Major Reacher in Top Form!
Attention Reacher fans! This installment of the series stands out in two key ways from the major’s usual (though hardly ordinary) adventures.
First: Our protagonist is in the best shape of his life in Tripwire. He’s packing in 10,000 calories a day and has gained a whopping 20 kilos of muscle. (He’s digging like a machine, after all.) So, woe to any villains who cross his path! Except, of course, if nature calls while he’s dealing with one. Along with all those calories, he’s downing a full ten liters of mineral water every day. (By the 23rd book in the series, Past Tense, there’s still no sign of overworked kidneys, so we can assume the major kicked this harmful habit.)
But does it bother me one bit if he might have a few, let’s say, accidents now and then? Not in the slightest! I’ve made it clear before that Major Reacher is my ultimate role model (see: Die Trying).
Major Reacher in Love!
Second: Our favourite detective is in love! And this isn’t some fleeting infatuation that anyone might experience over a pretty face or a shapely leg. It’s a long-standing emotion reawakened. It’s certainly unusual to see the major, who’s used to women falling at his feet, intoxicated by his rugged charm (which, let’s face it, is totally understandable), showing such vulnerability.
And what’s Reacher like when he’s in love? Well, exactly as you’d expect: horny and lustful. That’s just how it is. But to his credit, he spends a lot of time pondering during those brief pauses between their hanky-panky—something not quite typical for him. And get this: he’s open about his feelings and completely honest. A stand-up guy, that major!
One more thing worth mentioning: Jack Reacher doesn’t rough up a single idiot during his adventures in Tripwire. Sure, it’s not a big deal, but it’s nice to see that something like this (or rather, the lack of it) can happen.
Hook Hobie is a Beast
However, when it comes to the absence of unnecessary violence, we’re more than compensated by the villains. Child never bothers much with giving depth to the Major’s opponents—they’re all heartless scumbags. But Hook Hobie, a late successor of Captain Hook, seems to be even more wasteful with human resources than necessary. But that’s okay—it just makes us more satisfied when fate (or rather, the Major’s huge, shovel-like hand) catches up with him.
The Investigation in Tripwire is Thrilling
Even though we know from the start who the culprit is (that dirty scoundrel Hook Hobie), the investigation process, as usual with Child, is thrilling. And the more grounded cases (like this one) feel more credible than the increasingly explosive plots in later books. The process of uncovering how Hobie became who he is keeps you engaged throughout. Although at a certain point, when a particular piece of information is revealed, it’s immediately obvious what’s going on. Just as it’s clear why Reacher heads back to St. Louis a second time. So, unfortunately, the big twists don’t really land.
Hook Hobie is Occasionally Quite Stupid
Where Tripwire stumbles a bit in credibility is when it’s revealed that one of the side characters outsmarts the cunning Hobie and begins to deceive him. The cunning Hobie just sits there and lets it happen, like some kind of idiot. It’s not the first time in a Reacher novel (see the aforementioned Past Tense) that when there’s another positive character actively involved, they think along the same lines as the major and analyze things with the same exaggerated thoroughness. It’s not all that believable.
Oh, and if someone with underworld connections can’t manage to change their name in 30 years to completely disappear from their pursuers, then they’re an idiot. About as much of an idiot as the writer who came up with that idea. Sorry, but that’s the truth!
However, the showdown at the end of Tripwire is thrilling and tactical. The subsequent wind-down is just as well-executed and satisfying.
So now, we can all speculate until the next installment—will love finally make the wandering Reacher settle down?
Rating: 7.8/10
Tripwire (Jack Reacher #3) by Lee Child
544 pages, Paperback
Published in 2011 by Bantam