Without Fail by Lee Child

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

Looking for a series of action/adventure/suspence books with a strong male character? I just found one....Earlier this week I finished Without Fail, by Lee Child, and was just blown away by his writing style, strong storyline, and convincing use of details about the inner workings of the Secret Service, weapons,and the way various law enforcement agencies work together. Jack Reacher, the main character, is more than just a loner who is living off the grid, so to speak. He is a former military cop who has his own reasons for living as he does--mostly on the road, without a credit card, house, job, cell phone or car.

At the beginning of the story he has caught a ride with an older couple--a brother and sister who are musicians who are driving cross country to play in Atlantic City. He has a soft spot for them, and makes sure that they get their full cut of their pay, which doesn't go over well with two local thugs sent to straighten him out. However, they have no idea of his training or skills, and he easily deals with them out on a dock.

Then he meets a young Secret Service agent named M. E. Froelich who has managed to track him down. She dated his big brother Joe, who also worked for the Secret Service, and was killed in the line of duty six years ago. Joe had told her about Jack's special skills and she needs his help to do a security audit--is it possible for someone to get close enough to the Vice President to harm him? Jack agrees to help her, and enlists the assistance of an old friend, another former soldier named Frances Neagley. In five days they come up with several chilling scenarios that result in the death of the new Vice President Armstrong.

Then Froelich tells them what is really going on: a series of threatening notes have arrived in the Vice President elect's mail and there are a number of campaign events coming up that he must attend. Reacher and Neagley agree to work together with Froelich to investigate the situation, and the story really takes off. After several additional notes appear on the desk of the Head of the Secret Service, the FBI gets called in, and it becomes apparent that whoever is sending the notes has an inside person. Does that mean the threat is an internal one that is meant to embarress Froelich, who has recently been named the new head? Or is the threat an external one?

Lee Child is an excellent writer, and this was a great book. I can't wait to get my hands on the previous books in the series. Jack is a great character: we find out why he has more or less gone underground. He went after the men who murdered his big brother and another Secret Service agent. He is a fiercely loyal friend, tough, resourceful, and pragmatic. I found the other characters to be very believable, the description and dialogue very engaging and the story solid. Very seldom do you feel like all of the threads of a mystery have been pulled together at its conclusion.

This series would translate well to the big screen; in the meantime, you can enjoy the series by reading the books and listening to the books on tape. The online catalog lists over 40 records for the series. You can find Without Fail at the WPL on books on cassette or get it from the CFL in large print or adult fiction.

You may also want to check out the author's website.