Bob Lee Swagger, former Marine Corps sniper, is back. And this time Swagger's facing an adversary whose trigger finger may be even faster than his own.

When four famous 1960s radicals are gunned down, including the wife of an international media mogul, it would appear to be an open-and-shut case. A wealth of evidence ties the chief suspect, retired Marine sniper Carl Hitchcock, to the murders. Holder, until recently, of the record number of kills in Vietnam and anxious to reclaim his title, Hitchcock's subsequent suicide would seem to confirm his guilt. But FBI assistant director Nick Memphis has his doubts – and calls on former Marine Corps sniper Bob Lee Swagger to investigate.

As Swagger digs deeper, it becomes clear that matters are more complicated than would initially appear. The shots were not executed with the scope of a 1972 rifle, Hitchcock's weapon of choice, but by a high-tech scope used by active Marines.

But as Swagger starts to unravel the tangled web of connections surrounding the murders, he finds his own days may be numbered. Because he's about to face one of his most ruthless adversaries yet – a sniper whose keen intellect and pinpoint accuracy rivals his own. The end result will be a bloody confrontation that only one of them can survive.

What people are saying about I, Sniper:

‘Stephen Hunter's I, Sniper brings back one of the great characters in modern thrillerdom, Bob Lee Swagger, everyone's favourite lethal, dour Southerner. I kind of want Swagger to meet up with Lee Child's Jack Reacher one day, in a contest to see who could say the least while doing the most damage.’ Malcolm Gladwell

‘The tension never lets up’ New York Times

‘Stephen Hunter is an Elmore Leonard on steroids’ John Sandford

‘As all Bob Lee fans know, it comes down to 'straight killing time.' And so it does, in a ramped-up, high-tech High Noon finale. As always, Hunter makes it work with precise, detail-rich prose that strips the faux glamour from gun fighting and leaves only the skills of the combatants set against the horrors they wreak.’ Booklist

‘Hunter is back at the top of his game.’ Publisher’s Weekly

‘In his guns-a-poppin' latest, Hunter pits his series hero against a nest of sharp-shooting vipers. Dust off the OK Corral. Even the somewhat squeamish, and even certifiable gun-dummies, may once again find chivalric, heroic Bob Lee just about irresistible.’ Kirkus Reviews

‘Hunter's thrillers are always taut, exciting, and well written, and his latest is no exception. There's also a lot of gun and tech talk as Swagger uses decades' worth of skills to stay a step or three ahead of the baddies. Swagger fans will not be disappointed.’ Library Journal

'Hunter has a unique writing style that thrills and captivates from the opening scene to deliver an exciting whodunit' The Sun

‘Stories of passion, guilt and redemption that jump right off the page and smack the reader clean between the eyes’ Independent on Sunday

‘American hardboiled at its very best, full of taciturn and stoical characters and plotting in explosive overdrive’ The Times

‘Hunter choreographs the violence in steely prose and Swagger ... remains one of crime fiction’s most engaging heroes’ Irish Independent