Jack Reacher – The Killing Floor Review

 Killing Floor is not the greatest introduction to the Reacher Series, but is compelling enough to persuade me to try out book two. 

Reacher is one of those shows that sort of popped up out of nowhere., I’d scarcely say I’d ever heard the name Jack Reacher or Lee Child until recently while I was shopping for Christmas gifts.  I caught sight of one of Child’s books, picked it up, and discovered it was a Jack Reacher novel. I turned a few pages and found I was actually enjoying it. I looked up which book it was in the series – it was number three.

Now I know that the Reacher novels don’t follow a traditional order or chronology. However, I cannot help but feel I must start at the beginning – The Killing Floor. I have to put this out there as well; this book is what season one of  Reacher is based on, so I knew all the details going in. As such, I probably found my reading slightly more tedious than if I’d come in blind. 

The story follows Jack Reacher, a former investigator for the US army who finds himself in the town of Margrave, Georgia, where he’s accused of a murder he didn’t commit and finds himself in the centre of a conspiracy which his family is directly connected to. 

I knew much of the plot of The Killing Floor from my watching of Reacher Season One. I could have skipped this book, but I wanted to see just how different it was from the series. Surprisingly, and frustratingly ,not much is changed from page to screen.

Reacher is a good character, one a little dumbed down from the show which makes him more likeable. It was refreshing to see this machine-like man display moments of genuine vulnerability instead of dealing with every traumatic event with a wise crack. The first person allows you to enter Reacher's mind in a way the show just cannot do. It also limits the perspective of the story.

Personally, I found it difficult to deal with Reacher's often ridiculous habit of driving off or walking somewhere and describing every little detail that catches his eye. Mostly to no purpose towards the plot. I appreciate Reacher is a wonderer, and represents Child’s own journey’s through America, but not every field and every has has to have a page long description!

There were changes that I approved of; betrayals and reveals that improved some of the overlooked characters. There were also some similarities which pleased me. I was glad to see that the female presence in the TV show was present in the novel. Finley, the black Boston detective, is also present, and his reason for being present is a more realistic than in the show. 

The plot is paced, characters are compelling, but its still an arduous read. Comparing to the show, it’s tough at times to maintain interest when the plot seems to go from snail pace to the hare beating the tortoise. 

All in all, is it worth a read? Not for me as first outing – it's got plenty of compelling parts but this Reacher novel did not impress me. I hope that over the course of the next twenty-eight books I'll read, I'll find something that compels me. I did have moments where I found myself compelled to keep reading. The Reacher formula is a good idea, stories with one central character you can drop in and out of whenever YOU feel like it.

I am going to push onward into book 2 - Die Trying. As for you, the audience, make up your own mind about The Killing Floor. Tell me what you think. Better yet, tell me what I should read. That’s what this is about – Encouraging reading!

. Don’t forget to follow me on here and go to socials below where you can follow me and find some of my other work. Until next time, this is Harvey John signing off. 

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