Die Trying

I was a bit underwhelmed after reading the first book in this series, but I am happy to report that I found Die Trying much more to my liking. The action starts off immediately and keeps up its pace while managing to develop an intelligent plot involving several complex and well fleshed out characters. What's not to like?

Reacher is more impressive here than in the first book. He has stopped daydreaming about ancient blues artists and their lyrics, which was an attempt in the first book, I suppose, to give Reacher depth and complexity but ended up being just a tiny bit lame. Here he is more like a "super hero" of the Schwarzenegger, Willis, and Stallone camp. His sniping skills are preternatural (something like Mel Gibson's superhuman skills in the first Lethal Weapon movie). He knows all sorts of mind boggling ways to kill a man, to use the most innocent object with deadly intelligence. The inner dialogue of Reacher as he reasons his way through all the possiblities facing him in a difficult or life threatening situation is endlessly intriguing. And apparently Reacher can even use psychological principles to "handle" his enemies. Reacher is very smart.

Overall, Child definitely has skill. His characters are not wooden, the female love interest bits are not clunky, the action scenes flow and are exciting. Child inserts some genuinely clever plot twists and he develops Jack Reacher into a very much more formidable opponent than in the first book. Reacher is now definitely someone you do not mess with. Ever.

If you can get through the first two books then this series might turn out to be a a great source for quick, light reading where entertainment and kick-ass action of the mostly mindless sort is wanted. Perhaps a holiday read? A break between more serious literature? Just a break of the purely escapist sort? Take your pick.