V.'s Reviews > Die Trying

I wanted to read more than one book of this series to see how things developed. The first book was okay for a first book, in terms of how things happened and how Reacher gets dragged into situations, but you can't have him just walk into a town and find a dead body like Angela Lansbury, can you?

And the answer would appear to be, yes you can.

Interestingly the pov switches to 3rd person here, but otherwise it seems to follow a very similar pattern to the first one. A formula, you might call it.

Reacher gets involved by random chance.

The writing is fast and fluid, apart from the occasional long descriptive section on what glock looks like, or how a shed is built. Still has the habit from the first book of repeating thoughts and ideas for the slow readers.

The plot is interesting when you don't know what's going on, and then idiotic when you do. A small group of survivalists aiming for secession doesn't ring true at at all, either in their goals or their methods.

The woman he's stuck with and the reason she's so important is plainly of no bearing. So what if she's the President's goddaughter, who gives a shit? Not the President.

The obligatory sex scene pretty much copies the one in the first book.

The action sequences are good, and there is one section where Reacher's trapped in a tunnel that is truly terrifying and great writing, but otherwise the inconsequence of the premise lets it down quite badly.

Might try the latest book to see if things have developed over the years. The things I do in the name of research...