In Too Deep

October 14, 2024
Lee Child hands the Jack Reacher franchise over to his brother, Andrew, with this solid series entry (following The Secret). Former military policeman Reacher wakes up shackled to a steel table with a broken right arm and no memory of where he is or how he got there. During a visit from one of his captors, Reacher manages to get free. He soon learns he was kidnapped by a gang that’s wrapped up in a complex art forgery scheme. Their motives, as far as Reacher can tell, involve the pursuit of a safe holding $2.2 million, a bag of gold bullion, and something called “the Russian job.” As he tries to stay out of the group’s crosshairs and figure out what, exactly, they want from him, Reacher teams up with a detective named Jenny Knight who has a personal vendetta against one of the gang members. Together, they resolve to bring the whole syndicate down—provided their explosive romantic chemistry doesn’t distract them from the task at hand. Though the plot is too busy by half, Reacher fans old and new will be perfectly satisfied by the familiar bone-crunching and world-saving in this fast-paced adventure. The series is in good hands.