"Killing Floor" by Lee Child

"Killing Floor" is the first of the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child.  Is his character 'too good to be true'?  He has military training which serves him well in combative situations.  Would he really have let his guard down while in NYC, thinking about his brother, thus having a close call with the men lying in wait for him?

For more information about the author, check out:

http://leechild.com/