Child's Play
by Daisy Maryles -- Publishers Weekly, 5/31/2004
It's about time: Jack Reacher strikes pay dirt. Suspense writer Lee Child's tough-as-nails ex-army cop, who's starred in the author's previous seven novels, hit our hardcover list for the first time last week with The Enemy, a prequel that gives readers fascinating insights into this hero's haunted past. (Published on May 11 by Delacorte Press, the novel also debuted on yesterday's New York Times bestseller list.) It's Child's strongest-selling work to date, said Bantam Dell associate publicity director Susan Corcoran. "Major national print and radio advertising, a 10-city tour and terrific review coverage—with four starred pre-pub reviews and a fabulous daily New York Times notice—are all contributing to the terrific word of mouth." All this reinforces, she added, "what PW's starred review said: 'Child has few peers in thrillerdom.' " After three printings, Delacorte has nearly 88,000 copies in print. (For more on Child—yet another Brit!—see this week's PW Interview.)
