Flapjacks for Jack Reacher

The book: Killing Floor by Lee Child (the first Jack Reacher novel)

Genre: Crime fiction/thriller

Published: 1997

The bake: Flapjacks with coffee-glazed bacon, cheddar and coffee syrup

What’s the story?

Jack Reacher is an ex-military cop, travelling around the US with no fixed address and no plans beyond tomorrow. He is a BIG guy and he knows how to defend himself (and others he feels might need his intervention). He finds himself in the tiny town of Margrave in Georgia, looking for the origins of Blind Blake, a long-dead guitar player. But things in Margrave are not as placid as they seem. Beneath the surface, something big is brewing, and Reacher has stepped right into the middle of it.

There’s always a finely crafted support cast in the Reacher books, and in this one, it’s detective Finlay and sergeant Roscoe. These characters are especially memorable as they are part of one of the most shocking plot twists in any of the Reacher novels. This twist is intensely personal for Reacher and will echo through all the following books. There’s also always a love interest, and in this case, it’s the aforementioned sergeant Roscoe.

Child always manages to create antagonists who are so vile that you can’t wait for Reacher to give them a good punch. Killing Floor boasts one of the most unforgettable villains and sets the tone for all the nasty characters Reacher will face in the subsequent books.

Why read it?

I first read this book about 10 years ago. Since then I had two kids and I blame the blur of parenthood for completely forgetting the finer plot points of Killing Floor! So, when I re-read it recently, it was almost as much of a treat as reading it for the first time.

If you’ve never read one of Lee Child‘s Jack Reacher books – lucky you! So much reading-pleasure awaits! And if you’ve only seen the movies, please instantly put the picture of Tom Cruise as Reacher out of your mind. He is NOT what Reacher is supposed to look like. Very tall, fair-haired, light eyes… sounds like Tom Cruise, right? (not).

I like reading books in sequence, and this book starts Reacher’s story. There are later books that act as ‘prequels’, but the fact is, this is the very first one Child wrote about this unforgettable character. Also, it’s one of the few Reacher novels written in the first person, so we really get to know him in his own words. The plot is instantly interesting and grabs you and doesn’t let go until the last page. I’ve read every single one of the Reacher books, and this one remains one of my favorites. I’ll probably read it again in a few years!

Pair it with: Flapjacks with coffee-glazed bacon, cheddar and coffee syrup

Because he doesn’t have a fixed address, he doesn’t have a kitchen, therefore he doesn’t cook (or do laundry, but that’s another story). Diners are his go-to for meals, and in most of the Jack Reacher books, big breakfasts are some of his favorite things to devour. Because of all Reacher’s diner breakfasts in small towns across America, I dream of one day touring the US and sampling these ‘pancake stacks’ loaded with bacon, cheese, and syrup for myself!

I decided to create this dish because Reacher is such a coffee-addict. Whenever he has a chance, he’s drinking coffee (which puts me in the mood for coffee, so I also drink copious amounts of java while reading these books!). I made a simple coffee syrup and glazed the bacon with it while it was frying. What Americans call ‘pancakes’, South Africans call ‘flapjacks’, and this is my go-to recipe for these yummy morsels. Finish the dish with grated mature Cheddar and extra splashes of the coffee syrup. What a perfect sweet-salty way to start the day! I’m sure Reacher would agree…