Rating: 
Summary: A solid thriller with moments of greatness
Review: This was my first Stephen Hunter book & I read it because Stephen King listed it in "On Writing" among the best books he'd read over the last three or four years. "Dirty White Boys" is grippingly paced, best read in one or two sittings to get the full effect of the fast-paced action. Lamar Pye, Bud Pewtie and Richard Peed are extremely well drawn for such a fast-paced book. I found Odell unconvincing, even a bit silly. Among the lesser characters, I especially liked Lt. C.D. Henderson. What bothered me about an otherwise fine violent action thriller was having my willing suspension of disbelief so exploited at times, especially over the issue of Bud Pewtie's considerable injuries & his repeated ability to get back up & plunge into another fight, which reminded me of bad horror movies where the bad guy keeps getting back up again and again every time we think he's dead. That said, the book is thoroughly entertaining if you don't mind violent sociopathy.
Rating: 
Summary: "Boys" keeps you on the edge of your seat!
Review: "Dirty White Boys", technically the second novel in Stephen Hunter's Bob Lee Swagger epic, keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. Although reader's will not fully understand the novel without first enjoying Hunter's "Point of Impact", it is still a wonderfull storyline simply to read on it's own. Although extremely graphic and violent, the book kept me spellbound until reading the final page. One of the greatest aspects of Hunter's style is his outright refusal to make any of his villians completely morally bankrupt and his unwillingness to make any hero without faults. Lamar Pye is a complete criminal, perfectly psychotic and inherently violent. Still and all, you cannot bring yourself to condemn him completely, from the life he wishes he could lead to his loyalty and allegance to his band of killers. Also, the lawman Bud Pewtie is himself faulted, and is simply trying to do the right thing by bringing the escaped convicts to justice. I would recommend "Dirty White Boys" to any serious reader, but should first say you should start with "Point of Impact", read "Boys" and then finish with "Black Light". The novels are all masterfully interwoven, although each has their own characters to assist the plot and make the storylines all the more masterful. For a wonderful and wild ride, read all of these books. Stephen Hunter never dissapoints.
Rating:
Summary: Violent yet lyrical
Review: I picked this up again after hearing an interview one morning recently driving to work between Tony Kornheiser and Mr. Hunter. This is is first Hunter novel I read albeit some years ago, and it still maintained that breathy, scary look beneath a rock. Hunter's able to conjure up that fear you had as a young kid about things that go bump in the night in places you wish your parents hadn't left you.The book is about a jailbreak and the relentless pursuit by a lawman. The convicts are evil and the lawman is heroic . . . not. The chase is violent, strewn with errors of judgment, passionalte and frightful. The best thing about Hunter's characters is that heroes are flawed and villains, well they have hopes and dreams, too. This is not unlike some of the characters in George Pelecanos' Washington D.C., and an argument could be made in the same manner for Jimmy and Sean, two boyhood friends on either side of the law in Lehane's masterpiece, "Mystic River." The point is we all get a little tired of the 'Wyatt Earp as an avenging angel and Ike Clanton as the personification of evil' atypical description of the good guys versus the bad guys. Humans aren't at all like that, at least the ones most of us know, and we tire of reading about people that couldn't exist. Good writing; very violent; noble in a raw sort of way. 5 stars. Larry Scantlebury
Rating:
Summary: Great action story that avoids all the tired cliches.
Review: This was the first Stephen Hunter novel I read and it immediately made me go out and get as many of his other books as I could find. This is a riveting story that thrills and entertains without falling into the usual cliches so many other authors resort to.
There is a razor sharp line that divides the good guys from the bad guys. At times you don't know who to root for. If you are new to Stephen Hunter, I envy you. Although his books are good enough to read more than once, there is nothing quite like reading a great book for the first time.
Let me give you a bit of advice: some of Hunter's earlier works were very disappointing. I guess he was still trying to find his voice. Avoid TAPESTRY OF SPIES. THE SECOND SALADIN and THE MASTER SNIPER are good but don't compare to his later work. The DAY BEFORE MIDNIGHT was very good and I highly reccomend it. I suggest reading the following in this order: DIRTY WHITE BOYS, POINT OF IMPACT, BLACK LIGHT, A TIME TO HUNT. Enjoy!!
Rating:
Summary: "Boys" keeps you on the edge of your seat!
Review: "Dirty White Boys", technically the second novel in Stephen Hunter's Bob Lee Swagger epic, keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. Although reader's will not fully understand the novel without first enjoying Hunter's "Point of Impact", it is still a wonderfull storyline simply to read on it's own. Although extremely graphic and violent, the book kept me spellbound until reading the final page. One of the greatest aspects of Hunter's style is his outright refusal to make any of his villians completely morally bankrupt and his unwillingness to make any hero without faults. Lamar Pye is a complete criminal, perfectly psychotic and inherently violent. Still and all, you cannot bring yourself to condemn him completely, from the life he wishes he could lead to his loyalty and allegance to his band of killers. Also, the lawman Bud Pewtie is himself faulted, and is simply trying to do the right thing by bringing the escaped convicts to justice. I would recommend "Dirty White Boys" to any serious reader, but should first say you should start with "Point of Impact", read "Boys" and then finish with "Black Light". The novels are all masterfully interwoven, although each has their own characters to assist the plot and make the storylines all the more masterful. For a wonderful and wild ride, read all of these books. Stephen Hunter never dissapoints.
Rating:
Summary: Rollicking Read!
Review: Not of the caliber of Point of Impact, but still a rollicking read. Typical Stephen Hunter and worth reading. Probably closer to a 3 and 1/2 star to be concise.
Rating:
Summary: Down and dirty...
Review: This is the first of Stephen Hunter's books that I've read and it remains a vivid experience years later. Hunter brings all his characters to life, especially the monstrous Lamar Pye, a conscienceless killer who, along with his mentally slow, but physically imposing cousin Odell, form a two-man wrecking crew. Lamar and Odell break out of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary with a third inmate, a weak-kneed felon with an impressive artistic talent, who seeks protection from Lamar. The three escaped cons cut a wide, violent swath across the southwest, dogged by Oklahoma State Trooper Bud Pewtie who'd almost been killed by Lamar Pye earlier and is determined to bring both Lamar and Odell to justice. Where Hunter's story differs from the normal 'cops and robbers' fare is that he doesn't charicature Lamar and Odell. Lamar is portrayed with pathos as a loser who never stood a chance, clinging to an idealized view of what a family is and what right and wrong are, completely unaware of how twisted his vision is. Hunter delivers an unflinching view of a socio-path's mind and the strange bond of violence that tie both Lamar and Odell to Bud Pewtie in a death dance of retribution. Not only is this a terrific story it's an unforgettable one as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Stick with "Swagger" Novels
Review: I prefer the Swagger novels to this. It was readable but did not give me the same satisfaction as Hunter's other books.
Rating:
Summary: Raw and absorbing
Review: From the first line of Dirty White Boys, it's obvious this book is not for everyone. It is full of incredible violence, bloodshed, and profanity. It also has a peculiar raw power. Ruthless Lamar Pye, his mentally handicapped cousin Odell, and a spineless intellect named Richard Peed have broken out of prison, murdering three people on their way. Bud Pewtie, an Oklahoma State Trooper, is already deep in a relationship with his partner, Ted's, wife when he and Ted are called to help search for the convicts. Inevitably, the two groups meet. Ted and Bud encounter far more than they're ready for, but so does Lamar, and the result is ... Dirty White Boys. Stephen Hunter did a remarkable job with this book. It is very well written, fast-paced, and absorbing. It is not without flaws -- I found the brief paragraphs from Odell's perspective hard to believe at best, and from my experience working with mentally handicapped people, I know they can often tell right from wrong as well as the rest of us, even if they go about it a bit differently -- still, the characters in Dirty White Boys are not stereotyped. The bad guys are not all bad, the good guys not all good, and the results are woven seemlessly together. An excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: Lamar Pye is Bob Swagger gone bad.
Review: "Dirty White Boys" is a real page turner... I couldn't put it down. I've read all of Hunter's Bob Swagger novels too, and definitely think this one should be considered part of the Swagger series. Now, about Lamar Pye, he's bad to the bone, but I still ended up rooting for him more and more as the book progressed. (Hope it's okay to root for the "bad guy" in a work of fiction.) Lamar is loyal to his own (unlike his nemesis, Bud), and, in a twisted sort of way, an honorable man... in fact, he reminded me a lot of Bob Swagger... but guess there's a good reason for that.
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