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[read 6/11/14] So, after a number of delays—novelistic in length, Jack Reacher finally gets to DC to meet the person behind the intriguing voice from a few books ago—Susan Turner, the commanding officer of his old MP unit. Of course, this being a Lee Child novel, Reacher and Turner don’t get to go out for a romantic dinner and get to know each other better. Instead, when Reacher arrives at the headquarters of the 110^th, he isn’t allowed to see Turner and is instead charged with a crime dating back from his MP days. He’s taken to a generic hotel and asked to stay put by one set of individuals, but before he can even get comfortable and watch some HBO, he’s being accosted by another group of men—who tell him to leave now or else.

We’re back to classic Lee Child—more twists and turns and a much smaller body count. As usual, the dark forces underestimate Reacher since he doesn’t run in the face of the charges (or the threats), but instead works to figure out what is going on—especially when Susan Turner is accused of embezzling money, something he knows is out of character. Soon, he and Susan are on the run, attempting to clear their names, but also trying to figure out why someone would want them both out of the picture.

Again, this is not great literature but good summer reading that doesn’t tax the brain or the heart too much.