Echo Burning
Encyclopedia
Echo Burning is the fifth novel in the Jack Reacher
series written by Lee Child
. It was published in 2001 by Putnam
in America
and Bantam
in the United Kingdom
.
bar, Jack Reacher breaks a local police officer's nose and finger after being provoked, so when the officer and three of his colleagues turn up the following day to arrest him, Reacher decides it's time to move on. He manages to hitch a lift with a Californian of Mexican heritage named Carmen Greer, but she reveals to him that the only reason she picked him up is because she has a problem - her tax-evading
husband Sloop is coming out of prison
soon and he will beat her up. Carmen needs somebody to kill him, and she thinks Reacher's military background may help her get rid of him. Reacher initially refuses, and even gets out of the car into the 110 degree heat, but he eventually agrees to go back to the ranch
where Carmen, her husband Sloop and the rest of Sloop's family live, to keep an eye on her. Reacher and Carmen then proceed to pick up the daughter of Carmen and Sloop: Ellie, who gets on well with Reacher.
During this time, we also see the introduction of two hired teams: the first team, named "The Watching Team" or "The Watchers", is composed of two men and a boy and have been watching the ranch where the Greers live. This team is later killed by a second, called "The Killing Team", who have also killed Sloop's lawyer
Al Eugene.
They arrive back at the ranch, but Reacher does not receive a warm welcome from Sloop's mother, brother or the two ranchers that work there. Nonetheless, he begins works there. In the days leading up to Sloop's release, Reacher helps teach Carmen how to fire a gun and also beats up both ranchers in a bar fight. Sloop comes home and takes a dislike to Reacher, and eventually gets the State Police
to take Reacher away.
The State Police do take Reacher away, but the troopers are called back to the Greer Ranch - or the "Red House" - whilst Reacher is still in the car. Sloop has been shot and killed, and the authorities think it was Carmen. Whilst she is incarcerated, she confesses to the murder and denies help from Alice Amanda Aaron, the attorney Reacher hires for her.
Reacher and Alice work on trying to prove Carmen's innocence, despite being thrown off the track by the claims of Hack Walker - Pecos County's district attorney
and Sloop's oldest friend - that Carmen is a well-known liar, and by the kidnapping of Ellie by "The Killing Team". Eventually, however, Reacher draws out and kills two members of "The Killing Team". He proves it was Walker who hired the team to kill Al Eugene and Sloop after Sloop threatened to make public information about what the threesome used to do in their youth - kill illegal immigrants attempting to cross the border between America and Mexico. After tracking down the third "Killing Team" member and finding Ellie, the kidnapper gives a confession, leaving Carmen to be set free.
The original idea for Echo Burning came from two sources. The first was an idea he had in which he wondered what it would be like to a woman whose husband was returning home from jail, but she didn't want him to return. He also took inspiration from seeing the grave of the gunfighter Clay Allison
who "never killed a man that did not need killing." He wondered what it would be like if Reacher was confronted by a man he had been told needed killing.
Child wanted Carmen Greer to appear as a character whom readers would not know whether or not to trust. He has also said how we wanted Alice Amanda Aaron, the vegetarian, lesbian
, attorney Reacher hires, to be a reflection of how diverse America is; he can be quoted as saying "she's totally normal in New York, but a freak in Texas."
journal Kirkus called it "Smashingly suspenseful," and said "Child builds tension to unbearable extremes, then blows it out in sharply choreographed violence." The Denver Post called it "...a story you can sink your teeth into." Many critics considered this as one of the best books of the year, with the Boston Globe even calling it "The best mystery I [the reviewer] have read this year." In the United Kingdom the book was also well received, with the Daily Mail
saying: "In the space of less than five years, Child has established himself as one of Britain's most successful commercial novelists. [Echo Burning is] Child's breakthrough book into the mega-sellers. He is that good."
Jack Reacher
Jack Reacher is a fictional character created by British author Jim Grant who writes under the pen name of Lee Child.-Biographical information:...
series written by Lee Child
Lee Child
Jim Grant , better known by his pen name Lee Child, is a British thriller writer. His wife Jane is a New Yorker, and they currently live in New York state. His first novel, Killing Floor, won the Anthony Award for Best First Novel....
. It was published in 2001 by Putnam
G. P. Putnam's Sons
G. P. Putnam's Sons was a major United States book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group.-History:...
in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Bantam
Bantam Press
Bantam Press is an imprint of Transworld Publishers which is a British publishing division of Random House.It is based on Uxbridge Road in Ealing near Ealing Broadway station, the same address as Transworld....
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Plot summary
In a TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
bar, Jack Reacher breaks a local police officer's nose and finger after being provoked, so when the officer and three of his colleagues turn up the following day to arrest him, Reacher decides it's time to move on. He manages to hitch a lift with a Californian of Mexican heritage named Carmen Greer, but she reveals to him that the only reason she picked him up is because she has a problem - her tax-evading
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
husband Sloop is coming out of prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
soon and he will beat her up. Carmen needs somebody to kill him, and she thinks Reacher's military background may help her get rid of him. Reacher initially refuses, and even gets out of the car into the 110 degree heat, but he eventually agrees to go back to the ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
where Carmen, her husband Sloop and the rest of Sloop's family live, to keep an eye on her. Reacher and Carmen then proceed to pick up the daughter of Carmen and Sloop: Ellie, who gets on well with Reacher.
During this time, we also see the introduction of two hired teams: the first team, named "The Watching Team" or "The Watchers", is composed of two men and a boy and have been watching the ranch where the Greers live. This team is later killed by a second, called "The Killing Team", who have also killed Sloop's lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
Al Eugene.
They arrive back at the ranch, but Reacher does not receive a warm welcome from Sloop's mother, brother or the two ranchers that work there. Nonetheless, he begins works there. In the days leading up to Sloop's release, Reacher helps teach Carmen how to fire a gun and also beats up both ranchers in a bar fight. Sloop comes home and takes a dislike to Reacher, and eventually gets the State Police
State police
State police are a type of sub-national territorial police force, particularly in Australia and the United States. Some other countries have analogous police forces, such as the provincial police in some Canadian provinces, while in other places, the same responsibilities are held by national...
to take Reacher away.
The State Police do take Reacher away, but the troopers are called back to the Greer Ranch - or the "Red House" - whilst Reacher is still in the car. Sloop has been shot and killed, and the authorities think it was Carmen. Whilst she is incarcerated, she confesses to the murder and denies help from Alice Amanda Aaron, the attorney Reacher hires for her.
Reacher and Alice work on trying to prove Carmen's innocence, despite being thrown off the track by the claims of Hack Walker - Pecos County's district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
and Sloop's oldest friend - that Carmen is a well-known liar, and by the kidnapping of Ellie by "The Killing Team". Eventually, however, Reacher draws out and kills two members of "The Killing Team". He proves it was Walker who hired the team to kill Al Eugene and Sloop after Sloop threatened to make public information about what the threesome used to do in their youth - kill illegal immigrants attempting to cross the border between America and Mexico. After tracking down the third "Killing Team" member and finding Ellie, the kidnapper gives a confession, leaving Carmen to be set free.
Production
Child finished writing Echo Burning in March 2000. The book was released in the United Kingdom and its territories on April 2, 2001, and the American publication followed on June 25 of the same year.The original idea for Echo Burning came from two sources. The first was an idea he had in which he wondered what it would be like to a woman whose husband was returning home from jail, but she didn't want him to return. He also took inspiration from seeing the grave of the gunfighter Clay Allison
Clay Allison
Clay Allison was a Texas cattle rancher and gunfighter. He is one of the best known historic figures of the American Old West.-Early life:...
who "never killed a man that did not need killing." He wondered what it would be like if Reacher was confronted by a man he had been told needed killing.
Child wanted Carmen Greer to appear as a character whom readers would not know whether or not to trust. He has also said how we wanted Alice Amanda Aaron, the vegetarian, lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, attorney Reacher hires, to be a reflection of how diverse America is; he can be quoted as saying "she's totally normal in New York, but a freak in Texas."
Reception
Echo Burning was well received by critics. In a starred review, book reviewBook review
A book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is analyzed based on content, style, and merit. A book review could be a primary source opinion piece, summary review or scholarly review. It is often carried out in periodicals, as school work, or on the internet. Reviews are also often...
journal Kirkus called it "Smashingly suspenseful," and said "Child builds tension to unbearable extremes, then blows it out in sharply choreographed violence." The Denver Post called it "...a story you can sink your teeth into." Many critics considered this as one of the best books of the year, with the Boston Globe even calling it "The best mystery I [the reviewer] have read this year." In the United Kingdom the book was also well received, with the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
saying: "In the space of less than five years, Child has established himself as one of Britain's most successful commercial novelists. [Echo Burning is] Child's breakthrough book into the mega-sellers. He is that good."