Killing Floor (Jack Reacher #1)

Title: Killing Floor (Jack Reacher #1)

Author: Lee Child

Published in: 1997

Date read: 20th December 2015

Score: 5/5

Genre: Crime, Thriller, Detective

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Killing Floor" by Lee Child is the debut novel in the hugely popular Jack Reacher series, first published in 1997. It introduces readers to the iconic character of Jack Reacher, a former U.S. Army military policeman who has deliberately chosen a life of anonymous drifting, with no fixed address or possessions beyond the clothes on his back.

The story begins with Reacher's arbitrary decision to get off a Greyhound bus in the seemingly quiet, unassuming town of Margrave, Georgia. His reason? He's heard that a blues musician named Blind Blake might have died there, and Reacher, a blues aficionado, wants to investigate.

However, his arrival in Margrave immediately turns into a nightmare. Within an hour of stepping off the bus, Reacher is arrested in a local diner for murder. The local police chief, Morrison, claims to have seen Reacher leave the scene of the crime, despite Reacher's clear innocence.

In custody, Reacher's military training and sharp mind immediately tell him that something is deeply wrong in Margrave. The town, which appears outwardly perfect and crime-free for decades, feels off. He meets Finlay, the chief of detectives, who is sceptical but willing to listen, and Roscoe, a local officer who believes in Reacher's innocence.

A crucial development occurs when a piece of paper with a phone number is found in the victim's shoe. When the number is called, a retired banker named Paul Hubble immediately confesses to the murder. Reacher and Hubble are then transferred to a state prison, where Reacher's skills are put to the test as they face an attempted assassination by the Aryan Brotherhood.

Despite Hubble's confession and his subsequent disappearance (he's presumed dead after vanishing from his house), Reacher, along with Finlay and Roscoe, digs deeper. Reacher's world is shattered when he discovers the true identity of the murder victim: it's his own brother, Joe Reacher, a Treasury Department investigator. This personal connection fuels Reacher's determination to uncover the vast conspiracy at play.

The investigation unearths a massive and sophisticated counterfeiting ring operating out of Margrave, run by the powerful Kliner family, with the complicity of the local police chief, the mayor, and other corrupt officials. Joe Reacher had been investigating this operation and was killed for getting too close.

As Reacher, Finlay, and Roscoe unravel the layers of corruption and violence, they become targets themselves. The Kliners and their network will stop at nothing to protect their illicit enterprise. Reacher must use his formidable combat skills, investigative prowess, and his relentless pursuit of justice to bring down the entire organization.

The climax involves a brutal showdown as Reacher confronts the Kliners and their allies, culminating in explosive violence and a definitive end to their counterfeiting empire. "Killing Floor" establishes Reacher's character as a nomadic avenger, a man who rights wrongs and then moves on, leaving chaos and justice in his wake. It's a hard-hitting, action-packed thriller that set the tone for the entire series.

Comments:
Well, I made the mistake of watching a screen version first. This book, and all of the books in this series that I have read are amazing. This book is a must read if you like action and justice...and somebody getting their comeuppance. I have since seen the first season of "Reacher" (2022) and it was excellent, the main reason is that it kept to the book!

Books that we've read by Lee Child (4):
Killing Floor (Jack Reacher #1) (1997), Die Trying (Jack Reacher, #2) (1998), Tripwire (Jack Reacher, #3) (1999), Running Blind (Jack Reacher, #4) (2000)