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
282 of 303 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.
81 of 89 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!
55 of 62 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.
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This story serves as a great backdrop for fans of Lee Child who want to know more about Jack Reacher's early life. In this vignette, the reader is introduced to a young Teenage Jack Reacher. In this story we see Reacher's deductive reasoning and his no-nonsense approach to street violence. Of course, young Jack.Reacher saves the Day and gets his father and older brother out of trouble and takes care of the neighborhood bully as well. To say more would be a spoiler so please accept my highest recommendation to download and read this story.
46 of 54 people found the following review helpful
By dawnsong
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
A short story featuring 13-year-old Reacher and his family. Quick, fun read that reveals some of the background for this enigmatic character.
37 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
As a long-time Reacher fan I looked forward to this one. Sadly, it was way too short and not up to the former high standard of the other Reacher products. This is nothing more than a quick sketch, and the fact that Jack outwits everyone from the local kids to trained Army investigators is more than a bit of a stretch, even for a young Reacher. This effort is a missed opportunity to really give Reacher fans some serious and detailed background information. It's worth a couple of bucks...but just barely.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By A. Lanneau
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Reacher is always logical to a fault.
Great to see more background on Reacher's family and we got an excellent view of what military families have to deal with in living at many different bases.
As always, Lee Child doesn't disappoint--except this one was awfully short.
Great to see more background on Reacher's family and we got an excellent view of what military families have to deal with in living at many different bases.
As always, Lee Child doesn't disappoint--except this one was awfully short.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Before you order this, you should be aware that it is not a full length novel, but only a novella which will almost certainly take you less than an hour to read. Written in Child's distinctively relentless style, it's a story about Jack Reacher as a 13 year old in 1974. It fills in some of his family's back history and sheds a little more insight into what makes Reacher the way that he is.
Reacher's father, Stan, works for the Marines and when the story opens he has just been posted to Okinawa in the East China Sea. Reacher and his brother Joe (funnily enough, it had never occurred to me before that they were named after the first two Kennedy boys) are used to having to assimilate into new places and Okinawa will present the usual challenges. Much as he does in the entire series, Reacher will take on the local bully, find the best looking girl and solve a couple of minor mysteries involving his father and brother.
I enjoyed the story but it doesn't amount to much. It's too straightforward to create much tension and the way that the 13 year old Reacher can outsmart everyone else feels less than credible. Nevertheless it's enough of a "Reacher fix" to keep you going until The Affair: A Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher) arrives.
Reacher's father, Stan, works for the Marines and when the story opens he has just been posted to Okinawa in the East China Sea. Reacher and his brother Joe (funnily enough, it had never occurred to me before that they were named after the first two Kennedy boys) are used to having to assimilate into new places and Okinawa will present the usual challenges. Much as he does in the entire series, Reacher will take on the local bully, find the best looking girl and solve a couple of minor mysteries involving his father and brother.
I enjoyed the story but it doesn't amount to much. It's too straightforward to create much tension and the way that the 13 year old Reacher can outsmart everyone else feels less than credible. Nevertheless it's enough of a "Reacher fix" to keep you going until The Affair: A Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher) arrives.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Young Reacher saves the day
Good background as Reacher and his family move to Okinawa.
Short but good story. Shows the different thought process between the brothers.
Short but good story. Shows the different thought process between the brothers.
Published 7 hours ago by Jack007flash
3.0 out of 5 stars
only if you love Lee Chile
too short, which I guess is why it is a single. gives some insight into his childhood, but I guess I would (in retrospect) have preferrred the mystery of it.
Published 1 day ago by Jeanine M. Thomas
4.0 out of 5 stars
good read
I have read two other books by this author and I enjoyed them both. I would reccomend this book to others
Published 2 days ago by Bret Harte
5.0 out of 5 stars
Second Son
Even as a youngster Jack Reacher was a force to be reckoned with. Entertaining, and unput-downable as usual. Lee Child has a great descriptive technique.
Published 3 days ago by Macolm Arnold
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jack Reacher, the early days. Entertaining, humorous
This book is a fun read, especially if you already know the adult Jack Reacher from later Reacher books, and what a brilliant bad ass he can be.
Fast, easy read. Read more
Fast, easy read. Read more
Published 4 days ago by BUSH PILOT
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good read
Loved the "prequel" to see Reacher as a teenager. Maybe a little more trying out his physicality rather than being fully "potent" as a teen.
Published 4 days ago by Linda D. McDonald
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
Introduced to this author this year and am enjoying the style and thrill of this mystery writer. Wold definately recommend to my friends....
Published 5 days ago by Sandra Bloom
4.0 out of 5 stars
Second Son
Have finished the book.
Enjoyed reading my first Jack Reacher
book.
Would recommend this for anyone, especially for teenagers. Read more
Enjoyed reading my first Jack Reacher
book.
Would recommend this for anyone, especially for teenagers. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Larene Garlets
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good story
Enjoyed the story but wanted more. Seems a little off that Reacher knows more than all the adults, but that's what we love about Reacher.
Published 7 days ago by F. P. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
An insight into Reacher
For any Reacher fan this is great look into how it all began.
True Reacher, from the beginning to the end.
True Reacher, from the beginning to the end.
Published 7 days ago by Travis S. Dodson
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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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