As I started reading Lee Child's current best seller with Jack Reacher, something was nagging me. Then I remembered reading his debut novel and then started looking at the many plot similarities between the two books.
In both novels, Reacher is helping the overwhelmed police department in a small town. In "Killing Floor," the action is in Margrove, Georgia. In "61 Hours," the setting is Bolton, South Dakota.
Both stories have only two members of the police department helping Reacher. In "Killing Floor," it is Capt. Finley, (second in command) and Officer Roscoe. In "61 Hours," Reacher is assisted by Chief Holland and Andrew Peterson, second in command.
In both novels, Reacher calls officials in the Washington, D.C. area for technical and background help. In "Killing Floor," he calls his brother's division of the Treasury in Washington, D.C. In "61 Hours," Reacher calls the Commanding Officer of an elite military group in Rock Creek, Va., a group Reacher once commanded.
Both stories have a deadline that plays a major part in the story. In his debut novel, it is the upcoming Sunday, when the Coast Guard will relax its surveillance program. In "61 Hours," it is, as the title, 61 hours, when the event that Reacher must stop, will occur.
Both towns have received benefits from a source that leads to the troubles and this has led to the atmosphere that led to the drama. In "Killing Floor," it is a rich corporate owner who buys town property and contributes to the town economy. In "61 Hours," it is the building of a prison and the promises that the town made to get the prison built in their community.
In "Killing Floor," Reacher is saving the family of Paul Hubble. In "61 Hours," a witness, Janet Salter, who is a retired librarian, witnessed a drug deal with an important person in the drug group. Reacher must help protect her so she isn't harmed before she testifies.
In enjoyed both novels and reading of Reacher's attributes of bravery, courage and compassion. However, "Killing Floor" was far superior, in part, due to its originality. The books were written thirteen years apart so perhaps the author didn't realize the commonality of plot.
Whatever, the case, Lee Child is still one of the best story tellers and thriller writers in fiction.
