The Sentry

The Sentry (2011) by Robert Crais. Joe Pike, the hero of "The Sentry," is reminiscent of Jack Reacher, the hero of another series of books by a different author. Pike, like Reacher, is larger than life, smarter than the bad guys, and in peak physical condition at all times. He goes jogging with a 40-pound pack on his back and takes the steps two at a time when running uphill. Boo-yeah. This book was interesting to read, mainly because it had an interesting villain -- a psychopathic killer hired by Bolivian drug lords to take revenge on a couple who had stolen money from them. Pike just accidentally came into contact with them -- when some gangbangers were beating up the male half of the couple, he intervened. Only problem is, he didn't take them for a couple, and he started to fall for the female half. When some of the things she told him turned out to be lies, the L.A. noir character of the story kicked in. It makes for a good read. Grade: B+