Exit Strategy by Lee Child and Andrew Child

Exit Strategy is the thirty-first thriller in the Jack Reacher series, and the eighth book co-authored by Andrew Child with his older brother Lee. (Both are pen names. Lee was born James Grant and Andrew as Andrew Grant.)

This book is somewhat of a departure from previous novels about the tall, strong ex-military Major Jack Reacher, who roams America alone without luggage or encumbrances, personally intervening to correct injustices and punish miscreants. He sometimes collaborates with others to resolve crimes and prevent further evil. But in this book, Reacher teams up with three victims of violence and blackmail, then subsequently with two more women with apparent ties to national security agencies.

They work together to track down and stop a deranged former army commander, who is set to involve America in a war in Armenia with a view to extracting millions of dollars from government through contracts facilitated by a corrupt Pentagon official.

There are also subplots where Reacher uses his unequalled physical skills to save an elderly couple from a swindle and to maim or kill blackmailers and rapacious gambling operators. His ragtag team mostly comprises the victims of these villains. Some victims are attempting to avoid scandal through the exposure of highly sensitive personal information, while others fear for their lives.

The action takes place in Baltimore, rather than the rural or regional centres featured in most earlier Reacher books. The story centres on corruption at the port authority, where a mystery shipment of national security significance is expected. It could be a top secret CIA operation, a dangerous expansion of the reach of the corrupt private army commander or just a black market criminal venture.

Reacher and his “team” set out to intercept the cargo (if it is not a genuine CIA exercise) and appear to have failed when they are deceived by a decoy operation and the shipment vanishes.

Using his extraordinary powers of deduction and the resources of his companions, Reacher identifies where to look, and the team set off to create a distraction and to storm the headquarters of the bad guys. In typical Reacher fashion, once inside he goes off alone and seeks to wreak vengeance and to save the victims of the villains from further disasters.

I did not find this book as compelling or credible as most of the earlier Reacher thrillers. The plot is convoluted and confusing, and at times it is difficult to work out just who is on the side of Reacher’s form of justice and who is not. The thesis of a possible war in Armenia is contrived and to keep up with modern society, Reacher is forced to rely on others for access to computers, databases and mobile communications in a manner not necessary in the earlier books, set in simpler times.

The great strength of the Reacher series has been the ability of the hero to overcome great odds, acting alone. This book moves away from that theme, but Reacher still displays great physical and mental abilities, and the novel will probably satisfy the many fans of the series. A further Reacher book is due for release later in 2026.

Reviewed by Peter Maywald
SMSA Member