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SPOILER ARCHIVE
ONE SHOT
Lee Child
Publishers Weekly Synopsis
The final sentence of Child's ninth suspenser (after The Enemy)—"Then he could buy a pair of shoes and be just about anywhere before the sun went down"—is quintessential Jack Reacher, the rugged ex-army cop who practically defines the word "loner" and kicks ass with the best of 'em.

In the book's gripping opening, five people are killed when a shooter opens fire in a small unnamed Indiana city. But when ex-infantry specialist James Barr is apprehended, he refuses to talk, saying only, "Get Jack Reacher for me." But Reacher's already en route; having seen a news story on the shooting, he heads to the scene with disturbing news of his own: "

[Barr's] done this before. And once was enough." Nothing is what it seems in the riveting puzzle, as vivid set pieces and rapid-fire dialogue culminate in a slam-bang showdown in the villains' lair. (And what villains: a quintet of Russian émigrés, the stuff of everybody's worst nightmares, led by a wily 80-year-old who makes Freddy Krueger look like Little Lord Fauntleroy.)

As usual, Child makes the most of Reacher's dry wit, cut-to-the-chase psychology and stubborn taciturnity—in short, this is a vintage double play for author and leading man.

SPOILER:
Sent in by Indiana Reader

One Shot is the latest in Lee Child's wonderful Jack Reacher series. Reacher is a retired Army MP who wanders the country without belongings or personal ties, and always seems to stumble into town just as a crisis hits. Of course, the tall stranger is always pegged as the culprit.

In One Shot, this varies a little...

The book opens with a sniper killing five innocent people in a public Indiana square, and leaving behind an unbelievable amount of trace evidence. He is easily tracked down and identified as a retired Army sniper.

Reacher appears on the scene when he hears about the incident on the news. It seems the sniper had a similar killing spree while in the Army and Reacher had him nailed for that crime. However, the killer walked on a technicality and Reacher swore he would track the sniper down if he ever tried it again.

After connecting with the sniper's sister, attorney and a Marine who runs a shooting range where the sniper practiced, Reacher begins to doubt the guilt that everyone else feels is so obvious.

Reacher whittles the possible motives and suspects until he zeroes in on an old Russian mobster and his gang of hoods. Outwitting the mob fortress and guards, Reacher viciously and efficiently dispatches five hoods before confronting the boss and forcing him to come clean on the whole scam and set-up.

With all loose ends tied up and the DA and police detective on board to prosecute the right men, Reacher hops a bus to his next locale and unwanted adventure.