Live and Learn

I owe author Lee Child an apology. I haven’t given nearly enough attention to his series about former military policeman Jack Reacher, for which he was deservedly honored this past weekend at the 2010 Left Coast Crime convention in Los Angeles. (You can watch his exchange with fellow novelist Greg Hurwitz here.)

I think what put me off originally was the first book in the series, Killing Floor (1997), in which Reacher, by complete coincidence, gets off the bus in a town where his brother is in big trouble. Coincidence doesn’t do it for me, so I passed on the next couple of novels, fearing the worst.

Fortunately for Child, other book buyers had a different reaction: the Reacher series has enjoyed a long-running residency on bestseller lists around the globe, and the latest installment--61 Hours, due out in May--looks to be headed in the same direction.

Meanwhile, I’ve been catching up with other of the Reacher novels, including Die Trying (1998) and Tripwire (1999)--and find them to be terrific reads. Child has the best narrative engine in the business.

Once again, my apologies to the author.