Never Go Back

Never Go Back

Lee Child

Genre: Thriller

Summary (from Goodreads):  After an epic and interrupted journey all the way from the snows of South Dakota, former military cop Jack Reacher has finally made it to Virginia. His destination: a sturdy stone building a short bus ride from Washington D.C., the headquarters of his old unit, the 110th MP. It was the closest thing to a home he ever had.

Why? He wants to meet the new commanding officer, Major Susan Turner. He liked her voice on the phone. But the officer sitting behind his old desk isn’t a woman. Is Susan Turner dead? In Afghanistan? Or in a car wreck?

What Reacher doesn't expect to hear is that Turner has just been fired from her command. Nor that he himself is in big trouble, accused of a sixteen-year-old homicide. And he certainly doesn't expect to hear these words: ‘You’re back in the army, Major. And your ass is mine.’

Will he be sorry he went back? Or – will someone else?

Review: This is book #18 in the Jack Reacher series, and it is one of my least favorites.  Child introduced some potentially life-changing twists in the story, but then didn't deliver on them, leaving me feeling disappointed.  The mystery was lackadaisical, with most of the discovery going on inside Reacher's head, instead of following actual clues.  And the bad guys went to an inordinate amount of trouble to get rid of Reacher for what seemed like a relatively minor transgression.  It felt like Child had run out of interesting and (at least somewhat) believable plots.

Rating: 2 stars