The Enemy

****.5

I groaned when I started the book and realized that it was a flashback to Reacher's time in the army. Usually when a series gets to this point the author has used up the good ideas, so goes back in time in a desperate attempt to eke out some more content. I needn't have worried. In fact, this was the best of the bunch.

Reacher's first person narration was the perfect fit for this look back to an earlier time in life, which documents his disillusionment with the army and the disintegration of his family. Feeling betrayed and alone and subject to forces outside of his control, we see him shrink inward and surrender to what ultimately culminates in his signature worldview.

Reacher's internal struggles are matched by a taut murder show more mystery, full of investigative twists and turns and intriguing subplots. Some of them are even somewhat plausible, in a shocking departure from the outrageous series of coincidences that have heretofore plagued the series. show less

"The Enemy", the ninth Jack Reacher book, takes us back to January 1990, just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, when Reacher was a Major in the Military Police.

One of the things I enjoyed about the previous book, "The Persuader" was the glimpses it gave me of who Jack Reacher was when he was in the Army. It left me hungry for more. Perhaps it had the same impact on Lee Child because "The Enemy" is set entirely in Reacher's Army past.

"The Enemy" is a sort of "Origins of Wolverine" book. it deepened my understanding of how the Jack Reacher I met in the previous books came to be the way he is.

"The Enemy" explores how the US Army works via an investigation into the death of General. The plot is tight, complex and satisfying, spiced by show more conflicts with an asshole superior officer with an agenda and a larger mystery around a coordinated but unexplained large-scale re-assignment of Special Unit MPs.

I know nothing of the US Army other than what I've seen of their bases in Germany and the UK but I found Child's depiction of it convincing and compelling: the sheer scale of the organization as it was back then, the way bases are the same everywhere in the world, right down to the menus in the Officers' Club, the power of rank, the freedom to work the system, the complete lack of control on where and under whom you will serve.

I enjoyed seeing Reacher outside the US, in Germany (where the US bases make everything seem as close to home as possible) and France in which Reacher, son of a French woman, seems more at home than in North Carolina. I was fascinated to see how Reacher behaved with his older brother, a man who was killed in the first Jack Reacher book, "Killing Floor" and who's ghost was evoked in the sixth book "Without Fail" when Reacher is approached by his brother's ex-girl friend.

Reacher in 1990 seemed less damaged and less lost than the Reacher in the other books. The Army and his family give him stability and a sense of purpose. It becomes clear how the loss of these things would change him for the worse.

But the 1990 Reacher is still recognisable. The things that make him scary are already present: his tendency towards violent confrontation, his inablity to let things go, his habit of using others to achieve his own agenda and his willingness to appoint himself as both judge and executioner. The things that prevent me from writing him off as a psychotic thug are also there: hisdrive to do the right thing, his willingness to take the consequences for his actions and his strong desire to keep the Army the way he thinks it should be.

"The Enemy" is a well-written period criminal investigation novel that would be attractive as a stand-alone novel. The insight's that it brings on Reacher's origins move it up into a compelling read and encourages me to thank that the Reacher novels will continue to get better, which is good news as I still have eleven more to go. show less

've been working my way through the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. Up to this one (Book 8 in the series), the plots dealt with Reacher as a former MP (military policeman) who now serves as sort of a roving vigilante, bumming his way around the U.S. and getting himself into trouble wherever he goes, usually in defense of innocent people. I enjoy the books, but there was starting to be a certain sameness and unironic hyperbole that was starting to wear a bit thin.

How refreshing, then, to get to The Enemy. The book is a prequel of sorts, detailing what happened to Reacher while he was still an MP to sour him on what he thought would be a lifelong Army career. The mystery was as convoluted as any of the others, but Reacher himself was show more quite a bit less godlike, making him a much more interesting protagonist. The bad guys' ultimate motive seemed a bit obscure to me, but probably makes sense to people who pay attention to how the world's militaries have changed since the end of the Cold War. All in all, this book was a strong corrective in a series that was threatening to become a parody of itself. Hopefully that continues going forward. show less

An investigation that spirals from a cardiac death to a murder then another murder and spirals larger from there. The plot has plenty of wrinkles and twists with reacher’s usual tough guy persona. A satisfying addition to the series.

This book is not the latest in Lee Child’s “Jack Reacher” series, but it merits a distinctive look, for reasons I’ll delineate below.

Lee Child books are crime/suspense/thrillers, some of which feature Jack Reacher, “hero, loner, soldier.” Short, clipped sentences describe plots that are not too gory, occasionally a bit obvious, but engaging enough to keep one burning the midnight oil to turn the pages.

The Enemy is an earlier book in the series involving Jack Reacher, who in this “episode” is a 29-year-old Military Police Office, a Major of the 110th Special Unit, newly transferred at the end of 1989 to Fort Bird, North Carolina.

Shortly after he arrives, a 2-star general is found dead in a nearby sleazy motel. Reacher show more picks an attractive woman MP, Lieutenant Summer, to help him solve the string of crimes that are linked to the murder.

This particular book is worth reading for a different reason. The real issue of interest is not the murders per se, but the situation the military was facing as the USSR was disintegrating. Since WWII, the resources and energy of the U.S. military focused on gearing up for a possible confrontation with the Soviet Union. When the Berlin Wall crumbled at the end of 1989, so did the results of an entire 40-some years of military preparation. Suddenly, the traditional enemy was gone, and a host of weaponry, infrastructure, strategies, agendas, and careers were on the brink - no longer of war, but of obsolescence.

The analysis of how much the military was shaped after the war by the perceived threat from the USSR is very thought-provoking. You will glean a lot of knowledge into the current problems faced by the U.S. by the descriptions of the different kinds of tanks in use and what they were good for; the kind of roads necessary to support them; and the costs and personnel involved.

The military and political information is fascinating, but there are some other gems of insight too – like this one when Jack and his brother Joe face the death of their mother:

“'Life,' Joe said. 'What a completely weird thing it is. A person lives sixty years, does all kinds of things, knows all kinds of things, feels all kinds of things, and then it’s over. Like it never happened at all.'

'We’ll always remember her.'

'No, we’ll remember parts of her. The parts she chose to share. The tip of the iceberg. The rest, only she knew about. Therefore the rest already doesn’t exist. As of now.'

We smoked another cigarette each and sat quiet. Then we walked back, slowly, side by side, a little burned out, at some kind of peace."

Evaluation: Even if you don’t like crime/thriller/mysteries, this book contains some fascinating political analysis you aren’t apt to get in such an entertaining format. Thus I recommend this book over others of the Lee Child Jack Reacher series, primarily for the edification it provides about international relations. show less

I love me some Jack Reacher, and this was an excellent story. The only thing that really bothered me was the unexplained flashback in Reachers life. How can the first seven (or whatever) books be about Reachers post army life, and then book number 8 is, an unexplained, flashback into his army days. At least explain why the flashback happens, or that this a prequel not a sequel or something. Otherwise, get work as usual. Excellent characters, great twists and turns, and even though it was unexplained, it was an interesting look at some of the Reacher backstory.

This episode is from Reacher's service days and provides a fair amount of personal background as we are introduced to his brother and the death of his mother who lived in Paris. The military plot captured my attention from the beginning and held it throughout. Lee Child's Jack Reacher is a favourite of mine to begin with but this is one of the best.