Another of the Jack Reacher series from author Lee Child.
The Affair (ISBN 978-0-553-82551-0, Bantam Books, 2012) is the 16th
of the series, and hero Jack Reacher has an army of fans. To make the
persona even more understandable, Lee Childs includes Jack Reacher’s CV at
the front of the book, and he is a 6’5" giant, explaining his ability to
look after himself in the combat situation.
In my mind, Lee Child succeeds in this genre, despite
rows and rows of similar books on the shelves. He writes with authority, and
backs it up with extreme details. Did you know there was a NATO bullet, and
this fact can be deduced from the weight of the shell.
Child himself was originally from the UK, but moved to
the US. His books sell over 50 million copies and have been translated into
40 languages, showing the market for thrillers is rather enormous.
In this book, Child takes you through the Pentagon, in
the guise of Jack Reacher, who is studying the security guards with minute
precision. The type of boots worn can tell Reacher whether these are
part-timers who work elsewhere, or the on-board highly trained
professionals.
The plot revolves around a mysterious death of a young
woman, found dumped in an alleyway with her throat cut. The township is just
outside the perimeter of an army training camp, and the local police are
sure the killer is an army man, whilst the army central command are praying
for it to be one of the locals. Jack Reacher is sent in undercover to find
the truth, but if it looks bad for the army, he is expected to bury the
evidence. There will be those who would believe that such behavior would not
be condoned by the army brass. And then there are those who will believe any
far-fetched story involving the Pentagon will be 100 percent true.
As Jack Reacher delves into the circumstances surrounding
the murder, he turns up more murders with the same M.O., by working in
collaboration with the local chief of police, a rather beautiful woman and
an ex-military Marine, so they do speak the same language.
As the investigation progresses, Reacher finds himself
rather caught on the horns of an ethical dilemma. One plan of action will
help the local police, another tack will exonerate the US Army, but the
sticking point is Jack Reacher’s rather old-fashioned championing of what is
“right”, even if it is “wrong”, and the fall-out likely to take Reacher down
with it.
Lee Child has a droll sense of humor, which does come
through in the book. “She asked for my help. ‘She called you?’ No, we had a
s้ance.”
Jack Reacher does come across as having a rather paranoid
personality, but always remember, just because you may be paranoid does not
mean that someone isn’t out to get you!
At B. 385 on the Bookazine shelves, this is an
inexpensive thriller. If you have enjoyed Lee Child before, you will really
appreciate this one. If you have not read of Jack Reacher’s exploits, then
you should, today!
