Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
54 used & new from £1.25
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Without Fail (A Jack Reacher novel)
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

Without Fail (A Jack Reacher novel) (Paperback)

by Lee Child (Author)
3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
Price: £5.49 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.50 (31%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, July 14? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
27 new from £2.49 27 used from £1.25
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 8 used & new from £7.17
Paperback (Reprint) 9 used & new from £3.10
Mass Market Paperback (Reissue) 10 used & new from £3.30
Hardcover (Large Print) 7 used & new from £24.32
Audio CD (Audiobook) £56.50 £56.50 Order it used
Show more editions and formats

Frequently Bought Together

Without Fail (A Jack Reacher novel) + Echo Burning (A Jack Reacher novel) + Persuader
Price For All Three: £14.76

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Echo Burning (A Jack Reacher novel)

Echo Burning (A Jack Reacher novel)

by Lee Child
4.4 out of 5 stars (30)  £4.86
Persuader

Persuader

by Lee Child
4.8 out of 5 stars (46)  £4.41
The Visitor (A Jack Reacher novel)

The Visitor (A Jack Reacher novel)

by Lee Child
4.0 out of 5 stars (55)  £4.83
The Enemy

The Enemy

by Lee Child
4.2 out of 5 stars (48)  £4.84
Tripwire (A Jack Reacher novel)

Tripwire (A Jack Reacher novel)

by Lee Child
4.3 out of 5 stars (38)  £4.88
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 560 pages
  • Publisher: Bantam Books; New edition edition (1 April 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0553813439
  • ISBN-13: 978-0553813432
  • Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 10 x 3.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 831 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #10 in  Books > Crime, Thrillers & Mystery > Authors, A-Z > C > Child, Lee
    #40 in  Books > Fiction > Genre > Adventure Stories

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

  • See Complete Table of Contents

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Lee Child has inexorably pulled himself into the upper echelons of thriller writing with a series of tough, lean and perfectly crafted novels featuring ex-US military cop Jack Reacher. Without Fail is the sixth outing for the resourceful Reacher, and far from showing any signs of incipient fatigue, the series just goes from strength to strength as Child hones his abilities.

As in such previous books as Die Trying and The Killing Floor, Jack Reacher is a maverick. He carries no ID, and any place he hangs his hat is home. And while he's more than capable of dealing out massive violence to the bad guys who take him on, he's a sucker for a plea for help--particularly from a woman. This time, he's asked by the persuasive Ms Froelich to help her protect the Vice-President of the United States from an assassination attempt that's on the cards. So Reacher, with only the clothes he stands up in, finds himself deep in the rarefied world of the United States Secret Service in Washington, where his problems come from the stiff-necked bureaucrats as much as from the utterly ruthless killer who soon has Reacher in his sights as much as the Vice-President.

If the plot here is a tad reminiscent of the Clint Eastwood movie In the Line of Fire, that's no coincidence--Child has his characters discuss the echoes of their situation with that film at length. But, boy, does Child ring some powerful variations of his own on the theme: this the most kinetic Reacher novel yet, full of the brilliantly orchestrated set-pieces that are a specialité de la maison with the author (the final climax in a snowy ravine is a pip). The action here is relentless, but never at the expense of character--Child is canny enough to keep dark shadows from Reacher's past a key part of his motivation. And the skill that the British-born Child is so proud of--his faultless evocation of the American landscape--is the final icing on a very tempting cake. --Barry Forshaw --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

The Mirror
‘Lee Child writes edgy American thrillers to rival the likes of Thomas Harris and John Grisham’

See all Product Description

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(1)
(1)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Without Fail (A Jack Reacher novel)
72% buy the item featured on this page:
Without Fail (A Jack Reacher novel) 3.6 out of 5 stars (26)
£5.49
Killing Floor
8% buy
Killing Floor 4.2 out of 5 stars (68)
£4.94
Tripwire (A Jack Reacher novel)
8% buy
Tripwire (A Jack Reacher novel) 4.3 out of 5 stars (38)
£4.88
Die Trying
6% buy
Die Trying 4.2 out of 5 stars (40)
£4.92
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

26 Reviews
5 star:
 (10)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (7)
2 star:
 (5)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.6 out of 5 stars (26 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Darn good read, 9 May 2005
By A Customer
I have to disagree with previous reviewers - this is one of my favourite Reacher novels. I, too, enjoy those moments when some thug goes after our hero and Reacher smacks him down without breaking a sweat. But what I really enjoyed about this adventure was the twists and turns in the plot - the drip drip of clues and the puzzling them out angle. I also found the personal elements of Reacher's complex and rather unhealthy relationship with his brother's ex-girlfriend very poignant and absorbing.

A plus for me, too, was that the reason for the vendetta against the VP wasn't the usual political theme of most other novels of this type. I found that very refreshing. Neither did I find it unbelievable as another reviewer suggests. People can be petty and revenge is a powerful motivator - especially when coupled with personal humilation. I had no trouble believing that someone would bear a grudge under the circumstances outlined.

All in all, this adventure didn't let me down or disappoint. I haven't read a Reacher novel yet that didn't entertain, delight and fascinate me from page one to page end and this one was no exception. I like that sometimes Reacher uses brawn in a novel and sometimes his heart and head. This novel was in the latter mold - but there are plenty of Reacher adventures that encompass the former elements, too.

All things for all readers. What more can you ask for?

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Jack and Lee stumble (It had too happen sometime), 10 April 2003
It had too happen. It could not last. Having written excellent and very high quality action thrillers featuring the supremely self-confident and capable Jack Reacher, Mr Lee Child fails to deliver in 'Without Fail'. Oh, don't get me wrong, it is still an enjoyable read, but slower than previous novels and somehow slightly less captivating. Maybe because the theme, protecting a politician, in this case the up-and-coming future Vice-President is something that has been done many times before.

But I think the biggest problem is that Jack Reacher seems out of his depth. Yes, Jack Reacher falters and stumbles and makes a mistake in this book. And that I think is the books main problem. Jack is not supposed to be fallable. He is not supposed to get it wrong. Jack is invincible! Or at least that was the way he was in previous books. Also, the bad guys in this novel are, in my humble opinion, not very strongly written. Surely these are characters that Jack Reacher would have for breakfast.And their motivation for trying to assasinate the VP is very weak to say the least.

All in all, not the best Reacher/Lee (or is that Lee/Reacher) novel. But read it anyway, it is still good.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as his previous books, 4 April 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Without Fail (A Jack Reacher novel) (Hardcover)
This latest Jack Reacher story is a bit of a departure for the author, and not a successful one. Reacher is embroiled in a 'save the Vice President' operation, and instead of doing what he does best - which is playing Clint Eastwood and the Man with No Name in small towns across America - he becomes a type of FBI/Special Agent.
This is a story I've read many times in other formats by other authors, and it's a shame that Child decided to set his plot in Washington this time around. The secondary character, who plays both the device to involve him, and a link to his past, is a rather unlikeable and thinly drawn fmale agent, and Reacher himself seems rather flat and uninteresting.
My advice to the author - go back to what you do best, and give us back the Reacher we all know and
love.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars shame..
I have to agree with the more negative reviews here. You read on and on in hope, but nothing really exciting happens. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Stella

4.0 out of 5 stars WITHOUT FAIL
Another 'Lee Child' in much the same mould as the other 'Jack Reacher' books, very interesting and worth a read for all his ardent followers.
Published 5 months ago by Mrs. J. A. Barnett

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
Reading this book is an odd experience. You keep turning the pages, but you're not always quite sure why. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Rearsandvices

4.0 out of 5 stars Never Fails to Hit the Spot...
Another gripping Jack Reacher novel. Lee Childs has expertly managed, yet again, to thrill the reader with every twist and turn of this very well written story. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Sarah Gooding

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
Like all Child's books, its a gripping read and would highly recommend it to anyone. Reacher is a legend and you can;t help but want to be him!
Read it!
Published 19 months ago by Lucy Parks

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping
Contrary to what many reader's believe Lee Child is British, but moved with his family from Cumbria to the United States to begin a new career as an American thriller writer. Read more
Published on 8 Feb 2007 by J. Chippindale

5.0 out of 5 stars Never mind Batman returns - Reacher is back
I must admit I'm a fan of Lee Child and Jack Reacher. I have one question about this story ie how does someone who is unemployed,no home address and no ID get a job protecting the... Read more
Published on 22 Aug 2006 by G. M. Buchanan

5.0 out of 5 stars Jack Reacher - One Man Army
Lee Child never fails to thrill with his Jack Reacher novels and this one is no exception. Reacher - every womans dream man every mans boyhood hero. Read more
Published on 16 Aug 2006 by G. M. Buchanan

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Lee Child's best thriller
Lee Child is an expert craftsman and this is a solidly constructed thriller. Enigmatic tough-guy drifter Jack Reacher is once again called in, this time to prevent unknown... Read more
Published on 23 Nov 2005 by 100wordreviewer

1.0 out of 5 stars Very Dull
I have read several of Lee Child's books and found each of them to be good; fast paced edgy thrillers with a likeable main character, well worked plots. Read more
Published on 24 Feb 2004 by Hargsoft

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (1 discussion)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
Shameless self promotion by Author similar genre/ Lee Child 0 August 2008
› See all discussions...  
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Health & Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Elemis Resurface and Renew Skin Care Gift Set of 4 Products
From soap to shavers, massagers to mascara, stock up on your daily essentials or truly pamper yourself.

›Discover Health & Beauty

  

More From Dick Hill

Bad Luck and...

Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child

The twists come thick and fast...and the surprise developments are... Read more
£6.99 £3.49

 

Boys Smell

Lynx Africa Body Spray and After Shave Gift set
But we make sure they smell good...

›Discover male grooming at Amazon.co.uk

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (74)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (462)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (165)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (80)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates