€20.95
Digging swimming pools by hand in Key West, former military policeman Jack Reacher is not pleased when Costello, a private detective, starts asking questions about him. When Costello is found dead, Reacher knows that he is in serious trouble.
| Author | Lee Child |
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Aggregated insights from reviews and discussions across the web.
Tripwire, the third Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child, receives decidedly mixed reception from readers, with many considering it the weakest of the early Reacher books. While some readers praise the suspenseful investigation and intense thriller elements, a significant number of reviewers criticize the book's pacing and bloated length. Multiple Goodreads reviewers note that the first 200-400 pages could have been heavily edited, with one stating it "could have been a tight 325-page thriller, but it's a bloated 550-page snoozer." The excessive descriptive passages—detailing everything from Jodie's wardrobe to the minutiae of daily activities—are frequently cited as detracting from the story's momentum.
A major point of contention is the characterization of Jack Reacher himself, with several readers feeling that Child diminished the protagonist compared to the first two novels. Instead of the "brilliant and brave investigator hero," reviewers describe this version of Reacher as "an oafish rube...clueless about the ways of the world." The prose quality also draws criticism for being "suspect, redundant and often lazy," with readers questioning where the editor was. However, positive reviews highlight the book's fast-paced writing style, the suspenseful investigation into a Vietnam MIA case, and the climactic final 150 pages. BookBrowse critics call it "swift and stylish," while Booklist compares it favorably to John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee adventures, describing it as "edgy, exciting reading."
The overall sentiment leans toward disappointment, particularly from readers who loved the first two books in the series. The Denver Post praises it as "fast-paced and plausible" with a "bang-up finale," but reader reviews consistently express frustration with the story's absurdities, plot holes, and unnecessary padding. Many readers report they were "just interested enough" not to quit, but found it a "pale comparison" to earlier entries, with some threatening to abandon the series if book four continues the downward trend.
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