Lee Child's newest Jack Reacher novel is called A Wanted Man.

Good stuff, Maynard.  Really good stuff.

If you haven't discovered Jack Reacher you're missing something in your reading repertoire.  Reacher is a force to be reckoned with.  Ex-Army military police, the guy is 6'5 and all muscle.  But with a difference; he's all muscle with a lot of brains.

And he's got his own definition on what defines Justice.

And unique in another way.  He's a bum--in a somewhat classic sense of being an almost psychopathic loner.  He has no mailing address.  He has no home.  No car.  No friends to speak of.  Nothing to keep him in one place for too long.  His method of transportation is usually the Greyhound bus of hitch-hiking.

But  he has a genius in finding trouble.  The kind of trouble that involves guns, bodies, suspense, and a whiff of international danger.

Just the stuff I like to read, kiddo.

But what impresses me the most about this novel is it is Child's 17th volume in the series.  And it's damn good. (of course all of us can quibble here and there about the story--my little quibble is how it ends.  I don't think the FBI would be that generous to him.  But that's just me--you have to decide for yourself)

What I am trying to point out is that the writer has taken the time, effort, and loving care to make the novel work.  It's just as good as the last sixteen in the series.  That's important to remember.  Writing a series is tough sledding,  Guido. Ask any writer who does a series and they'll tell you as the series progresses along, the writing gets tougher.  Plots get harder to find.  The love for their character sometimes begins to fray around the edges.  (or worse; Sir Conan Doyle began to hate Sherlock Holmes so much he actually killed the SOB off permanently--or so he thought)

But this latest effort from the author is right on the mark.  Sharp, visceral, edgy; and a stumper.  You think you know what's going on . . . but really you don't.  

You may have noticed there is the movie, Jack Reacher, out in the theaters even as we speak.  Yep.  Same character.  Although . . . not really.   Tom Cruise is a very gifted actor and he may bring the essence of Jack Reacher's personality to the big screen.  But he ain't Jack Reacher.  Nevertheless I'll go see the movie and probably enjoy the hell out of it.

If you don't know who Jack Reacher is, it's time to go out and find him.  If you like good writing, good story plots, interesting characters, and slam-blam action, this is the real-deal.  (he's so good I introduced the character to my 15 year old grand daughter over the Christmas holidays.  It took about the first chapter to get her hooked.)

Read Jack Reacher and then come back and tell me what you think.  I'm curious to hear if you agree with me.  Or not.