Killing Floor, Lee Child

This is one of many classic cases with me. A situation that happens every year to a year and a half. My aunt goes through her books, places the ones she no longer wants in a pile, and if there are any that I want, I can take as many as there are. I've had this book for years, it sat in the back of a cabinet containing books I had not read yet. But in moving, my books had been removed and brought into a new light. The line on the back caught my eye, "All Jack knows is he didn't kill anybody. Not in their town, and not for a long time..."

This gave me the impression that something was going to come back and bite Jack Reacher in the ass. But there is no further reference to this line, except his emphasis on his military experiance.

I love the line: "Did you specialize? ... In the service?" "General duties, initially... that's the system. Then I handled secrets security for five years. The the last six years I handled something else." Let him ask. "What was that?" "Homicide investigation."

I found myself in a pattern though. Starting at roughly the middle of the book, where things begin to unfold, I would end up with the, "I bet it's..." syndrome. You know the one, where you're trying to figure out the culprit before everyone else thing. I have a friend notorious for hitting it right on the spot, particularly with movies. She never fails to tell me the ending to the movie, so I have begun to beat her at her own game and figure it out before her. When I read a thriller such as this, I find myself trying to beat the main character to the culprit.

Current Score: Jack Reacher: 0, Katelyn: 1

Granted, I read... a lot. I know the hints. There is always one person who's on the side of the good guys that turns out to be one of the bad. I didn't forsee who it was, but I knew there was one. I also had some previous knowledge about conterfeiting US currency that the average Joe (or Jane) would not necissarily know.

As for the romance between Reacher and Roscoe... It was sudden, in all aspects. Sudden to start and sudden to end.

I know this is the first of a series featuring Jack Reacher. However, I do not know how this will work out. He is in a small town, investigating a murder, the murder of someone from his personal life. So it makes sense that he sticks around and helps the investigation. But as to him being a professional wanderer, I don 't know how that will progress into a series. A free-lance homicide investigator? I might have to stay tuned just to figure out how Child works this one out. I have been warned though, that Reacher gets irritiating as the series plays out. Ebay will probably be my friend for this one.

I don't know that I would recommend this. Maybe if you're easily shocked. Maybe if you can get so lost in the pages of a book that you don't do the "beat Reacher to the punch" game like I did. It is a good story, Child just needs more subtle hints for the competative of heart. :)

Sum me up in a singular: PREEE-Dictable.