Saturday 22 June 2019

Nothing to Lose - Lee Child - Jack Reacher Book 12

Nothing to Lose
Jack Reacher Book 12
Lee Child
Delacorte Press
Penguin Random House Canada
ISBN 9780739327906
eISBN 9780440337805
ASIN B000YJ54DU


This is Jack Reacher book 12. The books jump around his time in the army, after the army and even one that has his leaving. I myself have been jumping around and have read the first few, the latest few and now also the middle few. Between the crossover short stories, stand alone short stories and novels this is the16th Reacher volume that I have read in as many weeks. Yes, I might be an addict, a bibliophile, But with the reading of this volume I have found out a bit more about my attraction to the Reacher novels. At one point in the story Reacher states about himself, "He had been a painfully literal child.". That is something I can relate to both as a child and no as I approach the half century mark. At another point in the story, "He realized he was holding his breath. He exhaled, long and slow. Because: Dum Spero Speri. Where There's breath, there's hope.", Dum Spiro Spero is the same meaning and is my maternal clan motto, Clan MacLennan.  And being Canadian the following two lines first were an afront and then made me laugh:

“Canada’s army is three men and a dog. They probably keep their stuff forever.”

Reacher said, “Canada isn’t fighting in Iraq. Canadians had more sense.”

But let’s get back to the story. This is the tenth Reacher Novel I have read and is right in the middle of the currently available novels. Reacher has matured as has Childs as an author. Reacher often finds himself between a Rock and a Hard Place. This time he finds himself between Hope and Despair, literally. He is back and forth between the towns of Hope and Despair Colorado. Hope is a nice small town, with a beautiful officer of the law, nice motel and great restaurant. Despair is trapped back in time, and the whole town is owned by one man. He owns the company, he owns the town, and he is an associate pastor at the only church in town. Being run out of town for vagrancy does not sit well with Reacher. And the more he pushes the stranger things seem. Everyone in the town seems to have a role, and they are keeping to their parts. And soon Reacher realizes there is a lot more going on in Despair than appears on the surface.

And when you combine a dead man in the scrub. A military outpost where one is not expected. And some illnesses that just do not add up. Soon Reacher and officer Vaughan start putting together the pieces. Reacher has faced unlikely odds before, but he has never faced down a whole town. But if you are out west you either go big or go home. And Reacher really really does not like backtracking! 

Another great read in the Reacher series. 

Books by Lee Child:
Jack Reacher Books Publishing Order:

Killing Floor
Die Trying
Tripwire
The Visitor /Running Blind
Echo Burning
Without Fail
Persuader
The Enemy
One Shot
The Hard Way
Bad Luck and Trouble
Nothing to Lose
Gone Tomorrow
61 Hours
Worth Dying For
The Affair
A Wanted Man
Never Go Back
Personal
Make Me
Night School
The Midnight Line
Past Tense
Blue Moon

The Sentinel Jack Reacher's Rules
...

Reacher Short Stories and Novella’s:
No Middle Name – Complete Collected Short Stories
Stories in No Middle Name Collection:
Too Much Time
Second Son
Deep Down
Guy Walks into A Bar
James Penney’s New Identity
High Heat
Everyone Talks
Not A Drill
Small Wars
Maybe They Have A Tradition

No Room At The Motel
The Picture of the Lonely Diner

Other Short Stories:
The Fourth Man
The Christmas Scorpion
...
Faking a Murderer with Kathy Reichs
Cleaning the Gold with Karin Slaughter
Good and Valuable Consideration with Joseph Finder
...

Other Books by Lee Child
The Hero
Jack Reacher: A Mysterious Profile
...




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