Die Trying
Ratings144
Average rating3.8
It's been a little while since I read the first Jack Reacher novel and after reading quite a few ‘girly' books I decided I'd have a bit of a change and try something a little grittier.
I found the book burst out of the starters gate getting immediately into lots of action with the kidnapping of FBI agent Holly Johnson and the innocent passerby Jack Reacher who gets embroiled in her seizure. The only problem is Reacher is no innocent passerby he's a highly trained military police man with nothing to lose. The start of this book was engaging as we follow Jack and Holly as they are transported across the country to an unknown location. We are given glimpses into their intended destination through cryptic chapters and we are also given glimpses into the FBI hunt for them. It's all high octane action and I was engrossed very quickly in the story.
From approximately half way through though it began to dip a little for me. After the big reveal of who was doing the kidnapping and why I just couldn't love it so much. It went from having an espionage feel to being very military and cultish. The action became a bit samey, I lost count of how many times Reacher escaped and was recaptured. I just began to find the group responsible a little unorganized and unbelievable.
It was all a bit confusing, too many FBI agents who might be rogue and not enough dialogue. By the time I got to Chapter 30 something I just wanted it to be over already. I didn't care how. I was skimming pages galore and praying for Reacher to just shoot them all already.
This was a great start let down by poor execution.
Exquisite, nonsensical, gun-loving, frequently absurd, testosterone-laden pulp.
I'm a harsh critic as a book reviewer as, being a huge movie fan, I often find it hard to be immersed in a book the same way I am a really good film. This book was a great action book, Jack Reacher gets a lot done with very little effort and, as with both Lee Child books I've read so far, there are always plenty of little twists to keep you going. Alongside these twists you learn a lot about weapons, tactics, how to be a spy and a lot of other really fascinating tips that Reacher has learned over the years that you really hope ring true. Solid book, solid storyline and will definitely continue this series, I'm just difficult to sell to!
“Get a problem, solve a problem,” he said. “That's my rule.”
Die Trying is the second novel in the Jack Reacher series written by Lee Child. Published in 1998, Jack Reacher (a former military policemen) makes the Terminator look effeminate. He's what our American colleagues would call a “bad ass”. He wanders the USA getting into all manner of scrapes. Living off the grid, ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time and kicking bottom.
Having run short on cash, Reacher has paused in his travels. He is working in Chicago as a doorman when he stumbles into the kidnapping of FBI agent Holly Johnson. Thugs whisk the pair across the United States. Back in Chicago Holly's colleagues piece together the puzzle of her sudden disappearance. And so Reacher gets involved in a kidnapping plot that has massive implications for the U.S. government. As you do ....Arriving in a remote area of Montana, Reacher and Holly find themselves up against the Militia. Beau Borken is their leader, a ruthless megalomaniac intent on more than simple secession from the Union. Holly is the daughter of a US Army general officer - the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She's defensive about her family connections and has had to work hard to dispel notions of nepotism. So it's a while before she reveals to Reacher that she's also connected in a significant way with the President.Further complications only add to the chaos and confusion. The FBI has a mole named Jackson working under deep cover within the militia. But the militia itself has a mole infiltrated into the Chicago FBI team. They keep Borken informed of every step taken against him.There are also political complications too, since Holly is the President's own beloved godchild. Much against his natural inclination, the President rejects the advice of Attorney General Ruth Rosen. Rosen favours an all-out assault on the militia hideout. Instead, the President backs the hard nosed White House Chief of Staff Dexter. He is apprehensive of the political repercussions of a Waco-style bloodbath. This would make the militiamen into victims and martyrs. So, Dexter on behalf of the President instructs the FBI and Army to avoid using their full force.Unfortunately, the FBI believe that Reacher is the leader of the kidnap team. Major Reacher's old commanding officer, General Leon Garber, arrives to convince them otherwise. To the White House's relief, the events in northwest Montana remain unknown to the general American public. In the end efforts by militia survivors to get media attention are discredited due to their resorting to exaggerations and conspiracy theories.
In my opinion, this is a better tale than the first Reacher book: Killing Floor. Why? Well, this is much more a straightforward action hero story. Killing Floor had Reacher playing detective. It also had a first person narrative too. This meant that it was up to Reacher to tell the reader how awesome he is. As Child writes Die Trying in the third person other people react to Reachers actions. This makes it more more readable and the narrative is more powerful.
So, in the end, of course the plot is daft. And yes, its like something from a 1980s action movie. But its all entertaining enough despite its obvious flaws. This novel went beyond my expectations. But make your own mind up, read it for yourself!
Time to pick up a copy of the next book ....
I loved this one!
Started strong and didn't disappoint throughout.
The author is the absolute best when it comes to setting a scene and giving you a little too much details, without boring you with them. I think it's safe to say that if you're looking for a military related thriller, you will struggle to find a better written one.
Took a break from the weird to get back to crime fiction. Doesn't get much lighter than a return to Jack Reacher, the 6-foot-5 ex-MP who ends up in trouble all the time. In a kidnapping screw-up, Reacher gets abducted along with a hot FBI agent named Holly Johnson. Bad guys get what they deserve. Hey, while I'm on the subject, does anyone out there know which book the new Jack Reacher movie (starring 5-foot-7 Tom Cruise) is based off of?
This was a good suspenseful thriller. I liked the interaction between Reacher and Holly Johnson as they both try to escape and figure out who captured them and why. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Tripwire.
Much better than the first in the series. Maybe because my expectations were different (lower) or maybe because I kept picturing the characters from the show Reacher which is awesome and the reason I gave this series a second chance.
