Never Go Back by Lee Child

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Never go back—but Jack Reacher does, and the past finally catches up with him. . . . Never Go Back is a novel of action-charged suspense starring “one of the best thriller characters at work today” (Newsweek). Former military cop Jack Reacher makes it all the way from snowbound South Dakota to his destination in northeastern Virginia, near Washington, D.C.: the headquarters of his old unit, the 110th MP. The old stone building is the closest thing to a home he ever had. Reacher is there to meet—in person—the new commanding officer, Major Susan Turner, so far just a warm, intriguing voice on the phone. But it isn’t Turner behind the CO’s desk. And Reacher is hit with two pieces of shocking news, one with serious criminal consequences, and one too personal to even think about. When threatened, you can run or fight. Reacher fights, aiming to find Turner and clear his name, barely a step ahead of the army, and the FBI, and the D.C. Metro police, and four unidentified thugs. Combining an intricate puzzle of a plot and an exciting chase for truth and justice, Lee Child puts Reacher through his paces—and makes him question who he is, what he’s done, and the very future of his untethered life on the open road. Don’t miss Lee Child’s short story “High Heat” in the back of the book. Praise for Never Go Back “A breathless cross-country spree . . . some of the best, wiliest writing [Lee] Child has ever done . . . Child’s bodacious action hero, Jack Reacher, has already tramped through 17 novels and three e-book singles. But his latest, Never Go Back, may be the best desert island reading in the series. It’s exceptionally well plotted. And full of wild surprises. And wise about Reacher’s peculiar nature. And positively Bunyanesque in its admiring contributions to Reacher lore.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times “Welcome to the relentless world of Jack Reacher and his impressive tendency to be in the wrong place at the right time. . . . Child has created an iconic character that other thriller writers try to emulate but don’t come close to matching. He has a talent for taking material that in the hands of other authors would be stale and making it seem fresh. . . . Tight and compelling . . . Never Go Back is one of Child’s best novels.”—Associated Press “An adrenaline-charged, action-packed thriller . . . impossible to put down.”—Lansing State Journal “The dialogue has never been sharper. . . . The pages turn themselves.”—San Antonio Express-News “For the pure pleasure of uncomplicated, nonstop action, no one touches Reacher.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Brilliant . . . Child never, ever slips. He keeps the action cranking better than anyone, but, best of all, he keeps us guessing about Reacher.”—Booklist (starred review) “One of the best in the series.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

As good as any of the Reacher novels. The first half was excellent but the second dragged a bit. The fifty-fifty refrain was nonsense.

While I enjoyed this, I didn't find it as satisfying as the ealier books.

Not the best Jack Reacher but still highly enjoyable

The journey that Reacher started following 61 Hours is at an end – he's back at the 110th MP, his old unit to meet the person the goes with the voice at the other end of the phone line – the new CO, Maj. Susan Turner. He's planning on asking her to dinner, and to see what happens from there. Sure, walking from South Dakota to get a date seems extreme – but other than bringing justice to various locations between South Dakota and Virginia, what else does Reacher have in his day planner?

Sure, since this is Jack Reacher – it won't go all that easily for him. He arrives at the gate, hoping to get a date – instead he gets a global conspiracy, a cross-country trip, a chance to visit life-changing mistakes he may have made over a decade ago, and a return to active duty. On the whole, this is a lot less violent than most Reacher novels – with a comparatively very small body count (but it is violent, and there is a body count – never fear).

This story alone is fun – Reacher being Reacher. This time he's got a version of himself along for the ride. Turner has the job he used to have, has a lot of the same opinions, skills, background – but Turner's made some different choices in her life, has different attitudes, making her a mirror image in many ways (not just being small and female). She's willing to do a lot to take down the criminals behind the conspiracy, but not as far as Reacher will. She's far more interested in the courts and the Army having a crack at the conspirators, while Reacher's just focused on stopping them and breaking as many eggs as he has to go get his omelet made.

Turner's own appraisal of Reacher and the reader's own look at her in contrast to Reacher tells us a lot more about the ex-MP than what we've seen before (at least adding depth and color to our impression of him, if not actual new information). In many ways Susan Turner is the most objective look we've ever gotten of Reacher (our typical omniscient third-person narrator isn't terribly objective when it comes to Jack Reacher). She likes him – a lot – but is very critical. I like her and think there's probably a lot her appraisal.

This was a very satisfying read – Lee Child and his hero, firing on all cylinders, doing what they do best. Told in a pretty fresh way, with added insight into the character. Just what the doctor ordered.