The Third Bullet

Bob Lee Swagger, Book 8

By: Stephen Hunter

Narrated by: Buck Schirner

It’s not even a clue. It’s a whisper, a trace, a ghost echo, drifting down through the decades via chance connections so fragile that they would disintegrate in the puff of a breath. But it’s enough to get legendary former Marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger interested in the events of November 22, 1963, and the third bullet that so decisively ended the life of John F. Kennedy and set the stage for one of the most enduring controversies of our time.

Swagger begins his slow night stalk through a much-traveled landscape. But he’s asking questions that few have asked before: Why did the third bullet explode? Why did Lee Harvey Oswald, about to become the most hunted man on Earth, risk it all by returning to his rooming house to secure a pistol he easily could have brought with him? How could a conspiracy that went unpenetrated for 50 years have been thrown together in the two and a half days between the announcement of the president’s route and the assassination itself?

As Bob investigates, another voice enters the narrative: knowing, ironic, almost familiar, that of a gifted, Yale-educated veteran of the CIA Plans Division. Hugh Meachum has secrets and the means and the will to keep them buried. When weighed against his own legacy, Swagger’s life is an insignificant expense - but to blunt the threat, he’ll first have to ambush the sniper.

As each man hunts the other across today’s globe and through the thickets of history, The Third Bullet builds to an explosive climax that will finally prove what Bob Lee Swagger has always known: It’s never too late for justice.

©2013 Stephen Hunter (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

On Par to be One Of His Best Works

If you could sum up The Third Bullet in three words, what would they be?

At first glance, I was less than intrigued. Another JFK story? Having been a fan of Mr. Hunter for many years, I decided I'd give it a shot, pun intended. The opening of the book made me question whether this was indeed a Hunter novel or not. It wasn't written in his usual style, but the departure ends up being one of many enjoyable aspects to this piece.

The reader who is familiar with Mr. Hunter will immediately notice a bit of wit in the opening chapter, and will most likely enjoy the similarities, but that's all I can say for fear of ruining it.

As for the story itself, all I can say is that it is a unique take on the events of that day, and those leading up to it. A credit to Mr. Hunter, as it's not only a unique take, but it's also a highly plausible theory... which only serves to add to the intrigue. At times, I found myself wondering if, perhaps, this wasn't a fictional tale after all.

Our beloved, and respected Bob Lee plays an almost trivial part in the entirety of the story. While he is the main character, his role is made less noticeable in this novel, at least for the first two parts. Sure, he's there, but he takes on more of a investigative role than that of the actionable shooter we so cherish him for being. He's old though, so what do you expect? I did enjoy the overseas action scene with another aged shooter, however.

All things being equal, this is easily one of his 3 or 4 best works. DEFINITE BUY.

Have you listened to any of Buck Schirner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've not heard any of Mr. Schirner's works, but I will be more than happy to purchase more works wherein he narrates. Unlike some of the more notable narrators, such as Scott Brick, Dick Hill, and George Guidall, (though I enjoy them all) Mr. Schirner doesn't go to obviously strained lengths to differentiate between characters in the story. He deftly manages to make clear distinctions between speaking characters, without working so hard at it that it becomes unbelievable.

My first Swagger novel and it was enjoyable

Would you consider the audio edition of The Third Bullet to be better than the print version?

I did not read the print version, but I always prefer audio editions.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hugh Meachum was my flagrant abuse of prescription drugs at such an old age. Better living though chemistry!

What does Buck Schirner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I appreciated the narrator's characterization of Hugh Meachum and Richard, but especially Jimmy with his thick Boston accent.

Any additional comments?

The author's take on the assassination on JFK is an interesting viewpoint that could be a possible set of circumstance.

Couldn't get into this one

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No I could have spent my time listening to something better. As much as I am interested in what happend to JFK, this book was not going to answer my questions because it was to boring for me to get to any answers.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

This book was very slow and not very interesting.

Have you listened to any of Buck Schirner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I did not care for Buck Schirners performance.

Was The Third Bullet worth the listening time?

No.

EXCELLENT, excellent, excellent . . . . .

What made the experience of listening to The Third Bullet the most enjoyable?

I've always been horrified by the events of November 22, 1963 - I knew the Warren commission missed the mark on several points. No matter how many documentaries I watched on the assassination, there was always something about that final, fatal event that made me grind my teeth. Something very ugly was lurking beneath the surface, something much more ugly than Lee Harvey Oswald. Stephen Hunter does an excellent job of laying it out - fact or fiction, this story is gripping and stimulating in so many different categories describing events and possibilities that had not occurred to me. After doing my own research and pondering this tragic story for over twenty years, now I know how it COULD have been done. Extremely well written and Buck Schirner was just the right fit to tell the story. Probably the most intriguing and powerful book I have ever been treated to - had to be a massive amount of research that went into this masterpiece. Only one problem . . . . . . . now what? What can I find that can possibly come anywhere near this . . .

What did you like best about this story?

Answered a very big burning question that I have had my whole life. How could a conspiracy have been pulled off? Stephen Hunter tells us exactly how it could have been done.

Have you listened to any of Buck Schirner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first Buck Shirner book - he is fantastic

Any additional comments?

Cudos to Stephen Hunter - what an amazing work he has done here

WOW

Any additional comments?

Perhaps the best of the Bob Swagger series. It takes a while to develop but then engulfs with a desperation to continue.

this book kept exceeding expectations

What made the experience of listening to The Third Bullet the most enjoyable?

great blend of excellent story and wonderful reading

Who was your favorite character and why?

the villain, Hugh Meacham...although fictitious, he represents the perfect missing puzzle piece to a historical mystery.

Which scene was your favorite?

the final scene.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

many!

Any additional comments?

the writer and reader both surprised me with how they kept taking the story and performance to another level. Although a fiction, this may have been the most plausible explanation yet for the unanswered questions regarding the event.

awesome

loved this book. kept me captivated the entire time. Well done. Look forward to the next book by Mr. Hunter.

Another great Swagger story

the story has a lot of detail that appeals to gun people. The performance delivered the story much better than actually reading the book.

One of my go to favorite reads

Absolutely fantastic book. Perfect narrator for the material, plausible historical fiction, and action packed. I’ve listened to this book 4-5 times and always find something new. I am a Stephen Hunter fan and in my mind, this is his best. Just enough fun stuff, just enough tough guy.

I'm A Stephen Hunter Fan, But. . .

This one just didn't move very much. Too many long, boring recitations and story very slow to progress. The premise is well-thought out, but the story never engaged me and I'm old enough to remember the events of November 22, 1963.