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Target America
(Sniper Elite #2)
by
From the coauthor of the #1 New York Times bestseller American Sniper comes a heart-pounding military thriller in which the fabled Special Ops unit is activated to stop a group of terrorists from launching “suitcase” nukes somewhere in America.
When Chechen terrorists manage to smuggle a Cold War–era Russian nuke across the Mexican-American border, the President is forced t ...more
When Chechen terrorists manage to smuggle a Cold War–era Russian nuke across the Mexican-American border, the President is forced t ...more
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Paperback, 464 pages
Published
November 25th 2014
by Pocket Books
(first published June 3rd 2014)
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Start your review of Target America (Sniper Elite, #2)

US Navy Seal Gil Shannon and friends search for a suitcase nuke somewhere in the US, presumably ready to detonate by evil Chechen terrorists. Complicating the hunt is a duplicitous US President and a cowardly political adviser with conflicting agenda's in this rush of page turning action. I loved it!
Gil Shannon's character will make you forget Jack Reacher, Mitch Rapp, Jason Bourne, John Rain, Jack Ryan and all the other terrorist hunting good guys we read. This series is just outstanding!..... ...more
Gil Shannon's character will make you forget Jack Reacher, Mitch Rapp, Jason Bourne, John Rain, Jack Ryan and all the other terrorist hunting good guys we read. This series is just outstanding!..... ...more

Chechen terrorists smuggle a suitcase nuke into America. The Sniper Elite was disbanded after the last book for political reasons. Now the CIA has to get them back together, because they're the only ones that can stop the terrorists.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, a hit team is after Gil Shannon's (Sniper Ace #1) family, as if he didn't have enough to worry about.
There's enough action to keep things going quickly, even though the end is a little cheesy, IMHO. ...more
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, a hit team is after Gil Shannon's (Sniper Ace #1) family, as if he didn't have enough to worry about.
There's enough action to keep things going quickly, even though the end is a little cheesy, IMHO. ...more

A military thriller that will delight fans of Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp.
There is a nuke in the US and the only hope of finding it might need some rules being broken. For that The President calls upon the team he disbanded following a previous mission where they ignored his orders. So plenty of action and White House politics in another excellent thriller from the author. Really did remind me of the best of Vince Flynn.
Really good series this, clever, action packed and engaging.
There is a nuke in the US and the only hope of finding it might need some rules being broken. For that The President calls upon the team he disbanded following a previous mission where they ignored his orders. So plenty of action and White House politics in another excellent thriller from the author. Really did remind me of the best of Vince Flynn.
Really good series this, clever, action packed and engaging.

Okay...I know down graded the rating from the first, but it happens. This is a good book...finally. I liked it and it's actually chock full of a certain realistic feel and a very realistic climax.
That said, the book takes forever to finish it's setup. I don't know how a book that opened with a nuc going off in a tunnel under the American/Mexican border could slow to the point I almost abandoned it, but this one did.
We open with a good plot set up. The characters are getting "lined up" so to spea ...more
That said, the book takes forever to finish it's setup. I don't know how a book that opened with a nuc going off in a tunnel under the American/Mexican border could slow to the point I almost abandoned it, but this one did.
We open with a good plot set up. The characters are getting "lined up" so to spea ...more

I started this book 3 different times before I could actually stay with it. I enjoy a great hook at the beginning...it gives me a feel for the kind of ride I'm about to embark upon and gives me a little anticipation. This book didn't have that. It was kind of slow on the set up. But once it got there, I enjoyed it.
This is my first book by this author. I liked the details given about the characters and the situations. I never felt lost. Even though it dragged a bit, there were some great twists. ...more
This is my first book by this author. I liked the details given about the characters and the situations. I never felt lost. Even though it dragged a bit, there were some great twists. ...more

A great, kick-ass, and at the same time powerful work of military-fiction, and excellent follow-up to
!
A group of Chechen Terrorists have managed to smuggle a Cold-War era Nuclear Weapon into the US across the Mexican-American Border, with their attempts to detonate it somewhere in the US on the anniversary of 9/11. With not a whole lot of options, the President has no choice but to reactivate the only unit capable of finding and stopping them, legendary Navy SEAL sniper Gil Shannon and his ...more

A group of Chechen Terrorists have managed to smuggle a Cold-War era Nuclear Weapon into the US across the Mexican-American Border, with their attempts to detonate it somewhere in the US on the anniversary of 9/11. With not a whole lot of options, the President has no choice but to reactivate the only unit capable of finding and stopping them, legendary Navy SEAL sniper Gil Shannon and his ...more

REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; DECEMBER 12, 2016
Narrator: Brian Hutchison
The Narration: I don't know if I would have enjoyed this book as much if I'd read it instead of listened to it. As it is, as an audiobook, Target America was excellent. I'm so glad Hutchison is narrating the other books and hope it stays that way. His accent is neutral and his voice suits an action/thriller appropriate to the age of the MC, Gil Shannon, who is in his early 40s (unlike Guidall, Hill, Ferrone et all who sound rather el ...more
Narrator: Brian Hutchison
The Narration: I don't know if I would have enjoyed this book as much if I'd read it instead of listened to it. As it is, as an audiobook, Target America was excellent. I'm so glad Hutchison is narrating the other books and hope it stays that way. His accent is neutral and his voice suits an action/thriller appropriate to the age of the MC, Gil Shannon, who is in his early 40s (unlike Guidall, Hill, Ferrone et all who sound rather el ...more

Imagine a really good Stephen Hunter book crossed with a so-so Tom Clancy book and you've got Target America.
Gil Shannon is back from his adventures in Afghanistan, and he's out of the military game. But not for long, because Chechen terrorists have teamed up with a branch of Al Qaeda to smuggle nuclear weapons into the US. When their first bomb goes off prematurely at the US-Mexico border, Gil is tasked with reassembling his old team to track down the second by any means necessary.
At the same ...more
Gil Shannon is back from his adventures in Afghanistan, and he's out of the military game. But not for long, because Chechen terrorists have teamed up with a branch of Al Qaeda to smuggle nuclear weapons into the US. When their first bomb goes off prematurely at the US-Mexico border, Gil is tasked with reassembling his old team to track down the second by any means necessary.
At the same ...more

Amazing book that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let you go.
...more

Brutal death and destruction at the hands of America's finest on the worst the world has to offer. What's not to love and binge read on a Saturday morning and afternoon?
Gil Shannon is an Operator's Operator. So good at what he does, one of the sub-plots is the bad guy's trying to take him out as revenge for a previous mission and to keep him from interfering in detonating Soviet Era nukes on US soil. Unfortunately for them, Gil has already been called in and their assassination attempts quickly ...more
Gil Shannon is an Operator's Operator. So good at what he does, one of the sub-plots is the bad guy's trying to take him out as revenge for a previous mission and to keep him from interfering in detonating Soviet Era nukes on US soil. Unfortunately for them, Gil has already been called in and their assassination attempts quickly ...more

The book begins with a nuclear suitcase bomb being smuggled into America through a tunnel under the border between Mexico and the U.S. The smugglers detonate the bomb in the tunnel when they find out they have been discovered. Most of the devastation was kept in the immediate area but the radiation spreads over much of New Mexico. Then the government learns there is a second bomb somewhere in the U.S. and the search is on. At this point retired Navy Seal sniper Gil Shannon and his team are recal
...more

A book that was fine for comfort reading. Pure unadulterated brain candy. A very comforting plot where you know that the good guys are going to win in the end and the only question is how long it will take and how it will go.
Positives:
a) An acknowledgement that war gets pretty ugly and that the rule books get tossed out of the window when situations are dangerous.
b) The heroes do get hurt, to a point at least.
Negatives:
a) The writing was a little cliched at times.
b) Characters were boring as he ...more
Positives:
a) An acknowledgement that war gets pretty ugly and that the rule books get tossed out of the window when situations are dangerous.
b) The heroes do get hurt, to a point at least.
Negatives:
a) The writing was a little cliched at times.
b) Characters were boring as he ...more

Another enjoyable read by Scott McEwen. While the story does take a long time to get going, it's fast-paced and suspenseful throughout. The main character is basically Jason Bourne without the amnesia, but I enjoyed him nonetheless. There are parts of the story that tickle the ol' Murica bone for sure.
I still think the author could tone it down a bit with the name dropping. Do I need to know that one guy is carrying a Sig while another guy is carrying a Beretta? Do I care that the cop has a Sur ...more
I still think the author could tone it down a bit with the name dropping. Do I need to know that one guy is carrying a Sig while another guy is carrying a Beretta? Do I care that the cop has a Sur ...more

I liked this book almost as much as McEwen's first effort. There were some slow points about 1/3 to 1/2 way in, but there is enough interesting action and intrigue to keep the reader turning pages. Admittedly, this is the escapist style of fiction I tend to enjoy so I'll probably read the next two books in the series. Without a military background, I have little frame of reference for the veracity or accuracy of the operational language and narration, but the plot is interesting enough, as it wa
...more

Was really excited to when I saw that Scott was writing this book. Having loved the first Gil Shannon book, I hoped that Scott could do a follow up that was just as good. He did! The storyline is believable, the characters are given the chance to be an integral part of the story and not just filler.
Thanks Scott for another great book! Can't wait for the next one. ...more
Thanks Scott for another great book! Can't wait for the next one. ...more

I hated putting this book down. Better than the first book in the series (which I really enjoyed). Authors really know these characters. Better action, better thrills, just BETTER. If you like action packed shoot'em ups get this book and series. Can't wait to read the next installments! Good stuff, Maynard!
...more

After the first book of the series, I probably set my expectations a little bit too high. I didn't enjoy this novel as much as I enjoyed One Way Trip.
...more
...more

Second books in a series can be difficult and tough sometimes. Your have your reader all hype up, one clicking into buy the next installment and then BAM either you make it and they love it, or they just plain use the quitter strip (a.k.a. a bookmark) and they take forever to finish reading it.
I was introduced to all the wonderful characters in this series on book #4 and I just had to know how it all had begun... so I went lookin for book #1 and loved it... then came one-click buying my way to ...more
I was introduced to all the wonderful characters in this series on book #4 and I just had to know how it all had begun... so I went lookin for book #1 and loved it... then came one-click buying my way to ...more

A very good book that delves deep into the logistics, machinery and the politics of military actions. The story is solid as it is also a continuation of the first book in the series. The characters are also very good. There are a ton of characters here, the author duo manages to make almost every one distinctive and with background. The weakest part of the book are settings which can leave one lost. There are scenes in a Las Vegas hotel room that give little indication of the light show and 24 h
...more

This sequel begins right where the prior book left off. It follows a Chechen fighter released from Guantánamo Bay and is a mix of SEALs, terrorists, politics and spies – as well as a mythical (hopefully) nuclear 'suitcase bomb'. It's an OK story – typical of the genera. … though, I must admit to being uncomfortable reading that former SEALs – these HEROES – might steal from drug dealers and other very bad guys (which, of course, certainly deserve what they get).
A definitive takeaway from this bo ...more
A definitive takeaway from this bo ...more

Top notch. Fast paced with plenty of action, interesting characters and a strong story. The good guys are a group of misfit black op soldiers that the administration would just as soon disavow. They are led by Pope and Stratton who are willing to break the rules in a crisis situation. The author provides touches of humor along with the mayhem and perhaps best of all he creates strong female characters which you don't often find in this genre. If your a fan of Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, Stephen Leat
...more

Scott McEwen balances grittiness, realism with fantastic action that made this an absolutely enjoyable page-turner. The short chapters create a break-neck pacing that will have you finishing this book in one or two sittings.
My favourite part of the story was Marie's challenges, we now know that Gil & Marie are cut from the same cloth. I would love to see how this changes Marie in the long term, so hopefully that is picked upon in future novels.
...more
My favourite part of the story was Marie's challenges, we now know that Gil & Marie are cut from the same cloth. I would love to see how this changes Marie in the long term, so hopefully that is picked upon in future novels.
...more

Great counterterrorism novel. Gill and his fellow ST6Black team rush to prevent a second suitcase nuke from going off. Help and hinderances come from all quarters. The fight is intense, the intrigue and politicing is equally intense and rules are going out the window as the situation is unpresidented in US history. There's always more CT stories then anyone would ever read, but, this one (and series) is among the top tier.
...more

Outstanding reading
After reading the reading other three books in the series and after reviewing the reviews both pro and con for this book I was curious to know if the book was good or bad. After reading Target America, I was pleased that I ignored the negative reviews and purchased the book. Once started, it was hard to put it down and finished reading it in two days. This is an excellent series of you are military and like action.
After reading the reading other three books in the series and after reviewing the reviews both pro and con for this book I was curious to know if the book was good or bad. After reading Target America, I was pleased that I ignored the negative reviews and purchased the book. Once started, it was hard to put it down and finished reading it in two days. This is an excellent series of you are military and like action.

Oct 20, 2017
Andrew
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2017,
military-fiction
Fast-moving plot featuring Gil Shannon and a team of off-the-books special operators trying to locate a nuclear weapon that's set to be detonated by Chechen terrorists on American soil. A great, oft-violent thriller.
...more

Thought provoking
Reading this novel, knowing it could happen and probably will happen, scares the he'll out of me. I hope it this ever happens, that we have the people with the guts to overcome these terrorists. ...more
Reading this novel, knowing it could happen and probably will happen, scares the he'll out of me. I hope it this ever happens, that we have the people with the guts to overcome these terrorists. ...more

Feb 11, 2018
Kirk G. Meyer
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction-for-fun
A true thriller
A true thriller in every sense. Non stop action from the beginning to the end. Well written and researched novel that delivers another great story.
A true thriller in every sense. Non stop action from the beginning to the end. Well written and researched novel that delivers another great story.
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Scott McEwen is a trial attorney in San Diego, California. He grew up in the mountains of Eastern Oregon where he became an Eagle Scout; hiking, fishing, and hunting at every opportunity presented. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Oregon and thereafter studied and worked extensively in London, England. Scott works with and provides support for several military charitable organizations, incl
...more
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Sniper Elite
(4 books)
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