For fans of the Prime Video series “Reacher,” it was great to learn that the fourth season was greenlit even before the third season had begun. If you want to experience the source of this terrific program, then you need to dive right into any of Lee Child's Reacher books, which he now writes with his brother, Andrew Child.

The fact that Jack Reacher is a nomad without a home or possessions to tie him down allows him to wander the land and with each new story have a completely different adventure. However, it should be known that he once lived on the grid and spent many years with the military police. His training there, along with his six-and-a-half-foot frame, makes him a formidable character in nearly any situation.

"IN TOO DEEP reads differently from every other Reacher novel as he literally is in way too deep over his head in a situation where nothing is as it seems."

As IN TOO DEEP opens, our hero awakens to find himself handcuffed to a plain steel table, with a left wrist that is obviously broken and a serious concussion. While hitchhiking in the Ozarks, Reacher caught a ride with a man named Gibson. Unfortunately, they had an accident that drove them off a winding road into a tree where Gibson’s neck was fatally snapped and Reacher sustained his injuries. He is able to convince his captor, Fletcher, to uncuff his swollen, broken wrist for relief, which is all he needs to subdue him.

Reacher quickly reunites with Ivan Vidic, the rescuer who pulled him from the crash. Vidic is working with Fletcher and a small group of others on a big scam that involves ripping off abandoned homes owned by unsuspecting wealthy Russians and claiming millions in artwork, jewelry, wine, etc. One of those partners was Gibson, a Fed who had infiltrated their group. Reacher now finds himself unwittingly involved in an operation where the shifty Vidic and Paris, whom we have yet to meet, were planning to rip off Fletcher and their other partners after one final score. Then, with Reacher’s help, they would break into a safe with supposed millions that Vidic promised to split 50-50 with the big man.

Reacher is too shrewd to fall for this, but he goes along for the ride to see where it takes him and to get justice for Gibson. He also makes a phone call to his regular contact at the FBI and inquires about the dead man. He provides the FBI with the time and place of the last big haul, and they plan to send a team to snatch everyone and everything up. Of course, it will not be quite as easy as Reacher or anyone else thought as there are some really bad guys out there who are not happy about being ripped off.

Along the way, Reacher picks up suspended Arizona detective Jenny Knight, who is looking for retribution from Kane, a huge henchman of Fletcher’s who murdered her father in cold blood. The two join the fray and attempt to stay one step ahead of Vidic and Paris, who are also trying to pull a fast one on Fletcher and their other partners. If you need a scoresheet to keep everything in order, I highly recommend it.

IN TOO DEEP reads differently from every other Reacher novel as he literally is in way too deep over his head in a situation where nothing is as it seems. Reacher usually can get out of any scenario with brute strength combined with his military mindset. That takes him part of the way in this one, but he will need guile, luck and help from the few friends he has made in this book to get out in one piece.