Book info

• Title Exit Strategy
• Author Lee Child
• Year 2025
• Genre Thriller

Jack Reacher will make three stops today. Not all of them were planned for. First – a Baltimore coffee shop. A seat in the corner, facing the door. Black coffee, two refills, no messing about. A minor interruption from two of the customers, but nothing he can’t deal with swiftly. As he leaves, a young guy brushes against him in the doorway. Instinctively Reacher checks the pocket holding his cash and passport. There's no problem. Nothing is missing. Second – a store to buy a coat. Nothing fancy. Something he can ditch when he heads to warmer climes. Large enough to fit a man the size of a bank vault. As he pulls out his cash, he finds something new in his pocket. A handwritten note. A desperate plea for help. Third – wherever this bend in the road takes him. Impressed by the guy's technique and intrigued by the message, Reacher makes it his mission to find out more...

Thoughts

Oh man, I’ve loved following Reacher on his ups and downs and cramming the whole series over the last year or so. But we’ve surely reached a point where the character should potentially be retired… this was a real low point. There’s definitely been a dip in quality since Andrew Child got involved, which is not to diss his work, it’s bound to happen when the author changes. The plot was very basic, there was a lot of chasing around after files - physical and digital - and it all felt very bland with abstract stakes. I can’t stop thinking about the bit where he says no one ever looks up when they walk into a building… such a generalisation and what evidence do we have for that?? I’m annoyed at myself for not swearing off this series already, but you just want the next one to be better, don’t you.

Rating: 1 / 5