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Jack Reacher #30
Exit Strategy
Win a free print copy of this book!
7 days and 03:02:54
20 copies available
U.S. only
Jack Reacher will make three stops today. Not all of them were planned for. The page-turning new Jack Reacher thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling authors Lee Child and Andrew Child.
Don’t miss the hit streaming series Reacher!
First—a Baltimore coffee shop. A seat in the corner, facing the door. Black coffee, two refills, no messing around. A minor interruption from two of the customers, but nothing he can’t deal with swiftly. As he leaves, a young guy brushes against him in the doorway. Instinctively Reacher checks the pocket holding his cash and passport. There’s no problem. Nothing is missing.
Second—a store to buy a coat. Nothing fancy. Something he can ditch when he heads to warmer climates. Large enough to fit a man the size of a bank vault. As he pulls out his cash, he finds something new in his pocket. A handwritten note. A desperate plea for help.
Third—wherever this bend in the road takes him. Impressed by the guy’s technique and intrigued by the message, Reacher makes it his mission to find out more . .
Don’t miss the hit streaming series Reacher!
First—a Baltimore coffee shop. A seat in the corner, facing the door. Black coffee, two refills, no messing around. A minor interruption from two of the customers, but nothing he can’t deal with swiftly. As he leaves, a young guy brushes against him in the doorway. Instinctively Reacher checks the pocket holding his cash and passport. There’s no problem. Nothing is missing.
Second—a store to buy a coat. Nothing fancy. Something he can ditch when he heads to warmer climates. Large enough to fit a man the size of a bank vault. As he pulls out his cash, he finds something new in his pocket. A handwritten note. A desperate plea for help.
Third—wherever this bend in the road takes him. Impressed by the guy’s technique and intrigued by the message, Reacher makes it his mission to find out more . .
320 pages, Hardcover
Published November 11, 2025
15044 people want to read
About the author
Lee Child
442 books34k followersLee Child was born October 29th, 1954 in Coventry, England, but spent his formative years in the nearby city of Birmingham. By coincidence he won a scholarship to the same high school that JRR Tolkien had attended. He went to law school in Sheffield, England, and after part-time work in the theater he joined Granada Television in Manchester for what turned out to be an eighteen-year career as a presentation director during British TV's "golden age." During his tenure his company made Brideshead Revisited, The Jewel in the Crown, Prime Suspect, and Cracker. But he was fired in 1995 at the age of 40 as a result of corporate restructuring. Always a voracious reader, he decided to see an opportunity where others might have seen a crisis and bought six dollars' worth of paper and pencils and sat down to write a book, Killing Floor, the first in the Jack Reacher series.
Killing Floor was an immediate success and launched the series which has grown in sales and impact with every new installment. The first Jack Reacher movie, based on the novel One Shot and starring Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike, was released in December 2012.
Lee has three homes—an apartment in Manhattan, a country house in the south of France, and whatever airplane cabin he happens to be in while traveling between the two. In the US he drives a supercharged Jaguar, which was built in Jaguar's Browns Lane plant, thirty yards from the hospital in which he was born.
Lee spends his spare time reading, listening to music, and watching the Yankees, Aston Villa, or Marseilles soccer. He is married with a grown-up daughter. He is tall and slim, despite an appalling diet and a refusal to exercise.
Killing Floor was an immediate success and launched the series which has grown in sales and impact with every new installment. The first Jack Reacher movie, based on the novel One Shot and starring Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike, was released in December 2012.
Lee has three homes—an apartment in Manhattan, a country house in the south of France, and whatever airplane cabin he happens to be in while traveling between the two. In the US he drives a supercharged Jaguar, which was built in Jaguar's Browns Lane plant, thirty yards from the hospital in which he was born.
Lee spends his spare time reading, listening to music, and watching the Yankees, Aston Villa, or Marseilles soccer. He is married with a grown-up daughter. He is tall and slim, despite an appalling diet and a refusal to exercise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
November 5, 2025
As a long-time fan of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels, I always look forward to diving into a new installment, and Exit Strategy certainly had all the ingredients of a great Reacher story — a gritty setup, high stakes, and Reacher’s trademark no-nonsense approach to justice. Unfortunately, while it’s still a readable and fast-paced thriller, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the earlier books in the series.
The biggest issue for me was the lack of depth. Previous Reacher novels often balance action with an underlying sense of intelligence and atmosphere — you can feel the towns, the tension, and the people. Here, things felt thinner. The plot, while serviceable, comes across as a bit undercooked. It moves briskly but never fully grips, as if the pieces are there but the emotional weight isn’t.
The supporting cast also didn’t help matters. One of the strengths of the Reacher books has always been how the side characters — often vulnerable, flawed, or quietly brave — bring color and humanity to Reacher’s solitary world. In Exit Strategy, they just didn’t land. Most felt either forgettable or simply not very likable, which made it harder to invest in their fates or the overall story.
That said, Reacher himself remains compelling — stoic, sharp, and driven by his own moral compass. The action scenes are clean and effective, and the writing style is as crisp as ever. Lee (and now Andrew) Child know how to build momentum, and that craftsmanship is still on display.
Overall, Exit Strategy isn’t a bad book — it’s a decent thriller that longtime fans will probably still enjoy. But compared to the best of the series, it feels like it’s running on autopilot. A decent read, but not one that lingers after you turn the last page.
The biggest issue for me was the lack of depth. Previous Reacher novels often balance action with an underlying sense of intelligence and atmosphere — you can feel the towns, the tension, and the people. Here, things felt thinner. The plot, while serviceable, comes across as a bit undercooked. It moves briskly but never fully grips, as if the pieces are there but the emotional weight isn’t.
The supporting cast also didn’t help matters. One of the strengths of the Reacher books has always been how the side characters — often vulnerable, flawed, or quietly brave — bring color and humanity to Reacher’s solitary world. In Exit Strategy, they just didn’t land. Most felt either forgettable or simply not very likable, which made it harder to invest in their fates or the overall story.
That said, Reacher himself remains compelling — stoic, sharp, and driven by his own moral compass. The action scenes are clean and effective, and the writing style is as crisp as ever. Lee (and now Andrew) Child know how to build momentum, and that craftsmanship is still on display.
Overall, Exit Strategy isn’t a bad book — it’s a decent thriller that longtime fans will probably still enjoy. But compared to the best of the series, it feels like it’s running on autopilot. A decent read, but not one that lingers after you turn the last page.
November 14, 2025
This book is dedicated ‘For everyone who has stood with Reacher through his first thirty adventures.’ Well that will be me. I always pre-order on Amazon. Use to wait to read so as to reduce the gap until the next one. But now read as I receive.
Having met Mr Child at a book signing I have a great affinity with him. Unfortunately, this book is not as strong as the previous ones. His first -‘Killing Floor’ being my benchmark.
Couldn’t feel close to Reacher or the subordinate characters. The story was also convoluted and difficult to follow at times. Usually I don’t want a book to end quickly. This time I did.
But yes I will still be pre-ordering the next book and waiting for the new Reacher series on tv.
Having met Mr Child at a book signing I have a great affinity with him. Unfortunately, this book is not as strong as the previous ones. His first -‘Killing Floor’ being my benchmark.
Couldn’t feel close to Reacher or the subordinate characters. The story was also convoluted and difficult to follow at times. Usually I don’t want a book to end quickly. This time I did.
But yes I will still be pre-ordering the next book and waiting for the new Reacher series on tv.
November 9, 2025
Started as a true Reacher book. When it came to the finale it was jumbled, thin and all over the place.
I personally think Lee Child should write on his own or retire Reacher. The writing between him and his brother isn’t working.
I personally think Lee Child should write on his own or retire Reacher. The writing between him and his brother isn’t working.
November 17, 2025
The End of 'Reacher Said Nothing'?
A review of the Random House Audio (November 11, 2025) narrated by Scott Brick and released simultaneously with the Bantam hardcover/eBook.
I have to confess that I often became distracted while listening to this audiobook. Veteran narrator Scott Brick was fine, but the plot bogged down during its investigation stages. The opening was fine and had Reacher doing his usual saving of innocents, in this case from some financial scammers that he overhears in a coffee shop. A case of mistaken identity then draws him into a smuggling conspiracy in which he feels some obligation to assist one of its victims, a fellow veteran.
The main villain is of course mercenary and ruthless and proves it in several instances. The final reveal of the conspiracy was both ridiculous and macabre though. There was an enormous amount of time spent on investigating an apparent heist which in the end didn't even seem that important. A further ally joins forces with our duo and the finale becomes a rescue mission, but the comeuppance somehow fell short.
The old Reacher magic was missing in this one even though the plots should be cookie cutter by now. Perhaps it was just too convoluted and complicated for what in the end was an absurd payoff. Lee Child's plots were somehow simpler and more straightforward. Reacher as the Shane / Yojimbo / Man with No Name (and/or No Middle Initial) comes into a corrupt town/situation and saves the innocents and pummels the culprits and then hitchhikes out of town into the sunset. Andrew Child is taking the formula and making it needlessly complex.
Reacher Statistics
Toothbrush mentions = 1, A single mention. Reacher takes inventory of his pockets at one point and mentions his toothbrush, expired passport, ATM card and some cash. There was no line to top my all time favourite from Blue Moon (Reacher #24 2019): "Reacher was already packed and ready to go. His toothbrush was in his pocket."
The previous book was a harbinger that change was coming to the standard laconic Reacher response: "Reacher said nothing." In Too Deep (Reacher #29 2024) had many instances of "Reacher didn't reply" and other variations.
This book went all the way with 4 "Reacher didn't reply", 1 "Reacher didn't respond", 1 "Reacher didn't answer," 1 "Reacher shook his head," & 1 "He didn't say anything." My count may be off of course as I could only make intermittent notes during the audiobook playback.
There were also several instances of other characters who "didn't reply," "didn't answer," and "didn't speak."
Only towards the very end there was a single instance of "Reacher said nothing," as if in a benediction for the old time fans.
Soundtrack
Reacher attends a concert early in the book where an unnamed blues band that he likes is one of the openers. He leaves without listening to the headline act. Later in the story he listens to Junior Wells' Waitin' on the Night Train which you can hear on YouTube here or on Spotify here.
Trivia and Links
It was revealed in the press publicity around The Secret (Reacher #28 - 2023) that it was the final collaboration between brothers Lee and Andrew Child in the handover of the continuation series and that Andrew Child had a 4-book contract to write the books solo from then on. Exit Strategy is the 2nd of those. For marketing purposes the books are listed under Lee Child's name alongside that of Andrew Child.
Andrew Child is interviewed at the Poisoned Pen Press bookstore on the release of Exit Strategy and you can see the interview on their YouTube channel here.
A review of the Random House Audio (November 11, 2025) narrated by Scott Brick and released simultaneously with the Bantam hardcover/eBook.
I have to confess that I often became distracted while listening to this audiobook. Veteran narrator Scott Brick was fine, but the plot bogged down during its investigation stages. The opening was fine and had Reacher doing his usual saving of innocents, in this case from some financial scammers that he overhears in a coffee shop. A case of mistaken identity then draws him into a smuggling conspiracy in which he feels some obligation to assist one of its victims, a fellow veteran.
The main villain is of course mercenary and ruthless and proves it in several instances. The final reveal of the conspiracy was both ridiculous and macabre though. There was an enormous amount of time spent on investigating an apparent heist which in the end didn't even seem that important. A further ally joins forces with our duo and the finale becomes a rescue mission, but the comeuppance somehow fell short.
The old Reacher magic was missing in this one even though the plots should be cookie cutter by now. Perhaps it was just too convoluted and complicated for what in the end was an absurd payoff. Lee Child's plots were somehow simpler and more straightforward. Reacher as the Shane / Yojimbo / Man with No Name (and/or No Middle Initial) comes into a corrupt town/situation and saves the innocents and pummels the culprits and then hitchhikes out of town into the sunset. Andrew Child is taking the formula and making it needlessly complex.
Reacher Statistics
Toothbrush mentions = 1, A single mention. Reacher takes inventory of his pockets at one point and mentions his toothbrush, expired passport, ATM card and some cash. There was no line to top my all time favourite from Blue Moon (Reacher #24 2019): "Reacher was already packed and ready to go. His toothbrush was in his pocket."
The previous book was a harbinger that change was coming to the standard laconic Reacher response: "Reacher said nothing." In Too Deep (Reacher #29 2024) had many instances of "Reacher didn't reply" and other variations.
This book went all the way with 4 "Reacher didn't reply", 1 "Reacher didn't respond", 1 "Reacher didn't answer," 1 "Reacher shook his head," & 1 "He didn't say anything." My count may be off of course as I could only make intermittent notes during the audiobook playback.
There were also several instances of other characters who "didn't reply," "didn't answer," and "didn't speak."
Only towards the very end there was a single instance of "Reacher said nothing," as if in a benediction for the old time fans.
Soundtrack
Reacher attends a concert early in the book where an unnamed blues band that he likes is one of the openers. He leaves without listening to the headline act. Later in the story he listens to Junior Wells' Waitin' on the Night Train which you can hear on YouTube here or on Spotify here.
Trivia and Links
It was revealed in the press publicity around The Secret (Reacher #28 - 2023) that it was the final collaboration between brothers Lee and Andrew Child in the handover of the continuation series and that Andrew Child had a 4-book contract to write the books solo from then on. Exit Strategy is the 2nd of those. For marketing purposes the books are listed under Lee Child's name alongside that of Andrew Child.
Andrew Child is interviewed at the Poisoned Pen Press bookstore on the release of Exit Strategy and you can see the interview on their YouTube channel here.
November 13, 2025
There used to be some anticipation about the arrival of a new Reacher... you buy it, get home, and commence to reading the shit out of it. Since these books became a co-production, the prospects have become hit and miss. This one is mostly a miss. The story is hard to follow at many junctures, with some plot threads thrown in for no real reason at all, and the rush to a conclusion comes without the satisfaction of seeing a good tale come to an end. These books are starting to remove the singular character of its hero... he's starting to feel like so many other heroes in so many other series.
November 4, 2025
It's OK if you're a fan, but it's all rather thin.
November 13, 2025
Jack Reacher needs a modern reboot. In the current timeline he’s 65 years old and he’s been unemployed for going on 30 years. While his physical exploits have always been on the unbelievable side, and I’d argue that’s a big part of his appeal, it’s getting difficult to suspend disbelief in what used to be a somewhat grounded, if occasionally sensational, series of mysteries.
The physical aspect is actually the least of my concerns with the series and why I think it needs a reboot (I think timeline shift might be a better term for what it needs than reboot). Reacher’s complete ignorance of technology isn’t quaint IMO, it’s actually quite annoying. When paired with the writing of Andrew Child, who never met a conversation that he didn’t turn into an expository vomit fest and seems to mistake confoundedness for complexity, it makes Reacher seem like a dumb oaf who falls ass backward in and out of trouble. It’s Mr. Bean in the physique of Arnold Schwarzenegger. I think that’s a disservice to the legacy of Reacher. His physicality and violence have always been a fun aspect of the character, but it’s his mind that’s always brought me back. It’s been a while since we’ve really gotten to see Sherlock Homeless in all of his glory.
Late stage Reacher books have all been pretty bad, but I found myself looking forward to this just to have a new story with familiar character that I’ve come to like very much. But I didn’t enjoy this installment at all. I’m sure Andrew Child is a great guy, but he doesn’t have the talent of his brother. Reacher needs a new overseer who can do for him what Martin Campbell’s Casino Royale did for James Bond. If it’s just going to be more of this, I think I may be done, and that makes me sad.
The physical aspect is actually the least of my concerns with the series and why I think it needs a reboot (I think timeline shift might be a better term for what it needs than reboot). Reacher’s complete ignorance of technology isn’t quaint IMO, it’s actually quite annoying. When paired with the writing of Andrew Child, who never met a conversation that he didn’t turn into an expository vomit fest and seems to mistake confoundedness for complexity, it makes Reacher seem like a dumb oaf who falls ass backward in and out of trouble. It’s Mr. Bean in the physique of Arnold Schwarzenegger. I think that’s a disservice to the legacy of Reacher. His physicality and violence have always been a fun aspect of the character, but it’s his mind that’s always brought me back. It’s been a while since we’ve really gotten to see Sherlock Homeless in all of his glory.
Late stage Reacher books have all been pretty bad, but I found myself looking forward to this just to have a new story with familiar character that I’ve come to like very much. But I didn’t enjoy this installment at all. I’m sure Andrew Child is a great guy, but he doesn’t have the talent of his brother. Reacher needs a new overseer who can do for him what Martin Campbell’s Casino Royale did for James Bond. If it’s just going to be more of this, I think I may be done, and that makes me sad.
November 13, 2025
A completely indifferent book. I don't know if it was Lee Child or his brother Andrew who wrote the book - probably Andrew, but it's not good. The action is of course "full speed ahead", and there are broken bones and crushed skulls, but that's not enough to make a good book. Goodbye Reacher, this is the last book I will read from the hands of the Child brothers.
November 12, 2025
The plot trips over its own feet at times, but there’s plenty of action to keep you entertained.
on_shelf_tbr
August 22, 2025The next latest instalment, the 30th novel! Fan boy excitement, I will get my copy at a Lee Child speaking event in Chester (Nov'25)
November 17, 2025
The last 3 books written by Lee Child and Andrew Child have gone steadily downhill. The last book, In Too Deep, was a disappointment but nothing compared to the latest. I could not believe the Jack Reacher character could get worse.
Exit Strategy is very slow paced. Very thin plot. Incoherent at times. Written in a very juvenile manner. Supporting characters are thin to say the least. Far, far too much dialogue and not near enough action. Jack Reacher is a quiet reserved kinda man, not the yappy character in this book.
Am I disappointed in the slow and continued degradation of the Jack Reacher character? Absolutely!
Lee...you need to put Andrew out to pasture before you lose all your fans.
Exit Strategy is very slow paced. Very thin plot. Incoherent at times. Written in a very juvenile manner. Supporting characters are thin to say the least. Far, far too much dialogue and not near enough action. Jack Reacher is a quiet reserved kinda man, not the yappy character in this book.
Am I disappointed in the slow and continued degradation of the Jack Reacher character? Absolutely!
Lee...you need to put Andrew out to pasture before you lose all your fans.
November 17, 2025
A quick read due to the large font and huge margins. A bit of a thin story.
November 11, 2025
That was utter garbage! It didn't even deserve 1 star.
November 16, 2025
Not the same Reacher *spoilers*
I’ve read every Reacher book since I binged the first five while sick and could only lay down and read for several days. If this had been the first book I read, I would have moved on and not read a second. Maybe I am mis-remembering but it feels wrong the amount of kills Reacher racked up that seemed purposefully. Severely injure? Yes. Purposefully kill when no longer threatened? I don’t remember him as that much of an anti-hero until the new writer took over. I liked Lee’s writing style. I liked how succinct Lee’s style was. Always straight the point. This version I was skipping over paragraphs of over explaining. Reacher has always been a man of few words too but this version seems to discuss in much more detail. It’s been over 10 years since I read the early books, I may go back and reread just to get a feel for the original character again. Overall wouldn’t recommend the book or story whether it was Reacher or another character. I didn’t feel for any of the characters in the story and none seemed worth helping. I wouldn’t root for this Reacher. I thought Reacher got pulled into these things because he fought for the underdog getting bullied or witnessed something so wrong he couldn’t let it stand. I didn’t feel the beginning of this would have drawn Reacher in. And subplot with the cabs? Why was that included? Overall just not good storytelling IMO
I’ve read every Reacher book since I binged the first five while sick and could only lay down and read for several days. If this had been the first book I read, I would have moved on and not read a second. Maybe I am mis-remembering but it feels wrong the amount of kills Reacher racked up that seemed purposefully. Severely injure? Yes. Purposefully kill when no longer threatened? I don’t remember him as that much of an anti-hero until the new writer took over. I liked Lee’s writing style. I liked how succinct Lee’s style was. Always straight the point. This version I was skipping over paragraphs of over explaining. Reacher has always been a man of few words too but this version seems to discuss in much more detail. It’s been over 10 years since I read the early books, I may go back and reread just to get a feel for the original character again. Overall wouldn’t recommend the book or story whether it was Reacher or another character. I didn’t feel for any of the characters in the story and none seemed worth helping. I wouldn’t root for this Reacher. I thought Reacher got pulled into these things because he fought for the underdog getting bullied or witnessed something so wrong he couldn’t let it stand. I didn’t feel the beginning of this would have drawn Reacher in. And subplot with the cabs? Why was that included? Overall just not good storytelling IMO
November 19, 2025
If you are a "Reacher Creature" you know how it goes. New book in the series released you drop the others you are reading and jump in. This probably rates a 3.5 but rounded up in view of the longevity of the series, this being #30.
The reason the rating isn't higher is because the tales are now being written by Lee and his brother Andrew and there is a bit of unevenness in the transition. This one is a bit overpopulated meaning when a character pops up it causes a pause with a "who is this again and why should I care?" moment.
The plot is a bit convoluted and contorted and Reacher seems to be a bit more sadistic than in previous books (not that the baddies weren't warned or don't deserve it) but still a worthy read that moves right along. Until next year then ...
The reason the rating isn't higher is because the tales are now being written by Lee and his brother Andrew and there is a bit of unevenness in the transition. This one is a bit overpopulated meaning when a character pops up it causes a pause with a "who is this again and why should I care?" moment.
The plot is a bit convoluted and contorted and Reacher seems to be a bit more sadistic than in previous books (not that the baddies weren't warned or don't deserve it) but still a worthy read that moves right along. Until next year then ...
November 20, 2025
It was the better than the last one but I read these now more out of habit than expectation that they'll be any good.
November 13, 2025
More Andrew than Lee
Didn't read like a Reacher novel, he was almost a bit part player. Weak and dissatisfying might be the last I buy.
Didn't read like a Reacher novel, he was almost a bit part player. Weak and dissatisfying might be the last I buy.
November 18, 2025
This book was unbelievably bad. It shines a light on how special the reacher books were when they first came out. The plot is ridiculous. The character development is so shallow that you can’t care about anybody including reacher. And reacher doesn’t even seem like himself.
November 18, 2025
Not up to Lee Child standards
I have read all of the Reacher stories!. This is not up to the Lee Child standards. First, the plot is totally convoluted - impossible to follow. Second, I read the entire book and still not sure of the plot.
I have read all of the Reacher stories!. This is not up to the Lee Child standards. First, the plot is totally convoluted - impossible to follow. Second, I read the entire book and still not sure of the plot.
November 18, 2025
I’ve read every reacher book and the last two have been disappointing. the voice of lee child has been lost and diluted in relation to those he wrote himself. yes it’s a rip roaring yarn but feels like someone has written a lee child book about reacher but is not lee child. sorry.
November 6, 2025
4⭐ – Reacher’s Still Got It!
The last few Andrew/Lee Child books have been a bit hit or miss for me, but never bad. Exit Strategy really pulled me back in—it’s sharp, fast-paced, and has Reacher feeling like his classic self again. The story’s tight, the action hits just right, and I tore through it in no time.
A fun, focused read that reminds me why I keep coming back to this series.
Reacher’s still got it—and I’m here for it!
The last few Andrew/Lee Child books have been a bit hit or miss for me, but never bad. Exit Strategy really pulled me back in—it’s sharp, fast-paced, and has Reacher feeling like his classic self again. The story’s tight, the action hits just right, and I tore through it in no time.
A fun, focused read that reminds me why I keep coming back to this series.
Reacher’s still got it—and I’m here for it!
November 15, 2025
Lee Child begins the latest Jack Reacher thriller EXIT STRATEGY, co-written with his brother Andrew, by thanking everyone who stood by Reacher through his first thirty adventures. If you are a fan of high-octane adventure and non-stop action you are in the right place. If this is your first time with a Reacher novel in your hands, and there is no problem with that as they are all individual stories, then you will be hugging yourself with glee before this one is over and quickly seeking out the entire back catalogue to see what you have missed.
Our giant nomad is starting his day in innocent fashion at a coffee shop in Baltimore. He will quickly get involved in not only a scam to rip off elderly people with a bogus investment scheme but also will be part of a case of mistaken identity where he is drawn into a situation with a person who is in desperate need of help from some really bad people. Sounds like a typical day for Jack Reacher and he is more than up for it!
The man that left the note for Reacher was Nathan Gilmour, recent hire at the Port Administration location in the Baltimore shipyards. The mistaken identity is that Gilmour was told he would be meeting the ‘largest man at the coffee shop’ and, at the moment he arrived, that person happened to be Reacher. Ironically, the actual person Gilmour was to meet had a heart attack and died on the walk to the place. Reacher follows through with the request for help and goes to the abandoned warehouse location at the date and time indicated on the note. He meets up with Gilmour, who is quite nervous, and convinces him that he was not the intended recipient of the note. When he learns that Gilmour was also retired from the Military Police, he decides to help him. It turns out Gilmour was being blackmailed by some people who paid off his enormous gambling debt in exchange for his being hired into his new job where he is able to share access to certain shipments of cargo arriving at the Port.
Of course, all of this occurs after Reacher inserted himself into the situation with the two elderly people that were being scammed. He not only got them their money back but also beat up the trio behind the scam. Later on, he would also take on a quartet of thugs wielding bike chains that represented the same thieves with the expected carnage left behind in Reacher’s wake. The big villain in this story and the one extorting Gilmour and others to guarantee the delivery of the incoming cargo was an ex-military type named Morgan Strickland who operated a private Military Contracting company that was really shady and about to bring about the deaths of many people in an alleged skirmish taking place in Armenia that was all a ruse. Once Reacher and Gilmour learn this, through a lot of crafty investigating and another line of bodies left behind, they will not stand for it and intend to keep this unnamed delivery from making its way into Strickland’s hands.
New allies are made along the way, and everything finishes in a grand battle at a secretive underground mine which was the clandestine operations center for Strickland’s organization. As is typical, Reacher seeks no credit and makes his way on to a bus heading to the first destination that comes up. I really enjoyed how Child and Child held the meaning behind the title EXIT STRATEGY for the last line of the novel, and it is quite poignant. Another Reacher adventure not to be missed!
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
Our giant nomad is starting his day in innocent fashion at a coffee shop in Baltimore. He will quickly get involved in not only a scam to rip off elderly people with a bogus investment scheme but also will be part of a case of mistaken identity where he is drawn into a situation with a person who is in desperate need of help from some really bad people. Sounds like a typical day for Jack Reacher and he is more than up for it!
The man that left the note for Reacher was Nathan Gilmour, recent hire at the Port Administration location in the Baltimore shipyards. The mistaken identity is that Gilmour was told he would be meeting the ‘largest man at the coffee shop’ and, at the moment he arrived, that person happened to be Reacher. Ironically, the actual person Gilmour was to meet had a heart attack and died on the walk to the place. Reacher follows through with the request for help and goes to the abandoned warehouse location at the date and time indicated on the note. He meets up with Gilmour, who is quite nervous, and convinces him that he was not the intended recipient of the note. When he learns that Gilmour was also retired from the Military Police, he decides to help him. It turns out Gilmour was being blackmailed by some people who paid off his enormous gambling debt in exchange for his being hired into his new job where he is able to share access to certain shipments of cargo arriving at the Port.
Of course, all of this occurs after Reacher inserted himself into the situation with the two elderly people that were being scammed. He not only got them their money back but also beat up the trio behind the scam. Later on, he would also take on a quartet of thugs wielding bike chains that represented the same thieves with the expected carnage left behind in Reacher’s wake. The big villain in this story and the one extorting Gilmour and others to guarantee the delivery of the incoming cargo was an ex-military type named Morgan Strickland who operated a private Military Contracting company that was really shady and about to bring about the deaths of many people in an alleged skirmish taking place in Armenia that was all a ruse. Once Reacher and Gilmour learn this, through a lot of crafty investigating and another line of bodies left behind, they will not stand for it and intend to keep this unnamed delivery from making its way into Strickland’s hands.
New allies are made along the way, and everything finishes in a grand battle at a secretive underground mine which was the clandestine operations center for Strickland’s organization. As is typical, Reacher seeks no credit and makes his way on to a bus heading to the first destination that comes up. I really enjoyed how Child and Child held the meaning behind the title EXIT STRATEGY for the last line of the novel, and it is quite poignant. Another Reacher adventure not to be missed!
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
November 15, 2025
Meh. Servicable. Some murderous fights. Plot feels like a stretch. More interchangeable "bad ass" female characters who are made for TV and are forgettable.
Reacher is like Frankensteins Monster in this. After 30 books, we know what we are in for.
The series is a hit and a money maker, but I wouldnt put this in the best 10 or 20 Reacher books, and Ive read them all. Its all getting a little too familiar.
Reacher is like Frankensteins Monster in this. After 30 books, we know what we are in for.
The series is a hit and a money maker, but I wouldnt put this in the best 10 or 20 Reacher books, and Ive read them all. Its all getting a little too familiar.
November 23, 2025
I loved the Reacher series. Loved, as in past tense. Since Andrew has taken over the character is a hollow, anemic version of the character Lee develop over the past few decades.
The plots are stilted and slapdash and the villains are as one dimensional as old Saturday movie cartoon baddies.
Sadly this will probably be the last time I pick up a Reacher novel.
Goodbye endless cheap coffee and diner pie
The plots are stilted and slapdash and the villains are as one dimensional as old Saturday movie cartoon baddies.
Sadly this will probably be the last time I pick up a Reacher novel.
Goodbye endless cheap coffee and diner pie
November 20, 2025
A Reacher book read by Jeff Harding is the perfect comfort food. This time he takes on the big bad military industrial complex!
It's amusing how this series is now old enough for the hero to have a washed up, technophobic arc. Suddenly, the mystery requires Reacher to learn how to hack into the CCTV system and recover data from a hard drive.
It's amusing how this series is now old enough for the hero to have a washed up, technophobic arc. Suddenly, the mystery requires Reacher to learn how to hack into the CCTV system and recover data from a hard drive.
November 19, 2025
Another solid entry- not perfect but still good. Has all the legs of some of the best for the first 2/3 or so but then just falls short. Had all the setting for an action filled ending but alas.
What is consistent however is Reacher. He’s cool, calm and collected. He plans. He executes. And he sticks to ever so grey moral compass in doing it.
What is consistent however is Reacher. He’s cool, calm and collected. He plans. He executes. And he sticks to ever so grey moral compass in doing it.
November 23, 2025
I guess Lee Child and Jack Reacher has hit “a bump” in the road after #30… Yes, Reacher is bigger than life but his supporting characters lack any depth, the storyline creates some good twists and turns-a HR director, recruiting spies, shipping containers, “thugs”, murder and ex-military. Enjoy
November 17, 2025
love me some reacher
November 23, 2025
wasn't my fave of the series. a bit of stretch, if you will. kinda reaching on this one...
November 15, 2025
It was TERRIBLE. It read like those books that promote with “if you like Reacher, You’ll love this new guy even more”. You never do. It was confusing, boring and not engaging at all. Generally I rate past Reacher books 7/10 to 9/10. 1/10 is about right for this one.
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