Better Off Dead (Book Review)

Last year’s Jack Reacher adventure, The Sentinel, was the first written by both Lee Child and his brother Andrew Child. Better Off Dead is the new Jack Reacher to hit shelves this month and marks the second collaboration between the two brother authors.

For me it felt like this collaboration hit its stride with Better Off Dead, it seemed to me that Andrew was more comfortable in the co-authoring chair this time around and the result was an entertaining read that I felt was true to the Jack Reacher we have come to know.

Reacher is back, and again he just can’t seem to help stepping in to lend a hand to someone in need. This time around it’s an army veteran turned FBI agent who is looking for her twin brother. With Reacher it’s always a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or perhaps it is the right place at the right time? One thing is for sure, that’s the question the bad guys are going to be asking themselves before long.

Michaela Fenton is determined to find the truth behind her brother Michael’s disappearance. She arrives in a small backwater town in Arizona, and it’s immediately clear that she’s willing to do whatever it takes to meet the mysterious Dendoncker. Fenton has skills, but to face off against this dangerous criminal she’s going to need all the help she can get.

Reacher’s abilities, knowledge and confidence all combine to form a powerhouse character. His aversion to and lack of knowledge about technology made me smile throughout the book. Yet despite this he still gets things done, because we all know that there’s never been a problem that he’s backed down from.

Fans of Jack Reacher will devour every punch and kick delivered in Better Off Dead. Who knows what fate awaits the bad guys, the one thing I do know is that before this ends they may just be better off dead.

Better Off Dead is available for a recommended retail price of R330.

Thanks to Penguin Random House for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.