From a helicopter high above the empty California desert, a man is sent free-falling into the night…. In Chicago, a woman learns that an elite team of ex–army investigators is being hunted down one by one…. And on the streets of Portland, Jack Reacher—soldier, cop, hero—is pulled out of his wandering life by a code that few other people could understand. From the first shocking scenes in Lee Child’s explosive new novel, Jack Reacher is plunged like a knife into the heart of a conspiracy that is killing old friends…and is on its way to something even worse.

A decade postmilitary, Reacher has an ATM card and the clothes on his back—no phone, no ties, and no address. But now a woman from his old unit has done the impossible. From Chicago, Frances Neagley finds Reacher, using a signal only the eight members of their elite team of army investigators would know. She tells him a terrifying story—about the brutal death of a man they both served with. Soon Reacher is reuniting with the survivors of his old team, scrambling to raise the living, bury the dead, and connect the dots in a mystery that is growing darker by the day. The deeper they dig, the more they don’ t know: about two other comrades who have suddenly gone missing—and a trail that leads into the neon of Vegas and the darkness of international terrorism.

For now, Reacher can only react. To every sound. Every suspicion. Every scent and every moment. Then Reacher will trust the people he once trusted with his life—and take this thing all the way to the end. Because in a world of bad luck and trouble, when someone targets Jack Reacher and his team, they’d better be ready for what comes right back at them…

How was it?

As it turns out this 11th book is my second Jack Reacher story since I’ve only read Killing Floor: (Jack Reacher 1). It would have been great if I got to it after reading the previous nine but since Bad Luck And Trouble is the premise for season 2 of Prime Video’s Reacher I wanted to get to it as soon as possible.

This book is pretty awesome because the unveiling of the plot and the entertainment factors are steady. I was curious and engaged throughout, my attention didn’t flag and there was always enough going on to keep me hooked. Keep in mind that this is the second Jack Reacher story I’ve ever read, there’s ten years between the two books I’ve read. So I have a very specific, contrasted view of the character.

Right off the bat, there were slight changes in Reacher’s habits that for me acknowledged how much had changed in ten years. It’s not as easy to live off the grid as it was in the first story, plus Reacher is older and he is very aware of that. I had a decent amount of fear for him and his old colleagues as they teamed up to seek out the truth about the death of their friend. The more we learned during that investigation the bigger the threat looming over their heads seemed. Things became intense and personal, the risks were felt and it seemed like Reacher had one hand tied behind his back but was not aware of it.

This entry is high on mystery, thrills, and suspense. It showed me an evolution in Reacher while telling me more about his past as the head of an elite Military Police unit. The quality of the writing is better, smoother, and I also got confirmation that all the books are pretty much standalone. This is a good one.

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