Zero Day

Solid thriller, not a bad candidate for my ongoing quest to find a Reacher replacement (Parker still my #1 in that regard).

However, they say imitation is a form of flattery, but I can totally understand why Lee Child is pissed at Baldacci.

Sure, create a new character - make him an Army policeman, maybe he's big and clever - but calling him John, making him also like coffee, and favour the headbutt in confrontations, and be a crack sniper, and have an ‘internal clock', and have a military father and brother, and calling him ‘Puller'... It moves beyond similar to an almost replica.

Puller isn't a drifter and seems to actually have a house and possessions - his focus is also more scientific (forensic training) and technical (he loves the guns) - but these unique traits seem to be overwhelmed by everything that's copied.

It also serves to point out more that Puller isn't Reacher, and made me miss Child's sparse, blunt style (which initially I found hilarious but now find quite nicely echoes Reacher's own methodical and no nonsense attitude) even more.

I guess I'll be waiting a while longer then (or at least until September when the new Reacher is out)...