The Secret: Jack Reacher, Book 28

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The woman held up her finger with the clip attached. ‘Sorry. The cable’s too short for me to move. You want to sit, use the windowsill.’ As to the good, it’s well and clearly written, fairly fast-paced, and contains some interesting information, especially about tradecraft. While the plot is a little disjointed (especially considering the first quarter has Reacher investigating a crime that has nothing to do with the rest of the story), for the most part, it held my attention. And it was fun to revisit the technology of the early 1990s when we all relied on faxes, corded telephones, and newspapers to get our information. Also, for those who enjoy Reacher’s pugilism, there are a number of well-described fight scenes.

The woman took hold of Bridgeman’s arm and felt for his pulse. It was fast and weak. She said, ‘Come on now. Calm down. Think of your family. We don’t want to hurt them. Or you. We just need you to understand how serious this situation is. We only have two questions, but they’re important. The sooner you answer, the sooner we’re out of here. Ready?’His mission is to uncover the truth. The question is: will Reacher bring the bad guys to justice the official way . . . or his way? We’ll come to who we are. Right now you need to tell me what information you’re planning to give this reporter from Akron.’ In many of these books, Reacher is a large figure with an eagle’s sense of justice who roams the country and gets into situations that require a hero. There are others, like THE SECRET, in which Reacher is called upon by his own government to help clean up a potentially deadly mess. This latest effort is set in 1992, which makes some of the post-Cold War rumblings more significant than they would be in the present day.

Another area of strengthening was the overall plotting. The mystery was multi-layered and the various pieces were revealed throughout the book at different point along the way, providing more tension and surprise along the way. Although I have to say that I figured out the last big reveal at the end, which means a lot of other readers will most likely have done the same.This was maybe a so-so Reacher as he was not always centre stage in the narrative. It did at least make a change from the standard drifter Reacher template where he stumbles into some dastardly criminal conspiracy and has to rescue various innocents or even entire towns with his vigilante ways and means. First 1/3 of the book is a sub-plot but not really a sub-plot because it's just an entirely irrelevant tangent about another crime that does nothing to develop characters or plot. Doesn't give any insights to people or events referenced later in his story line in previous books. Doesn't tie into the main plot whatsoever. Just "here's a bunch of words about an uninteresting story so I can satisfy my quota to the publisher for this year's book." Insulting waste of time to legions of readers / listeners who pay for any book in this series. His mission is to uncover the truth. The question will Reacher bring the bad guys to justice the official way . . . or his way? Reacher may be an exceptional soldier, but sweeping other people's secrets under the carpet isn't part of his skill set. As he races to discover the link between these victims, and who killed them, he must navigate around the ulterior motives of his new 'partners'. And all while moving into the sight line of some of the most dangerous people he has ever encountered. The purpose of the task force is to find out who is killing a group of ex-military scientists who are retired from service for years and appear to have nothing in common. However, they are showing up dead in what appears to be strange and unique accidents that raise questions.

The woman said, ‘We have two questions. That’s all. Answer them honestly and you’ll never see us again. I promise.’ Veronica and Roberta Sanson are trying to determine who is responsible for a quasi-military incident in India in 1969. A secret project went sideways with devastating results. These two women leave bodies in their wake, trying to find everyone responsible for the project. They have a list of seven names, all scientists, but they think one name is missing, and that's the ultimate person they hope to find. Bridgeman’s mouth was dry. He did his best to moisten his lips then took a deep breath. But not to answer questions. To call for help the old-fashioned way. Bridgeman was channelling all his energy into trying to breathe. It was only a name that the woman wanted. What harm could come from telling her? Plenty, he knew. Another shot of his daughter and granddaughter, on foot this time, halfway across a crosswalk. The picture had been taken through a car windshield.Bridgeman felt his heart quiver and tremble in his chest. He heard an electronic beep. It came from a piece of equipment on a stand near the head of the bed. It had a screen with a number in the centre of the top half and two jagged lines that zigzagged across the full width of the lower half. The first line showed his pulse. It was spiking wildly. Its peaks were surging closer together like they were chasing one another. The number showed his heart rate. It was climbing. Fast. The beeps grew louder. More frequent. Then the sound became continuous. Insistent. Impossible to ignore. The number stopped rising. It began to flash. It changed direction. And it kept going down until it reached 00. The lines flattened out. First at the left of the screen and then all the way across until both were perfectly horizontal. The display was inert. Lifeless. Except for the desperate electronic howl. The plotting and pacing were good most of the time. Andrew captures much of the same plot development style and flow as his brother, Lee. Although it felt a bit too clinical at moments, the storyline revealed itself scene by scene as Reacher played the role of investigator. One thing that I noticed and appreciated was that the fight sequences flowed more organically and were not so over-choreographed. PDF / EPUB File Name: The_Secret_-_Lee_Child_Andrew_Child.pdf, The_Secret_-_Lee_Child_Andrew_Child.epub Bridgeman glanced at his left leg. The call button was where the nurse had left it, lying on the sheet between his thigh and the safety rail. His hand darted toward it. It was a fluid movement. Smooth. Fast. But the woman was faster. She snatched the button then dropped it, leaving it dangling on its wire, almost to the floor, well out of Bridgeman’s reach. Reacher may be an exceptional soldier, but sweeping other people's secrets under the carpet isn't part of his skill set. As he races to find the killer, he must navigate around the ulterior motives of his new 'partners'. And all while moving into the sight line of some of the most dangerous people he has ever encountered.