Lee Child's Jack Reacher : The Big Mac of Fiction

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

I will always remember the first Jack Reacher book Killing Floor. But that's only because it was the first ebook I ever read. When it comes to plot however my mind begins to be a little vague all these years later though I do remember liking it.

So I now approach his third Jack Reacher novel Tripwire. Doesn't really matter in these sort of books that I haven't read book two. Because I get the feeling that Lee Child had perfected his winning formula when he wrote this one.

Indeed it reminded me of books I read as a teenager. With variances they seemed to follow this pattern. The hero is tough but can be sensitive to situations (but note not girly sensitive).The hero is a loner, but is popular and respected. The hero cannot form long term relationships with women. But no matter because they lust after him anyway. In my fifty four years on this planet I've never met a man (or indeed a woman) that comes anywhere near that.

Jack Reacher has his own personal mannerisms. His height (very tall). The way he gets money. The way the only luggage he has is a folding toothbrush but really he does fall into that "knight deals with tough situation" storyline.

And that does not matter. Neither does it matter that (reminding me again of similar books I've read in my younger past) the plot has to be clever but not so clever. Indeed the big reveal is not difficult to work out trust me.

For like the best sort of these books Tripwire works if you see it as an entertainment and nothing else then it does work. The storyline works because Mr Child successfully pulls the feat of telling you what's happening through various characters.

So I enjoyed it. Yes I did. In the same way in the past I enjoyed eating a Big Mac. But like eating a Big Mac I know full well that it will fade from my memory very quickly.

Until the next time.