Killing Floor by Lee Child
I love the Jack Reacher novels, but missed a few at the beginning, so going back now and catching those ones. This is the very first in the series. On a whim, Reacher decides to get off a bus on the highway near Margrave, Georgia. His brother had mentioned a long-dead jazz musician, Blind Blake, who had supposedly died in Margrave, and Reacher decided to see if there were any old folks who had known the man. It takes him few hours to walk towards the town and he stops on the outskirts to eat in a cafe. Before he can finish his breakfast, he is arrested for murder. As he tries to figure out what is going on and why the finger was pointed at him, he finds himself in a town with a secret, a secret some will go to any lengths to keep. A prominent family has build a facility there recently and offered a number of grants to the townspeople, but it isn't clear how they are profitable. A local man with a history in the banking industry seems to be tied to the intrigue, but he is afraid to talk to Reacher, even after Reacher saves his life in prison. The chief of detectives, a man relatively new to town, Finlay, believes in Reacher, and asks for his assistance. Without knowing who to trust, a small group of people chip away at the facade, looking for the truth. When Reacher discovers a personal connection to the case, he is on the case to the end.
A great beginning to the series, with lots of nice twists and turns, a bit of a romance with a local police officer, and a compelling story. I especially liked the tie-in to the musician; that seemed to draw everything to a close nicely.
No comments:
Post a Comment