As usual, veteran narrator Dick Hill does a masterful job of evoking world-weary investigator Jack Reacher, this time in the prequel to Child's bestselling series. In this installment, the author finally spells out the circumstances surrounding Reacher's departure from his job as a military cop: the investigation into the murder of a young woman in a small Mississippi community. As the truth slowly unfolds, Hill delivers a nuanced performance of a character he's voiced for some 14 years. While the introduction of a potential love interest spices up the homicide inquiry, Hill's rendition of her dialogue may remind some listeners of Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of Dorothy Michaels in Tootsie—and that takes some getting used to. Nonetheless, Hill's gifts as an actor are evident throughout, and he shines during the book's final confrontation in which Reacher explains how he put all the pieces together. A Delacorte hardcover. (Sept.)