There is a rogue, American-trained sniper tearing up the Mexican countryside – and, more importantly, the country’s political landscape – in Scott McEwen and Thomas Koloniar’s latest Sniper Elite novel, Ghost Sniper. On the surface – hell, the cover illustration is a close-up of an enhanced sniper rifle – you might expect this will be a story that glorifies horrific gun violence. And while the violence is brutal, it isn’t celebrated at all. The fast-moving story is one of good vs. evil and many shades of dirty grey, all of them leading back to the CIA. SCOTT McEWEN podcast excerpt: "One of my most vivid memories of Chris Kyle is just how humble a guy he really was. And how much he loved to joke around and shoot the breeze with people. He was just a normal guy; a very intense warrior, but one of the funnest guys I ever drank with in my life." If you like tales of international espionage and psychological warfare, it’s hard to beat the power of Ghost Sniper. As for Scott McEwen, who is joining me today, he is a San Diego trial attorney who made his name in books as the late Chris Kyle’s co-author on the #1 New York Times bestseller American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History. (You may have seen the film version of American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper as Kyle, and directed by Clint Eastwood.) Incidentally, a feature film based on Sniper Elite is currently in the works. SCOTT McEWEN podcast excerpt: "Gil Shannon is going through a crossroads in his life. At the beginning of the 'Sniper Elite' series, he's with his wife. And now, he's lost his way... Men go through these things. His wife said to him, 'Look, when you're ready to stop chasing bad guys all over the world, then I'm ready to be with you. But until you're ready, I can't live this life anymore, waiting for the telephone call, not knowing if you're going to live or die.'" Key interview moments: • 14:17 Ghost Sniper novelist Scott McEwen talks about the future of his anti-hero, Gil Shannon; • 26:00 A progress report on the first 'Sniper Elite' film, coming from Sony; • 33:00 McEwen remembers his friend, Chris Kyle, with whom he co-authored the bestselling memoir, American Sniper. Scott McEwen • • •