by Lee Child
Part of Jack Reacher, book 23
First published 2018
Jack Reacher sets out on a cross-country drive from Maine to California, chasing warm weather and open roads. Deep in New England's backwoods, he spots a sign pointing toward the town where his father was born. One extra day won't hurt, he figures, and turns off the main route. Meanwhile, two young Canadians carrying valuable cargo break down nearby and get stuck at an isolated motel with nowhere else to go. The next morning, Reacher visits the town clerk seeking information about his family's old home. The clerk delivers shocking news: no Reacher ever lived in this town. His father never returned here after leaving, but now Reacher questions whether his father ever existed here at all. This discovery pulls him into another dangerous adventure where past secrets prove more threatening than present dangers.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: family-mystery, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Maine, California, New England
Period: 21st-century
382 pages · Hardcover · Delacorte Press