Exit Strategy is book 30 of the series about the retired military police officer Jack Reacher, no middle name. Reacher, a 60-something, overweight, and homeless, is traveling the country with a thin stack of cash, a debit card, and a toothbrush, like a modern version of the hitchhiker Arthur Dent. Exit Strategy is also a book from the Murderbot series by Martha Wells. The two books have many things in common, for example there’s no exit strategy at any part of the plot. Actually, Reacher only has one strategy, which involves using his massive size to crush the bad guys, just like the Murderbot.

Book 29 of the series was called In Too Deep. In my review from 2024, I awarded it with 1* and evaluated the whole series as unreadable, probably thanks to the new writer. I remember being surprised that it had over 4 on Goodreads, a mistake the readers have already corrected. Book 30 currently stands at 3.75, the lowest Jack Reacher has ever received. However, this is probably due to the piling disappointment after several sub-par or disastrous books that might’ve discouraged long-term fans of the series from buying it.

Exit Strategy is readable. Reacher crushes bones in a satisfying way. There are no Russians, no three-letter agencies, world-scattering conspiracies, or disposable femme fatales. The villain is some rich dude. This is already a major improvement. The best stories from the earlier years didn’t have complex plots or multiple espionage tropes either.

Reacher enters a town and finds another retired vet, who is in trouble. He forms a small crew to solve the problem in his way, Karateka style. He is, in a sense, still like the old Steven Seagal. Large, static, not very smart, linear, arrogant, quick with the choices. But the book is readable and offers many things the good Reacher books offered, including an unexpected ending that made sense.

I think, despite being sub-par compared to the books before Andrew Child, this is an okay thriller. I hope the duo keeps positive learnings with their next work. 4/5.