Books make a great Christmas present. Maybe not for kids, unless they’re old enough to get into the Harry Potter series, but for grownups books are a good choice.

For those of the firearm and ammunition persuasion, there are a number of titles that make ideal gifts this time of year, regardless of whether it’s hardcover, paperback, Kindle, or audio.

And just like with J.K. Rowling’s Potter series, there are plenty of titles that are the first-in-a series titles filled with firearms action and gunplay to keep a shooter entertained away from the range.

Below are some authors and titles you may want to consider wrapping and placing under your tree.

Side note: While I started reading the books—mostly in hardcover—I’ve since switched to audiobooks. I’ve put a lot a miles on the road with a good audiobook as my only companion, so I’ll note the narrator where I can. Believe me, it matters.

In no particular order—but starting with my favorite…

Stephen Hunter

It was Michael Bane who introduced me to Stephen Hunter’s legendary gunman, Bob Lee Swagger, more than 20 years ago. I haven’t missed an installment of the Swagger saga since.

For the uninitiated, Hunter’s first Swagger title, Point of Impact (Amazon), is where you want to start. This is the novel the movie Shooter is based on, and I can assure you the book is far better.

Point of Impact is the entry to a rabbit hole you may never come out of. The Swagger series is strong, but two standouts—at least from my point of view—are Night of Thunder (Amazon) and The Bullet Garden (Amazon).

Night of Thunder is a fast, easy read set at a NASCAR event, with Bob Lee facing off against one of the great Southern crime families of Hunter’s creation: the Grumleys. They appear in several novels and never disappoint.

The Bullet Garden is an Earl Swagger novel—Earl being Bob Lee’s legendary WWII Marine Corps father. In this book, Earl is called into Europe on a top-secret mission to deal with enemy snipers.

Another Hunter book—outside the Swagger series—that ranks among his best is Dirty White Boys (Amazon). It’s difficult to describe in polite company, but it is raw and brutal. I once asked Stephen Hunter what inspired such a rough story. Apparently, divorce can be inspiring for a writer.

Andrews & Wilson

Definitely in the vein of Tom Clancy crossed with a healthy dose of Hunter’s Swagger swagger, Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson have three series I’ve absolutely devoured.

The first is Tier One (Amazon), the initial title in their Tier One series. The story revolves around John Dempsey, an elite Tier One SEAL who loses his entire unit in a targeted attack and returns to lead a new unit on a mission of righteous vengeance.

It’s a great military thriller, especially when Ray Porter is doing the narration, so don’t be afraid to jump into the series.

An offshoot of Tier One is Sons of Valor (Amazon). This series begins with the rebuilding of the Tier One SEAL unit lost in the John Dempsey story. It’s also narrated by Ray Porter. To stand up the new unit, Navy SEAL Keith “Chunk” Redman—who has crossed paths downrange with Dempsey—is brought in to head the Navy’s leading black-side special operations unit.

Finally, a definite departure from both Tier One and Sons of Valor, is Dark Intercept: The Shepherds Series (Amazon). A 2022 Carol Award winner and Christy Award finalist—whatever those mean, but they sound impressive—Dark Intercept took me a while to get into, but I’m glad I stuck with it.

With plenty of gunplay from high-speed, low-drag good guys, Dark Intercept is ultimately about good versus evil. Spirituality and faith are core elements in these books, but they don’t preach—they simply give you truly good guys to root for. Unlike the previous two series, this one is narrated by MacLeod Andrews.

In addition to their own titles, Andrews and Wilson have been tapped to write in the Tom Clancy universe. Executive Power (Amazon), their third Clancy title, was just released last week. As a huge fan of Clancy’s books, I’ve just started this one, narrated by Scott Brick.

Thomas Perry

Thomas Perry is a prolific author. If you’re unfamiliar with his work but have seen the FX show The Old Man, congratulations—you’re already familiar with it.

The Old Man (Amazon), narrated by Peter Berkrot, is excellent, and while the FX show is really well done, the book is even better.

However, it was The Butcher's Boy (Amazon), also recommended to me by Michael Bane, that introduced me to Perry’s story about a professional hitman raised and trained by a Pittsburgh butcher named Eddie Mastrewski. The protagonist, Michael Shaeffer, finds himself on the wrong side of his employers after taking out an elected official.

There are now four titles in this series, so if you like stories about contract killers working for organized crime families, this is a series for you. I actually met Thomas Perry at Bouchercon in Long Beach. When I asked, he told me that The Butcher’s Boy had been optioned for film and/or TV but nothing has come of it—so far. Maybe with the success of the FX show, we’ll finally see Michael Shaeffer on the small screen.

That’s enough to get you started for now. I’ll have a few more suggestions for you shortly.

– Paul Erhardt, Managing Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network