The sixth novel by Lee Child to feature Jack Reacher, the 'dyed-in-the-wool American hero', ex- military policeman (MP) turned- drifter and hitchhiker. In Without Fail, Reacher is hired to find the person who's trying to kill the Vice-President of the USA. As with all the Reacher novels, it's written in the first-person, allowing us the perfect perspective (Reacher's) on the other characters and on the business of crime-solving. Lee Child's novels are half crime, half thriller, since they have far more fast-paced action scenes, and far more hi-tech weapons, than your average police investigation novel. They also boast extremely well-crafted plots, with a huge amount of red herrings being put in along the way, and excellent twists in which the culprit is revealed to be someone completely unexpected. Reacher is the archetypal 'tough guy', a 'self-righteous &$#%' who uses cold, hard logic to figure things out, a lifetime of military experience to get through sticky situations, and formidable muscle when all else fails. If you want a couldn't-give-a-crap, cool-as-they-come investigator, a well-written plot, and top-notch action scenes, then Without Fail is for you. I also recommend all the other Jack Reacher novels, including: Tripwire; The Visitor; Echo Burning; and the latest, Persuader. I haven't read Child's first two novels, Killing Floor and Die Trying, but I'd sure like to and I reckon you'll want to as well.
Author: Lee Child
Year published: 2002
Filed in: Crime