearable. So many obscure descriptions and dialogue that, rather than adding to the story, instead overwhelmed them. So I took a break from the author.
Enter his latest novel, "G-Man". I wanted to like it. I really tried. I made it halfway through the book, before becoming so exasperated that I had to quit. It had the thinnest of plot, based around crazy, imaginary encounters of an entire whos-who of 1930's era gangsters, and the shoehorning in of the main character. And, where I thought Hunter had gone overboard in his verbiage in the past, he takes it to an entirely different level here. So much unnecessary language! What possible reason is there to spend a page detailing a minor character's choice of soft drinks? Or the color of a woman's dress? It just went on and on. At the end, I thought that perhaps it was just me, that my tastes had changed. So I read a bit to my wife. She looked at me like I was insane. "Why would you and my father read such drivel?" she asked. "It sounds like someone trying to pad a school paper with words to meet the teacher's minimum standard".
At that point, I had to realize. Hunter has jumped the shark. He has taken a wonderful character in Bob Lee Swagger, and ruined it. That's it for me. No more Stephen Hunter!

Just when it seemed that Stephen Hunter might’ve run out of puff with his Swagger family series, which went seriously wonky a while back (‘Night Of Thunder’ is the one to avoid at all costs), a change in direction has revitalised his writing. G-Man is the latest ‘retrospective’ Swagger story and it’s a stonking great read.

Like ‘Sniper’s Honor’ and ‘The Third Bullet’, Bob Lee Swagger is the central character in the present day. Bob The Nailer, former Marine sharpshooter, is getting on a bit these days and carries more than his fair share of battle scars, but he’s still a sharp-eyed, savvy 70-something. When oddball items of old armaments and what might be a treasure map come to light in his grandfather’s home, Bob starts tugging on threads which are tangled back in the days of Prohibition. Little is known about lawman Charles Swagger and it seems there might be some uncomfortable home truths to be discovered…

The action switches seamlessly between a carefully crafted version of the 1930s mobster scene, where John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd wreak havoc with Tommie guns, and Bob Lee’s unsettling discoveries about this very special agent who was disowned by the fledgling FBI. In the Swagger family, loyalty, honour and duty are paramount. Could it be true that Sheriff Charles betrayed his comrades, abandoned his family, and crept away from a gunfight… a coward?

As well as a rip-snorting story, G-Man also delivers detailed historical segments where the bad guys are as well developed as their agency opponents. Author Stephen Hunter takes the opportunity to correct several of the irritating inconsistencies which are frequently repeated about this period. Simultaneously, he spins a ripping yarn in the 21st century which sees Bob himself at odds with criminals who’d like to lay their paws on whatever treasure is buried in the back of beyond. Although the outcome is never in any real doubt, there are some genuine surprises along the way.

However! If you don’t enjoy the mechanismo of motor vehicles and armaments, you may find the detailed descriptions somewhat overwhelming. Me, I adore them. Hunter’s wit and technical expertise are what elevates the Swagger series beyond merely ‘interesting’ and into ‘excellent.’

Layered with intricate detail about the weaponry and the real-life men who wielded it, G-Man brings a sniper’s intense scrutiny to bear on a gripping period of lawlessness and disorder. Sit back and enjoy: you’re in the safe hands of a master storyteller who has rediscovered his mojo.
9/10

Somewhere within this concrete block of a novel, under the preposterously-macho dialogue, away from the run-on sentences filled with description upon description upon description, not to mention chapters worth of the intricacies involved with breaking down firearms, there lays a cool, fast story of historical fiction playing out a hard-as-balls Agent and his hunt of a wilily, rascal of a bank-robber. To find that story, brother, break out the chisels and jackhammers, as it’s a deep dig.

G-Man places the fictional character of Charles Swagger right into the state of play between the burgeoning FBI and a series of public enemies on the prowl in the early 1930s, such as the likes of John Dillinger and Baby-Face Nelson. Author Stephen Hunter adds to this narrative a present-day tale of Swagger’s grandson, Bob, and his quest to uncover the mystery of his grandfather. Both tales, alone and inter-twined, make for great pulp, crime fiction. Hunter unfortunately burdens that plot, something that should be hip, and light, and full of that post-1920s swing, with the procedurals of an old man telling a young whippersnapper the right way a task should be done.

Maybe this is simply Hunter’s style that I, as the reader and reviewer, have not previously been privy to. However, as a reader and reviewer, I found his unyielding verbiage to be unnecessarily weighty, making for a dull read. And a release from an author named Hunter, featuring a character named Swagger, and with the cover boasting a fedora-clad agent bearing down with a Tommy gun, should be anything but dull.

A very good book written by Mr. Hunter with Bobby Swagger looking into his families past this time being his grandfather’s. The author takes you back in time to the depression when the G-men were after Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, and their gangs. You are taken to the offices of the G-men and also the hide out of the bank robbers and how and what they do after and before the next bank job. You are also following Swagger’s ordeal of what really was going with his grandfather and with the help of Nick Memphis they come up with how his grandfather a gunfighter like all of the Swagger men was hired by the what is now known as the FBI because that is what they were looking for gunfighters, they had enough lawyers. The way the author is able to take you back and forth is very good and you don’t even know you have changed other than the time period. The flow of the story is not harmed by going back and forth. I actually thought it might but I remember reading his other books and they flowed as well. I have always liked Mr. Hunter’s work and once again I was not disappointed. A very good book in the Bobby Swagger line.

5 stars

This novel is about Charles Swaggart who was Earl Swaggart’s father who in turn is the father of Bob Lee Swaggart.

A strongbox with some items in it is found under the foundation of the old home place where the Swaggart family used to live in Arkansas. Inside the box is a .45 gun, a badge and some other items that Bob finds interesting including a map that seems to lead to nowhere. Bob’s father, Earl never spoke of his father – he refused to talk about him at all. Bob never knew him so Charles remains a mystery to him. After seeing the strongbox, he goes on a search for information about Charles.

Charles joined the Justice Department Division of Investigation which was the precursor to the FBI. The Justice Department was looking for old fashioned gunfighters to aid them in bringing down John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd and other highway gangsters.

The book goes back and forth between 1934 and the present. We get the present day view from Bob and the 1934 view from both the Justice Department and the criminals. Baby Face Nelson, John Dillinger, Jimmy Murray, John Paul Chase, Pretty Boy Floyd and Homer Van Meter all figure prominently in this novel.

This book is exciting and thrilling. It is extremely well written and plotted. Mr. Hunter is a brilliant writer and I truly enjoyed all of his books. I enjoyed this one the most, however. I enjoyed the parts where Mr. Hunter would describe vignettes about the different gangsters’ personalities. The shootout scenes are action packed and very descriptive; you are literally there. Mr. Hunter also includes in this story a wealth of gun-related information as he does in all his Swagger novels. He certainly has a wealth of interesting factoids.

Bob learns that someone is following him as he makes his way through his investigation. He sets out to trap them and is successful.

I want to send a huge thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Blue Rider Press & Plume/Blue Rider Press for forwarding to me a copy of this most remarkable book to read and enjoy!

Homer Van Meter, Lester Joseph Gillis, Charles Arthur Floyd, John Herbert Dillinger. Not exactly household chit-chat material, but larger than life mobsters. Gillis used the alias George Nelson and was thus dubbed “Baby Face” Nelson. Mr. Floyd was dubbed “Pretty Boy” Floyd. Part of American history, criminals, mobsters, (notice no Italian names, not yet anyway). Although by no means the first organized crime gangs, (think Jesse James gang), nor an all-inclusive list, (think Bonnie and Clyde, Ma Barker, Machine Gun Kelly, and many more). This story focuses mostly on the first four names mentioned above, and some of the early law enforcement personnel of the beginning of the FBI. While the story introduces an entirely fictional character, it is an accounting of an earlier time in American history. Reading this recalled an old TV series called “The Untouchables”, which was a Hollywood glorified version featuring Elliot Ness, who never even wore a badge and was not a G-Man. It is excellent reading. Be the perspective history, criminal, or just entertaining fiction based on fact it makes for a great story and though mine was an advanced copy in need of some editing it kept me reading into the wee hours, way past my bedtime. A winner for sure.

First a disclaimer, I have read all the "Swagger" books. With that said I was worried about this one since Bob Lee was old back in 1993 when he made is debut but this tells the story of his grandfather in the 30"s. Good action, a little long due to the numerous "Tom Clancy-like" details into the cars and guns but other that that a great story. Read and enjoy

Hillbilly justice"

I can remember picking up Stephen Hunter's first book in the Bob Lee Swagger at the library by chance not long after it was first published in 1993. I don't know why I picked it up that day. It wasn't any of the genres of books I normally read. And I didn't read it right away. I kept putting it off. So one afternoon I opened to the first page of POINT OF IMPACT and started reading and I was enthralled. I couldn't tear myself away from the story that Hunter so masterfully told. And that book still holds a place in the top 10 Books I've ever read.

After that I really enjoyed the next few books in the Bob Lee and Earl Swagger series. But then the books started to lose focus and lose my interest. I did enjoy SNIPER'S HONOR and I enjoyed this offering, I think because Bob Lee had a bigger part in this story.

Bob Lee is 71 years young in this story. He's sold off some family property in Arkansas and as the house on the property is being torn down, a metal box is discovered and the contents send Bob Lee and his friend, Nick Memphis, on a fact finding mission trying to learn more about Bob Lee's grandfather, Charles Swagger.

The story alternates between 1934, Charles, and a number of well-known gangsters of that time, and current day with Bob Lee and Nick.

I enjoyed the story especially the gangster history. I probably liked his last story more - SNIPER'S HONOR - but this one was still well worth reading.

I received this book from Blue Rider Press through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

A very interesting story whereby the author has invented a character that was secretly used by the Justice Department (FBI) who actually was the one that killed all the infamous bank robbers of the day. Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, etc.

The old homestead of this man is being demolished and during that process a tin box is found. Inside the box is a government issue weapon, an FBI badge and another item no one is exactly sure what it is. The grandson of this man has never heard of his grandfather being in the FBI and he wonders what these items are all about. This is the premise of the book.

I thought it was a very interesting take and enjoyed reading the book very much. I would like to thank Penguin Group, Blue Rider Press and Net Galley for allowing me the privilege to read and review this interesting and entertaining story.

I really like the Swagger clan and their stories, been reading them for years. This one was not up to par with the best of them. This is a back and forth between Bob Lee's search for info on his grandaddy Charles and the story of Charles in 1934. It had some interesting bits and some twists, but it was about 100 pages too long. I did have an uncorrected (and poorly formatted) version of the book so hopefully this will change before the final version prints. Not really recommended unless you are an absolute fan of the series.

Bob Lee Swagger is Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Hunter’s creation and the protagonist of “Shooter,” a popular TV series. In this book, “G-Man,” Bob Lee is determined to uncover the legacy of his grandfather, Charles Swagger, a notorious gunman, sheriff, and early FBI agent, who vanished in the 1930s after a brilliant career but is never spoken of by relatives. The story switches between 1934 and the present as the author tells Charles Swagger’s story both from his view and what his grandson finds later.

The author has done some heavy research into his fictional account of the manhunts leading to the deaths of some of the notorious gangsters of the time; John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, Homer Van Meter, and Pretty Boy Floyd. Charles Swagger had a hand in the tracking down and killing of each of them.

The Swaggers have all been men with guns. Charles, his son Earl, and his grandson, Bob, knew guns and how to use them. Each, in his own way, subscribed to the theory that there are always men who need killing and others who would do the killing. Hunter explores that way of life with his storyline and, along the way, teaches the reader about guns and their usage in dramatic detail. If you like guns, this is a primer.

The switching around of timelines creates some confusion, but the reader will have less difficulty as the book progresses. The author uses the vernacular of the 1930s when he writes in that time frame and abandons it when in the present. He does so with a skill that makes the dialogue ring true throughout the book.

This is a fast moving and enjoyable book thanks to the author’s skill and authentic storyline.

Wow. Another great book by Hunter. Fills in the story of Swagger's grandfather, Charles Swagger, and how he took down Baby Face Nelson. Hunter is the real deal when it comes to the history of crime and he shows off that knowledge in this fascinating story of one of the 1930's most wanted and dangerous criminals. A real gangster epic.

First off, thank you Blue Rider Press and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. I'll start off with a brief overview, my dislikes, my likes, and my personal thoughts.

This is about a story of Bob Lee Swagger's father, Charles. There are many twists and turns to find out Charles was a gracious and giving grandfather to Bob Lee Swagger. This recounts the 1934 history of Babyface Nelson, John Dillinger, and various other mob-related accounts. You have Babyface Nelson's account, Grandpa Charles's account, and Bob Lee's account of events.

What are my dislikes?
1. It needs another good edit. There were some wonky sentences and prepositions.
2. Some labels of races do come off as offensive.
3. The beginning was a little rough for me.
4. I couldn't figure out if it's supposed to be second POV or third POV. The author seemed to go back and forth. It has the potential to jar the reader. With a good edit, that could be fixed before publication.
5. Nothing else worth mentioning.

What are my likes?
1. I love how the author gave descriptions on guns. If you're a gun enthusiast, this novel is for you.
2. I like violence, so this novel was up my alley. It has action that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Well done.
3. I love the plot twist about Grandpa Charles's deep dark secret, he kept hidden from people.
4. I love the middle and the ending. The author tied it off beautifully.
5. The author gave us a fictional account that could be true.
6. I love how the author explained the sole purpose of G-Man.
7. I enjoyed the history of guns and the bank-robbing gangs of the 1930's.


As for my personal thoughts?

If you're a member of SJW or the PC crowd, I would skip it. This is a gritty novel that takes place both in 1934 and present-day. You will find things that may get your goat. If you're gun enthusiast and love history without worrying about the SJW and PC crowd, this novel is for you. I found it to be a high-octane novel and I could see this becoming a movie. Yes, there were some problems with wrong word choices, but overall the plot drove it home for me. I enjoyed this read and I can't wait for it to come out soon.

Stephen Hunter's latest in the Bob Lee Swagger series, G-Man (Penguin Random House 2017) unexpectedly starts in the 1930's with the death of Bonnie and Clyde at the hands of Bob Lee's grandfather, Charlie Swagger. Charlie is a small-town sheriff with a big reputation for heroism, bravery, and doing the impossible. Quickly, Hunter moves readers to the present day as the Bob Lee we know is settling into retirement and all the boredom and aches that includes:

"Nothing [to do] meant a three-hour ride on land that was all his, another hour of horse care, then three or four hours in his shop working on this or that rifle project (this year: .375 Chey Tac at over thirty-five hundred yards, and, damn, if he didn’t own over thirty-five hundred yards’ worth of Idaho on which to find out what it could do). Then on to the email thing, for conversations with old friends the world over, including reporters and retired sergeants, Russian gangsters, Japanese Self-Defense Force NCOs, FBI..."

When a Colt 45 and a thousand dollar bill are found under the foundation of the old family house (which is being bulldozed), Bob Lee in his boredom decides to try to unravel the mystery of why they were hidden there. The search takes him back to the '30s when Dillinger and Baby Face and that entire crew were robbing banks with impunity. In an effort to stop them, the FBI hired gunslingers--like Charlie Swagger--to engage the bandits in gunfights at their skill level.

As with all Bob Lee Swagger novels, this one is imbued with a deep love of firearms:

"His fingers knew it immediately. As a design, the thing was one of many masterpieces that had tumbled from the brain of John M. Browning before World War I, so perfect in conception and execution, such a chord of power and grace and genius of operation that even now, more than a century after its year of adaptation in 1911, it was standard sidearm of many of the world’s elite units."

One thing I always like about Bob Swagger novels is Bob's sage wisdom. He's able to break life and lessons down to their essentials so anyone can get it. Here's his take on handsome men:

"As an analyst of human strength and weakness, he knew that the handsome ones could be tricky. It’s something an infantry officer and a cop pick up on fast. They get used to being the center of attention. They expect things to go their way. They don’t like to take orders, especially from the many less attractive than they are. They move at their own pace. Sometimes they seem not to hear what is said to them. They are very stubborn, not out of commitment to a certain line of logic but to the idea that their beauty confers on them certain divine rights. The moving pictures and the fancy magazines have only exacerbated these problems, for on-screen the handsomest man is always the best, the champion of the show, the lure of all the gals, the hero of all the guys, and your real-life pretty fellow too often comes to assume the same of himself, except he has yet to do a thing to earn that reputation. So problems—little, knotty difficulties, little spats, grudges, pissing contests, garbled communications, slights too slight to mention but annoying to suffer, a sense of self-importance—all make every transaction with the handsome man more bother than it should be."

Then there are some of the words he uses. Not a lot but I'm pretty well read and it stopped me when people were 'palavering' (chatting).

Overall a good read though a bit more wandering than his usual--which explains the 4/5 stars. I was expecting his traditional action-packed story and got one that is more contemplative, personal, and less intense than what I expected.

This review will be available on my blog March 31st

Told mostly in flashbacks, this story wasn't one of my favorites from Stephen Hunter. While the plot was sound, and the characters, as always, intriguing, there was -- in my opinion -- too much back story.

G-MAN by Stephen Hunter

I loved this story and Bobby Swagger's enthusiasm for learning all about his Grandfather's past. This was a very interesting part of history. My own father lived through the Great Depression. We have all heard of Bonnie and Clyde and John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd. The investigative arm of the law was The United States Division of Investigation. The new name of this law enforcement is the FBI. The FBI considered Pretty Boy Floyd to be dangerous and they thought Charles Swagger to be a top notch gunman.

Baby Face Nelson was thought to be extremely dangerous. Considering that Charles Swagger was thought to be very talented using a gun he was recruited. When Charles Swagger's family home was sold a treasure trove of memorabilia was discovered. Found were items such as a badge, a preserved pistol. Bobby Swagger begins his search for everything he can learn about his Grandfather's past.

This was engaging reading and I absolutely loved it. Highly Recommended for everybody that enjoys history and is nostalgic about learning about their own family roots.

Thank you to Net Galley, Stephen Hunter and the Publisher for providing me with my digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.