Official Selection:
Taking cues from the classic TV show The Fugitive, Child's series featuring the now hugely famous character Jack Reacher (once described by the quote "Men want to be him; Women want to be with him.") gets his start in Killing Floor. The classic man-from-out-of-town hero, Reacher's character traits, physicality and overall good nature make him a leading man we all love to love. Child's own TV background with the BBC helped make this series both cinematic and brilliantly-paced, and as you'll see, he was on fire from the very first book.
Official Selection:
Child is generous by nature in recommending other authors, and one of his biggest inspirations was Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household. Of this classic he says, "I read this as a teenager and it still stands the test of time as a taut, tight thriller. There are some late-19th and early-20th-century thrillers, but we read them now as curiosities rather than as mainstream accessible thrillers. In contrast, this is contemporary in style and fits in with the thriller genre as we know it today."
Bonus Selection:
Quinn Colson, Army Ranger, returns to the small town of his upbringing to investigate the suicide of his uncle. This is my favorite book in the store to recommend to Jack Reacher fans despite Atkins' somewhat more-literary approach to storytelling.
Bonus Selection:
If you're into the Reacher books because of the action and violence, make sure to check out the trilogy featuring former PI and ex-con Joe Kurtz. More pulpy than Child, they're highly recommended as fun, non-stop reads.