In this new short story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child, available exclusively as an eBook, a young Jack Reacher knows how to finish a fight so it stays finished. He knows how to get the job done so it stays done. And, in one of his earliest challenges, he knows that his analytical brain is just as important as his impressive brawn.
Okinawa, 1974. Even at thirteen, Jack Reacher knows how to outwit and overpower anyone who stands in his way. And as the new kid in town, that’s pretty much everyone. His family has come to the Pacific with his father, who’s preparing for a top-secret Marine Corps operation. After receiving a rude welcome from the local military brats, Reacher and his older brother, Joe, intend to teach them a lesson they won’t forget. But it’s soon clear that there’s more at stake than pride. When his family’s future appears to come crumbling down, it’s the youngest Reacher who rises to the occasion with all the decisive cunning and bravura that will one day be his deadly trademark.
Second Son also includes a thrilling excerpt from Lee Child’s forthcoming novel, The Affair.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Lee Child's Reacher series (15 books in all) is a thundering force among modern thrillers. For the uninitiated, it follows the stoic, hulking, and streetwise Jack Reacher, a former military policeman who's now a drifter with a vast capacity for protective and retributive violence. The short story "Second Son" is a snapshot of the life of Reacher and his family circa 1974, while they're stationed on a military base in Okinawa. Upon arriving they immediately get into deep trouble that's compounded by some bad news. For those new to Child's writing, the action is interspersed with contemplative moments, such as when Jack's grandfather, a prosthetic-limb maker in Paris, recounts that "… a great war leaves a country with three armies: an army of cripples, an army of mourners, and an army of thieves." This tightly constructed story pulls readers right to the end and is sure to find new fans for the series. --Paul Diamond
Review
Praise for #1 bestselling author Lee Child and his Reacher series
“Child is a superb craftsman of suspense.”—Entertainment Weekly
“The truth about Reacher gets better and better.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times
“Implausible, irresistible Reacher remains just about the best butt-kicker in thriller-lit.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Like his hero Jack Reacher, Lee Child seems to make no wrong steps.”—Associated Press
“Lee Child [is] the current poster-boy of American crime fiction.”—Los Angeles Times
“Indisputably the best escape artist in this escapist genre.”—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times
“Jack Reacher is much more like the heir to the Op and Marlowe than Spenser ever was.”—Esquire
“Child is a superb craftsman of suspense.”—Entertainment Weekly
“The truth about Reacher gets better and better.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times
“Implausible, irresistible Reacher remains just about the best butt-kicker in thriller-lit.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Like his hero Jack Reacher, Lee Child seems to make no wrong steps.”—Associated Press
“Lee Child [is] the current poster-boy of American crime fiction.”—Los Angeles Times
“Indisputably the best escape artist in this escapist genre.”—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times
“Jack Reacher is much more like the heir to the Op and Marlowe than Spenser ever was.”—Esquire
Product Details
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
280 of 301 people found the following review helpful
By Daniel Pyle
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I don't know what the word count on this one is, but I'd guess it falls into novelette territory, which is probably the perfect length for the story.
If you're hoping for some kind of formative, coming-of-age event in Reacher's past, you might be disappointed. What readers get here is a young Reacher who is already about as calculating and decisive as he'll ever be. Still, if they take it for what it is (a new Reacher story that just happens to take place 37 years ago), I think fans of the series will enjoy this one. I know I did.
If you're hoping for some kind of formative, coming-of-age event in Reacher's past, you might be disappointed. What readers get here is a young Reacher who is already about as calculating and decisive as he'll ever be. Still, if they take it for what it is (a new Reacher story that just happens to take place 37 years ago), I think fans of the series will enjoy this one. I know I did.
79 of 87 people found the following review helpful
By Jappa
Format:Kindle Edition
I am a great fan of Lee Child and Jack Reacher - but I was greatly disappointed by SECOND SON. I expected it to be a novela at the price but this, although containing some insights into the character we love, really could have been included as back-story in one of the existing novels, or the next one. I feel we already have a well rounded view of Jack Reacher's background/motivation and this is not only unnecessary, but blatant merchandising. I for one certainly don't want to see a spin off series of Jack Reacher as a kid - the adult version is much more interesting. Well written, as to be expected, and I will still be buying the next in the real series - hoping that it will make up for this. I think it should be clearer that this is more of an insert than a book and the price dropped accordingly to avoid readers' disappointment!
54 of 61 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Excellent source of background material on Reacher. If you are a seasoned Reacher Creature or a new convert you will find this single shows you that Reacher was as he always will be.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed
Reacher books are usually most interesting and this one was but I did not know that it was just a short story.
Published 2 hours ago by Patsy Wylie
5.0 out of 5 stars
A childhood tale
I am a Jack Reacher fan. This story goes to his teenage years and how he dealt with bullies. Of course, there is a pretty girl to be defended. Read more
Published 13 hours ago by Donna Riding
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyed
Great background for Reacher. Reading other Reacher books will be easier knowing his early yeas background. Lee Childs is an excellent storyteller!
Published 1 day ago by B.J.
2.0 out of 5 stars
not realistic
come on a 12yo solved a mystery the military police couldn't figure out in 20pgs with a meaning less exit of his grandfather --don't read this book
Published 2 days ago by Ken Sanchez
5.0 out of 5 stars
first in a series of lee child " reacher "
first it shows how reacher grew up as a child, with his brother, joe, his parents, but most important, how this boy, at an early age was able to handled, figure out things, &... Read more
Published 4 days ago by wild Bill
5.0 out of 5 stars
I really enjoy this writer.
I have read more of his books. I like the thrill of who done it. Those are the kind of books I like,
Published 5 days ago by Linda Wheeler
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good stories
I always enjoy more about the primary subject. I like the stories that he presents. Lee Child spins a good story and I always look for more.
Published 5 days ago by Gwen Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars
books
His books are great and to be able to download it even better. Price is great and so easy to do. I loved the way this all worked out.
Published 5 days ago by Robin Mathes
4.0 out of 5 stars
Too short
I just so enjoy teacher and it's disappointing when it's so short . But it was insightful look into early reacher
Published 5 days ago by Shawn N. Flynn
3.0 out of 5 stars
Redundant.
The information in this short story is covered in several other books as background in the first chapter. It was not really one of my favorites.
Published 7 days ago by Stormy
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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.
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