A Wanted Man

December 24, 2012
In Child’s latest Reacher novel, his ex-army hero is hitchhiking to Virginia, battered but unbowed, when he’s picked up by a car carrying three men and a woman. Much of the book takes place in that car, with the always-suspicious Reacher doing a lot of sleuthing into the backgrounds of his mysterious fellow passengers. His suspicions are, of course, well founded. The four are connected to at least one murder. Before too long, Reacher has switched vehicles, now driving with a beautiful FBI agent and following his former companions into the heart of a seemingly inscrutable conspiracy. Some listeners may find the road trip a little meandering and the arbitrary death of a likeable character off-putting, but none should have any complaints about narrator Dick Hill’s vigorous, sardonic performance in this audio edition. His reading is perfectly tuned to Child’s hardboiled prose, and the narrator maintains an energy level that’s high enough to carry the listener past some of the book’s slower passages. Of special note is Hill’s ability to pick just the right word to linger on, nicely capturing Reacher’s attitude, be it one of distrust, sarcasm, anger, or, in rare instances, warmth. A Delacorte hardcover.

July 30, 2012
Bestseller Child’s surprise-filled 17th Jack Reacher novel (after 2011’s The Affair) takes the ex-military policeman on a wild road ride that builds to a terrific slam-bang climax. While hitchhiking one winter night in Nebraska with a broken nose that makes him look more than usually disreputable, Reacher is picked up by two men and a woman wearing identical cheap blue shirts. The fun begins when clues suggest that the men in the car are responsible for the brutal murder of another man at an abandoned pump station. The role of the woman in the car remains unclear. Sheriff Victor Goodman is quick to call the FBI, which arrives in the person of Julia Sorenson, only the first of many agencies and agents heard from. While the erratic trip through America’s heartland doesn’t always follow a logical path, Reacher displays his acuity, patience, endurance, and military skills in the exhilarating fashion series fans have come to expect. Agent: Darley Anderson, Darley Anderson Literary.

Lucky listeners who are unfamiliar with previous Jack Reacher adventures by Lee Child and narrator Dick Hill are in for a treat. They will have the extra thrill of learning what Reacher is all about. To the uninitiated, Reacher may appear to be a villain who is picked up by two men and a woman while hitchhiking in the Midwest. But Reacher fans know he's somehow involved in pursuing the greater good. Hill brings out the personalities of the men, who are killers, and the woman, a reluctant witness. His flawless performance builds tension as the listener wonders how Reacher will save the day. Hill gives his special twist to the characters, making them all a little edgier. A notable challenge, Reacher has a broken nose, which is reflected in his speech. M.S. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine