I wanted to read this book. The actual book. But for the first time in my life, I found myself riding a train, and let me tell you, it’s hard to focus on a page when you’re seeing parts of the country most people never do. The rails don’t hug the highways; they carve through quiet fields, old towns, forgotten stretches of America. I couldn’t take my eyes off the window.
So, I did something I rarely do: I got the audiobook.
The Midnight Line by Lee Child was read by Dick Hill, and I’ll say this: He’s phenomenal. His voice, his pacing, even the subtle shifts he makes for different characters… it worked. His narration kept me hooked, which is impressive considering audiobooks aren’t really my cup of tea. I get distracted easily (see: amber waves of grain, surprise cows, unexpected bridges, the nearness of freight trains), so I often miss details.
But here’s what I do remember: Reacher finds a woman’s West Point class ring in a pawn shop and decides to return it. And as is tradition, trouble finds Reacher faster than you can say “wrong place, right guy.” This time, he uncovers a surprisingly clever heroin distribution system, and yes, there's plenty of action, moral ambiguity, and justice served outside the system. Classic Reacher.
I was glad he found the woman, Serena, and that her story got some resolution. There’s a lot of heart buried under the bruises in this one.
That said, I plan to reread it in paperback or hardcover, because I know I missed things while rolling past purple mountain majesty.
