Sign in with FacebookJoanna (J.F.Penn)'s Reviews > Worth Dying For
Worth Dying For (Jack Reacher, #15)
by Lee Child
by Lee Child
Full video review - http://mysterythriller.tv/lee-child-w...
The book starts with Jack Reacher arriving in a small town and very quickly becoming embroiled in a local domestic violence incident. After beating the husband for what he did to the wife, Reacher takes on some thugs sent to deal with him. The book then escalates as we find out how one family of sinister men have sewn up the town businesses and rule the place with some illegal stuff on the side. Reacher helps some of the people in the town and investigates what secrets are hidden below the surface.
No spoilers but there is a mystery throughout the book of what is in the white van that the bad guys are waiting for, and how it is related to what’s in the shed guarded from the opening scene. Finding out gave me a real chill. It added another reason why you wanted the bad guys dead.
I do like violence in a book but not too graphic. This book was getting to the point of being graphic but was absolutely justified. Reacher beats up bad guys, protects the innocent and weak and empowers one woman to take her own revenge. It has a very high body count but you feel it’s all meant to happen. The right people get their come-uppance. I think this is why the Reacher books are so popular. There is a black and white ethical sense and Reacher is almost an avenging angel, he is dark and just beats through the bodies in his path but he is a righteous man.
The setting of the small town gave the book a constrained feel. There are very few scenes outside the town itself and many are in small rooms which keeps the tension going. It felt like this could be a place in middle America.
In terms of characters, I don’t think we are meant to get to know Reacher very much and the other characters are sketchy too. This suits the genre though, it is a fast-paced action book with probably the most fight scenes I’ve ever read. I did like the guys from Las Vegas from the various levels of the criminal organisations. They were almost farcical but again, fitted right into the novel.
This is a great escapist novel and I bought another Lee Child immediately. Reacher is a character I want to see more of, I know he will always be on the side of moral right even though his methods may be questionable!
The book starts with Jack Reacher arriving in a small town and very quickly becoming embroiled in a local domestic violence incident. After beating the husband for what he did to the wife, Reacher takes on some thugs sent to deal with him. The book then escalates as we find out how one family of sinister men have sewn up the town businesses and rule the place with some illegal stuff on the side. Reacher helps some of the people in the town and investigates what secrets are hidden below the surface.
No spoilers but there is a mystery throughout the book of what is in the white van that the bad guys are waiting for, and how it is related to what’s in the shed guarded from the opening scene. Finding out gave me a real chill. It added another reason why you wanted the bad guys dead.
I do like violence in a book but not too graphic. This book was getting to the point of being graphic but was absolutely justified. Reacher beats up bad guys, protects the innocent and weak and empowers one woman to take her own revenge. It has a very high body count but you feel it’s all meant to happen. The right people get their come-uppance. I think this is why the Reacher books are so popular. There is a black and white ethical sense and Reacher is almost an avenging angel, he is dark and just beats through the bodies in his path but he is a righteous man.
The setting of the small town gave the book a constrained feel. There are very few scenes outside the town itself and many are in small rooms which keeps the tension going. It felt like this could be a place in middle America.
In terms of characters, I don’t think we are meant to get to know Reacher very much and the other characters are sketchy too. This suits the genre though, it is a fast-paced action book with probably the most fight scenes I’ve ever read. I did like the guys from Las Vegas from the various levels of the criminal organisations. They were almost farcical but again, fitted right into the novel.
This is a great escapist novel and I bought another Lee Child immediately. Reacher is a character I want to see more of, I know he will always be on the side of moral right even though his methods may be questionable!
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Deborah
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rated it 4 stars
Mar 05, 2011 01:57am
Stephen King (I think) called Jack Reacher one of the best current recurring characters, & I agree. Sure, he's a bit of an empty vessel, but that allows us to project ourselves onto him. And if character = action, well, Reacher has character extraordinaire. I'm a huge fan!
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