Lee Child - The Hard Way (2006)
Reviewed by David J. Montgomery
Authors are often the most successful when they find a niche that they can call their own and then regularly produce books that fill that slot. That’s not say that it isn’t rewarding to see writers work outside their comfort zone, but there is definitely something comforting in the welcome familiarity of a favorite author doing exactly what you expect them to do.
After nine well-received Jack Reacher novels in as many years, Lee Child has established his bestselling series on a very firm foundation. Readers can pick up any of the books and have a good idea of what is in store for them. They know that Reacher will perform daring acts of bravery and feats of deductive brilliance. There will be plenty of thrills and suspense. There will also be a little humor, a little sex and the best action scenes in the business.
That doesn’t mean the author has grown complacent in his work. Quite the contrary. Unlike most series that last this long, Child keeps pushing himself to accomplish new and better things, and it really shows in his tenth novel, The Hard Way. Although the last several books in the series have all been excellent, this latest one is his best novel yet.
Jack Reacher is a genuine tough guy, an ex-Army MP now living the life of a nomad, wandering the United States in search of adventure. As the story opens, Reacher is sitting in an outdoor café in New York City where he witnesses something strange. He doesn’t think much of it until he’s approached by a man asking questions. Reacher isn’t particularly interested in what the man has to say, but since he doesn’t have anything better to do he decides to play along.
Reacher quickly learns that the man is working for Edward Lane, the wealthy and secretive head of a private military corporation. Lane employees a cadre of ex-Special Forces soldiers whom he rents out to governments around the world, including our own. Not surprisingly, Lane has made some dangerous enemies along the way, one of whom has apparently kidnapped his wife and daughter. Despite the private army that he employs, Lane needs Reacher’s help to get his family back.
Reacher has always had something of the White Knight in him, and once he sees a picture of the kidnapped pair, there’s no way he can say no. The fact that Lane is offering Reacher a rich bounty if he succeeds in rescuing his wife and daughter is just icing on the cake. So Reacher takes on the mission, only to find that there is a lot going on that even he didn’t expect.
One of the ways that Child has kept his series so fresh is by varying not only the plots from book to book, but the writing style and point of view as well. Although Jack Reacher is the star of each story, the novels often vary in others details. Sometimes Reacher has a partner, sometimes he works along. Sometimes the stories are told in the first person, sometimes in the third. Child even changes the nature of the plots, going from police procedural, to investigative mystery, to action thriller.
The Hard Way most closely resembles Persuader, a previous candidate for the standout entry in the series. It is a straight-ahead, high-octane thriller that drops the reader down in the middle of the story and keeps the pages turning until the plot speeds to its thrilling conclusion.
Lee Child has the worthy distinction of being one of the reliable of contemporary thriller writers. He has a firm understanding of the strengths of his writing abilities, as well as the allure of his character, and he plays right into those strengths with the stories he chooses. That level of professionalism has led him to the tops of the bestseller charts, and that is clearly where he belongs. The Hard Way is destined to be one of the most entertaining books of the year.
Posted by David J. Montgomery in Book Reviews | Permalink
