| Another year on and Jack Reacher is back in Lee Child's seventh
novel. This time, there's a slight difference, as Child has opted to
return to the first person narrative that we saw in 'Killing Floor',
putting us into the mind of Reacher, his compelling hero. Francis Xavier
Quinn was the worst person that Reacher had ever met, and Reacher was
glad to know that he was dead. However, outside Boston's Symphony Hall,
he sees him again, very much alive. Then, when he sees a kidnap attempt,
he takes the law into his own hands, but this time, a cop is killed.
Reacher does not stay to explain. Has he finally crossed the line,
simply because it is personal?
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| Child has undoubtedly produced another excellent plot and his
decision to go back into the first person narrative is justified, since
it allows the reader a deeper insight into the workings of Reacher's
mind, and given that this is such a personal case, it permits an
understanding that a third person narrative would not. It also makes
Reacher more human, even though he appears at his most brutal during
this novel, and allows more character development. The confrontation at
the end of the novel is much anticipated, as Child spoon-feeds the
reader with the shocking case that linked Quinn and Reacher in the past.
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| However, the denouement is over very quickly and some readers might
have liked more details and a more epic struggle. Nevertheless, this
does not detract from the rest of the book, which is fast, exciting and
everything a good thriller should be. Recently, Child's books have been
getting better and better. This one is no exception and is probably the
best Reacher book to date. Although it was hard to top 'Without Fail',
Child has managed it and 'Persuader' should have no trouble selling out.
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