KEY POINTS:
NOTHING TO LOSE
By Lee Child
Random House, $36.99
Mmm, the strong silent type. A potent male character, especially when combined with the warrior-saviour archetype.
Ex-military policeman, now freewheelin' drifter Jack Reacher is all that. You could slot him right into the long tradition of American "stranger" heroes, such as Rambo. But British author Lee Child has made sure Reacher is well-educated, well-read and, if not well-spoken, at least intelligible.
As a rule, Reacher rocks into a town, takes on villains or corrupt officials and rolls on out again after exacting his deadly brand of justice and finding amusement in the arms of some willing female.
The window dressing on the bare forms of this plot are usually well-constructed. So it was a shock to find Nothing to Lose not quite sewn together. And the final confrontation between Reacher and the villain, Thurman, feels played out at a distance, literally and emotionally.
