Tripwire by Lee Child

Published in June 199,but I just acquired this at a book sale and read it in September 2024.  This is a phenomenal early Jack Reacher tale, paperback, 401 pages. Reacher is fit, he's been working digging  he feels in the best shape of his life, pg 10, "Like a condom crammed with walnuts." He has been working digging swimming pools in Key West by day and as a bouncer at night at Costello's bar.  Only that night some strangers come trying to get entrance and Costello is found beaten to a pulp with alll 10 of his fingertips sliced off.  Meantime another investigator is trying to find Reacher at the request of a Mrs Jacobs.  She turns out to be Jodie, Leon Garber's daughter and needs to find him because Leon has left his house to him. Jodie and Reacher had mutual crushes on each other way back, but Reacher ignored that urge, she was too young for him and Leon's delighter.  She is now divorced and a successful  attorney. 

This has twists and turns as every Reacher novel.  The parallel story of grieving elderly parents for their presumed dead Army soldier only son, Hook Hobie.  He was a devoted son but the army will not recognize him as a hero,.  Didn't he die in Vietnam in the crash of the helicopter?  This parallel mystery will present the most vicious enemy Reacher has encountered.  Hook Hobie ii a vicious rfinancial lender and now has Lester Holt captive, he plans to collect his debt which Holt cannot pay.  Soon his wife will be captured with him as Hobie schemes to acquire all their assets.  Can this really be their son ignoring his parents completely and how will Reacher get involved in this?. 

Back Cover of Tripwire

 I was puzzled, would Reacher keep Garber's house and settle down?  Doubted it because there have been several more Reacher novels following this.  

This is another 5 ***** read.  I'm glad I finally found and read it.  It goes on my shelf now with all the othe Reacher books.