I have followed Reacher through nine adventures now and my fascination only grows with this smart, sexy, brave, honorable hero – who knows his way around both weapons and women. He could be considered the perfect man - you don’t even have to wash his clothes because he hand washes them himself and throws them away after three days. Of course, the downside is that he won’t stay around for long, but the memories you’ll have after he’s gone may keep you for a long time.

If you’re not familiar with Jack Reacher (and where have you been?), he’s a loner, former Army MP who stays under the radar while traveling the United States by bus. I think of him as a bigger Richard Kimble and much better in a fight. Perhaps the Lone Ranger is a better analogy or even a larger, blond The Rock. Whatever. Reacher has a strong sense of justice and the ability to render it all by himself.

This time Reacher (never call him Jack) ends up in small town Indiana.

Five people are dead in a downtown sniper shooting and, incredibly, in just a few hours the police have an airtight case against former military sniper James Barr. Except for one thing. The first time he speaks, Barr states, “You’ve got the wrong guy.” And then he says, “Get Jack Reacher for me.”

There is no way anyone will find Reacher if he doesn’t want to be found, but Reacher happens to see the news story on CNN and heads to Indiana for his own reasons. And soon he’s caught up in a web of murder and corruption where nothing is as it seems. Before Reacher hits the road again he’ll be involved in an unbelievable shootout with some rather surprising underlings. And naturally, there are several beautiful women along the way.

Fast paced action, an intelligent, thinking man hero (who is also deadly with his fists) and a complex and interesting plot make One Shot perhaps Lee Child’s best Jack Reacher novel yet. If there always seems to be a surplus of lovely, lithe, long-limbed ladies (just once, couldn’t one be short and curvy?), well I guess I can overlook that.

I can’t think of any book I anticipated with more eagerness this year or any other book that so lived up to my high expectations. If you are a thriller fan and you’re not reading Lee Child, you should get started right now – but just remember Reacher's mine, I found him first.

--Dede Anderson