Die Trying (Jack Reacher, No. 2) [Paperback]

Lee Child (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 28, 2006

See Jack Reacher now in his first major motion picture.

When a woman is kidnapped off a Chicago street in broad daylight, Jack Reacher’s in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’s kidnapped with her. Chained together and racing across America toward an unknown destination, they’re at the mercy of a group of men demanding an impossible ransom. Because Reacher’s female companion is worth more than he imagines. Now he has to save them both—from the inside out—or die trying…

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Television writer Lee Child's otherwise riveting first thriller, Killing Floor, was criticized by some reviewers because of an unconvincing coincidence at its center. Child addresses that problem in his second book--and thumbs his nose at those reviewers--by having his hero, ex-military policeman Jack Reacher, just happen to be walking by a Chicago dry cleaner when an attractive young FBI agent named Holly Johnson comes out carrying nine expensive outfits and a crutch to support her soccer-injured knee. As Holly stumbles, Reacher grabs her and her garments--which gets him kidnapped along with her by a trio of very determined badguys. "He had no problem with how he had gotten grabbed up in the first place," Child writes. "Just a freak of chance had put him alongside Holly Johnson at the exact time the snatch was going down. He was comfortable with that. He understood freak chances. Life was built out of freak chances, however much people would like to pretend otherwise." Lucky for Holly--whose father just happens to be an Army general and current head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, thus making her a tempting target for a bunch of Montana-based extremists--Reacher still has all the skills and strengths associated with his former occupation. And Child still knows how to write scenes of violent action better than virtually anyone else around. --Dick Adler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Jack Reacher is in both the wrong and the right place at the same time when FBI Special Agent and daughter of the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Holly Johnson is abducted from a Chicago street. It is the wrong place because Reacher, a former army major drifting around the country, is kidnapped as well. It is the right place because only he has the instincts to foil the complex, deadly plan of the kidnappers, a Montana militia group headed by a charismatic, brilliant, but psychotic leader. Child's tale, very well read by Dick Hill, engrossingly portrays Reacher's efforts to manipulate the captors; the behind-the-scenes maneuvering of the FBI, the army, and the White House; and the many unexpected roadblocks thrown in his path. Child devotes too much time, however, to the predictable rantings of the militia. Recommended for public libraries.?Michael Adams, CUNY Graduate Ctr., New York
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 567 pages
• Publisher: Jove P / Berkley Publishing Groupremium; Jove Premium Edition edition (November 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0515142247
• ISBN-13: 978-0515142242
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (763 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #85 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers > Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue

More About the Author

Lee Child is the #1 internationally bestselling author of the Jack Reacher thrillers. His debut, Killing Floor, won both the Anthony and the Barry awards for Best First Mystery, and The Enemy won both the Barry and the Nero awards for Best Novel. "Jack Reacher", the film based on the 9th novel, One Shot, stars Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Rosamund Pike, Jai Courtney, and David Oyelowo and debuted in December 2012. Child, a native of England and a former television director, lives in New York City and the south of France with his wife and daughter. Find out more about Lee Child and the Reacher novels on his official website: LeeChild.com, on Facebook LeeChildOfficial, on Twitter #LeeChildReacher, and YouTube leechildjackreacher.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#10 Overall (See top 100 authors)

#2 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

#4 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery

#5 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers

#5 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers

#9 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction

#2 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

#4 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery

#5 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers

#5 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers

#9 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

99 of 104 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Jack Bauer. . .er. . . Reacher Always Gets the Job Done June 8, 2006

By D. R. Jeanclerc TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

"Die Trying" is the second installment in Lee Child's popular Jack Reacher series. Reacher is an ex-Army-MP-turned-vigilante-drifter, a tough guy with an unflinching sense of right and wrong who always manages to stumble into a situation in need of his style of correction.

In this book, Reacher happens on to the kidnapping of a government worker and not only ends up being snatched along with the target but also gets [...] as the prime suspect after being identified by witnesses. Bad luck for Reacher - worse luck for the bad guys. As Reacher uses his MP background to put together the clues, he discovers that this is no ordinary kidnapping of any ordinary person and that the perpetrators are out for much more than simple ransom. He has to solve the mysteries, save the girl, and stop the growing conspiracy - all before the nationwide manhunt mistakenly takes him down. It's all in a day's work for Jack Reacher.

The Reacher series is a throwback in action writing, unencumbered by modern sensitivities and moral ambiguities that plague so many other contemporary heroes. All characters are cut-and-dry either on the side of right or wrong, women are typically fodder for rescue and/or quick, passionate affairs, and all problems can be solved with the right mixture of brains and force. This world view can sometimes lead the books down a path of being overly simplistic or even hokey, but ultimately Reacher's charisma and conviction make for worthwhile Summer reading. Pacing is typically swift as Child's background as a television writer becomes apparent with each passing chapter. Book after book, the Reacher series is a mixture of "24", "CSI" and even a little bit of "McGyver".

"Die Trying" is a good volume in the Reacher series. It signals the beginning of the shift from Reacher as pure tough-guy action hero to mystery sleuth, which adds some needed depth. It's not quite as well-written as "The Enemy" or "Running Blind", but definitely worth a pickup for all Reacher fans.

81 of 95 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Jack Reacher the Hero of the 21st Century. April 18, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Die Trying is the sensational sequel to Killing Floor by Lee Child. If you haven't read Killing Floor I would recommend doing so before you read this book as it provides a basis for Reacher's character realism. As before the main character is Jack Reacher, ex military policeman and all round superhero. Reacher is intelligent, deductive and physically prodigous, so if you like heroes of the elite variety then this is the character for you. If you prefer cardiganed librarians and lack the ability to suspend disbelief (an essential criteria for FICTION readers) avoid this book as the storyline is astounding with a capital ASTOUND. Lee Child has produced a book that captivates and ensnares its readers with suspense, intrigue and a plot with more twists than a bowl of particularly tangled spaghetti. A man mountain of a psychopath, a beautiful FBI agent with more secrets than the FBI itself, moles galore and the president of the United States, all come together in the valleys of Montana, in a literary feast. If that isn't enough there's even a spot of romance (but not too much). All in all a book for those of us who believe in a world where heroes do exist.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "I decided that once and for all I was going to make it or die trying." John Johnson January 23, 2010

By michael a. draper TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Jack Reacher is walking down a Chicago street when he stops to help a woman with a cane, struggle with her dry cleaning. Three men approach her with weapons drawn and abduct her, bringing Reacher along with them.

They bring the prisoners to their enclave in Montana and hold the woman, FBI agent, Holly Johnson, as a bargaining chip for what they plan with the government.

Reacher shows the reader his many talents in this second installment of his stories. We see him as the lone man against seemingly insurmountable odds. He's highly analytical and possesses keen inteligence. He's also able to rationalize what his captors are planning and figure out a possible escape. In "Die Trying," Reacher shows his feelings and develops a fondness for Holly. His compassion and strength are two of the reasons why readers enjoy Reacher as a character and are able to sympathise with him.

The plot is original and the author provides a number of surprises and plot twists that keep the reader's attention and add to the enjoyment of the story.