In the 28th installment of the series, Lee Child’s uncomprimising protagonist, Jack Reacher, revisits an old adventure. The year is 1992, and Reacher, recently demoted to captain, finds himself assigned—almost as a punishment—to a special investigative unit probing a decades-old CIA operation. Someone is systematically eliminating the scientists who were once part of this ultra-secret mission. Behind it all lies a deeply buried, grave secret. But with Jack Reacher on the case, it won’t remain hidden for long…
Andrew Child Finds His Groove
We all know what it means when co-authors start appearing in a series. Usually, nothing good. “The Secret” is the fourth installment in the long-standing Jack Reacher series where Andrew Child has lent a hand. Or, to be more precise: he likely wrote it entirely by himself. The previous three books were noticeably weaker than their predecessors.
Andrew Child, of course, tried his best. In fact, he tried quite skillfully. However, long-time fans of the series could instantly sense that something was off. The little details didn’t quite click. Reacher wasn’t putting as much effort into analyzing the clues. The tactical finesse in the confrontations was missing. Sometimes, the major developed incredible, almost superhero-like abilities. And even his sense of humor seemed to have dulled.
Yet, when reading The Secret, if you didn’t know beforehand, you might not even notice the co-author’s involvement. The Secret almost feels like a classic Reacher tale.
