I picked up Blue Moon because I needed a guaranteed pulse-raiser. Enter Jack Reacher: My favorite fictional drifter with fists of justice and a moral compass that might be just a wee bit off-center.
I’ve read a lot of Reacher books. This isn’t my first rodeo with the man who travels with nothing but a toothbrush and rights wrongs wherever he wanders. In fact, I’m pretty sure I read Blue Moon when it first came out. Some scenes rang a bell. Like déjà vu, but with more body bags.
The plot kicks off in classic Reacher fashion: He’s minding his own business on a bus when he notices a guy about to get mugged. One thing leads to another, and suddenly Reacher’s knee-deep in a turf war between Ukrainian and Albanian crime syndicates. Because of course he is. Reacher doesn’t do anything halfway.
What cracked me up was how these gangs kept blaming each other for everything, and then (of course) blamed the Russians. It was like a deadly version of the Shaggy defense (“Wasn’t me”) or a throwback to the '70s when everyone thought the Commies were hiding in the shrubs.
Caught in the middle of this chaos is a sweet old couple trying to help their daughter, who’s battling cancer with no health insurance. Their situation felt heartbreakingly real. I’d absolutely spend my last penny to help my kid, too. I've done it before.
Reacher handles it all the way he always does with tactical brilliance, unshakable calm, and a steadily rising body count made up exclusively of bad guys. I cheered every time another thug hit the pavement.
And yes, I absolutely laughed when Reacher started filling a car trunk with bodies. My dad used to judge vehicles by how many bodies could fit in the back. It’s a thing. Ask around. For the record, my car currently has a one-body trunk. Not much wiggle room.
I wouldn’t recommend Blue Moon to a Reacher newbie. It’s better for those who already know his rhythm and moral code. But for seasoned fans? Oh yeah. This one delivers.
