
I am a fortunate member of Diane Capri’s ARC and so get to read her books before publication.
This is book number 13 in her series The Hunt for Jack Reacher.
This time, we see the diminutive Kim Otto working without her long-time partner Carlos Gaspar who has retired because of his failing leg and his inability to physically keep up. However, they still consider themselves partners and Gaspar assists Otto on the side, using his considerable computer skills.
This time, Otto is sent to Carter’s Crossing a small, dying town in Mississippi. Reacher was last known to be in the town in 1997 following the death of a woman and now another woman is dead. An apparent suicide having been hit by a train.
We are reintroduced to Elizabeth Deveraux now the Mayor of Cooper’s Crossing but who was the Chief of Police in 1997. Lee Child’s fans will recall this strong woman from The Affair, covering Reacher’s last job for the US Army. And the Affair is the sourcebook for Full Metal Jack.
We follow one of the characters through his nefarious activities, causing death and destruction and it is not until close to the end of the book that we find out who he is. I never suspected him.
The story opens with an illegal dog fight during which this character arranges the death of his long-time antagonist, Hana Pak. Pak is a North Korean diplomat in New York for only two days. His death makes headline news across the country and around the world.
In her ongoing search for Reacher, Otto is sent by the Boss, to Cooper’s Crossing. Does the Boss really expect Reacher to turn up there?
Having met the Sheriff at the scene of a horrendous motor accident which could have been avoided and which could perhaps be determined as another suicide, Otto continues into town.
The town has thrived somewhat because Kelham Army Base had been positioned there and that meant constant coming and going of soldiers to the town, the bars, etc. But now Kelham was to close in 48 hours and only a skeleton staff was still on base.
The train that apparently killed the woman comes through town at midnight every night. The sounds and the vibrations are impossible to miss as are the sinkholes caused by this thundering beast. The question then arises how the woman just lay there and waited for the monster to run over her.
It is fairly quickly determined that this no suicide but was murder. The woman had her throat cut in a particular way that seems to point to an Army Ranger being responsible and Kelham has plenty of those.
The Army has sent its own investigator to Kelham, Major Eugene “Hulk” Hammer and they also have an undercover officer in town, Major Lincoln Price. But he isn’t undercover for long and introduces himself to Otto.
Pretty soon the bodies begin to pile up in this little out of the way town, and still there’s no sign of Reacher.
In typical Capri style, we are led along the path, feeling both sorry for Otto who is working blind, and amazed at her abilities. She works well with the other law enforcement officers but makes several enemies in a local family when she responds to an overture from one cousin leaving him on the floor, shamed in front of his kin.
This books charges along apace. The characters are well defined, and all are believable. Ms Capri obviously knows her subjects several of whom we, as readers have also come to know.
To find out whether Reacher does appear and ‘whodunit’ get your hands on a copy of this book when it comes out in a few days.
Thanks to Ms Capri for the opportunity to read the advance copy. I strongly recommend it and if you haven’t yet read the other books in the series and as Lee Child says “Make some coffee. You’ll read all night”.