Summary and Reviews of Without Fail by Lee Child

Name: Without Fail
Rating: 4.5 (4 reviews)
Author: Lee Child
ISBN: 9780399148613

Without Fail

A Jack Reacher Novel

by Lee Child

Critics' Consensus (4):

Readers' Rating (1):

First Published:
May 1, 2002, 384 pages

Paperback:
Mar 2003, 416 pages

X
- Thrillers
- USA
- Mid-Atlantic, USA
- Washington DC
Genres & Themes
Publication Information

Rate this book
Write a Review

Book Summary

The suspense becomes nearly unbearable as Reacher closes in on his prey, leading to a brutal conclusion. Mix in a touching romance and one has a thriller of unequaled emotional depth.

With each new book, more and more join the chorus of praise for "one of the most original and daring heroes in suspense fiction" (The Providence Journal-Bulletin), Lee Child's ex-military cop Jack Reacher.

In Without Fail, Reacher is approached by a Secret Service agent who needs a favor. "I want to hire you to assassinate the Vice President of the United States," she asks. She is the newly appointed head of the VP's security detail and wants Reacher to try to penetrate her team's shield. He has the skills and the stealth, and no one knows him. How else can she be sure her protection is truly effective?

What she doesn't tell Reacher--but what he soon discovers--is that a very determined and deadly team of assassins has just put the VP in its sights. These men have planned well, but they haven't planned on Reacher. For only Reacher has the head and the heart to corner his prey and bring them to justice--without fail.

Membership Advantages

Reviews
"Beyond the Book" articles
Free books to read and review (US only)
Find books by time period, setting & theme
Read-alike suggestions by book and author
Book club discussions
and much more!
Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
More about membership!

Reviews

Media Reviews
Reader Reviews

Media Reviews

Booklist - Wes Lukowsky

The suspense becomes nearly unbearable as Reacher closes in on his prey, leading to a brutal conclusion. Mix in a touching romance .... and one has a thriller of unequaled emotional depth.

Library Journal - Michele Leber

The political scene adds interest to Child's trademark intricate plotting, and, in his sixth adventure, Reacher becomes an even more rounded character, revealing some of his background as his intelligence, intuition, and physical prowess all shine. Child's Jack Reacher thrillers get better every time, and this is a knockout.

Kirkus Reviews

Relentlessly suspenseful and unexpectedly timely just the thing for Dick Cheney's bedside reading wherever he's keeping himself these days.

Publishers Weekly

... his most accomplished and most compelling to date....This Child's play will be a tough act to follow.

Membership Advantages

Reviews
"Beyond the Book" articles
Free books to read and review (US only)
Find books by time period, setting & theme
Read-alike suggestions by book and author
Book club discussions
and much more!
Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
More about membership!

Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes
Genres & Themes

Read-Alikes

If you liked Without Fail, try these:

By the Time You Read This

by Giles Blunt

Published 2008

About this book

More by this author

Detective John Cardinal is on the hunt for an ingenious killer even as he mourns his own wife’s tragic death in this thriller of heart-stopping suspense. Published in the UK as The Fields of Grief.
The Blade Itself

by Marcus Sakey

Published 2007

About this book

More by this author

Danny Carter started his life as a petty criminal, living from score to score with his friend Evan. Years later, Danny has built a new world for himself: a legitimate career, a girlfriend, and a clean conscience. He’s normal, successful. Happy. Until he spots his old partner staring him down in a smoky barroom mirror. Prison-hardened Evan, ...

We have 6 read-alikes for Without Fail, but non-members are limited to two results. To see the complete list of this book's read-alikes, you need to be a member.
More books by Lee Child

Search read-alikes
How we choose read-alikes

Membership Advantages

Reviews
"Beyond the Book" articles
Free books to read and review (US only)
Find books by time period, setting & theme
Read-alike suggestions by book and author
Book club discussions
and much more!
Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
More about membership!

BookBrowse Book Club

Becoming Madam Secretary
by Stephanie Dray

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray returns with a captivating novel about an American heroine France Perkins—now in paperback!

About Discuss
A Map to Paradise
by Susan Meissner

From the USA Today bestselling author of Only the Beautiful. 1956, Malibu, California: Something is not right on Paradise Circle.

About Discuss
Dream Count
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A searing new novel from the bestselling author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists, exploring four women's desires.

About Discuss
The Jackal's Mistress
by Chris Bohjalian

From the New York Times bestselling author of Hour of the Witch, a Civil War love story of a Confederate wife and a wounded Yankee.

About Discuss

Members Recommend

The Dream Hotel
by Laila Lalami

A Read with Jenna pick. A riveting novel about one woman's fight for freedom, set in a near future where even dreams are under surveillance.

Read the Reviews
Girl Falling
by Hayley Scrivenor

The USA Today bestselling author of Dirt Creek returns with a story of grief and truth.

Read the Reviews
The Antidote
by Karen Russell

A gripping dust bowl epic about five characters whose fates become entangled after a storm ravages their small Nebraskan town.

Read the Reviews
Jane and Dan at the End of the World
by Colleen Oakley

Date Night meets Bel Canto in this hilarious tale.

Read the Reviews
Raising Hare
by Chloe Dalton

A moving and fascinating meditation on freedom, trust, and loss through one woman's friendship with a wild hare.

Read the Reviews