The Visitor by
Lee Child
hbk out April 00
Published by Bantam
Jack Reacher, ex-US army cop, maverick and drifter is apprehended by the FBI. Two women have been murdered; both had left the army after complaining
of sexual harassment and both victims were known to Reacher. According to the Bureau Reacher fits the psychological profile for the killer. When a third victim is found, Reacher is in the clear but the FBI want him to work the case with them. He has access to contacts in the army who would never assist the FBI. Reacher refuses to help until the threat of blackmail persuades him otherwise.
The serial killings are bizarre. The women are found dead in their own homes, in baths filled with camouflage paint. There are no signs of forced
entry, no evidence of struggle and most perplexing of all no obvious cause of death. Reacher knows the killer will strike again and to save other women he must discover who the murderer is and how they are carrying out the mysterious killings. The Visitor is Lee Child's fourth Jack Reacher novel. Though Reacher is a tough character, used to violence and action, it is his ability to use logic and reason that are most important in finding out who the visitor is. The novel is a serial-killer thriller with a traditional puzzle at its heart.
And the mysteries of the plot, the who and why and how-dunnits keep us hooked, trying to work it out before all is revealed. A great page-turner.
(MEN 5.5.2000)
(
Cath Staincliffe
- Author of the highly acclaimed Sal Kilkenny Mysteries set on the Mean Streets of Manchester)
The Visitor by
Lee Child