They’re loved because of their inherent simplicity. The Reacher books have never been about their byzantine storylines. Which is not a disparaging remark, just a statement of fact. That’s the most impressive thing about “The Sentinel.” Save for a few minor textual infractions, it doesn’t read like it’s been co-authored. Scrap Reacher’s mid-fight rejoinders - what is he, Spider-Man? - and you wouldn’t know this wasn’t penned by Lee himself. There’s no mention of Reacher slowing down and the action is rooted where it belongs, with Reacher’s unrivalled physicality and fists. Andrew Child finds the right balance here. That was until last year’s “Blue Moon” which ratcheted up the gunplay to the nth degree like a course correction that skewed too far wide. In recent books, we’ve had an increasing number of references to Reacher’s mortality “Past Tense and “The Midnight Line” come to mind. Which is precisely what Reacher’s acolytes want. It’s a fairly imperceptible continuation. It’s a blueprint for international bestsellerdom. “Reliable” isn’t the sexiest descriptor, but “The Sentinel” shows Jack Reacher - even with Andrew Child rather than older brother Lee behind the wheel - remains the closest you can get to a sure-thing when it comes to page-turning, wham-bam entertainment.Īndrew Child isn’t here to revolutionise the Reacher formula.
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