For nearly three decades, Jack Reacher has been solving problems with a mix of detective work, an unshakable moral code, and the occasional broken kneecap. But in Chain Reaction, the latest novel from Lee Child and Andrew Child, the former military policeman faces a challenge unlike any before: a conspiracy involving artificial intelligence, massive data centers, and technology he has little interest in understanding.
The story reunites Reacher with Susan Turner, now commanding the secretive G-99 Section, after one of her investigators is murdered. Their investigation leads to Everything Everywhere Forever (EEF), an AI startup run by Axel Brill and Saxby Cameron, whose apparent technological breakthroughs conceal a lucrative criminal operation. In an exclusive interview with Collider, the Child brothers explained the novel's biggest twists, its villains' motivations, and why Reacher's old-fashioned instincts remain his greatest advantage.
Who Killed John James Bisley, and Why?
At the center of Chain Reaction is the murder of John James Bisley, an investigator who had been looking into suspicious activity surrounding five enormous data centers in Summertown, Colorado. Bisley discovered evidence that threatened to expose EEF's operation, and his decision to investigate the facilities personally ultimately cost him his life. Andrew Child explained:
“It's like the Sherlock Holmes thing. Once all the wrong answers are eliminated, however improbable the one that's left has to be. And with the guy, it was so far removed from his experience, because he was all about the technological solutions. He had to actually go out and look for himself to see, could this possibly be true? And of course, that's what got him into the incident that gets the ball rolling at the beginning of the book.”
What Was EEF Really Doing With Its Artificial Intelligence?
EEF's supposedly revolutionary technology conceals a scheme involving stolen work and data. Brill and Cameron aren't interested in world domination. They're simply exploiting investors to make themselves extraordinarily wealthy. But Reacher doesn't care about the financial fraud; in fact, he thinks it's fair game. The violence associated with it, however, is not. Lee Child explained:
“They're actually not doing anything at all other than ripping people off. And Reacher says one of the lines I really like in it. Reacher says, 'I don't care if you're ripping off the idiot investors. Somebody's got to do it.' It's the extra step they take to defend themselves. That's what gets Reacher mad.”
Andrew added that the brothers deliberately avoided making their villains increasingly dangerous simply to raise the stakes. “We came up with this concept we call villain inflation, because if in book one the evil villain is going to detonate a nuclear bomb in New York City, what do you then do for book two,” asked Andrew. "Do you have to have two bombs in Los Angeles, and then four bombs in DC? How do you keep it grounded so that people recognize the villain and have some kind of visceral reaction that makes them hate him?”
How Does Jack Reacher Solve the Mystery of the Five Data Centers in 'Chain Reaction'?
At the heart of the novel is the revelation that the digital conspiracy, as with all technology, still needs a physical infrastructure and a solution to it. That's where Reacher comes in, since he notices inconsistencies involving the buildings, gravel, and concealed connections between the facilities that technologically minded investigators have overlooked. Andrew explained why the solution was particularly appropriate for the character, telling Collider:
“It seemed very suitable for Reacher. His default position is analogue, and so he's not going to be thinking in terms of IP this and gigabyte that. His natural outlook, and all those years of experience as an investigator before this technology came along, mean the idea of something being physically stolen is much more likely to occur to him than any of these technological things.”
Lee was equally interested in the physical demands of supposedly virtual technology. “It fascinates me about AI because it's all sort of virtual, it's all software, but it has the most immense physical requirements. These massive data centers. Water, power, acreage — it's an immensely physical thing, not just virtual," he explained. Rather than becoming a cybersecurity expert, Reacher solves the mystery by trusting his experience and observing what others have missed.
What Happens to Hennessy, Brill, and Cameron in 'Chain Reaction'?
The conspiracy reaches its violent conclusion when Hennessy and his men confront Reacher, Turner, and Dexter Elwood in Summertown. Hennessy is killed, leaving Brill and Cameron without their protection. Reacher forces Cameron to transfer $10 million to Julia Bisley and her daughter Amanda, compensating the family of the murdered investigator. Turner then kills Brill and Cameron, bringing their operation to an end. Andrew explained why Reacher's methods aren't always particularly fair.
“I'd say that he fights for honor, but he doesn't fight with any honor whatsoever. I think there was a line in this book where somebody was talking about an unfair advantage, and Reacher says basically, 'Well, there's no such thing as an unfair advantage. You win or you lose. You use everything at your disposal.' That absolutely reflects his approach.”
For fans of the series, Chain Reaction offers a fresh twist on Reacher's formula, blending his classic detective skills with a modern technological mystery. If you're looking for more detective series to fill the void, check out our recommendation for Bosch. And for those wondering about the future of the franchise, Lee Child has teased three possible endings for the character. The novel is available now, and it's a must-read for any Reacher fan.
