mystery

Lee Child's 'Echo Burning' succeeds in giving main character Jack Reacher's fans what they're always looking for - a great, fun read. Child's fans know that anytime they pick up a new Reacher novel, they can expect:

1 - Great action
2 - A tightly wound plot
3 - A feeling of suspense, knowing that Reacher is going to kick someone's butt at least a couple of times in the book...it's just a matter of when and how hard.

'Echo Burning' finds Reacher hitchhiking in West Texas. He's picked up by a woman who definitely needs help. Her abusive husband (whom she helped send to prison) is coming home soon, and not to treat her with tender loving care. The husband's family (who hates the woman because she is Mexican) is also anxious for his return and is, of course, on his side. But is the woman telling Reacher the truth? Is there more to the story than what she's telling?

'Echo Burning' is not a great story, but it's good. Child's description of the West Texas heat and atmosphere get a little old and repetitive, but you can overlook that. As mysteries go, 'Echo Burning' is not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

Lee Child takes the reader into the unbearable heat of Echo, Texas as Jack Reacher tries to help a beautiful woman and her six-year-old daughter. Reacher has to sort through a web of truth, lies, and half-truths. Just when he has everything figured out, all the evidence points to different suspects and motives, and the closer Reacher gets to the truth the more his own life is at stake. Echo Burning is suspenseful from the first page until the spectacular climax. The biggest problem I had with the book was trying to put it down long enough to sleep.

Ex-Army M.P. Jack Reacher is thumbing a ride to make a hasty escape from a small south Texas town when he is picked up by a young attractive Hispanic woman driving a big white Cadillac. The woman, Carmen Greer had been cruising the locale picking up rough and tumble looking men to coax them to protect her from her husband, Sloop. At 6 feet 5 inches and 250 pounds, Reacher certainly fit the bill.

Carmen Greer had married into an old monied Texas family with a sprawling ranch outside of Pecos in oppressively hot and dusty Echo county. She had married Sloop, the eldest son, after becoming pregnant. The spousal abuse started soon after. Unfortunately due to the racism of the Greer family against "beaners" or Mexicans and the lax laws in that part of the state, Carmen's cries went unheeded.

Reacher initially refused his assistance especially after he was asked to kill Sloop Greer. His posture however softened after meeting Carmen's vivacious six year old flaxen haired daughter Ellie. Reacher posing as a ranch hand looking for work at the Greer's Red House Ranch, instantaneously sized up the situation.

Unknown to Reacher was that the family was concurrently being surveyed and stalked by two groups of three individuals with unknown motives.

As Reacher became more deeply involved in this passion play he became aware that there was a plethora of secrets and lies surrounding the inhabitants of Echo county.

Lee Child, while intriguing me with the exploits of his hero Reacher, never convinces me that Reacher was influenced enough to actually give a darn about Carmen Greer's dilemma. I however will march forward to the next novel in the series.