CHAIN REACTION by Lee Child and Andrew Child

 CHAIN REACTION

by

Lee Child and Andrew Child

    Chain Reaction, by Lee Child and Andrew Child, is the 31st novel in Lee Child's Jack Reacher series. Its expected publication date is October 20, 2026.

    In Chain Reaction, we once again encounter Susan Turner - although now she is General Susan Turner, not Major Turner as she was when Reacher first "met" her when he telephoned the 110th MP, the unit he had commanded and she was then commanding. General Turner is now commanding a new section, an independent internal army law enforcement division including criminal investigation, counterintelligence, and uniformed MPs. When she lost an agent to what was deemed a random mugging, General Turner was not convinced. She needed help from someone she could trust, someone outside her new section; she needed Reacher. But how does one find a perpetual wanderer who is essentially totally off the grid? General Turner figured that out; and, Reacher helps her figure out what really happened to her deceased agent.

    When the chance arose to review an Advanced Reader Copy of the new Reacher book, I immediately requested it, like a knee jerk reaction. After I did so, I began to rue my decision; although I have been an ardent Reacher fan, the Reacher in the co-authored books has seemed to me like a vastly different character than the Reacher I had grown to love. Nonetheless, I had agreed to read and review the book, and so I did. And, I am glad that I did so.

    Although the Chain Reaction Reacher is not the beloved Reacher of my remembered past, he seems closer to that character than the other co-authored Reachers. Chain Reaction Reacher cares about fairness and justice; he cares about helping a friend in need, like Turner. Together, Reacher and Turner piece together the complex, convoluted situation that led to the death of Turner's agent.

    I thoroughly enjoyed my return to Reacher's world, especially when I caught glimpses of the remembered Reacher. The plot of Chain Reaction is interesting, complex, and fast moving. Overall, Chain Reaction provides an engaging and satisfying Reacher reading experience.

IMO, Chain Reaction is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

This review is based upon an Advanced Reader Copy kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.