Lee Child’s: Killing Floor

book-binding-mustreadHaving recently seen the Jack Reacher movie, I figured now was a good time to check out the first novel, Lee Child’s Killing Floor. In Killing Floor, ex-military policeman Jack Reacher gets off a Greyhound bus in sleepy Margrave, Georgia, after becoming a drifter for quite some time. Reacher decides to investigate a murder that happened sixty years in the past using his astute investigative skills, but is quickly arrested for murder. Reacher soon finds that Margrave will be the setting for an intensely personal battle that involves more secrets and conspiracy than even he would ever imagine. Using a mind as sharp as the hidden daggers that surround him and incredibly honed killing skills, Reacher begins a systematic dismantling of a conspiracy that has robbed him of much more than any worldly possession.

Right off the bat, I can say that Lee Child’s writing is superbly sturdy. He is concise when he needs to be and imaginative at other times, but the noel certainly feels as if it was written in Reacher’s mindset. It feels ex-military at many points, with mysteries being scrutinized with cold acuity and action that is hard-hitting and lightning quick. In regards to the plot, it is in very good mystery-thriller fashion, with all the characters we love to not trust and the hero with a hint of darkness about him. That isn’t to say it is generic in quality. As I said, Child’s writing is superb throughout the entire novel, and the book does has a unique sense of gritty realism that is frequently aimed at but rarely achieved by most writers. There is only one problem I have with the writing and plot, and for many people it won’t be a big deal: the initial events are very convenient. In the beginning of the book, events just fall into place. After that initial sequence of events, everything flows naturally. It is a little complaint, and most likely will not impact your enjoyment of the book. If you liked the movie, or just want a top-notch military thriller, check out Lee Child’s Killing Floor, and join the Jack Reacher series for its many installments ahead of this one: I know I will be picking up the second entry shortly.

Source: Jake Depew, Assistant Editor