04 June 2010

Book Banter -- Without Fail


Title: Without Fail (Reacher bk. 6)

Author: Lee Child

Length: ~400 pages

Genre: Thriller

Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Plot Basics: Drifter Jack Reacher is hired by the US Secret Service to conduct an audit of the Vice President's security and see if and where he might be vulnerable. Only what starts as a training exercise becomes a life and death race as true assassins plan to kill the VP. But Reacher is determined to stand in their way.

Banter Points: Word Nerd started reading the Jack Reacher books because she heard that despite the violence in them, women tended to like them. Or maybe it's that women like Reacher... Either way, she's now 6 books in likes them, but probably not for the same reasons other women do. They are darn good thrillers. Fast-paced. Interesting plots. And they don't all read the same. Sure Reacher's going to foil some plot every time and along the way, shoot some guys or beat them up, but the storylines truly are different each time. That said, Word Nerd does not have a fictional crush on Reacher. He's a scary guy. The bad boy thing is supposed to be appealing, but in Reacher's case... yipes.

Bummer Points: One of the early Reacher books was told in first person and it was even more amazing to be inside Reacher's head when he metes out his personal brand of justice. Word Nerd's bummed that we haven't gotten back there yet. (Later ones are first person again... apparently...)

Word Nerd Recommendation: If you like thrillers and can stand some violence in books and aren't reading Reacher, what are you waiting for?

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