Hi everyone! How are you all? Today is Friday, and it’s time for another review. Today, I’m reviewing Lee Child’s festive short story The Christmas Scorpion.

The Christmas Scorpion was published in 2018 by Transworld Digital and is 20 pages long.

The Plot
Jack Reacher finds himself seeking shelter from a snowstorm during the Christmas season in a roadhouse where he meets two British Military Police officers who, having gotten separated from their Defence Minister, who they were supposed to be guarding, need his help in securing transport so they can catch up with him.

Characters
Jack Reacher
To escape the cold of winter, Reacher heads to California, known for its warmth, but is disappointed when the weather turns cold and snowy in a freak blizzard. Taking shelter in a snowed-in roadhouse, he meets four other characters, also sheltering from the cold.

Annie Ness
Annie meets Reacher when he takes shelter in the roadhouse from the unfortunate Californian weather. Along with Tony Jackson, she tells Reacher that they are bodyguards trying to meet back up with the guy they’re supposed to be protecting – The UK Minister of Defence, who is due to meet with the US Secretary of Defense to discuss a security threat — someone who goes by the name The Christmas Scorpion.

Tony Jackson
Annie introduces Reacher to Tony, who is with her at the roadhouse. Like Annie, he’s a member of the Royal Military Police and wants Reacher to help them get out of town, but Reacher is reluctant. With help from Annie, Tony finally gets Reacher to agree to help.

The Elder Couple
The elder couple are the other two characters in the roadhouse. They are sitting by Reacher and the two Brits, overhearing them discuss getting out. The man wants to know if they can go with them if they find a way out. Reacher agrees.

While they’re waiting to board the helicopter that Reacher has managed to arrange, the wind from the blades blows the woman’s scarf up, revealing a rather strange festive tattoo on her throat about the size of a dollar, featuring a Scorpion at the centre. Could she be who the Brits have been looking for?

Writing Style
Child manages to pack a lot into so few words. His style is compelling, with an easy flow. It seems he has a knack for storytelling, with this short story feeling like an entirely fleshed-out tale, complete with vivid world-building and even a twist.

Even though this is a short story, the plot still feels quite action-packed, despite there not actually being a lot of action in it, which is quite a marvellous feat. The story is nicely paced, too, with Child not wasting a single word to superfluous dialogue or backstory and the ending — while satisfying — leaves you wanting to read more.

Final Thoughts
Overall, I very much enjoyed this story more than I anticipated. I’m not really a big fan of action or political drama, but I found myself drawn in by this one. I’ll certainly be reading more of Child’s work.

I’m giving The Christmas Scorpion 8/10.

Have you read this short? Are you a Reacher fan?

Thank you, as ever, for stopping by to read my review. It really means a lot!

© 2024 GLT

Categories: Book Reviews, Reading

Tags: book review, Christmas, holidays, Jack Reacher, Lee Child, Reacher, review, Scorpion