Synopses & Reviews
Jack Reacher.The ultimate loner.
An elite ex-military cop who left the service years ago, hes moved from place to place…without family…without possessions…without commitments.
And without fear. Which is good, because troublebig, violent, complicated troublefinds Reacher wherever he goes. And when trouble finds him, Reacher does not quit, not once…not ever.
But some unfinished business has now found Reacher. And Reacher is a man who hates unfinished business.
Ten years ago, a key investigation went sour and someone got away with murder. Now a chance encounter brings it all back. Now Reacher sees his one last shot. Some would call it vengeance. Some would call it redemption. Reacher would call it…justice.
From the Hardcover edition.
Review
"[R]eaders will be hard-pressed to find a more engaging thriller this spring season....Any thriller fan who has yet to read Lee Child should start now." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Child deserves to be galloped through because his writing is exuberant, ebullient and exciting." Los Angeles Times
Review
"Wily plotting, swift pacing, mordant wit: Child is one skillful writer." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
The ultimate loner.
An elite ex-military cop who left the service years ago, he's moved from place to place
without family...without possessions...without commitments.
And without fear. Which is good, because trouble big, violent, complicated trouble finds Reacher wherever he goes. And when trouble finds him, Reacher does not quit, not once...not ever.
But some unfinished business has now found Reacher. And Reacher is a man who hates unfinished business.
Ten years ago, a key investigation went sour and someone got away with murder. Now a chance encounter brings it all back. Now Reacher sees his one last shot. Some would call it vengeance. Some would call it redemption. Reacher would call it...justice.
About the Author
Lee Child is the author of eleven Jack Reacher thrillers, including The New York Times bestsellers Persuader, the Barry Award Winner The Enemy, and One Shot, which has been optioned for a major motion picture by Paramount Pictures. His debut, Killing Floor, won both the Anthony and the Barry Awards for Best First Mystery. Foreign rights in the Jack Reacher series have sold in more than 40 territories. Child, a native of England and former television writer, lives in New York City and France, where he is at work on his next thriller, which Delacorte will publish in 2008.
Author Q&A
Meet Jack Reacher. The fictional hero created by author Lee Child. Reacher is a man of equal part brains and brawn. Millions of readers worldwide who have already discovered Child's novels know that after just one chapter of one book, you're hooked. Young and old, male and female, from every step on the social ladder and every side of the political spectrum, Lee Child's page-turners attract everybody. So what's the inside scoop? We went directly to author Lee Child to find out.
It's been boasted that the Lee Child reader runs the gamut. Is it true?
Absolutely! Having met a ton of fans and read even more letters, I'm proud to say that my readers come from all walks of life. In fact, one day's mail brought notes from a 10-year-old boy and a 100-year-old woman. I've heard from former President Bill Clinton ("I love Jack Reacher") as well as Newt Gingrich ("The finest adventure fiction being written in America today"). I've autographed books for people who rushed out to buy them the day they went on sale, and from others who had copies pushed upon them by friends saying, "trust me, just read it."
So, what do you think makes them so popular?
Two words: Jack Reacher. Reacher is a drifter and a loner with a strong sense of justice. He shows up, he acts, he moves on. He's the type of hero that has a long literary history. Robin Hood, the Lone Ranger, Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings, Jack Reacher—they're all part of the same heroic family. Reacher just ratchets it up a notch. Maybe more than a notch.
Your new paperback, Persuader, is a great introduction to Reacher. And talk about ratcheting it up! This novel certainly does that.
Thanks! I didn't think of the book as a character introduction—after all, this is his seventh appearance––but it seems to be working that way. Reacher is an interesting guy. He’s a self-reliant ex-military cop. He has no possessions, no commitments, no family. He enjoys his solitude, but he worries about loneliness. He's brave, for sure—like many military people are—but more than that he's committed to doing what's right. That's an important part of his character. He's tough and ruthless and he breaks the rules, but his heart is in the right place. First-time readers will see that in the very first chapter of Persuader––here, he's hunting a man who wronged him ten years ago. Not a smart move on that guy's part.
What motivates you when writing these thrillers? Is there any single piece of the process to which you give "extra" attention?
As for motivation, deep down, I think we all enjoy the same things. First and foremost, I write what I want to read, and I've found that it's what others want to read too. For an "extra" push, I work really hard on the openings. They're very important. The first line, the first paragraph, the first page … they're make-or-break. My attitude is that it's the author who should do the work. The reader is there for the ride. If at the end, the reader doesn’t think "Man, that was some ride," I think I've failed.
Your strategy certainly works; you had us hooked! We defy anybody to reach the end of chapter one in Persuader and not stay up all night reading. How do you follow up a book like that?
Well, Reacher fans always have two questions: What made him the way he is? And what on earth was he like way back when he was still in the Army? So the next book––The Enemy (hardcover 5/11/04)––is set in the past, when Jack Reacher was a younger man, still an M.P. The Enemy answers those questions.