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saareman 's review for:
The Secret
by Lee Child, Andrew Child
Army MP Reacher in a 1992 Prequel
Review of the Random House Audio audiobook edition (October 24, 2023) narrated by Scott Brick, released simultaneously with the Delacorte Press hardcover edition.
[3.5 rounded up to 4]
Reacher Statistics
'Reacher said nothing.' count = 10. I was getting concerned when there had been only 2 of these in the first half of the book, but the count went up significantly in the 2nd half.
Toothbrush mentions = 1. Reacher notices his hotel room has been searched because his toothbrush is not standing exactly on the vertical in the bathroom drinking glass.
The Secret is the 4th & final collaboration of brothers Lee and Andrew Child in a phased-in retirement and handover of the franchise between them. Andrew Child is currently contracted to continue the series alone for at least 4 more additional books. Readers have various methods to monitor how well younger brother Andrew has taken over the reins from original writer Lee. For me, the measure is whether the laconic tagline 'Reacher said nothing' is getting sufficient play and whether there are enough toothbrush jokes in the mix. For the former the count is medium in this outing. For the latter, there is only a single mention. There weren't any lines to top my all time favourite: "Reacher was already packed and ready to go. His toothbrush was in his pocket." (from [b:Blue Moon|43903354|Blue Moon (Jack Reacher, #24)|Lee Child|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1552099648l/43903354._SY75_.jpg|67932542] (Reacher #24, 2019)).
Andrew and Lee Child (pennames for Andrew and James Grant) photographed by Tasha Alexander. Image sourced from Parade Magazine (link below).
The Secret is one of the occasional prequel novels that show the later transient wanderer Reacher when he was still serving in the U.S. Army in the Military Police. There is a short introductory section where Reacher solves a case of missing weapons, but he is soon enlisted in a greater manhunt. A series of scientists are being murdered across the country for an unknown reason i.e. 'The Secret' of the title. A group of elite investigators from the military, the FBI, the CIA etc. are called in to try to connect the murders, establish a motive and catch the perpetrators. The reader actually knows who the perpetrators are right away, but the motive remains unknown for the longest time. Of course Reacher & allies solve the case in the end with a few twists along the way.
This was maybe a so-so Reacher as he was not always centre stage in the narrative. It did at least make a change from the standard drifter Reacher template where he stumbles into some dastardly criminal conspiracy and has to rescue various innocents or even entire towns with his vigilante ways and means.
The narration by veteran reader Scott Brick in all voices for the audiobook edition was excellent as always.
Trivia and Links
There is a very short book trailer for The Secret by Random House which you can watch on YouTube here.
There is an October 23, 2023 interview with Andrew Child about The Secret by Barbara Peters at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore's YouTube channel which you can watch here.
Both Andrew and Lee Child are interviewed about The Secret and their other collaborations and the future of Reacher at Parade Magazine by Elizabeth Held, October 27, 2023.
Review of the Random House Audio audiobook edition (October 24, 2023) narrated by Scott Brick, released simultaneously with the Delacorte Press hardcover edition.
[3.5 rounded up to 4]
Reacher Statistics
'Reacher said nothing.' count = 10. I was getting concerned when there had been only 2 of these in the first half of the book, but the count went up significantly in the 2nd half.
Toothbrush mentions = 1. Reacher notices his hotel room has been searched because his toothbrush is not standing exactly on the vertical in the bathroom drinking glass.
The Secret is the 4th & final collaboration of brothers Lee and Andrew Child in a phased-in retirement and handover of the franchise between them. Andrew Child is currently contracted to continue the series alone for at least 4 more additional books. Readers have various methods to monitor how well younger brother Andrew has taken over the reins from original writer Lee. For me, the measure is whether the laconic tagline 'Reacher said nothing' is getting sufficient play and whether there are enough toothbrush jokes in the mix. For the former the count is medium in this outing. For the latter, there is only a single mention. There weren't any lines to top my all time favourite: "Reacher was already packed and ready to go. His toothbrush was in his pocket." (from [b:Blue Moon|43903354|Blue Moon (Jack Reacher, #24)|Lee Child|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1552099648l/43903354._SY75_.jpg|67932542] (Reacher #24, 2019)).
Andrew and Lee Child (pennames for Andrew and James Grant) photographed by Tasha Alexander. Image sourced from Parade Magazine (link below).
The Secret is one of the occasional prequel novels that show the later transient wanderer Reacher when he was still serving in the U.S. Army in the Military Police. There is a short introductory section where Reacher solves a case of missing weapons, but he is soon enlisted in a greater manhunt. A series of scientists are being murdered across the country for an unknown reason i.e. 'The Secret' of the title. A group of elite investigators from the military, the FBI, the CIA etc. are called in to try to connect the murders, establish a motive and catch the perpetrators. The reader actually knows who the perpetrators are right away, but the motive remains unknown for the longest time. Of course Reacher & allies solve the case in the end with a few twists along the way.
This was maybe a so-so Reacher as he was not always centre stage in the narrative. It did at least make a change from the standard drifter Reacher template where he stumbles into some dastardly criminal conspiracy and has to rescue various innocents or even entire towns with his vigilante ways and means.
The narration by veteran reader Scott Brick in all voices for the audiobook edition was excellent as always.
Trivia and Links
There is a very short book trailer for The Secret by Random House which you can watch on YouTube here.
There is an October 23, 2023 interview with Andrew Child about The Secret by Barbara Peters at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore's YouTube channel which you can watch here.
Both Andrew and Lee Child are interviewed about The Secret and their other collaborations and the future of Reacher at Parade Magazine by Elizabeth Held, October 27, 2023.