Lee Child’s Jack Reacher Series

After reading the Killing Floor, the first in the Jack Reacher series, I seriously could not believe that I had never read a Lee Child book before.  I mean, here I am writing about all these great books you should try out and I had never read a Lee Child novel. For shame, for shame.  Well now I plan to rectify this by telling about an absolutely great author whom I definitely recommend.  The Killing Floor by Lee Child introduces the reader to Jack Reacher, the novel’s protagonist, an ex-military policeman travelling America trying to live “off the grid”. As Reacher passes through yet another small town, this one named Margrave, he stops at a diner to have breakfast. That is where the normalcy of recent months ends as Reacher finds the diner flooded with police all heading in his direction. Reacher is then accused of murder and begins to find himself knee deep in the unknown where he will have to use his military training and wits to claw his way out from (gee that kinda sounded good, I probably read that line somewhere and borrowed it for this little blog entry, no plagiarism intended). The Killing Floor is a mystery/thriller that I found to be a complete page turner, unlike the last few books I have read.  Maybe someday I will write about them but I have this irrational fear that the author will find out that I trashed his/her book and track me down (yes, I think myself that important).

I really liked the concept of Jack Reacher, a man just wanting to be on his own, doing his own thing, on his own time.  A man with the background and training to deal with situations you or I would find knee buckling.  Child’s writing style is great and never leaves the reader with dull moments as he introduces unexpected twists to thoroughly leave the reader captivated enough to forego sleep to read and find out what happens next. I should also mention that as of Mid June (the time I am writing this), I finished the second Reacher novel and while, in my opinion, the story wasn’t as good as the first novel, it was still very readable.  It’s always nice when you find a new author and I now have 14 more Reacher novels to read through. Please feel free to give the Reacher series a chance.

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Derek Gradner