Sniper Elite: One Way Trip

A Novel

By: Scott McEwen, Thomas Koloniar

Narrated by: Brian Hutchison

Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

From the coauthor of the number-one New York Times best-selling American Sniper, this "inspired by true events" thriller follows one of America’s most lethal snipers as he leads the rescue of a downed female Special Ops pilot.

The President of the United States can’t decide how to respond to a classified video showing the Taliban’s brutal treatment of their captive - a female helicopter pilot of the Army’s elite Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Afraid that a botched rescue will further destabilize foreign policy and end his presidency, the Commander-in-Chief falters. But when the Special Ops community learns that one of their own is being tortured and will almost certainly be killed, no executive order will stop them from attempting a rescue mission.

In direct defiance of the President’s orders, Navy SEAL sniper Gil Shannon launches an audacious mission with the support of elite soldiers and an enigmatic government figure, to infiltrate the tribal faction holding the captured pilot. A pulse-pounding battle ensues, pitching the entire force of the Taliban against the fearless and heroic American sniper. Packed with blistering action and real-life combat scenes, Sniper Elite: One Way Trip will pin you to the edge of your seat until the very last sentence.

©2013 Scott McEwen & Thomas Koloniar (P)2013 Simon & Schuster

I NEED A CIGARETTE!

Where does Sniper Elite: One Way Trip rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Pretty damn high. I've only listened to a little over a hundred audio books but I would definitely put "Sniper Elite" in the top 10. What a ride! This is one of the best action thrillers I've listened to. I think it's one, maybe two cuts above the "Gray Man" series by Mark Greany if that matters to you guys at all.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Gil Shannon would be my favorite character. Not only is he a military bad ass who will disobey orders to save one of his own, he's also a down-to-earth country boy who's kinda shy. I guess he's got the duel personality thing going on.

What does Brian Hutchison bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Well, he brings excitement to the story that I probably wouldn't get if i read it myself. I tell you what, he did a really good job with the voices of the different characters of the story(especially Gil). I have no complaints with his narration.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, this book had non-stop action with a great story arc but, you know, I have to work and do other stuff too. I wanted to listen to it in one sitting,sh*t ya.

Any additional comments?

not really.

This Book's WOW for Military Action and Heroics!

There is not a single slow moment in this book. The situations and characters are believable. The basic story line- feckless political leaders and an evil enemy will make ones' blood boil. The final confrontation (actually all of the heroic military action) is completely unrealistic - BUT it sure is enjoyable and exciting. The story is written in a crisp style. The dialogue, while a bit crude (you won't listen to this one with small kids in the car) fits the situation and adds to the tension and color of the characters. The military technical details are well explained and not overdone. They add greatly to the mental picture the book evokes. It was a great twist to have an Afghan hero(s). The twist at the end, in my opinion, elevated the story and underscored the personal commitment of the heroes and small mindedness of the politicians. If you like action and lots of wasted bad guys - this is for you.

This Book Will Grab You

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Scott McEwen has delivered an action packed story that, as written, is believable, given the short forward in the book. Brian Hutchison does a wonderful narration with excellent accents and voice inflections. This is a must own book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sniper Elite: One Way Trip?

When Gil's wife explains to him why she is so proud of him, and ...the last few lines of the book. :-)

What does Brian Hutchison bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Brian really does give the characters a 3-D feel my head that is usually lost on interpretive scenes. It's the way my head works...

If you could rename Sniper Elite: One Way Trip, what would you call it?

Sniper Elite: One Way Trip

Any additional comments?

When is Scotts other books coming to Audible?

excellent thriller!

What made the experience of listening to Sniper Elite: One Way Trip the most enjoyable?

really good satisfying story from start to finish, you can visualize this being made into a film with all the locations and characters different settings, couldnt stop listening once i was in the middle of the book

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

yes, very much, I've listened to a few of the similar genre but i found this story to be really compelling, lots of suspense in the afghani villages and wondering how Gil would get out of there alive

Have you listened to any of Brian Hutchison’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Brian Hutchison did a great job of bringing these characters to life, there are so many, from all the navy seals, the hero, Gil, the guys in the speacial ops, the CIA, all of the afghani characters too. REally good narration and creating characters in the book.

Who was the most memorable character of Sniper Elite: One Way Trip and why?

Gil, as the hero was great, i also liked his translator, who comes across as a really good guy who is torn between helping Gil and his family in one of the Villages they are infiltrating. Also like Badeera the woman who was looking after Sandra when she is injured before they try rescuing her.

Any additional comments?

Really solid all the way around, i look forward to more of these mckewen/ Kolonair books, with the same narrator, its a home run for this genre.

Do NOT drive and listen to this!

Which character – as performed by Brian Hutchison – was your favorite?

EVERY Character. This was likely the best reading performance I have ever listened to. Hutchison does a masterful job of adding just enough drawl, dialect, and accent to give every character, even fleeting and insignificant ones, flavor and uniqueness. At the same time, he does not overwhelm or impede either the story or the listener’s immersion in it. In short: Amazing and unequaled.

If you could take any character from Sniper Elite: One Way Trip out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Pick any one of the special forces characters, the commanding general, the Afghani interpreter... if they were real, I do not know of any American male over say 15 years old that would not want to spend a half hour just listening to any of the characters. Therein lies the rub: Save your money, people like that do not go to dinner with anyone that would be in awe of them nor do they generally speak about what they did or do. So, dinner with any of the "good guys" in this book would likely be very boring for your average human.

Any additional comments?

This is without question one of if not THE best audiobook I have ever listened to. When I say do not operate a car or heavy machinery while listening to this book, it is because I seriously fear for your safety and that of those around you. This book is so absorbing, the performance so flawless, you will absolutely get transported to the mountains of Afghanistan making a nightly commute along Highway Whatever a bit dicey. The story is both simple and complex. Simple: A female Special Forces helicopter pilot is shot down in the mountainous and extremely lawless area of Northern Afghanistan. When she is raped and tortured and the video of the unspeakable assault is delivered to the American intelligence community, the Special Forces warriors from the special ops group that she is attached to, mount an "Unauthorized" rescue which no one, including the President can make them abort.Complex: The behind the scenes political fence sitting and posturing by the safe and never endangered Washington types is so intricate in calculation that it just has to be real life. Thankfully, that part is relatively brief and only appears in a quantity necessary to raise the listener’s blood pressure about 20 points. The true complexity is in the rescue missions development, planning, execution and evolution as the special forces guys hack their way through problems and the inevitable "plans turned to *@#% " as they attempt to save their sister in arms. This is truly an amazing book that will leave you hoping that all of the characters are in fact real and that this is the fictionalized account of true American Exceptionalism.

Enjoying the whole series

I like the hero, I like his attitude and I'm enjoying the books. I especially like it when the bad guys get what they deserve.

One hell of a ride.

Well written and read, kept me listening till the end and wanting more. This book has an excellent storyline an plenty of action.

Holy Cow!

This story was so good! Beware though once you start it you won't want to stop listening. If you are familiar at all with the military, during the last 25 minutes or so you will cry like a baby.

Brian Hutchison was Outstanding.

Would you consider the audio edition of Sniper Elite: One Way Trip to be better than the print version?

Hutchinson did a great job on all the colorful characters in this book. He is now one of me three favorite readers / narrators.
This book is in my top 10 books list.
There were some technical errors in the medical, but overall an outstanding book. I look forward to the next. with BRIAN HUTCHISON as the narrator.

Brian Hutchinson

Where does Sniper Elite: One Way Trip rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would say this book rated in the 75% range of other stories I've listened to.

What did you like best about this story?

I thought this was an overall good book. I would have probably listened to it twice except for Brian's ending of the chapters.

What about Brian Hutchison’s performance did you like?

I really liked the story but what bothered me was the way Brian ended the chapters. There was no definitive end to the chapter. It sounded like he kept reading and then in post production they inserted the next chapter number. I felt as I was missing something. It took several chapters to get beyond that feeling. It would have been so much better if Brian had ended the last sentence in the chapter more decisively.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It was not my intention to listen to it all at one time. But I did find myself not wanting to stop when I needed to.