Plot
Jack Reacher is working unofficially with the DEA agent Susan Duffy to bring down a Zachary Beck, who is suspected of smuggling drugs under the pretext of trading in oriental carpets. They stage a kidnapping of Zachary's son, Richard Beck with Reacher appearing to be the man who rescues him. A frightened Richard places his trust in Reacher and asks him to take him back home. Reacher gains access to Beck and gradually gains his confidence by working as a hired gun and bodyguard.
While working undercover he has to eliminate a few of Beck's minions to prevent them from exposing him. During this time he discovers that a house maid is also undercover, she is an ATF agent trying to find evidence of arms smuggling against Zachary. Reacher must attempt to prevent an attack on Zachary while maintaining his undercover role.
The DEA, on finding that they were mistaken about the nature of the Zachary's business, tries to pull Reacher out. Reacher refuses as his primary motivation is to kill Francis Xavier Quinn, a former Military Intelligence agent who, ten years before, had brutally mutilated and murdered a female military police colleague of Reacher's, Dominique Khol.
Reacher had presumed Quinn to be dead after their last encounter but coincidentally ran into him in public, prompting him to track him down. Quinn is now Zachary Beck's boss, who forced Beck into working for him by threatening his family.
Reacher eventually manages to rescue Richard, his mother Elizabeth, and Teresa Daniels (the DEA's undercover agent) from Quinn, killing Quinn and leaving Zachary to be arrested in doing so, before parting ways with Duffy.
Critical reception
Leslie Doran of The Denver Post said that the novel had a "gripping and suspenseful opening" and that "for returning Reacher fans...beginning scenes will cause extra suspense". [3] Patrick Anderson of The Washington Post described it as "a skillful blend of sex, violence, sadism, weaponry, spies, smuggling, revenge, deception, suspense and nonstop action", though he also notes that the novel has "several premises that are hard to swallow". [4] After a short description of how quickly he read through the earlier books in the series after reading Persuader, Dale Jones of The Gazette simply stated "You might say I liked it". [5]
The Crime Writers' Association nominated the book for the 2003 Steel Dagger Award for best thriller novel first published in the UK. [6]
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