Hot Springs (novel)
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| Author | Stephen Hunter |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Earl Swagger |
| Genre | Thriller |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
Publication date | 2000 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 701 pp |
| ISBN | 978-0-671-03545-7 |
| Followed by | Pale Horse Coming |
Hot Springs (ISBN 978-0-671-03545-7) is a fictional work by Stephen Hunter, published in 2000.
Hot Springs is a novel telling about gangsters and gambling in U.S. city Hot Springs, state Arkansas. It is the first novel in the series featuring Hunter's character Earl Swagger.
It is summer 1946 and Earl Swagger, ex-Marine and holder of the Congressional Medal of Honor, feels he is an angry man with nowhere to go in the post-war peace. But then he joins a new war, the one against organized crime, and in this hellish crucible rediscovers his courageous true self.[1]
Plot summary
Right after the official ceremony of receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor in United States capital Washington, D.C., Sgt. Earl Swagger (retired) is being approached by district attorney of Polk County Fred Becker and ex-FBI agent D. A. Parker. The two men propose him a new job in Hot Springs, Arkansas to fight against organized crime and finally end the gambling and corruption of the city. Swagger's mission is to train 10 young policemen into a "dream team" and instruct them during operations in city casinos. The mission is to close down all gambling places without hurting people.
Soon after accepting the new job, Earl finds out that his wife June is pregnant. She doesn't support Earl's idea to work in Hot Springs and is afraid of him being killed.
One of the "dream team" members, a young policeman Frenchy Short (who also appears in Black Light) is a smart young man, who feels that he can be above and better than the others in the team. Several times he tries to do something better than the others but in the end fails. That way he once killed two men during an assassination on the casino. Luckily for him, these two men were known bandits and Frenchy became sort of a hero. Next time, during a holiday the team was given, Frenchy finds the central office of the gambling network and reveals his research results to Swagger and Parker. This results in Becker firing him from the team because of illegal way of gathering evidence (as Frency, in fact, broke in to a telephone office to search the maps). Short quickly finds a new way of moving on and goes over to another side. For a little favour, he informs the city boss Owney Meddox of everything related to the "dream team".
On the other hand, during the holiday Short's "dream team" partner Carlo Henderson is asked by D. A. Parker to investigate Swagger's past and find out, how is Swagger so familiar with Hot Springs's landscape. Swagger has shown knowledge of the city for several times, pointing out important nuances during the operations, however claims that he's never been to Hot Springs before. Parker suggests that Swagger has the death instinct, because Swagger always tries to get into action himself, without wearing the bulletproof vest. During the investigation, Henderson finds out that Swagger's brother was beaten a lot by their father, Charles Swagger, sheriff of the Polk County. It's also possible that Charles Swagger murdered his own sun and then hung him to give it a different look.
The plot also involves Sam Vincent, who at the time is assistant of attorney in Garland, Arkansas. He is briefly assisting Henderson with the investigation. Vincent also appears in other Hunter's novels, such as Point of Impact and Black Light.
In the meanwhile, governor of state Arkansas orders Parker to confiscate all heavy weaponry and bulletproof vests from the "dream team", leaving them only with their hand guns. Several members decide to leave and only the brave ones remain. Short suggests Meddox to make a trap for the "dream team", which results in most of the remaining members dieing, including old D. A. Parker. Two men who survive are Earl Swagger and Carlo Henderson. They are then being arrested by the police and later let go home, with no money paid and with the condition, that they never, ever return to Hot Springs.
Soon after, Meddox is being arrested with the accusation of owning stolen artwork. He's being then freed from prison by his friends, but Swagger finds them, kills all gangsters including Owney Meddox. Swagger also finds out, who was the actual murderer of his father.
In the meantime, Earl's wife, June is in hospital giving birth to their son, which doesn't appear to be easy because of a unusual position of the baby. The local doctor can't rescue both, the mother and the child, so Earl brings a doctor with him, who is of black race. The locals in the town are unhappy about that and come to fight for their rights. They are being stopped by Earl, who threatens to kill them.
June successfully gives birth to their son, Bob Lee Swagger.
Notes
- ^ "fansasticfiction.co.uk". Retrieved 2009-08-14.