Bringing only the clothes on his back and a toothbrush in his pocket, Reacher takes a bus, walks, and hitchhikes to Carter Crossing. Serendipitously, he gets a ride with a deputy sheriff who fills him in on some of the details of Chapman's murder. Upon arrival, he meets Sheriff Elizabeth Devereaux who was also an MP and who immediately discovers his undercover status. Slowly the two become confidants and start working together to find the killer.

Is it someone from Fort Kelham? Is this an Army coverup? Is someone from Carter Crossing involved? Reacher learns there were two prior murders with a similar M.O. - both involving beautiful, young women. When Reacher discovers the license plate of a car placed on the railroad tracks to destroy evidence about the murder, he is advised by his commanding officer to make sure it stays undiscovered and out of sight.

The Affair describes how Jack Reacher became Reacher, the solitary figure who wanders America with no home or possessions. The book is written from the perspective of looking back at 1997 - before 9/11 in the deductive, descriptive, deliberate dialogue which is so very typical of Lee Child. What is not typical is that this is not an affair to remember. There is excessive violence and unnecessary sex which do not enable the plot. There is excessive detail which slows the pace of the story.

On the plus side, for Reacher fans, there is more insight into the character development of Jack Reacher. In comparison with other Lee Child novels, The Affair was a disappointment.

--Jerry Solot