Three Jack Reacher Novellas

Finished April 4
Three Jack Reacher Novellas: Deep Down, Second Son, High Heat, and Jack Reacher's Rules by Lee Child, read by Dick Hill

This collection of three short novels and a collection of Jack Reacher trivia and anecdotes was enlightening. I've read quite a few of the books in this series, and these ones were a jump back to the past.
Deep Down goes back to Jack's Army days, when he is called in to go undercover to discover which of four high-ranking women at the Pentagon is leaking information. The situation is a difficult one, complicated by another sad occurrence.  This is classic Jack Reacher, working on his own and using unconventional methods to get the job done.
Second Son goes back a lot further, to when Jack is thirteen and his father takes a new posting at Okinawa. There is a side story here of Jack's grandfather in Paris who is ailing and who his mother must travel to see once she gets word. Jack, his brother Joe, and their father are left in their new home to manage alone. There is an issue with other Marine kids already living there who want to show their authority to the new kids. There is also worry over a new evaluation test the school authorities want the two boys to take to decide on what grade they'll be placed in. This causes Joe angst as he is a worrier. And lastly, there is an issue with their father's responsibilities that causes him to worry. An interesting look at a younger version of Reacher.
High Heat is also a look at a younger Reacher. Here he is sixteen, on summer vacation on his own, just arrived in New York City, and planning to see the sights and then go visit Joe, who is at West Point, north of the city. It is a day of extreme heat, and Reacher, finding that the Yankees are not playing in town, looks to find some music, and hopefully some pretty girls. A chance encounter on the street gets him involved in something much more dangerous, and things are starting to get very interesting when a power outage changes the game again. Lots of interesting insights again, and a great plot.
The Rules are short excerpts from the series, along with information on the military, weapons, and the beliefs that are behind the person Reacher is. It begins with the classic "hope for the best, plan for the worst".