Review: Better off Dead, Lee Child and Andrew Child

Another year, another Reacher; we are now firmly into the transition period in which Lee Child is handing the reins to younger brother Andrew, a crime writer in his own right with multiple novels under his belt.

They're still co-writing the Reachers for now, and this one is set in a tiny town in the southern United States on the Mexican border, where Reacher agrees to help a woman whose brother has been mixed up in a seriously dirty business – one that could be about to get many people hurt, in a very public way, very soon.

The Reacher series is loved by millions for its master storytelling, boiling down to a few key elements: twisty inventive plots, cracking pace and suspense, and characterisation – deep and full in the case of Reacher but superficial for a supporting cast th

Reacher stands alone, too, even in the genre, in that while his characterisation is rich, his inner life remains closed off and only hinted at, and he does not grow or change. This heroic immutability, his status as an archetype as well as a man, is part of what makes the series endlessly effective escapism and him a figure of such charm.

But for a longtime reader with so many options there is always the threat one will grow weary of the formula and this is why plot and pace (including those famous fight scenes) are so vital for the series.

I am pleased to report that the Lee/Andrew Child team opens with a wham-bam hook that will have you sweating from the start; however, while the book's premise, hinging on the relationship between two towns either side of the border – inspired by a real-life scenario – is intriguing, Reacher's exploration of them to track down the baddies is where the suspense created at the start flags. I felt a little bogged down and befuddled by the descriptions of locations, their co-locations and layouts, in the first half and none of the guest characters held enough interest to help.

Happily, the pace picks up again in the second half and the Childs treat the reader to plenty of action.

This is by no means a standout Reacher, but the transition to the younger Child is so far seamless and regular readers should be satisfied enough to justify their loyalty.