Bad Luck and Trouble

- by Lee Child

Jack Reacher is an ex-military US army major, hitch hiking his way through the United States of America, to whichever place he thinks up next. With toothbrush, passport and a recently acquired ATM debit card, Reacher has minimal luggage and is always on the go. No permanent address, no phone, no email, he is as close to being untraceable on the planet as one can get. So, when tracked down by his past unit member, Frances Neagley, with a distress code that few in the world could understand, he immediately responds.

Back in his military days, Reacher was the head of a special investigative unit in the military, the Special Investigators. He hand picked eight members, who were the best the army could offer, and together they worked as a team to bring the bad guys down.So, when someone from this unit calls for help, it sure as hell is not for finding lost keys!

When he meets Frances Neagley in LA, she shows him an autopsy report of Calvin Franz, who was part of their unit. He was tortured and thrown out of the helicopter when alive, left as coyote food. His death has been brutal and vicious. She wants him to put the old unit back together to avenge Calvin Franz's death.

"You do not mess with the special investigators", was their tagline. But, now, someone did and in a gruesome way. And someone has to pay!

Reunited with survivors of his old unit, Reacher sets about hunting down the perpetrators. Trusting one another as they once did, not so long ago, they retrace the steps of Calvin Franz, only to find that they are facing something much bigger than avenging their own. What will they do?

Lee Child has done a phenomenal job of showcasing Jack Reacher, with a flare unmatched in crime thrillers, as yet. He weaves a web of suspense that leaves you breathless. He kicks up the adrenaline a notch, with every turning page. And he ties up the tale with a fascinating ending that leaves you in awe. He does not disappoint with this one. It is written with precision and dexterity well known to all his fans.

For me, personally, Jack Reacher is an enigma. For a while now, Reacher is shown as a drifter with his set of morales and a simple rule: You mess with me, you get what you get! He retaliates with precision and with a menace unmatched and unparalleled. And he delivers, every time.

However this novel is different to others, in that it is emotional or as close to emotional as Reacher could get. Military was an integral part of his life for a very long time. And the camaraderie he had with his Special Investigative team is more than that of his family loyalty. They believed in a code and they had each others back. And when someone messes with one of them, they would be dead men walking, as simple as that.

"You don’t throw my friends out of helicopters and live to tell the tale." - Jack Reacher.
That guy, I tell you, he tingles my spine and warms my heart. This is one book, you do not want to miss.

Happy Reading, fella readers!!