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Summary: A new style for a master thriller writer
Review: There is a certain simplicity in KILLING FLOOR, the first novel by Lee Child featuring his hero Jack Reacher. The character hits us with no past and no real thought for the future. He reacts to what is wrong and tries to right it. There is a pervasive sense of morality with violence as the ultimate result of these wrongs. It is a thriller in its most pure and unblemished form. It can be read superficially with little lost by the reader. In the subsequent six books, we learn more and more about Reacher. Now with the latest, THE ENEMY, we travel back in time to 1990 antedating the first novel by several years- a prequel. It is easily the most complex and accomplished novels of the series to date.
New Year's Eve, 1990 finds Reacher, an MP of the US army, investigating the death of a general found in a sleazy hotel room in a remote rural region. It appears that he died of a heart attack. When Reacher travels to the General's house to tell his wife, he finds her also dead but murdered. As Reacher investigates, Special Forces members begin to die also by murder. Reacher must solve the crimes as he is being set up by somebody unknown to take the fall.
THE ENEMY is a highly complex murder mystery. In this sense it is very different than the other Reacher books. The others are more of the thriller subgenre whereas this one is more of a police procedural. Given that this is a new style and format for Lee Child, there are some inherent problems- the mystery is a bit too complex requiring several long expositions at the end to wrap it all up. The expositions could be a bit difficult to fully comprehend. However, the characters are well sketched and there is a certain sense of realism- more so than in previous books. Perhaps this is a testament to the increasing skill of the already highly regarded author. We can expect more from Lee Child with each successive book.
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Summary: A Terrific Change of Gears
Review: This is Child's eighth Jack Reacher novel. In the first seven, Reacher is the strongest, toughest, smartest action hero. The books were fun and exciting, but did not require much thought to get through the plots.
In The Enemy, Child has changed gears. The book is set when Reacher was a young major in the military police (age 29) in 1989-90. This is a pure police procedure mystery set in the military which is a setting obviously well-known to Child. In this book, Reacher solves the mystery with brains and legwork. There is only one true action scene and that is minimal to the book.
I enjoyed this book more than Child's others. It had more substance and thought. Reacher was treated as a developing personality rather than the automaton he seems to approach in the other books in the series.
This military police mystery is highly recommended both to Reacher fans and fans of mysteries in general. As a sidenote, you do not have to have read the other books in the Reacher series, since this one predates the others in the character's life. Enjoy a good read.
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Summary: I'm Sure His Other Books Are Better
Review: This is the only book by this author that I have read. The first half of the book was okay. Then the author rambled here and there to fill up the pages for the second half of the book. The main character is interesting. Too bad the book isn't.
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Summary: A Great Read
Review: Waiting for a new Jack Reacher book is like waiting for Christmas. And like most good holidays, Lee Child usually delivers a super read. This is no exception. For pure thriller and mystery entertainment, this is great fun.
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Summary: Flashback to Reacher as Army Major / MP -- fine tale!
Review: We've been hooked by Child's Jack Reacher series since reading "Killing Floor". Unlike the other seven, which feature our leading man as basically a vagrant vigilante, wandering around incognito solving difficult problems and snapping necks here and there (!), in "Enemy" we have almost a Clancy-style military thriller from when Jack was still in the Army. After being transferred rather suddenly just before New Year's 1990, Jack is soon embroiled in the murder of a 2-star found in an unlikely motel near the Ft. Bird post. When the general's wife, two states away, is murdered hours later, it's obvious something more sinister than an assignation gone bad is at hand. Reacher partners with an ambitious young black Lt. Summer, and together they chase clues (and each other periodically), with not as much violence on Jack's part as usual, until a conspiracy originating at high levels is uncovered. Still the plot takes unusual turns and twists right 'til the end, building deep suspense that keeps the page turns flying! And in the end, Jack administers a pleasing touch of his own brand of justice just in case!An interesting side development is the death of Jack's mother in Paris. He meets his brother Joe there to visit with her and through some rather poignant scenes, we share the brothers' agony as they deal with their mother's dignified approach to a fatal cancer. This part of the story helps us make sense of later relationships and interactions between Reacher and Joe... Child's stories never fail to entertain and "Enemy" is no exception. A complicated plot lets Reacher reveal his more intellectual side, and the "prequel" nature of this story sheds new light on his behavior in the current time tales that have preceded this book. All in all, another fine and enjoyable novel from Lee Child.
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Summary: The Enemy takes Child to a new level of excellence !
Review: When I sat down to read The Enemy, I was hoping for the action, action, action of previous novels. Child delivered another page turning novel, but not the one I was expecting. It was even better! All the elements of a good thriller are here-high suspense, high stakes, and a character that finds justice. And the police procedural aspects of the novel show off Child's maturing talent. Jack Reacher is the tough hero of past novels, but the subplots let us see more of Reacher's softer side. As a long time fan, I wanted some new insight into Reacher. The Enemy gives us a deeper look into what makes Reacher tick. Child's unique style, strong women characters, bad guys that need to be handled, and an intricate plot are all woven into this masterful tale. If you are new to Jack Reacher, this is a great place to start. A prequel, The Enemy, let's you start at the beginning of Reacher's story. Long time fan of Reacher, this book will surely please. It's not a rehashing of old stories. The Enemy is fresh. I was hooked with the first line. Nobody writes thrillers as good as Child.
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