The Bullet Garden is an epic tale of war that is driven as much by genuine heartfelt emotions as it is by bolstering action with beautiful descriptions of weaponry that tactical fans will immediately fall in love with.
Set in the chaotic midst of World War 2, Allied soldiers are thrown in disarray and abject fear by German snipers picking at over a hundred Allied targets each day. When the situation reaches a tipping point, General Eisenhower tasks Pacific hero Earl Swagger, legendary for his war efforts and exquisite trigger finger with a sniper rifle, to lead the operation of taking the fight to the German snipers. The essence of the time-bound mission is exacerbated with the lingering possibility of a mole who seems to be providing the snipers with target packages. It’s up to Swagger to quickly study his shrouded-in-mystery opponents and take them out swiftly on the battlefield before they exact even more Allied casualties.
Much like how Swagger nails his targets, Stephen Hunter scores a bullseye with The Bullet Garden. The narrative is grand in scope, relentless in retention, and explosive in pacing. Hunter dabbles in giving readers exquisite insights into the main protagonists and antagonists in a manner befitting a proper work of literature, exploring the worldview from varying degrees to subtly convey the nuances of life and death on the battlefield. Hunter brilliantly builds up the momentum in an assured manner, taking the time to fully develop the battle arena along with Swagger’s keen deductions in his investigations that catapult readers into a deadly finale of sniper vs sniper that packs an emotional payoff in addition to the gritty pulse-pounding action sequence.
Even though I prefer to read contemporary thrillers more than historical, I will easily make another exception for Stephen Hunter if he chooses to write a follow-up to The Bullet Garden. It’s a thriller with a heart of gold, crafted with meticulous preciseness akin to a magnificent firearm.
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