Not only do the local cops arrest him for murder, but the chief of police turns eyewitness to place him on the scene, even though Reacher was getting on a bus in Tampa at the time. So Reacher, who so far hasn't had anything personal against the crooks who set him up for a weekend in the state pen at Warburton, clicks into overdrive. Though the testosterone flows as freely as printer's ink, Reacher is an unobtrusively sharp detective in his quieter moments - not that there are many of them to judge by. Despite the crude, tough-na f narration, debut novelist Child serves up a big, rangy plot, menace as palpable as a ticking bomb, and enough battered corpses to make an undertaker grin. From its jolting opening scene to its fiery final confrontation, Killing Floor is irresistible.
Child writes with a hand as strong and steady as steel.
Reacher handles the maze of clues and the criminal unfortunates with a flair that would make Sam Spade proud. A compelling and relentlessly suspenseful read. A complex thriller, with layer upon layer of mystery and violence and intrigue. A startlingly good first novel. The description of the bad guys as they stalk through the airport will give you a chill all the way out the top of your head.