Pale Horse Coming

Earl Swagger, Book 2

De: Stephen Hunter

Narrado por: Eric G. Dove

It’s 1951. The Thebes State Penal Farm in Mississippi is up a dark river, surrounded by swamps and impenetrable piney woods. It’s the Old South at its most brutal - a place of violence, racial terror, and even more horrific rumors. Of the few who make the journey, black or white, even fewer return.

But in that year, two men will come to Thebes. The first is Sam Vincent, the former prosecuting attorney of Polk County, Arkansas who, with great misgivings, accepts a job to investigate a disappearance. Before he leaves on this dangerous trip, he confesses his fears to his former investigator Earl Swagger, now a sergeant of the Arkansas State Police. Earl pledges that if Sam is not back by a certain time, he will come looking for him.

What they encounter there is something beyond their wildest imagining of evil. The dying black town is ruled by white deputies on horseback who are more like an occupying army and the only escape is over the wild currents of the dark river that drowns as many people as it liberates. But nothing in town compares to the prison. Run by an aging madman with insane theories of racial purity, it is administered by a brutal sergeant known as Bigboy. The convicts call him The Whip Man - he can take a man’s soul with his nine feet of braided catgut.

Both Sam and Earl will be challenged to the limits of their strength by this place and will struggle not only for their own survival, but with the question: What does a man do when confronted with evil?

©2008 Stephen Hunter (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Interesting Book

Having lived in the South all of my life I have met persons that could have walked off the pages of this book. Thankfully, the majority of the people do not suffer this blind, stupid hatred. Anyway, the book does have some rough language as well as rough depictions but given the setting of the story seems accurate to me.

An exciting suspenseful book

Not what I expected - much more suspenseful than I anticipated. One of those books that starts off slow that your'e not sure that you want to read the next chapter, but a story that builds and has an exciting ending with a "feel good" last chapter.

Hunter never fails

No detail is left out it allows the reader to see the story as it develops. Earls stories are great but don’t miss out on the Bob Lee stories.

Best of the series.

I've read all of the books in the series and this is my favorite. Great.

The Review

Outstanding, especially the way the narrator captured Audie Murphy's voice an mannerisms, for I'm old enough to remember his western movies on tv. All an all great writing. 😎♠️👍🙏🏿

Good Story with Strong Characters

The story will keep you interested. It is a little slow in the middle of the book, but it picks up well and finishes strong. Characters are very well-developed. The narrator is fantastic!

More Earl Swagger, love him or hate him

What did you love best about Pale Horse Coming?

Was a great fix of more cowboy lawman. Wish Hunter would have continued in this vain rather that the sniper series.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Pale Horse Coming?

Still looking for another "cowboy lawman" to follow.

Have you listened to any of Eric G. Dove’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Goes on in some detail about the science of ballistics, take it or leave it?

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Nothing

Wow! Just wow!

I have listened to and loved the Bob Lee series, but was skeptical about these, and put them off for quite some time. Then, with nothing else in the 4 pages of wish list, decided to ignore the reviews. I should have from the start!
This is not a book for light entertainment, not even a little. It’s captivating in its brutal reality, in the incredible portrayal of the heart of man, it’s good, evil, and indifference. It’s even disturbing, but in a way that makes you appreciate the simple pleasures of life, including liberty and freedom, and at what cost there is to maintain it.
Mr. Dove is amazing, he delivered a Phenomenal performance!
Bravo!

Great story! Great narration!

Great story! This book held my attention from beginning to end. The book was made even better by the outstanding narration!

spell binding and captivating!

I loved it. great story line and awesome narrator. Stephen Hunter's books are ingenious. Thanks