Lee Child’s book, “One Shot, a Jack Reacher novel”, is a book you won’t want to put down and is a great read, but it is time to ask why this formula has worked so well over 20++ books? How does this big tough guy, who wanders the country, deals with bad guys and beautiful women, continue to resonate with what seems to be the same old plot?
Reacher now seems so familiar to us that he is like a family member we know very well. We look forward to finding out what our friend is up to now but is the same old plot? Yes and no. It is the same old Reacher but what is surprising is that the plots continue to surprise us in the twists and turns they take, and they continue to be exciting fast paced. You don’t see what is coming.
By comparison I have put down a Steven King novel because I could see exactly what was coming and just wasn’t ready to deal with it. One time it was a couple of months before I wanted to go back, but I did go back. King is still a favorite, but Child’s plots are indeed canny.
Reacher sees the news on TV and learns of the Friday Night Massacre sniper attack and he decides to go to Indiana where James Barr, a former Army Infantry sniper has been arrested for killing 5 people insisting he’s the wrong man: His only request is to “Get Jack Reacher for me.” Barr knew of Reacher when he was in the army year ago.
Barr may want to have Reacher found but that is odd since Barr had been involved in an identical crime back years ago in the military and Reacher wants to make sure that he is convicted of the murders this time. The facts of the crime are solid, and the only real question is how was it possible that Barr didn’t commit the crime as he claimed?
Innocent people are killed, Reacher is framed, and as the police turn against him he goes underground vowing revenge.
O yes, by the way, a beautiful woman from his military past shows up, of course.
You really don’t know for sure who the puppet master, #1 bad guy really is until the end. Another good read. Can Lee Child keep this series going?
