Rating: 
Summary: Excellent
Review: We need more Jack Reacher types in this country since the younger generation turning out to be a bunch of sissies. After reading this book, Lee Childs became another one of my favorite writers. If you like suspense this is a must read
Rating: 
Summary: Will need supernatural power for suspension of disbelief!
Review: Anytime you read Mr. Child you really have to work overtime to keep your disbelief under wraps. In his last novel he had the FBI breaking laws right and left and treating Reacher like he was a puppet at their mercy. This time it's the Secret Service but they treat Jack like he's the Second Coming and can't seem to come up with an idea or a move unless he suggests it. I mean they are hanging onto his every word. It's well known that neither of these organizations would happily work with civilians anyway but that's where that willing suspension of disbelief comes in. We want Jack to be appreciated by these people so we'll go along with them using his great talents.
But then there are such CLUNKERS that you get knocked right out of storyland and start shaking your head in wonder that Mr. Child makes such lame mistakes or that his editor doesn't catch them. For instance: Reacher is quite pleased that he wanders around the country with neither driver's license nor I.D. Yet he picks up a wad of cash at Western Union. Sorry folks, no I.D., no getting the moolah. Elementary.
And then we have the assassination attempt. The Secret Service boss calls one of their researchers to come in immediately. Anyone doubt that the researcher would be heading in immediately? Nope, he whines that he needs at least two more hours at his Thanksgiving dinner. Excuse me? Our V.P. has been shot at and two agents are dead, but this guy is going to continue eating turkey? Yeah, that was a turkey all right. Then the boss also says agents will be thin around there because he has given them 24 hours off and he's not calling them back in because the V.P. can't sleep. CLUNK! Can we suspend our disbelief that any agent would be taking off the day an assassination is foiled? I think not. I can't list any of the other clunkers without giving away too much of the action but there are far too many from such a talented writer.
Nevertheless, I keep reading his books because I really like Reacher. The business of him throwing away good clothes is getting a little old though but at least he wore clean clothes every day in this one. And his new sidekick was quite interesting and here's hoping we see her again in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Reacher on the government payroll again??
Review: Lee Child's "Without Fail" has a slightly different onset than his previous novels. Ex-MP major Jack Reacher, for once hasn't inadvertantly stumbled into a quagmire requiring his expertise and skills, he's being sought out. Secret Service agent M.E. Froelich is relentlessly pursuing him. Froelich, a former girlfriend of Reacher's deceased U.S, Treasury agent brother, Joe, has just been promoted to command the entourage sworn to protect Vice President elect Brook Armstrong. Apparently during pillow talk, Joe bragged that his younger brother Jack would be the perfect individual to test the efficiency of the protective Secret Service net surrounding a high ranking government figure.Froelich, remembering Joe's boast and now being in a position to authorize this type of audit was seeking out Reacher. She ultimately convinces Reacher to secretly stalk the V.P. and try to uncover opportunities to broach security and do him harm. Reacher recruits ex-Army master sergeant and lethal and capable colleague Frances Neagley to work with him. During their mission Reacher and Neagley discover that the audit was a charade. The Secret Service has apparently been infiltrated and there actually have been threats made on the life of V.P. elect Armstrong. At the urging of Froelich's boss, Agent Stuyvesant they join with the Secret Service to help eradicate this dangerous threat to security. Reacher fans can imagine what happens next! Suffice to say that Lee Child is an extraordinary entertaining writer.
Rating: 
Summary: Layer Upon Layer of Mystery and Violence
Review: This is a complex thriller, and in it we see Jack Reacher a little differently than we have in previous outings. He has been asked by a woman who was involved with his now-dead brother to help her find weak spots in the Secret Service protection of a newly-elected Vice-President. This meeting with M.E. Froehlich opens up a little of Jack's history to us and the life that he and his older brother led while they were growing up as army brats in various army bases throughout the world. We also see Jack request the aid of a former co-worker from the army. Neagley is the female equivalent of Jack - brilliant, well-trained and oh so cool. Jack and Neagley make a formidable team. Not only do they find the weaknesses in the Secret Service protection detail, they hunt down and take retribution themselves on the bad guys that not only threatened the Vice-President, but who hurt and killed people who were close to them. Child's writing is spare and chilling. Yes there is violence, but it's not over-drawn and seems to flow as part of the story and helps build the terrible tension that is simmering throughout the whole book. His form of writing keeps the reader hurriedly turning pages to find out what happens next.
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