Helpful Score: 12
This is actually the 7th of the Reacher series. HOWEVER, if you have not started this series yet, I would recommend beginning with this one. This book is a flashback from Jack Reacher's military career and gives us great insight & understanding into who Jack Reacher is and why he has chosen such a "loner" lifestyle.
My husband had already read this book (reading the entire series in order)before I ever got started on the series. He recommended that I read this one first and I am very glad I did.
Speaking of the Reacher series - I find them to be thrilling, exciting and very quick reads. Jack Reacher is exactly the kind of person one would want backing them up in any situation. Sometimes the plot may seem a little contrived - but this is fiction, after all, so no real concerns there. The character development is always good, the dialog is never forced and the plot developments have twists in them that will catch the reader completely off guard!
Be warned ... some of the books are very bloody. The bad guys are very, very bad with no moral scruples at all. If you like gritty, bloody, action books ... this is the series for you.
My husband had already read this book (reading the entire series in order)before I ever got started on the series. He recommended that I read this one first and I am very glad I did.
Speaking of the Reacher series - I find them to be thrilling, exciting and very quick reads. Jack Reacher is exactly the kind of person one would want backing them up in any situation. Sometimes the plot may seem a little contrived - but this is fiction, after all, so no real concerns there. The character development is always good, the dialog is never forced and the plot developments have twists in them that will catch the reader completely off guard!
Be warned ... some of the books are very bloody. The bad guys are very, very bad with no moral scruples at all. If you like gritty, bloody, action books ... this is the series for you.
Helpful Score: 8
Lee Child just gets better and better. This was a bit different than the other novels. It's set when Reacher is still in the Army, and is told in the first person. He's got 3 murders to solve, and is being told not to investigate. Reacher doesn't like being told what to do. The tension squeezes and sqeezes until you think you can't take it anymore. He's the kind of guy who does the right thing, even when it's the wrong thing, and makes no apology for it.
The story is fantastic, and the ride doesn't end until the book does. Once again, a fabulous Reacher novel.
The story is fantastic, and the ride doesn't end until the book does. Once again, a fabulous Reacher novel.
Helpful Score: 5
Another fast paced, page turner from Lee Child. I didn't think I would like this type of book about Jach Reacher and the military, but from the first page Lee Child grabs your attention. I found it hard to put the book down and am a big fan now of the Jack Reacher series books.
Helpful Score: 4
This is my 2nd Jack Reacher book. It's great! I love Reacher's personality and values. He lives his beliefs. He's smart. The author conveys so much with so few words. The suspense is taut. The action powerful. Great story! I've ordered 3 more books in this series!
Helpful Score: 4
I've been into military thrillers lately. I'd never read any Lee Child books before and was only aware that "Jack Reacher" was an on-going character because I'd noted that this particular book was listed as #8. At first I thought that it was going to be the "one and only" for me, because the pace seemed slow in comparison to most of my other genre-related reads. But I kept thinking about a man I know who is in the military and about how he doesn't just see things differently than those of us in civilian life do, but he moves differently and talks differently - he sort of has his own pace - and then I realized that this book did, too. Once I relaxed and became willing to go along for the ride, I had a great time.
There was absolutely no way that I could ever have figured out the end. I'm not certain if that's because this is the first "Jack Reacher" book I've read, if it's because I don't think like people in the military do, or if I was just being dense (it happens *s*). At any rate, because I had no clue how it was going to play out, I was intrigued to the last page.
I don't think that I've missed anything by starting with #8, instead of #1. Information was passed along as part of the current plot without making me feel like there was a lot of time being wasted in review, which I appreciated. Then again, until I read more of these books, I can't really know for sure, can I?
Bottom line is that I ended up liking it enough to go looking for more Lee Child/Jack Reacher books, which pretty much says it all.
There was absolutely no way that I could ever have figured out the end. I'm not certain if that's because this is the first "Jack Reacher" book I've read, if it's because I don't think like people in the military do, or if I was just being dense (it happens *s*). At any rate, because I had no clue how it was going to play out, I was intrigued to the last page.
I don't think that I've missed anything by starting with #8, instead of #1. Information was passed along as part of the current plot without making me feel like there was a lot of time being wasted in review, which I appreciated. Then again, until I read more of these books, I can't really know for sure, can I?
Bottom line is that I ended up liking it enough to go looking for more Lee Child/Jack Reacher books, which pretty much says it all.
