Book 7 in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child - 3.5 stars. This time out, it appears that Lee Child is finally getting it right (almost).

Reacher has been hired by the DEA to go undercover to get evidence against a suspected drug kingpin and to help retrieve a missing agent. Of course Reacher has his own agenda because 10 years ago the suspected drug lord's boss had killed one of Reacher's investigators.

The story is mostly well written with a couple exceptions - first, the bad guys are too "extreme." Reacher is 6'5" and the chief henchman aligned against him is so big he makes Reacher look small - the other thugs are almost that big.

Second, I hate the peek-a-boo writing style that Child embraces. He tells the reader that something is happening, but withholds what it is, apparently to build suspense. For myself, no suspense, only annoyance. Either tell the story, or leave the "peeks" out.

And worse, without any indication of what was happening or why, as Reacher is chasing the bad guys, he has to go to three locations - the story of the last stop is told first. I thought several chapters had been left out - the story was disjointed and illogical and with no payoff in the story. We would have ended up in the exact same place without the confusion.

However, in the end, even with its flaws, this book worked better than any of its predecessors - it will keep me reading the series.