Helpful Score: 3
I really enjoyed this latest Reacher thriller and thought it was on par with most of the other Reacher novels that I have read (I still have 5 or 6 left to read). This one takes place while Reacher is still in the army immediately before his discharge and the events of The Killing Floor. In fact it nicely ties up how Reacher happened to go to the little town in Georgia where the Killing Floor takes place and how his brother happened to be there. I always thought this was way too coincidental when I first read Floor. As far as the events in The Affair, Reacher sifts through the evidence and even with some misdirection comes to the right conclusions as usual and handles the outcome in the usual Reacher way! I would recommend this one! Now I need to finish reading the other books in the series.
Helpful Score: 3
When Jack Reacher is thinking hard, you can literally hear the gears meshing, moving and rearranging the data. He is quite the force to be reckoned with and this tale of how his feet hit the road he's walked in the 15 other books is a GREAT read.
Lee had me fooled a few times, as I trotted down the stray paths he set out for me. Enjoy this one - it is rich, like all the rest.
Lee had me fooled a few times, as I trotted down the stray paths he set out for me. Enjoy this one - it is rich, like all the rest.
Helpful Score: 2
While this book is considered #16 in the series, it actually should have been published first. It takes place in 1997 when Reacher goes TDY and then is asked to leave the service.
Helpful Score: 2
One of Lee Child's best...I have read all of his Jack Reacher books in sequence and didn't realize that the period right after he left the Army had not been covered in his stories. There have only been a couple of books that I remember after a few months but this one has stayed with me probably because of the very well constructed story line. Now I wonder why Jack Reacher has never mentioned Elizabeth before in previous stories. She is one cool woman - with military experience just like Reacher's! There is an added treat about Jack Reacher at age 13 in a short story that follows "The Affair."
Helpful Score: 2
Testosterone filled adventure that brings us back to the days when Reacher was still an army MP.
I enjoyed it enough to think it was one of the better Reacher books all of which I thought were good to great and very worth reading.
For those new to the series I highly recommend this one be read first since it is his earliest days and does explain some things that come later.
For you long time Reacher fans like myself I suggest you read this to find out where he came from and how he got there.
I enjoyed it enough to think it was one of the better Reacher books all of which I thought were good to great and very worth reading.
For those new to the series I highly recommend this one be read first since it is his earliest days and does explain some things that come later.
For you long time Reacher fans like myself I suggest you read this to find out where he came from and how he got there.
Helpful Score: 1
This story takes place in 1997 -- before most (if not all) of the rest of the Reacher series takes place. He's still very much immersed in the Army as a Major/MP (military police) and is doing undercover investigative work. The story unfolds at just the right pace, revealing each piece of the puzzle methodically without being over-plodding. Not my absolute favorite in the series (I've read them all) but a solid 3.5*. Once I was into the story, I couldn't put it down.
My one question for Jack Reacher (and you might chuckle if you've read the book): What year is it?
__This particular Reacher novel climbs into the wayback machine to show us Reacher's last move with the military. The book encompasses some very predictable tropes, including describing people's looks at length (flattering terms or unflattering terms), showing The One Best Guy For the Job mentality, and an overwhelming willingness (or need, perhaps) to go against the grain. Reacher reminds me a bit of the American television character Gregory House, M.D., in the way he does things. He's certainly not afraid to be blunt or insult someone's intelligence/lack thereof to prove his point.
__This particular Reacher novel climbs into the wayback machine to show us Reacher's last move with the military. The book encompasses some very predictable tropes, including describing people's looks at length (flattering terms or unflattering terms), showing The One Best Guy For the Job mentality, and an overwhelming willingness (or need, perhaps) to go against the grain. Reacher reminds me a bit of the American television character Gregory House, M.D., in the way he does things. He's certainly not afraid to be blunt or insult someone's intelligence/lack thereof to prove his point.
The Reacher books are my guilty pleasure.
I'm always ready for a new Jack Reacher adventure and this one did not disappoint. Very good writing and a decent pace. A few bugs with the story but I can live with it. Also comes with the short story "Second Son".
Enjoyed as all of the "Reacher" series
Very good, difficult to put down.
Another great Reacher Book!
best Reacher story yet. Good plot and more characters in more detail than some other reacher novels.
More good stuff
I think this book should be the first Reacher book read.
A GREAT read.
A GREAT read.
This is the 2nd book that I've read by this author. It still bugs me that he OVERUSES the phrase "I said nothing" constantly - to the point that I kept a running count (in my head, like the clock in Reacher's head). This book had 42 occurrences, sometimes 4 or more in a few pages. It's VERY annoying, and just poor writing. His grammar and syntax is also poor; sometimes he'll have very short sentences, which should be joined by commas or an "and", and other times he puts in way too many "ands" and commas. It's uneven and an editor should have reined him in years ago.
Those gripes being said, as a storyteller, he's quite good, and that's why I will read another of his books. He'll throw in humour (since he's English) in unexpected places, and make me laugh out loud. His fight scenes are so well described, that I end up reading them to my husband, who is also entertained by them. Also, this story made much more sense than the first one I read (the first in the series, too). It's so gripping that at times I can't put it down. It's a pain in the neck at night when I'm reading to go to sleep, and suddenly it's 3am. His characters were believable, likable and enjoyable. I'll read the Killing Floor next, and hope that he puts in less "I said nothing's", because I have lots to say about that.
Those gripes being said, as a storyteller, he's quite good, and that's why I will read another of his books. He'll throw in humour (since he's English) in unexpected places, and make me laugh out loud. His fight scenes are so well described, that I end up reading them to my husband, who is also entertained by them. Also, this story made much more sense than the first one I read (the first in the series, too). It's so gripping that at times I can't put it down. It's a pain in the neck at night when I'm reading to go to sleep, and suddenly it's 3am. His characters were believable, likable and enjoyable. I'll read the Killing Floor next, and hope that he puts in less "I said nothing's", because I have lots to say about that.
Same as always
loved it....
This is my first Lee Child book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I obviously don't have a point of reference for how this book compared to the others. All I know, is that it kept me engaged. It is well written and keeps the plot line moving and well-connected from one chapter to the other. Well worth the read.
Enjoyed this look into the early Reacher years.
This one was great. Takes you back to the beginning. Better than the last couple books.
Reacher, Reacher, Reacher. For years, I've been hearing people compare other action characters with Jack Reacher. I had no idea who Jack Reacher was. I am always loathe to get into another "series" as I am already in the middle of too many altogether and didn't want to get sucked into another. But when I saw "The Affair" and read that it was the prologue to the Jack Reacher series, I thought I'd try it out. I began "The Affair" not knowing the first thing about Reacher so I was able to read the book unhampered by lofty expectations or compromised by previous novels. I thought the book was terrific. It was fast-paced, the twists were not telegraphed in advance, the characters were interesting and the suspense was taut. The only negative is that I must now go back and start reading the Reacher series from the beginning. Well that's just great!
THIS BOOK BRINGS BACK HOW REACHER GOT STARTED IN THE CIVILIAN WAY.GOOD BOOK AS ALL OF LEE CHILD'S.
Great read.
Another good Lee Child book.
Jack reacher stories are always entertaining
Clearly this is one of Lee Child's best books dealing with events while he is still in the military. There is an affair with the local female sheriff. Jack Reacher must deal with political and military corruption is his own unorthodox manner. Character development at it's best.
Love this author!
Another terrific Jack Reacher story. Tells the story of when Jack was still an MP back in 1997. Good read! Definitely recommend!
Like always a great exciting read.
Everything starts somewhere. For elite military cop Jack Reacher, that somewhere was Carter Crossing, Mississippi, way back in 1997.
A lonely railroad track. A crime scene. A cover-up. A young woman is dead, and solid evidence points to a soldier at a nearby military base. But that soldier has powerful friends in Washington.
Reacher is ordered undercover to find out everything he can and then to vanish. But when he gets to Carter Crossing, Reacher meets local sheriff Elizabeth Deveraux, who has a thirst for justice and an appetite for secrets. Uncertain they can trust each other, they reluctantly join forces. Finding unexpected layers to the case, Reacher works to uncover the truth, while others try to bury it forever. The conspiracy threatens to shatter his faith in his missionand turn him into a man to be feared.
A lonely railroad track. A crime scene. A cover-up. A young woman is dead, and solid evidence points to a soldier at a nearby military base. But that soldier has powerful friends in Washington.
Reacher is ordered undercover to find out everything he can and then to vanish. But when he gets to Carter Crossing, Reacher meets local sheriff Elizabeth Deveraux, who has a thirst for justice and an appetite for secrets. Uncertain they can trust each other, they reluctantly join forces. Finding unexpected layers to the case, Reacher works to uncover the truth, while others try to bury it forever. The conspiracy threatens to shatter his faith in his missionand turn him into a man to be feared.
Another good Jack Reacher novel
This was the first of the Jack Reacher series I read - and it's definitely not my kind of book.
Good book. Love Lee Child and his Jack Reacher series. They did it again!
If you have read any other Jack Reacher books then you will like this one. fast paced action a quick read
A good one. Reacher takes on a Senator and a Army Ranger base for murders of civilians.
Finally, we learn where he came from. Nice references to the 70's and Jack's younger years. Now I need number 17 because I am still waiting for him to get to Virginia!
I've read all the Jack Reacher books through this one, and enjoyed them all, but this one is my favorite. I always had questions about how Reacher ended up out of the Army after seventeen years without any kind of pension; that just doesn't happen to commissioned officers; being retired military myself, I was pretty sure of that.
This book answers a lot of those questions by going back in time to the affair which ended Reacher's military service. One of his other books ("The Enemy") was also a flashback, but not as far back as this one. Till "The Affair" it was my favorite.
Child's books are always fun to read, but not great literature - one reading is usually enough. I was travelling last month and stayed overnight with my brother; I had lent him my copy of "The Affair", which he returned. As luck would have it, I left what I was currently reading in the car and was too tired to go downstairs and out into the garage to get it, so I started re-reading "The Affair". Enjoyed it just as much the second time through.
As a bonus, a short story about Reacher's childhood is included in this volume - also enjoyable, if not deathless prose.
This book answers a lot of those questions by going back in time to the affair which ended Reacher's military service. One of his other books ("The Enemy") was also a flashback, but not as far back as this one. Till "The Affair" it was my favorite.
Child's books are always fun to read, but not great literature - one reading is usually enough. I was travelling last month and stayed overnight with my brother; I had lent him my copy of "The Affair", which he returned. As luck would have it, I left what I was currently reading in the car and was too tired to go downstairs and out into the garage to get it, so I started re-reading "The Affair". Enjoyed it just as much the second time through.
As a bonus, a short story about Reacher's childhood is included in this volume - also enjoyable, if not deathless prose.
This is a great read. Small town politics are always messy, but with an Army post nearby, and National politics in play the plot twist and turns every chapter.
All of Jack Reacher books are "real page turners"!
I get one started and have to be reminded to eat and sleep, oh yeah, they are that good!
I get one started and have to be reminded to eat and sleep, oh yeah, they are that good!
Good Book! Always enjoy a "Jack Reacher" book!!!
My first "Reacher" book. I guess a good one to start as event hough a #16 in the series, it's a "prequil" back to how he left the Army. I will certainly go and read more as I enjoyed it greatly and read it (relatively) fast for me.
This is another exciting thriller about Jack Reacher. It explains the reasons he left the service. A long book but well worth the read. Gives more background on some of the people mentioned in previous books. He is a cold blooded killer, though you can't help but like him. His is justified killing (however still wrong!).
WOW! Really one of his best. I like the Jack Reacher, MP.
Best one yet!
Another awesome Reacher book. LOVE this man! He doesn't take any guff from anyone, mets out justice as it should be, and always gets the job done. Law enforcement the way it SHOULD be! Book also includes a short Reacher story at the very end, which is also great. Can't wait for the next Reacher novel. Lee Child rocks!
Good Read. Reacher kills two people, one with his elbow. Just like Chuck Norris
This is by far one of the best books I've read in a long time. Read it in a day . . . .
Sue H.
Sue H.
