Lee Child’s second novel in the Jack Reacher series, “Die Trying,” follows the titular character through another dubious situation. This time, Reacher finds himself inadvertently kidnapped along with the targeted hostage, FBI investigator Holly Johnson.
The two are thrown into the back of a van and transported halfway across the country to the compound of an anti-government white supremacy group in the Montana Rockies.
From there, Reacher must use his wit, experience, intelligence and combat to free himself and Holly as well as to foil the group’s plot to secede on July 4.
I have read a dozen of Child’s novels, and this series doesn’t wax philosophical. There is no moral dilemma or deep intellectual discussion, and this novel does not try to fool you into thinking it has them; the good guy wins, he gets the girl, and the bad guys are defeated. It’s delightfully uncomplicated, and Child artfully crafts this page-turner in a way that never leaves you bored or disinterested. Reacher’s abilities are almost superhuman but skirt the line perfectly, and the action is so well choreographed that it makes violence feel like a ballet. “Die Trying,” like any of the Jack Reacher novels, is like buying a pack of addictive snacks. Your biggest regret isn’t going through it all in one day, it is that you did not buy another one. Rating: 9/10
