Die Trying

Die Trying - Lee Child

Title: Die Trying

Author: Lee Child

Year: 1998

Genre: Action/Thriller

Buy on Amazon: Book version is £4.00





Hi guys, so following on from my review of the first Jack Reacher novel, Killing Floor - I decided to continue reading the series with the second novel, Die Trying so let's jump right in.

Plot

The story starts with Jack Reacher walking down a Chicago street, still drifting since his previous adventure in Arizona when a young woman on crutches accidentally drops her laundry right in front of him. Reacher goes to assist her when suddenly three men appear out of nowhere and kidnap them at gunpoint.

Meanwhile, three carpenters are at work on a new room within an existing room in an old building, one where no one can escape and they are gradually picked off, one by one...

In the truck, Reacher learns more about the mysterious woman, who is FBI agent Holly Johnson and daughter of a high ranking general in the US Army. but as they near closer to their journey’s end they find themselves descending into a nightmarish world of milita forces and extremism right on their doorstep...

Thoughts

I absolutely loved reading this novel – there is really no other way I can describe it. The book was brilliantly readable and I found myself devouring it in two-three hour reading sessions at a time.

Jack Reacher continues to be an extremely fascinating character and I loved the leading lady character, Holly Johnson. Though it is typical for these types of novels to have a man and woman dynamic (similar tothe James Bond novels) I really liked how Child has written Holly’s character in this novel – she really does hold her own and is in many ways Jack’s equal and in comparison to Roscoe in the first novel, Holly is for me a much more interesting and rounded character.

I also really liked the political themes in this novel compared to the previous one – Beau Borken is an evil villain and some of the views expressed in the novel, that Borken doesn't like Mexicans taking jobs from Americans could just as easily be applied today in the tumultuous times America and Britain find themselves in. The fact it all takes place in America however, rather than some far flung country, or in a fantasy setting, makes this even more disturbing to read.

The book moves along at a rip-roaring pace and though most of the events in the novel are your typical action movie tropes, I really like how Child slows down these moments and really breaks them down into the finest detail without ever losing tension e.g. when Reacher shoots a sniper’s rifle at one point you can almost picture ever minute movement and blow of the wind.

The book also has several twists throughout the story and the book did manage to fool me on a couple of occasions which I won’t spoil here but as I have mentioned in previous reviews if a thriller can do this then it will always live for a long time in my memory.

Verdict:

A fantastic thriller and sequel to Killing Floor which takes the original and makes it 10x faster, slicker and more interesting – clear some space in the diary and enjoy this rip-roaring thriller. It is available on Amazon for £4.00 at the time of writing. (This link is an affiliate link, and I may receive a commission from the sale though this will not affect the price for you).

Killing Floor

Killing Floor

Name: Killing Floor

Author: Lee Child

Year: 1998

Genre: Action / Thriller



Ok so for my first review back, I have read a book which I have wanted to read for a long time but have always found it unavailable in my local library until finally I checked a few weeks ago.

This novel is the first in the Jack Reacher series, Killing Floor.

Plot

The story begins on a Friday morning with Jack Reacher in an American diner eating breakfast and we learn he is an ex-military policeman who has since left the army and is now drifting across America. He then decided on a whim to get off the bus he was on heading for Atlanta and walk fourteen miles to a small town called Margrave in Georgia, a place he had heard about from his brother due to their fascination with a guitar player called Blind Blake.

Suddenly he is arrested by the police for a murder that occurred the night before at a warehouse he passed whilst walking to Margrave. The chief detective, Finlay, interrogates Jack and we learn that the body was found with gunshots to the head and had been kicked to pieces after death, before being hastily covered up with a sheet of cardboard. The face had been disfigured by the kicking so the body couldn't be identified.

The only other piece of evidence was a slip of paper in his shoe which had a telephone number on it and the US motto backwards, E Unum Pluribus - out of few comes many. 

Jack manages to cast doubt over Finlay's accusations and tells him he believes their to be three people involved in the murder, a meticulous shooter who shot him in the head, a psychopath who destroyed the body and someone to cover it up. He persuades Finlay to call the number and it belongs to a man called Paul Hubble, who lives in Margrave. He is bought in Friday evening and confesses to the murder of the man - he is arrested but as Jack's story hasn't been fully checked out either both are sent to prison for the weekend.

When they arrive, they are meant to be placed in a separate area for people arrested on suspicion but not convicted but a "mix up" occurs where Jack and Paul are left in the lifer section with the worst convicts. 

A gang in the prison threaten Paul with gang rape but Jack steps in and head butts the leader but in doing so, Paul's glasses are smashed so Jack takes a pair from one of the gang as a trophy. Later that day however the two are attacked by another gang who look at both of them and attack Jack, starting a prison riot. In the chaos the guard returns and moves them into the safe area of the prison. Over the course of Saturday, Paul informs Jack the man found was an investigator he was using as he had been dragged into a criminal scheme which he wanted out of but refuses to tell Jack any more for fear of his life.

On Sunday morning the two are released and Jack is picked up by Roscoe, a beautiful policewoman who drives him back to investigator was his brother, Joe/

As Jack takes on a mission to find out what his brother, who he last heard was working for the Treasury in Washington, was doing in Margrave, the body count begins to rise as he gets closer to the shocking truth.

Thoughts

This is the first novel in the Jack Reacher series and it is a brilliant introduction to the series.

The book moves along at a gripping pace, in fact the events I mentioned above are only the first few chapters of the novel alone and there is plenty to satisfy any action novel fan.

The book reminded me of the OTT action movies of the 80s and 90s - things like Speed and Die Hard in particular and Jack Reacher is probably my man crush action hero. I definitely found myself reading it far too late into the night - something which I don't believe my boss would appreciate when I've been straining to keep my eyes open.

Also the book is very strong as a thriller with even the tiniest details at the beginning of the novel taking on huge significance by the end. For instance, Child has Reacher read a news clipping at the start of the novel about the President's plans to cut the Coast Guard budget which has forced them to stop their operation into stopping smuggling. In fact, even Blind Blake has a shocking reintroduction right in the books closing chapters. I also enjoyed that several times the book mentions theories and counter theories to what was going on which can sometimes be a little too unbelievable but none of the twists in the story seemed illogical to me.

Verdict

Overall, I strongly recommend checking this book out as it is a brilliant introduction to the series and I will definitely be looking to read more of this series. The book is available on Amazon for £5.75 at the time of writing here. (This link is an affiliate link, and I may receive a commission from the sale though this will not affect the price for you).

Disagree with my review, or have a book you love and you would like me to review? Leave your thoughts in the comments below and I will get back to you.