Moving Target is the second book in the Jack Reacher Experiment series, following the adventures of Jack Reacher clone Rock Wahlman in the year 2098. Yes, you read that correctly.

The first book in the series, Dead Ringer, had given me some hope that this would be an above average fan fiction series, but Moving Target has me feeling far less optimistic. The first warning sign is that while Dead Ringer is a lean but respectful 150 pages of fast-paced action and mystery, Moving Target clocks in under 90 pages, far too many of which are wasted on a Rock's speedy romance and his participation in a college sleep study. Yes, you read that correctly.

Spoilers ahead.

Still on the run three months after the events of Dead Ringer, Jack Reacher clone Rock Wahlman (Rock Wall Man. Get it?) wanders into a diner whose name nobody seems to know the origin of - yes, this is discussed - where he bumps into the divorced waitress he will shortly bed and fall in love with after she recommends him to a sleep study, the hit man who will later kill the the ex husband of the waitress while negotiating a contract to kill Rock, and three local guys who decide to make running Rock out of town their life mission because he got off a bus carrying a backpack. That's all you need to know. Move along.

The playful level of circumstance and coincidence that Dead Ringer seemed to play with as an homage to the Reacher series is cranked to eleven and condensed into half the page count, which could be forgiven if the dialogue wasn't completely wooden and exposition heavy. A huge let down from the first book. Let's hope that this isn't the beginning of a trend in declining quality. ( )