The Secret: Jack Reacher, Book 28

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Overall, it felt like to me that “The Secret” showed that Andrew Child is continuing to get better in his writing of Reacher. His understanding of what works with the character is getting better. His plotlines and mystery elements are improving. His mission is to uncover the truth. The question will Reacher bring the bad guys to justice the official way . . . or his way?

Another area of strengthening was the overall plotting. The mystery was multi-layered and the various pieces were revealed throughout the book at different point along the way, providing more tension and surprise along the way. Although I have to say that I figured out the last big reveal at the end, which means a lot of other readers will most likely have done the same. The purpose of the task force is to find out who is killing a group of ex-military scientists who are retired from service for years and appear to have nothing in common. However, they are showing up dead in what appears to be strange and unique accidents that raise questions.

There is an October 23, 2023 interview with Andrew Child about The Secret by Barbara Peters at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore's YouTube channel which you can watch here. Lee has three homes—an apartment in Manhattan, a country house in the south of France, and whatever airplane cabin he happens to be in while traveling between the two. In the US he drives a supercharged Jaguar, which was built in Jaguar's Browns Lane plant, thirty yards from the hospital in which he was born. First 1/3 of the book is a sub-plot but not really a sub-plot because it's just an entirely irrelevant tangent about another crime that does nothing to develop characters or plot. Doesn't give any insights to people or events referenced later in his story line in previous books. Doesn't tie into the main plot whatsoever. Just "here's a bunch of words about an uninteresting story so I can satisfy my quota to the publisher for this year's book." Insulting waste of time to legions of readers / listeners who pay for any book in this series. Another shot of his daughter and granddaughter, on foot this time, halfway across a crosswalk. The picture had been taken through a car windshield.

The woman took hold of Bridgeman’s arm and felt for his pulse. It was fast and weak. She said, ‘Come on now. Calm down. Think of your family. We don’t want to hurt them. Or you. We just need you to understand how serious this situation is. We only have two questions, but they’re important. The sooner you answer, the sooner we’re out of here. Ready?’

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The woman said, ‘Bonus question. What happens tomorrow? Or the next day? Is the driver drunk? Do his brakes fail?’ The woman said, ‘We have two questions. That’s all. Answer them honestly and you’ll never see us again. I promise.’ She held it out for Bridgeman to take. It showed a gloved hand holding a copy of the Tribune next to a window. Bridgeman could read the date on the newspaper. Tuesday, 7 April 1992. It was that day’s edition. Then he saw two figures through the glass. A woman and a child. A little girl. Even though they were facing away from the camera Bridgeman had no doubt who they were. Or where they were. It was his daughter and granddaughter. In the home he had bought them in Evanston, after his wife died. His mission is to uncover the truth. Fast. The question is: will Reacher bring the bad guys to justice the official way . . . or his way?

This was maybe a so-so Reacher as he was not always centre stage in the narrative. It did at least make a change from the standard drifter Reacher template where he stumbles into some dastardly criminal conspiracy and has to rescue various innocents or even entire towns with his vigilante ways and means. It’s 1992 and the Cold War is still thawing. Eight respected scientists have been found dead across the United States, involved in unique accidents that the police have deemed non-issues. While many would find it hard to connect the dots, those deep within the Pentagon know these scientists and what they did for the Americans at the height of the Cold War.In addition, I thought the mysteries’ solutions were revealed much too early and that other aspects were very predictable. 75% of the way through, I felt like I had the novel figured out. Nothing after that surprised me (not that anything in the first 75% was all that surprising, either).