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1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
A stranger looking for ex-military cop Jack Reacher is murdered. Now Reacher follows the man's cold trail back to where he came from—and into Reacher's own haunted past.
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from June 28, 1999
      Jack Reacher, the hulking ex-soldier readers will remember from Child's first two thrillers, Die Trying and Killing Floor, can kill with his bare hands, and sports chest muscles thick enough to stop bullets. He's actually a dynamo of a character, wily in an innocent sort of way, and the anchor to one of the best new series in thriller fiction. Here, Reacher is incognito, living the life of a drifter and digging swimming pools in Key West. When a PI from New York comes looking for him, and shortly afterwards turns up dead with his fingertips sliced off, Reacher flies north and discovers that the instigator of the search is Leon Garber, his former army commanding officer. But Garber has died the day before Reacher arrives. As Reacher finds out from Jodie Jacob, Garner's beautiful attorney daughter, Garber was helping an elderly couple to locate their son, who supposedly died in a helicopter crash during the Vietnam War. The military won't confirm the death, however, or even classify the soldier as missing in action. Pursuing the search together, Reacher and Jacob narrowly escape murder attempts by a pair of dark-suited thugs who work for an evil corporate loan shark named "Hook" Hobie, who has a hideously disfigured face and a metal hook for a right hand. Hobie is harboring a terrible secret linking him to the couple's vanished son, and he'll kill anyone who tries to discover his diabolical past. A showdown between the two men is inevitable, and when it happens, it's a beaut--almost as good as Child's skillfully laid surprise ending and the crisp and original dialogue throughout. Reacher is a complex, contemplative brute whose aversion to social and material entanglements entail very peculiar habits and ideas. He never cleans his clothes, preferring to buy new ones (going to a dry cleaner implies a commitment to return); and he's spellbinding whether kicking in doors or just kicking around a thought in his brain. Literary Guild featured alternate; feature film rights for Killing Floor and the character of Jack Reacher optioned by Mark Johnson/Polygram; rights to Jack Reacher series sold to 18 countries.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Lee Child drops listeners inside a zone of suspense protected by tripwires--warning devices that alert their makers of intruders. The taut, carefully orchestrated thriller is Child's third featuring ex-military policeman Jack Reacher. Narrator Dick Hill presents an astute audio portrait of the tough, complex hero with a penchant for trouble he didn't ask for. Hill read both Child's DIE TRYING and KILLING FLOOR and his familiarity with Jack Reacher and his macho combination of heroism and good-heartedness make the listener feel just as comfortable with this intriguing series. The rich, gritty characters provide Hill with ample opportunity to make sound portraits. He's brilliant at offering the ebb and flow of danger and suspense. Talking with Lee Child, AUDIOFILE discovered the author's theatrical background in commercial TV and voice work. He takes a true professional interest in his audiobooks, but doesn't want to jump right in and read them himself. He's not even tempted, and, as he notes, his British accent isn't right at all for the solidly American characters. Child admires Dick Hill's performances and says he's gratified to have such a qualified narrator to deliver his books into audio. Listeners will likely agree. Hill captures the essence of each character yet never neglects the rich texture of detail in the narrative. Not to mention the highly charged suspense--there's no chance of missing that. R.F.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Hook Hobie is harboring a thirty-year-old secret and a multimillion-dollar swindle plan. To tamper with either could be painfully fatal. Former MP Jack Reacher may inadvertently uncover the secret as he tries to learn why the son of an elderly couple was never listed among the Vietnam dead. The plot alone keeps you on edge; Garrick Hagon's rendition of it makes the edge even sharper. A relentless but unrushed pace, outstanding portrayals of minor characters, and a truly chilling villain play off the neutral rendering of Reacher. Only Jody, Reacher's love interest, doesn't hit the mark, sounding too ingenuous for a sharp Wall Street lawyer. That tiny reservation aside, take this tape on a long car trip and enjoy! J.B.G. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

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  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

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