The worst so far--or maybe I'm just getting used to the tricks so they are more transparent. It didn't help that I'd guessed the big reveal early on.

Also, my 1 star rating is in part revenge for being put through so much sadism. I felt I was being tortured by having to read those lovingly detailed scenes. It's an admission of defeat to use over the top graphic violence to emotionally manipulate the reader.

And yet the book still has some charms. The scam using the Botanic Gardens was amusing. There are intelligent observations (and also some stupid ones) about the military, about Viet Nam, about power, about predictability.

The formula is followed in most respects. Reacher has a relationship with a beautiful woman with lots of smarts, physically deformed sadistic villain, deadline that must be met, and so on. The one difference, is the romance doesn't end. I had to start the next novel to see if she is still around, and she is.