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Personal (novel)

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Personal
Kindle edition cover
AuthorLee Child
LanguageEnglish
SeriesJack Reacher
Release number
19
GenreThriller novel
PublisherBantam Press (UK)
Delacorte Press (US)
Publication date
28 August 2014 (UK, Ireland, NZ, Aus)
2 September 2014 (US)
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint (hardcover, paperback), audio, eBook
Pages416
ISBN978-0-5930-7382-7
OCLC883748100
Preceded byNever Go Back 
Followed byMake Me 

Personal is the nineteenth book in the Jack Reacher series written by Lee Child, published in 2014. The plot of the book revolves around Reacher's pursuit of a sniper who has attempted to assassinate the President of France.[1] This book is written in the first person.

Plot

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Someone has taken a shot at the president of French President in Paris and has sent ripples of concern through the global community. The weapon used, an American-made bullet, points to a potential link to the United States. Suspicion falls on John Kott, a once-renowned American marksman who has fallen from grace, and who, after a fifteen-year prison stint, has vanished without a trace.

Kott, a criminal mastermind, finds his reign of terror potentially thwarted by the one man who has bested him before: Jack Reacher, a retired Military Police investigator. Reacher, partnered with the composed rookie analyst Casey Nice, who relies on Zoloft to manage her nerves, outrun like a revenge with danger. Their path is riddled with brutal mobsters, Serbian enforcers, near-fatal encounters, close calls, and double-crosses all while operating without any support if caught. However, the haunting memory of Dominique Kohl, a young subordinate he failed to protect, fuels Reacher's determination, pushing him to ensure that no one else falls victim to Kott's brutality.

A powerful general, Tom O'Day, sends Reacher undercover to Paris to discover who is behind the assassination attempt, and to save the upcoming G8 meeting which is going to be held in London. Reacher finds out that a dangerous gang using snipers – among whom there is Kott, arguably – has actually got a base in London, specifically centered in Chigwell, is the bedrock of a burgeoning threat to global security. Charlie White, the seasoned leader of the "Romford Boys," orchestrates criminal enterprises across east London while forging alliances with dangerous Serbian gangs in the west. This web of criminal activity, far from being confined to the city, now extends its reach with a bold ambition to destabilize the G8, highlighting the dangerous capacity of local criminal networks to influence international affairs.

Reacher, accompanied by CIA agent Casey Nice, strategically navigates towards the residence harboring Kott, a property belonging to Charlie's imposing associate, Joseph "Little Joey" Green. Their path is fraught with danger, culminating in Reacher's decisive confrontation and elimination of Joey before breaching the house and swiftly killing both Kott and Charlie. Following this decisive action, Reacher is promptly flown back to the United States, not for gratitude, but for a face-off with General O'Day, the general who proposed the mission to him, his true intentions shrouded in deception.

Kott, Charlie and Joey were criminals, but they were not threatening the G8 summit. O'Day's interest in Kott was purely opportunistic, a calculated maneuver to bolster his political standing. Having preemptively sold Reacher to Kott, O'Day schemed to emerge as the savior, regardless of who ultimately prevailed. Recognizing this manipulative ploy, Reacher spares O'Day's life but issues a stern warning: absolute silence or face a career-shattering scandal. As a final touch, Reacher leaves Charlie's pistol on O'Day's desk. Shortly after Reacher departs, news arrives of O'Day's accidental death while inspecting the gun, a conclusion that Reacher deems far from coincidental.

Characters

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  • Jack Reacher: The main protagonist, a former military policeman, known for his resourcefulness and capacity for justice.
  • Tom O'Day: General, U.S. Army.
  • Rick Shoemaker: Brigadier General, U.S. Army.
  • Casey Nice: CIA Agent loaned out to the State Department.
  • Joan Scarangello: Deputy to the Deputy Director of Operations of the CIA.
  • Yevgeniy "Eugene" Khenkin: Russian Foreign Intelligence Agent (SVR).
  • Bennett: British MI6 agent.
  • John Kott: Former U.S. Army Special Forces sniper, served 15 years for killing a U.S. Army Ranger.
  • Charlie White: Leader of the Romford Boys, a British gang engaged in illicit activities.
  • Joseph "Little Joey" Green: A very large man acting as enforcer for the Romford Boys.

Reception

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Personal topped The New York Times Best Seller list of combined print and e-book fiction books for the week of 21 September 2014.[2]

It won the 2014 RBA Prize for Crime Writing,[3] a Spanish literary award said to be the world's most lucrative crime fiction prize at €125,000.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Stephen Poole (6 September 2014). "Personal by Lee Child review – suspense thrills with Jack Reacher". The Guardian.
  2. ^ Somosot, Janice. "'Personal' By Lee Child Tops The New York Times Best Sellers List Of Combined Print And E-Book Fiction For The Week Of Sept. 21, 2014". ibtimes.com. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  3. ^ "British author Lee Child receives the "prestigious" RBA Prize for Crime Writing". Catalan News Agency. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  4. ^ Giles Tremlett (3 September 2009). "Philip Kerr wins €125,000 RBA Prize for Crime Writing". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
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