Jack Reacher. Hero. Loner. Soldier. Soldier's son. An elite military cop, he was one of the army's brightest stars. But in every cop's life there is a turning point. One case. One messy, tangled case that can shatter a career. Turn a lawman into a renegade. And make him question words like honor, valor, and duty. For Jack Reacher, this is that case.
New Year's Day, 1990. The Berlin Wall is coming down. The world is changing. And in a North Carolina "hot-sheets" motel, a two-star general is found dead. His briefcase is missing. Nobody knows what was in it. Within minutes Jack Reacher has his orders: Control the situation. But this situation can't be controlled. Within hours the general's wife is murdered hundreds of miles away. Then the dominoes really start to fall.
Two Special Forces soldiers-the toughest of the tough-are taken down, one at a time. Top military commanders are moved from place to place in a bizarre game of chess. And somewhere inside the vast worldwide fortress that is the U.S. Army, Jack Reacher--an ordinarily untouchable investigator for the 110th Special Unit--is being set up as a fall guy with the worst enemies a man can have.
But Reacher won't quit. He's fighting a new kind of war. And he's taking a young female lieutenant with him on a deadly hunt that leads them from the ragged edges of a rural army post to the winding streets of Paris to a confrontation with an enemy he didn't know he had. With his French-born mother dying-and divulging to her son one last, stunning secret-Reacher is forced to question everything he once believed...about his family, his career, his loyalties-and himself. Because this soldier's son is on his way into the darkness, where he finds a tangled drama of desperate desires and violent death-and a conspiracy more chilling, ingenious, and treacherous than anyone could have guessed.
Kelly P. (KellyP) from MARLOW, OK wrote on 12/20/2007...
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
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.
Kim B. (Mistry) from TIMBERLAKE, NC wrote on 10/4/2007...
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
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.
Gia W. from TRINITY, FL wrote on 8/20/2008...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
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.
Sandra K. from FULLERTON, CA wrote on 5/8/2008...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
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.
Rate These Member Reviews
Patricia S. from CHICKASHA, OK wrote on 4/1/2008...
I've read a lot of Jack Reacher novels, but I think this has to be the best one. If you have read Jack Reacher before and wondered about his mother, your answer is in this book.
Steven K. (sjk54) from ALPHARETTA, GA wrote on 2/18/2008...
A nice change of pace Reacher novel. This is a flashback to his early days as an MP in the military. If you've read the 7 prior Lee Child books, it's a lot of fun to see the anti-authority, carefree Jack living in a structured, disciplined world. Solid mystery - a few clues, a few twists.
3 stars out of 5
Sharon D. from DILLSBURG, PA wrote on 1/11/2008...
Jack Reacher an all-american hero. From the first words I was hooked on this book Loved it another great Lee Child thriller.
Greg D. (watchman) from EULESS, TX wrote on 12/13/2007...
Just couldn't get into this one. Stared out good, but then took a turn towards corniness!
Christa B. (romeo) from LAWRENCEVILLE, IL wrote on 9/1/2007...
Jack Reacher. Hero. Loner. Soldier. Soldier's son. An elite military cop, he was one of the army's brightest stars. But in every cop's life there is one case that changes everything. For Jack Reacher, this is that case...
New Years Day, 1990. In a North Carolina motel, a two-star general is found dead. His briefcase is missing. Nobody knows what was in it. Within minutes Jack Reacher has his orders: Control the situatuion. Within hours the generals wife is murdered. Then the dominoes start to fall...
Somewhere inside the vast worldwide fortress that is the U.S. Army, Reacher is being set up as the fall guy with the worst enemies a guy can have. But Reacher won't quit. He's fighting a new kind of war-against an enemy he didn't know he had. And against a conspiracy more chilling, ingenius, and treacherous than anyone could have guessed.
Russa W. (onebadpenny) from PLEASANT HILL, CA wrote on 8/6/2007...
Though this is the 9th in the Jack Reacher series, it's the first one I read. Then I read it again. Then I read them all. Twice.
Jenny J. (missjenamae) from FORESTHILL, CA wrote on 7/16/2007...
This was my favorite Reacher so far. I can't wait to find my next favorite in the series!
Katherine T. (KathyDawg) from LEWISTON, ID wrote on 7/1/2007...
Great read, good book. Kept me interested the entire way. Bestseller.
Margaret S. (Formor) from BOERNE, TX wrote on 6/22/2007...
I enjoyed this book as I love all the Jack Reacher books. This one he is still in the military and I found it went into too much detail about the going-ons of the military. I think this Jack Reacher book is more of a guys book as they will enjoy the story line and all the info about the military.
Sharon P. (kyp) from GARFIELD HTS, OH wrote on 6/4/2007...
Lee Child is such a great story teller!!! Reacher in a prequel that kept me going way into the night. MP procedures are protrayed fairly accurately here too. That says a lot for a Brit. I wish Reacher were made into a series of made for TV movies. But I don't think a director could do Child's series justice. So I guess we will just have to use our imagination. My praise is not just for this book involving MP investigations of murder, but for the entire Reacher franchise. All I can say is - MORE Reacher!!!