It's always a great day when there's a new Reacher book. Compelling reading, one of my favorite series.

Most people feel they do not have control over the many aspects of modern life. Reading a Reacher book gives you a few hours of the satisfaction of seeing the world through the eyes of someone who very definitely is in control. Jack Reacher is not owned by possessions -- all he carries is a toothbrush and his passport. He has neither home nor car. He is not driven by the opinions of others. He is not conflicted by moral questions. His values are constant and direct his every action. Reacher is a unique character in description and behavior and entering into his world is a great escape from any problems the reader might have. Lee Childs' writing style is an example of craft in the service of story. The sentence structure is as direct as Reacher himself and moves forward without artifice. Every now and then the author will toss in figurative language, as when he describes a very large dog as having teeth "the size of rifle ammunition." It reminds us that writing that looks effortless is the result of great skill.
In Midnight Line Reacher spots a very small West Point class ring in a pawn shop window, and just like that, he is determined to solve the mystery of who would give up such a significant item and then rescue her, if necessary. He is a mixture of Sir Galahad and Don Quixote as he begins a journey that takes him across the wide open spaces of South Dakota and Wyoming. The first third of the book is vintage Reacher, confronting bullies and resolving any obstacle in his path, but as the story unfolds, we learn more about the mysterious soldier, and action often takes a back seat to conversation.
Until the action picks up in the last third of the book, I found my attention wandering.. Then when the plans begin to fall into place, we are caught up again by the way Reacher has managed to save the owner of the ring and take out the bad guys. As usual he comes out on top but I confess the story was not as gripping as some of his past adventures and I felt little regret when he got back on the road again.

Lee Child and Jack Reacher keep getting better. Loved this book, couldn't put it down.