The Hard Way

by Lee Child

Part of Jack Reacher, book 10

First published 2006

Jack Reacher stands alone on a sweltering New York street, watching a man deliver one million dollars in ransom money to a parked Mercedes. The payment comes from Edward Lane, a desperate father who runs an illegal mercenary operation and will pay any price to recover his kidnapped wife and child. Lane hires Reacher, knowing his reputation as the world's most effective manhunter. But as Reacher tracks the vicious kidnappers through the city, he uncovers disturbing secrets about his employer's military past and a brutal conflict that left deep scars. Lane is concealing something significant and corrupt. Reacher realizes he has become entangled too deeply in Lane's web to walk away now, even as the truth about the kidnapping grows more twisted. When conventional methods fail, Reacher must rely on his instincts and his willingness to pursue justice through whatever means necessary.

Genres: adventure, suspense, mystery, crime, thriller, action

Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, justice

Setting: New York

384 pages · Hardcover · Delacorte Press

Content warnings: violence

More by Lee Child

Readers who liked The Hard Way also liked

View on Siftivo