Monday, December 1, 2014

Personal

Child, Lee. Personal. New York: Delacorte. 2014. Print.


First Sentences:

Eight days ago my life was an up and down affair.

Some of it good. Some of it not so good. Most of it uneventful. Long slow periods of nothing much, with occasional bursts of something. Like the army itself. Which is how they found me. You can leave the army, but the army doesn't leave you. Not always. Not completely.










Description:

For anyone who has never read a Jack Reacher thriller by Lee Child, his newest novel, Personal, is a great place to start. Not too violent, clever story, strong female character, and of course, the fiercely independent, indestructible Reacher leading the way against the bad guys.

Reacher, a former ex-army Military Police major, now wanders the country with a toothbrush as his only possession, not seeking adventures, just traveling. The adventures and evil-does seem to find him. 

Here's the event that pulls Reacher this time from his aimless wandering. During a public appearance in Paris by the president of France, during his speech a high caliber bullet strikes the protective glass. Although the president is unharmed, the incident naturally throws security guards into a frenzy. The reason? They figure the bullet was fired from over 1400 meters away, an incredibly long-distance shot from a high-powered rifle handled by an expert. Such an assassin from this distance would be impossible to guard against in the future. But was this an actual assassination attempt or merely a dry run for a real shooting of another world leader attending an upcoming G8 conference  in London?

Security minds from different countries determine that only four men worldwide have the skill for this audacious shooting. The US candidate has just been released from prison after 15 years. The kicker is he was caught by an army MP, Jack Reacher. This sharpshooter is not only a dangerous threat to the conference attendees but probably holds a personal grudge against his captor.

Reacher gets involved when contacted by the US special forces. His assignment is to find this man he imprisoned and prevent him from assassinating another world leader. But Reacher feels his own real role might just be as the bait to bring the sniper out of hiding.

Along the way Reacher must deal with:
  • A female partner with anxiety pills and no field experience;
  • Special Forces agents from Russia and England who may or may not be allies;
  • Rival Vietnamese and Serbian gangs protecting their turf (and the sniper?);
  • A brutal 7-foot giant who is the boss of a London syndicate;
Reacher faces all these challenges with his usual calm, confident manner, dealing with them by intelligence, experience, common sense, and sometimes violence. He is ready for anything, a quiet Clint Eastwood figure who marches to his own beat, working with others when necessary but preferring his role as lone wolf with a strong notion of right and wrong, someone perfectly capable of putting things aright that have gone or might soon go amiss.

I love the Jack Reacher books and this one is a beaut. Not as violent as some of the other works, it still shows the taut writing and dialogue of author Child that makes this book grab you immediately until the last pages. It is a great Good vs Evil tale in the setting of military intelligence, technology, and human relationships. As a bonus, along the way you pick up fascinating tidbits from Reacher about the differences in obscure weapons, the workings of governments and the military, and the variations of human nature as they effect the possible courses of actions. 

Jack Reacher is a character that is as admirable and unique as he is imposing. There is something compelling about the idea of one man facing off alone against corruption and evil from all sides. It renews your faith that Good can actually triumph and Evil can be snuffed out, however temporarily.

Please give Lee Child and Jack Reacher a try. The novels are thrillers with crimes and violence of course, but if you don't mind that, then these are the epitome of this genre. You won't be disappointed by the plot, character, and writing style. All are A+ in my book. 

Can't wait for the next one.

Happy reading. 



Fred

If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Child, LeeThe Persuader
My favorite in the Jack Reachers series by far, where Reacher must infiltrate the isolated, heavily-guarded household of a rug dealer suspected of running drugs. Full of surprises, suspense, bad guys, and, of course, Reacher dealing with them all with calm strength and intelligence. A winner of a thriller!

Adler-Olseni, Jussi. The Keeper of Lost Causes: The First Department Q Novel
Not for the faint of heart, this thriller introduces washed-up but never retiring Carl Morck. "Promoted" to head the new Department Q (made up of only him) to solve long-cold cases, Morck takes on the disappearance of a woman politician who we learn is being held captive in an isolated area. Riveting. Forget about reading anything else once you get started.

Hayes, TerryiI Am Pilgrim: A Thriller
The best of the best in the thriller department. An American intelligence operative tries to untangle a terrorist plot to infect the United States with a deadly virus. Two men of the highest capabilities, one good and one evil, try to outwit each other and the world. The best thriller by far that I have ever read. (previously reviewed here)

No comments:

Post a Comment

Add a comment or book recommendation.