Bad Luck and Trouble

 By Lee Child

Adult Fiction

Reviewed by Heidi from the Winkler Branch

    Bad Luck and Trouble is the eleventh book in the Jack Reacher series.  Jack Reacher is a retired Military Police officer who, after leaving the forces, decided to see the country by bus, carrying only his passport and a folding toothbrush.  Each book in the series follows the same formula.  Reacher rolls into town and finds trouble or, trouble finds him.  He then finds a creative solution to taking care of the problem.  The people are saved and Reacher gets back on the road.

    Bad Luck and trouble finds Reacher in California after receiving an emergency message from an old army buddy.  Together they have to re-form the unit and confront an unknown villain trying to take them down. Is this about their specialized unit's past or about something happening in the present?  Why are they having so much trouble tracking down the rest of the unit?  How did one of their unit end up dead in the middle of the desert?  Reacher is determined to find out and make them pay.

    I love this series for many reasons.  Reacher embodies a certain moral code that few people embrace.  He never lets things slide.  He always attacks the problem head on, or sideways, with ingenious creativity but he never lets an injustice pass him by.  For being a white male hero, he is surprisingly liberal. He has many strong female and BIPOC accomplices and judges people on their character and ability, nothing else.  I also love that the good guys win every time.  This series covers a lot of heavy topics like human trafficking, terrorism, corrupt cops and serial killers but somehow, the ending always feels satisfying.

    If you like this book, there are 25 others in the series as well as two movies starring Tom Cruise, creatively titled Jack Reacher and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.  Amazon Prime released a TV show in February of 2022 with the first season based on the first book, Killing Floor.  The second season will be based on this book, Bad Luck and Trouble! Read it now before the season comes out later this year.

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