Jack Reacher Gets 'One Shot'

Author Lee Child On His Drifter Character And Thriller

(CBS)  "Action hero travels light and often takes the bus." That's the headline of the New York Times' rave review of Lee Child's ninth Jack Reacher thriller,"One Shot."

On The Early Show, during an interview with co-anchor Rene Syler, Child described Reacher by saying, “He's not a mercenary. He doesn't want to get involved. He tries to stay out of trouble. But trouble finds him. He can't resist helping out. He's like the guy in the westerns, you remember Shane, the guy who rides into town, he disappears into the sunset. He's like Robin Hood. He will stand up for the little guy.”

Born and raised in England, Child explains how it is he writes about the “new American hero for our time.” He says, “You have to write about what turns you on. Britain is a fine country. But for telling stories, America is better. It has excitement, size, scope, and range. The great stories are here. I've been coming back and forth to America now for 31 years. My wife is American. I know the country pretty well. As an outsider, you see things which Americans don't see, which makes the book feel fresh and perceptive.”

Child will be embarking on a tour in which he stops in 12 cities in 14 days. Child says, “It's tiring and a rush, but it's a blast. A warm bath. Think about it, I go on tour and nobody shows up who doesn't already like me. I see hundreds of friends every day for four weeks.”

Click here to read an excerpt from Chapter One.