No Plan B by Lee ChildMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is #27 in the Jack Reacher series, and the third book written by both Lee Child and Andrew Child.
I'm giving it 3 1/2 stars, but rounding it down to 3 stars. Jack Reacher just hasn't been the same since Andrew Child was added as a co-writer. The books have just lost their spark, their humor, and the look inside Reacher's mind as he assesses a situation, tries to figure out his next step, or just passes the time listening to the music in his head. The books have just become very clinical and formulaic, with nothing to set them apart from other middle-of-the-road mystery/suspense/thrillers.
Reacher is still there to save the day for the underdog(s) and right the wrongs of the bad guys. However there were many different story lines in this book, and it took me until at least the 50% mark to actually figure out who the characters were and what they were doing. And it wasn't until the very end that all the story lines came together and were tied up in a neat little bow, thanks to Reacher. There is still plenty of of the typical Reacher violence, but there were some scenes in this book that I thought went much too far.
I'm always hopeful that the next book in the series will bring back the Reacher we all know and love. And in the meantime, I'm looking forward to season 3 of the Prime Video streaming series Reacher starring Alan Ritchson, tentatively scheduled for early 2025. It is based on #7 in the series, Persuader.
Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.
View all my reviews
