Gone
Tomorrow
, by Lee Child (Read by Dick Hill)
Jack Reacher could have stepped into any
car on the 2:00 a.m. uptown subway, but he stepped into
the one occupied by four ordinary-looking New Yorkers
and one very peculiar woman. On seeing the woman, Reacher's
investigative instincts kick in. As he mentally checks
off each of the 11 characteristic behaviors of a suicide
bomber, he realizes that he has to confront the woman
before she triggers a bomb that will kill him and untold
numbers of people. What follows is more explosive than
any bomb could be, as Reacher navigates the secret worlds
of all the people who brought Susan Marks to NYC on
her deadly mission. At first suspected and then aided
by a beautiful NYPD detective, Reacher's pursuit of
the bad guys puts him the paths of an ambitious U.S.
senator, Homeland Security, the FBI, the Taliban and
Al-Qaeda.
"Gone tomorrow" might describe
Reacher's nomadic existence as he moves almost daily
from hotel to flop house to hotel with a toothbrush
and little else. Despite his lack of computer, telephone,
wardrobe and base of operations he proves to be a most
effective one man crime-fighting force. Using Reacher's
powers of observation, good solid logic and brute fighting
force, Child takes the listener on a heart-stopping
adventure through the terrifying worlds of international
and domestic terrorism. Infused with references to military
and political events of the recent past, the story takes
on an immediacy, forcing the listener to wonder how
much of the tale is pure fantasy and how many of the
threats discussed have either occurred or might occur
in the future.
Dick Hill's reading is perfect for Reacher's
first person narration. He gives the straight forward,
no-nonsense hero just the right hint of bravado to keep
him menacing, but likeable. The other characters are
portrayed equally effectively, with Southern, New Jersey
or Slavic accents, as appropriate. This fast-paced mystery
satisfies on many levels, giving the history buff, the
armchair detective, the amateur psychologist, and the
political analyst all a thought-provoking and thrilling
pleasure.
Ruth
Mormon
8/7/09
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