If the President had sent Jack Reacher after Osama bin Laden, the
elusive terrorist would now be sharing a cell with Saddam Hussein
and our troops would be on their way home from Iraq! What a guy ---
Triple X, Indiana Jones and Don Quixote all rolled into one. Lee
Child has brought his series hero through some impossible
situations, yet with each new book he maintains a level of interest
and suspense that is seldom found so consistently. ONE SHOT grabs
you in the first few paragraphs and doesn't let go until the last
sentence.

For those who haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting Jack Reacher,
he is retired from a fourteen-year stint in the Army as a Major in
the Military Police. He is not only a crack investigator but also a
marksman, weapons expert and survivalist. In addition, he's a
handsome rascal who knows how to charm women in several different
languages. And, while he can be merciless toward his enemies, he is
fiercely loyal to his friends and is willing to put his life on the
line for anyone who has been victimized by the bad guys. However,
he guards his freedom and has nothing to tie him down. No
apartment, no car, no cell phone, no credit cards --- only a few
sets of clothes and a toothbrush, living the totally feng shui-ed
life.

In ONE SHOT, our hero is enjoying the Florida sunshine with a
dancer from a Norwegian cruise ship. Meanwhile, up in the
heartland, a sniper has gunned down five people, and when he is
caught he claims his innocence and asks for Jack Reacher. Although
the shooter was never a friend, James Barr had been stationed with
Reacher for several years. During that time, in a weird series of
events, Barr had opened fire on a military group yet had never been
indicted. Reacher heads north hoping that he can testify for the
prosecution and finally see Barr brought to justice.

Almost from the beginning of his involvement, Reacher's suspicions
are aroused because the airtight case against James Barr appears to
be too perfect. Soon Russian Mafia types are tailing him and
innocent people are being killed and kidnapped. Meanwhile, the
mutilated, mysterious Russian, Zec, and his henchmen always seem to
be one step ahead of the police, adding another dimension of
suspense.

In ONE SHOT the author provides Reacher with a competent and
compatible back-up team as our hero unravels the mystery. Deftly,
Child holds back just enough to build tension and keep the reader
from getting ahead of his characters. When the climax is reached,
loose ends are tied up and the good guys win. Perfect. This is Lee
Child's eighth novel, and he soon should be rocketing to overnight
success.