The Secret

May 1, 2023

In The Secret, the Child brothers' latest Jack Reacher adventure, Jack is part of an interagency task force created by the Secretary of Defense to discover what links the deaths of eight prominent individuals nationwide, and he must carefully eye the motives of some of his new colleagues. Prepub Alert.

Copyright 2023 Library Journal

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2023
A true Jack Reacher fan relishes the opportunity to fill in the gaps of his career in the military; there have been several novels set before Killing Floor (1997), the first book in the series. This one takes place in 1992, a previously unexplored time in Jack's life. Reacher is part of a task force set up to find out the reason for a series of killings, made to look like suicides, across the U.S. Reacher soon figures out that he, and the other members of the task force, are being set up for failure; but if you know Jack, you know he doesn't take kindly to being manipulated. This is a terrific novel. Reacher continues to be one of the most compelling lead characters in the thriller genre, and the lean, unadorned writing continues to pull us through the story. If there were any doubts when Lee Child announced his retirement and started cowriting the books with his brother, Andrew, his eventual successor as Reacher's chronicler, the last few books should have put them to rest.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Reacher's legions of fans will be lining up to read this latest look-back to uncharted territory.

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September 15, 2023
Trouble could be Jack Reacher's middle name in this 28th adventure in the series. In Chicago in 1992, Roberta and Veronica Sanson throw a recovering heart-attack patient out a hospital window. Thus begins a series of murders the women commit as they try to get someone to answer an important question about an event that happened in December 1969. On the team investigating the murders is Capt. Jack Reacher of the military police. Previously, he had been demoted from the rank of major, but that is literally another story. Reacher is a strange man, "naturally suited to two states of existence. Instant, explosive action. And near-catatonic stasis. It was the in-between he struggled with." Faster and smarter than any four bad guys, he's a superhero who deserves to have an action figure in his likeness if one doesn't exist already. But he and his team have their hands full with the Sanson sisters, who are killers on a mission. Back in 1969, there had been a team of scientists working on a secret project, and the sisters demand to know the name of the eighth team member, who all the victims insist to their death does not exist. The investigative team is puzzled as they realize someone is picking off retired scientists one by one, and "former CIA assets start dropping like flies." There are some interesting lines: When a high-ranking government official comes under suspicion, Reacher says, "This is America. The law applies to him the same as everyone else." Readers who follow current events may find the statement pointed. And Roberta chastises a victim: "There you go. Underestimating a woman, again. Will you never learn?" The plot gets a bit complicated, and readers will find a few nice twists. But mainly, Reacher provides the entertainment with his not quite believable fighting skills. An enjoyable, fast-moving yarn.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 22, 2023

The 28th Reacher novel (following No Plan B) is set in 1992, when he is still a military policeman. The Department of Defense has been keeping a secret since 1969 concerning an accident at a lab where a group of scientists were working. When one of the scientists speaks out and two die by apparent suicide, the DOD forms a task force of marginal officers from various agencies to investigate. It's obvious from the make-up of the task force team and the lack of information given to work with, that the team is set up to fail. Failure will probably involve loss of rank and position for all on the force. Reacher is the Army's representative on the task force, and he leads two of the other agents in tracking down needed information. The killer always seems one step ahead of them. Finding the useful information will involve getting to the bottom of this secret, which will, in turn, put Reacher and the team members in danger as well. VERDICT This is a slow, methodical thriller that fans of the series will enjoy. The authors do a good job of creating characters that work for the story.--Cynde Suite

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.