Jonestown Montana.........right?
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In expectation of an angry backlash from devoted Lee Child fans, I have to voice my own opinion that DIE TRYING is little more than comic-style pulp fiction for teenage boys, and for under-endowed men who are destined for a life of under-achievement. The hook on the back cover "Men want to be him, Women want to be with him" pretty much sums up the corniness of the story; it might have worked in the austere world of post-WW2 Britain before the Batman comics came out, but in the 21st century the theme seems laughably outdated and if, as some others here suggest, this is the best of the Jack Reacher series then I will avoid reading any of the others as I dread to think what they must be like.
First of all, there is next to no in-depth examination of the lead character himself, and absolutely no character development of anyone else at all. We simply have to accept that Reacher is who and what he is, such that there is an inevitability that against all the odds he will destroy all the baddies and walk off into the sunset with the beautiful woman (about whom this entire tale revolves) in his powerful arms. The story is a couple of hundred pages too long, as all coverage of the 'cavalry' and their attempt to rescue a kidnapped female FBI agent is utterly and relentlessly boring. At least Jack Reacher is vaguely interesting, even if he is absurdly devoid of credibility. What irritated me above all else though was the endless use of the word 'right?' at the end of a spoken statement, as in the example "I assume these terrorists don't have an air force, right?". It was a style of speech used by just about every character in the novel, including Reacher, and it nearly drove me round the twist.
The only high point throughout the story was Reacher's lowest, when he was seemingly stuck in a pitch-black tunnel, barely able to move. That scene was quite well drawn and was the one and only time that I felt any sense of danger; it was the only 'thrill' in what is being deceivingly promoted as a thriller. It's not a thriller, it's a man - Lee Child - living out his fantasies as the superhero he wished he could be, and astonishingly getting away with it commercially and financially. Well, good luck to him. It's never easy getting a book published and he should be congratulated for his achievements. As for me, I will be treating this as my one and only Child 'thriller' and sticking to more intelligent and more creative writers.
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Read it all in one go...
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Beginning with an unfortunate coincidence, Jack Reacher is accidentally kidnapped along with an injured (female) FBI agent... so of course he will forego escape until she can escape too. As the kidnapped pair are taken across America to be held hostage, the FBI are trying to get back their star agent, convinced that Reacher is one of the bad guys.
Really enjoyed this, the second in the series which I have read, found the details convincing and the plot clever and unpredictable.
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Die Writing!
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I have read about seven of Lee Child's Jack Reacher books now and must say that this one was quite dissappointing. Whilst it is fiction, reality has been bent too much. Some of Reacher's antics belong more to a comic than this type of book. It appeared that Child was running our of ideas on this one as he wrote of Reacher picking locks in seconds, being ethical when faced with attack dogs (that don't attack) and staring them down when they find him! The shooting scene with the Barrat 50's was unbeleivable and the blowing up of the truck at close range, in a helicopter, when Reacher was concerned for his safety blowing up the same amount of dynamite at 1200 yards, was stretching the imagination just a bit too far. A definate three stars, maybe even a two. That said, the rest of the book is OK and an average read. Definately not Lee Child's finest novel.
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I kept putting off reading this book because I was busy
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but the minute I started reading it I was totally and utterly glued to every page. It has to be one of the most exciting books I have ever read. This is a fast-moving account of a man who gets caught up in a kidnapping. The victim is not an ordinary citizen, however, but a beautiful female FBI agent. And our hero, unwittingly kidnapped at the same time, also has an unusual and highly useful background, having spent most of his life in the military police. The kidnapper is not after money--he is a highly dangerous and psychotic ki11er, and each page of this book gradually reveals the terrible truth about this man and his motivation. The hero has a highly detailed knowledge of weaponry, which is of great assistance in the story, but which could be confusing to the average reader. However, such detail, in my opinion, merely adds to the extraordinary suspense which builds up as Lee Child unravels his plot. You have to read this book--but you will wish you hadn't, because you will not be able to stop!!! I would also recommend reading Tino Georgiou's masterpiece--The Fates--if you haven't read it yet.
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The best Reacher story
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Die Trying is, for me anyway, the best of the Reacher series. Although Reacher is his usual one dimensional self, because this was one of the early novels, his character had yet to become truly tiresome, as it did in later stories. The other characters are reasonably rounded and what sets this apart from some of the other Reacher books is the plotline - in this case a believable one, which doesn't depend on absurd coincidences.
Lee Child can sometimes take himself too seriously, (there is none of the wisecracking style of Harlan Coben, or the self deprecating wit you get from Robert Crais' heroes) but as thrillers go, this will keep you on the edge of your seat to the end
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