Plot
Jack Reacher finds himself in an unofficial collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration to take down Zachary Beck, a man believed to be involved in drug smuggling while pretending to be in the business of selling oriental carpets. To execute their plan, they orchestrate a kidnapping attempt involving Zachary's son, Richard Beck. In a moment of fear and uncertainty, Richard turns to Reacher for help, asking him to return him safely to his home.
As Reacher steps into this dangerous situation, he begins to build a rapport with Richard. The young boy, feeling vulnerable and scared, finds solace in Reacher's presence. Reacher's calm demeanor and protective nature help Richard feel more secure, allowing him to trust Reacher as they navigate this tense scenario together. To get closer to Zachary Beck, Reacher gains access to Zachary and gradually gains his confidence by working as a hired gun on the bodyguard. This strategy allows him to infiltrate Zachary's world and gradually earn his trust. Through careful interactions and a display of loyalty, Reacher aims to gather the necessary information to help the DEA dismantle Zachary's illicit operations while ensuring Richard's safety throughout the process.
While he was undercover, Reacher takes out a few of Zachary's henchmen to keep his true identity safe. During this process, he discovered that he wasn't the only one on the mission to monitor Zachary Beck. It became clear that the housemaid was an ATF agent, working to gather proof of arms smuggling against Zachary. So, Reacher must navigate the presumed attack on Zachary while still maintaining his cover assignment, as he realized they were both after the same target but had different approaches. The presence of another agent in the house meant he had to be even more cautious, balancing his own objectives while potentially collaborating with the maid to bring down Zachary's operations.
The DEA realizes they were wrong about the type of business Zachary was engaged in and attempts to withdraw Reacher from the situation. However, Reacher is determined to stay involved. His main reason for participating in this covert operation is to confront Francis Xavier Quinn, a former Military Intelligence officer. Quinn had committed a horrific crime a decade earlier, brutally killing and disfiguring a female military police officer, Dominique Kohl, who had once worked on the far while watching Reacher's back.
Despite the DEA's efforts to pull him out, Reacher remains resolute in his decision to continue. The desire for justice drives him, as he seeks to settle the score with Quinn for the past tragedy. Reacher's commitment to this mission is fueled by the memory of his fallen colleague, and he is unwilling to back down until he has the chance to face the man responsible for such a brutal act.
Reacher initially thought that Quinn was dead following their last confrontation, but he discovered that this belief was wrong when he unexpectedly saw Quinn in a public place. Now, a decade has passed, and Quinn, having renamed himself Frank Xavier, has surprisingly become the boss of Zachary Beck, who is involved in a highly profitable international gun-running business. It turns out that Zachary was coerced into working for Quinn, and his family had been harassed by bodyguards assigned by Quinn after a staged attack by the unlikely person accused of it. Quinn's influence and control over Zachary illustrate the lengths to which he will go to maintain his operations.
Reacher eventually manages to rescue Richard, his mother Elizabeth, and Teresa Daniels (the DEA's undercover agent) from Quinn and Zachary, killing Quinn 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]
