Die Trying (novel)

Die Trying is the second novel in the Jack Reacher series written by Lee Child. It was published in 1998 by Putnam. It is written in the third person.

Plot summary

Having run short on cash, Reacher has paused in his travels and is working in Chicago as a doorman when he stumbles into the kidnapping of FBI agent Holly Johnson. The pair are whisked across the United States in the back of a stolen Ford Econoline van, while back in Chicago Holly's colleagues frantically piece together the puzzle of her sudden disappearance.

Arriving in Yorke County (fictional), a remote area of Montana, Reacher and Holly find themselves up against the Montana Militia, a band approximately 100 strong led by Beau Borken, a majestic yet ruthless megalomaniac intent on more than simple secession from the Union. Holly is the daughter of a US Army general officer - the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She's defensive about her family connections, having had to work hard to dispel notions of nepotism, so it's a while before she reveals to Reacher that she's also connected in a significant way with the President.

Further complications only add to the chaos and confusion already running rampant. Brogan is a militia mole infiltrated into the Chicago FBI team whilst Jackson is an FBI mole working deep cover within the militia group.

And even as they close in on the Montana camp, the FBI believes that Reacher is the leader of the kidnap team. Major Reacher's old commanding officer, General Leon Garber, arrives to convince them otherwise.

This early version of Jack Reacher will seem significantly more vulnerable, fallible and emotional to those reading the series out of sequence. The character thus appears to evolve into a more powerful, fearsome and efficient killing machine as he ages. Another noticeable idiosyncrasy in these early novels is that one of the very few possessions Reacher has is a wrist watch he kept after leaving the Army. In later novels, it is often noted that Reacher always knows what time it is in his head, and has no need for a watch.

Awards and nominations

• 2003 WH Smith Thumping Good Read Award winner.^[1]

References

1. ↑ "WH Smith Thumping Good Read Award winners". everything2.com. Retrieved 14 June 2009. 

External links

• Die Trying information page on Lee Child's official website.