No Plan B by Lee Child & Andrew Child

 

When a woman falls in front of a bus everyone is convinced she has committed suicide, apart from Jack Reacher. Reacher is convinced he witnessed someone push the woman. Local police aren't interested and this makes Reacher even more determined to find out what happened and track down the people responsible. This leads him into conflict with an organisation that run correctional facilities.

I'm a huge fan of the Jack Reacher series. I vividly remember purchasing my first book over twenty years ago. WHSmith were running one of those promotions where you could purchase three books for a set amount. I'd managed to pick five books and needed a sixth. Killing Floor had one of those handwritten shelf edge recommendations so I thought I'd give it a try. I wasn't blown away, it was ok as far as thrillers go, however my Mum loved it. I went straight out and bought the sequel, Die Trying, and that was the book that got me hooked. From that moment on I bought each new book as soon as it was published in hardback. Twenty years on and I'm still addicted but I am beginning to wonder if it's time for Reacher to settle down.

Right from the start there is a very malevolent feeling to the storyline. The opening is dark and the action is gritty, as you would expect from Reacher. The reader is immediately filled with the same questions as Reacher; what has he actually witnessed and why does someone want the woman dead? Why are the police quick to accept suicide as cause of death?

The story jumps between a wide variety of characters; the CEO of the organisation running a correctional facility, the warden of the prison, a grieving father and a teenage runaway as well as Reacher himself. It is a complete mystery until the very end as to how all of these characters are connected and this makes the story very drawn out and the pace slow.

Fans of the series will be familiar with Reacher and his background. In previous books this is explained as he offers support to whoever is in need of his help. That background detail was barely mentioned in this book and anyone new to the series might be puzzled as to the characters nature. There was also far more dialogue than action. When Reacher has to resort to physical violence we are used to his thought processes as he decides who to tackle first and how. These thought processes are sadly lacking and the degree of violence is quite gritty.

The conclusion seemed very rushed and ended quite abruptly. Overall this felt like a completely different character and series to the one I love. Maybe I have to accept that this is the direction the series is taking as Andrew Child has a greater hand in the storylines. Or maybe it's just time for Reacher to retire? Will I read another book in the series? Of course I will, I wouldn't desert Reacher.