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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brainy Action and Imaginative Investigation, 16 Jul 2005
If you haven't yet read a Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child, you have a great treat waiting for you. One Shot is a great place to start.As the book opens, a sniper moves into position in a crowded urban area . . . and quickly kills five people. The scene is like one that we've read about and watched on television all too often in the last few years. You'll feel it in your gut. The police move in quickly and do an exemplary job of tracking down the sniper, one James Barr. Barr's finger prints are everywhere and there's lots of trace evidence. While his attorney interviews him, Barr stands mute . . . except to tell his attorney to get Reacher. Reacher is soon on his way . . . not because anyone can find him . . . but because he hears about Barr's actions . . . and comes running (at least as much as one can run by taking a bus). Barr has killed before and Reacher has promised to take him out if it happens again. But circumstances aren't what they seem, and Reacher finds himself drawn into helping Barr's attorney check out the evidence. More and more the evidence doesn't make sense. What does it mean? In the background, mysterious figures track Reacher and try to derail his efforts. Reacher is one of those iconic characters who define new dimensions for fiction. Reacher is an ex-MP who wants to stay off-the-map and live his life in peace . . . with occasional interesting interludes with beautiful ladies. He travels light. When his clothes get dirty, he buys new clothes and throws the old ones away. He always registers under assumed names (obscure baseball players from the 1930s are his favorite choice), pays cash and usually moves on the next day. He combines the bravado and battle skills of James Bond with his taste for ladies, but operates more like Dr. Richard Kimble in a Fugitive-like scuttle away from the limelight and police attention. Intriguingly, he operates on virtually no money so he has to talk his way into wheels to do his investigations. Reacher is a sort of antihero in other ways. He doesn't tell the truth, encourages others to lie and gets away with it. The results are unexpected, interesting and unique. Very nice!
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