‘A Wanted Man’ is the 17th Jack Reacher book by Lee Child, but it’s the first one that I’ve read. I saw some fairly negative reviews of this book, but I really enjoyed it and can’t see what the problem is. If this is a bad Reacher book, then I can’t wait to read some good ones! It probably helps that I haven’t seen the movie and I think I’ll avoid it until I’ve read book 9 ‘One Shot’ on which it is based.
Jack Reacher is by the side of a road in Nebraska, at night, trying to hitch a ride. This is proving to be very difficult because Reacher is a 6’5” (1.96m) Gorilla with a badly broken nose. A few cars slow down but drive off quickly after checking him out. Eventually after 1 ½ hours, a car containing 2 men and a woman stops for him. There is then a long drive through the American mid-West with Reacher working out who his companions are – or at least who they appear to be.
Initially his companions appear to be work colleagues travelling on business. Reacher eventually finds out (through secret communication) that the woman – Karen Delfluenso is a cocktail waitress who has been kidnapped by the two men – Alan King and Don McQueen after they murdered a man who was probably a terrorist. But then again, maybe that’s not who any of them are after all.
Confused? The story involves FBI, CIA, State Police, Syrian terrorists, undercover agents, agents posing as terrorists and terrorists posing as agents.
Eventually Reacher is out of the car and the real action starts – the last ¼ of the book was pretty full on.
Probably my favourite characters in the book apart from Jack Reacher were Sheriff Goodman and FBI Agent Julia Sorensen (unfortunate choices). I totally loved the book and have joined the ranks of the Jack Reacher fans. So, my next Jack Reacher book will be the first in the series – ‘Killing Floor’, unless number 18 – ‘Never Go Back’ arrives first.
Book Published 2012
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