Worth Dying For by Lee Child

From the Timely and Timeless book discussion group on October 27, 2014.

This mystery centers on the character of Jack Reacher and is the 15^th in the series of Reacher novels.  It opens with a sinister vibe in a remote tiny town in Nebraska’s Corn Belt.  While hitchhiking through the area, Jack encounters the Duncan clan.  The story opens with scenes of the citizen’s beaten down acceptance of the ruthless tactics these villains use to enforce their iron grip on the economy of the town.  Local law enforcement turns a blind eye, not challenging the malevolent dominance of the Duncans. 

As the story starts to develop, the central mystery emerges.  It is about the unsolved disappearance of a little girl twenty-five years earlier.  Reacher is an ex-military cop trained in tactics, weapons and hand to hand combat.  He inserts himself into the town’s woes in an effort to solve this cold case.  Reacher is a character who is likeable for all of his “hero” characteristics - tall, handsome, well built, skilled, smart and compassionate.  

In our group, reaction was mixed but generally positive.  Positive comments had to do with the development of an engrossing plot line and of Reacher’s heroics.  Negative comments revolved around Reacher’s Machiavellian style form of vigilantism.  He is a one man wrecking crew, peeling away all of the obstacles to solving the case of the missing girl.  There was a lot of physical violence and a horrific reveal at the end of the book.  As Reacher quickly challenges the Duncan’s control, Lee Child establishes the tenor for the book.

--Susan

Next Month

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford 

November 25 – Noon at the Northside Grill

From Goodreads:

            Set during one of the most conflicted and volatile times in American history, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is an extraordinary story of commitment and enduring hope. In Henry and Keiko, Jamie Ford has created an unforgettable duo whose story teaches us of the power of forgiveness and the human heart.