Hot Springs (novel)
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Founder | Stephen Hunter |
| Products | Thriller novel |
Hot Springs is a thriller novel published in 2000 by Stephen Hunter, set in the aftermath of World War II in 1946 Hot Springs, Arkansas. It introduces Earl Swagger, a former Marine and Medal of Honor awardee, who confronts organized crime and corruption within the city’s gambling industry.
Plot summary
Following his receipt of the Medal of Honor in Washington, D.C., retired 1st Sergeant Earl Swagger is enlisted by Garland County district attorney Fred Becker alongside former FBI agent D. A. Parker to dismantle the gambling enterprises operating in Hot Springs. Swagger’s mission involves transforming twelve police officers into an elite unit tasked with closing down casinos, aiming to avoid bloodshed but prepared for armed conflict if required.
Upon agreeing to the assignment, Earl discovers that his wife June is expecting, heightening his concerns for personal safety. Within the team, Frenchy Short—driven yet impulsive—kills two known criminals during an assassination attempt, earning begrudging commendation. Subsequently, after unlawfully obtaining evidence by breaking into a telephone office, Frenchy is dismissed and becomes an informant for city boss Owney Maddox (a character inspired by gangster Owney Madden).
Meanwhile, Carlo Henderson, a member of the team, investigates Swagger’s background and his unexpected familiarity with Hot Springs. Henderson uncovers painful family history: Earl’s father, former sheriff Charles Swagger, suffered abuse and died under suspicious circumstances. Earl confesses to finding his father gravely wounded in Hot Springs and staging a robbery to protect reputations. Assistance comes from Sam Vincent, an assistant attorney featured in other Hunter novels.
The Arkansas governor orders the confiscation of the team’s heavy weaponry, leaving only sidearms; this leads several members to resign, reducing the group to seven. Frenchy arranges a fatal ambush set up by Maddox that kills most of the team including D. A. Parker; only Swagger and Henderson survive but are arrested and released on condition they never return.
Maddox is subsequently apprehended on charges of stolen art but is freed when assassins attack the raid party. Swagger pursues them to Hard Bargain Valley and eliminates Maddox and his associates in a violent gunfight, discovering Maddox was responsible for his father’s death.
During June’s challenging labor, Earl brings in a black doctor to assist—a decision that provokes a lynch mob outside the hospital. Armed and determined, Earl confronts the mob, which disperses peacefully. June successfully delivers their son, Bob Lee Swagger.
Other characters
The narrative features two prominent historical personalities: American gangster Bugsy Siegel, instrumental in developing Las Vegas, and his partner, Chicago Outfit courier Virginia Hill. Two additional historical figures appear briefly under implied identities: “Bill,” a screenwriter sharing a table with Humphrey Bogart, symbolizes William Faulkner, Nobel laureate turned Hollywood writer; and “Roy,” a gay pool attendant named Roy Scherer who later became Rock Hudson. Other referenced celebrities include Mickey Rooney, Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, Dick Powell, and Alan Ladd. Furthermore, Raymond Clinton, proprietor of a Hot Springs Buick dealership, alludes to Roger Clinton, stepfather of former President Bill Clinton.