Exit strategy

The new Jack Reacher novel is more of the same, which is exactly what fans of the long-running series want. Reacher, the former military policeman who's chosen the life of an itinerant, is in Baltimore to hear a band play at a local establishment. Seeing an elderly couple being preyed upon by a con artist, he intervenes, and winds up helping a stranger extricate himself from a tricky situation. Reacher's the kind of guy who fights with his fists and his intellect, and both skills are tested to their limits here. The book features one of the series' most interesting villains, a private military contractor with plans and absolutely no conscience--the kind of villain we love to hate--and we spend most of the book looking forward to seeing him get what's coming when Reacher finally gets face-to-face with him. This is the thirtieth Reacher novel, and it's sure to please the fans. And because each novel can be read as a stand-alone, it's a fine entry point for those who haven't yet sampled the series.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Reacher series has a multitude of fans, and they'll be excited for the newest volume.

In his 30th adventure, Jack Reacher is untangling strange doings at the port of Baltimore. Reacher is in Baltimore to catch a blues concert when a stranger bumps into him at a coffee shop. The man, Nathan Gilmour, plants a note in his pocket saying, among other things: "Must disappear/ Life in danger/ Need help!" and giving the address of an abandoned warehouse for a proposed late-night meeting. "Come alone/ Bring what I'm owed," the note concludes. "Please." Ever curious, Reacher scouts out the meeting spot and decides to let Gilmour know he delivered the note to the wrong person. Gilmour proceeds to tell Reacher his sad story. He was in military intelligence, but struggled with a gambling addiction after returning stateside. A stranger offered to pay off Gilmour's gambling debts and install him in a job at port administration in Baltimore; in exchange, Gilmour would feed him information about upcoming shipments. After a co-worker was killed in an on-site accident, Gilmour realized he was the likely target and lost his appetite for the scheme. Reacher isn't inclined to get involved until Gilmour reveals that the bad guys have threatened to kill his young nephew if he doesn't play ball. Reacher and Gilmour decide to talk to Sabrina Patten, another employee at the port authority, who they suspect is also being blackmailed. Together, the three investigate the counselor who is the only known link between them, suspecting she's in cahoots with their blackmailer. The trail leads to Morgan Strickland, owner of Strickland Security Solutions, who has created a diabolical plan to make money off armed conflict between Turkey and Armenia. The plot is pleasingly complex, even if some of the pieces at the end don't quite fit neatly into the puzzle. It's a good story, but Reacher's dominant personality is muted. He's as committed to vigilante justice as ever, but lacks his usual keen insight and curiosity about human behavior. A competent adventure, but Reacher himself feels dim, almost forgettable. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.