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Jack Reacher #14
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Χειμώνας στη Νότια Ντακότα. Πυκνό χιόνι, παγωμένοι δρόμοι, ένας κουρασμένος οδηγός. Ένα λεωφορείο ντεραπάρει και καθηλώνεται μέσα στη χιονοθύελλα. Σε μια μικρή πόλη, τριάντα χιλιόμετρα πιο πέρα, μια ευάλωτη μάρτυρας φρουρείται μέρα-νύχτα. Λίγο πιο κάτω, υπάρχει ένα μυστηριώδες πέτρινο κτίριο που στέκει ολομόναχο στην ερημιά. Και πολύ μακρύτερα από κει, στο λουσμένο στον ήλιο Μεξικό, ένας αδίστακτος άντρας ελέγχει τα πάντα από το κρησφύγετό του. Ο Τζακ Ρίτσερ βρέθηκε τυχαία στα πίσω καθίσματα του λεωφορείου, κάνοντας οτοστόπ. Όταν δεν έχεις ούτε προορισμό ούτε αποσκευές, η ζωή είναι απλή. Αλλά και δύσκολη, όταν ξεμένεις σ' ένα χιονισμένο δρόμο χωρίς καν ένα πανωφόρι. Όμως για όλα τ' άλλα είναι πλήρως εφοδιασμένος. Όχι πως πάει γυρεύοντας για μπλεξίματα. Δεν έχει καμιά λόξα να επιβάλει το δίκαιο. Απλώς δεν του αρέσουν αυτοί που επιβάλλουν το άδικο...
383 pages, Hardcover
First published March 18, 2010
7533 people are currently reading
24350 people want to read
About the author
Lee Child
443 books34.4k followersLee Child was born October 29th, 1954 in Coventry, England, but spent his formative years in the nearby city of Birmingham. By coincidence he won a scholarship to the same high school that JRR Tolkien had attended. He went to law school in Sheffield, England, and after part-time work in the theater he joined Granada Television in Manchester for what turned out to be an eighteen-year career as a presentation director during British TV's "golden age." During his tenure his company made Brideshead Revisited, The Jewel in the Crown, Prime Suspect, and Cracker. But he was fired in 1995 at the age of 40 as a result of corporate restructuring. Always a voracious reader, he decided to see an opportunity where others might have seen a crisis and bought six dollars' worth of paper and pencils and sat down to write a book, Killing Floor, the first in the Jack Reacher series.
Killing Floor was an immediate success and launched the series which has grown in sales and impact with every new installment. The first Jack Reacher movie, based on the novel One Shot and starring Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike, was released in December 2012.
Lee has three homes—an apartment in Manhattan, a country house in the south of France, and whatever airplane cabin he happens to be in while traveling between the two. In the US he drives a supercharged Jaguar, which was built in Jaguar's Browns Lane plant, thirty yards from the hospital in which he was born.
Lee spends his spare time reading, listening to music, and watching the Yankees, Aston Villa, or Marseilles soccer. He is married with a grown-up daughter. He is tall and slim, despite an appalling diet and a refusal to exercise.
Killing Floor was an immediate success and launched the series which has grown in sales and impact with every new installment. The first Jack Reacher movie, based on the novel One Shot and starring Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike, was released in December 2012.
Lee has three homes—an apartment in Manhattan, a country house in the south of France, and whatever airplane cabin he happens to be in while traveling between the two. In the US he drives a supercharged Jaguar, which was built in Jaguar's Browns Lane plant, thirty yards from the hospital in which he was born.
Lee spends his spare time reading, listening to music, and watching the Yankees, Aston Villa, or Marseilles soccer. He is married with a grown-up daughter. He is tall and slim, despite an appalling diet and a refusal to exercise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,223 reviews
May 25, 2010
I'm going with 3.5 stars on this one. There's only one reason I can't nudge it up to 4 stars, which I'll explain at the end of the review (with plenty of advance warning.)
Jack Reacher novels fall into two categories. One is the big city, ABO, non-stop action, heavy violence thriller such as Gone Tomorrow. The other is the small town, slower-paced, watching and waiting type---more mystery than thriller. 61 Hours is in the second category, although it does get pretty exciting later on. I'm cool with both kinds, but the adrenaline junkies probably prefer the action-packed ones.
A bus accident leaves Jack stranded in the fictional town of Bolton, South Dakota in the dead of winter. Brrrrrr! Cold and getting colder. Snow and ice and wind...and more snow. And of course, the town has problems only Jack can fix. Murders in town, a mysterious abandoned military site a few miles away, a biker in the local prison, and a midget called Plato down in Mexico all combine to give Reacher's solving skills a workout.
Less action, but a lot of fun stuff here. I loved the interaction between Jack and the voice on the phone in Washington. Also the discovery of the original purpose behind the military site. Very cool and creepy. And there's a new angle on the old drug running plot element which caught me off guard and then made me laugh at the end with its final effects on the town. We also get to learn a little more about Jack's childhood, thanks to a certain snooper.
This concludes the spoiler-free portion of my review.
***********WARNING! STOP READING NOW TO AVOID SPOILERS!**************
SPOILERS COMING.....
The inconclusive ending was frustrating and unsatisfying, so I can't go up to four stars. I don't mind not knowing everything, but we should at least get to find out how Jack escaped from the explosion and see him exiting town with another successful problem taken care of. The last we see of him, he's trying to get out before the flare hits the fuel, and we're left hanging until October. No fair! I think Child made a tactical error with this ending, but I guess now it's all about selling more books more often.
Jack Reacher novels fall into two categories. One is the big city, ABO, non-stop action, heavy violence thriller such as Gone Tomorrow. The other is the small town, slower-paced, watching and waiting type---more mystery than thriller. 61 Hours is in the second category, although it does get pretty exciting later on. I'm cool with both kinds, but the adrenaline junkies probably prefer the action-packed ones.
A bus accident leaves Jack stranded in the fictional town of Bolton, South Dakota in the dead of winter. Brrrrrr! Cold and getting colder. Snow and ice and wind...and more snow. And of course, the town has problems only Jack can fix. Murders in town, a mysterious abandoned military site a few miles away, a biker in the local prison, and a midget called Plato down in Mexico all combine to give Reacher's solving skills a workout.
Less action, but a lot of fun stuff here. I loved the interaction between Jack and the voice on the phone in Washington. Also the discovery of the original purpose behind the military site. Very cool and creepy. And there's a new angle on the old drug running plot element which caught me off guard and then made me laugh at the end with its final effects on the town. We also get to learn a little more about Jack's childhood, thanks to a certain snooper.
This concludes the spoiler-free portion of my review.
***********WARNING! STOP READING NOW TO AVOID SPOILERS!**************
SPOILERS COMING.....
The inconclusive ending was frustrating and unsatisfying, so I can't go up to four stars. I don't mind not knowing everything, but we should at least get to find out how Jack escaped from the explosion and see him exiting town with another successful problem taken care of. The last we see of him, he's trying to get out before the flare hits the fuel, and we're left hanging until October. No fair! I think Child made a tactical error with this ending, but I guess now it's all about selling more books more often.
November 16, 2017
He called out, ‘Do you think you can beat me?’Want a straight forward read? Small crisp sentences? Great details? Some ass kicking? Deadpan humor? Riveting storyline and yet easy to put down? A book to work as a filler before you pick the next big series or a tome? Or a book that won’t require the complete attention of your faculties? A kickass lead? Cold hard calculations? Things going boom?
Reacher called back, ‘Do you think bears shit in the woods?’
Well, look no further! Lee Child is here to serve all of these needs thorough Jack Reacher, an ex-military police veteran, who lives the life of a hermit. Why, you ask? Freedom, Bitch!
“He had said what needed to be said, and he hadn’t cared who he said it to. He had done what needed to be done, and he hadn’t cared who he did it to.”Its book #14 and I think we’re way past the point of explaining things in depth. If you have even a small thing for Reacher books, you’ll end up really liking this one! I have stuck around with this series for quite a while now and this book has to be one of the best in the series for me personally.
Jack Reacher books come in varieties. They can be first person POV or third person POV. They can be completely action packed or slow burns with more of a head scratching element. Variety!
This book is 3rd person POV and more of a head scratching one. But still pretty straight forward and there is a big BOOM towards the end!
Reacher, as is the norm, finds himself in trouble for no reason and we all know he isn’t one to back down. Stuck in the town of Bolton (Ramsey?) by accident, figuratively and literally. He now must solve the curious case that Bolton PD have going on bcz well, that’s what Reacher does. He is the Judge, Jury and Executioner right after he is done playing the Investigator, Evidence Analyst, Defense Analyst, Firearms Expert, Threats Analyst, Security Advisor, a Courtroom and pretty much everything else! He is a Dog with a Bone! Dog on a scent and he won’t stop till he’s done. He’s got his own rules. He’s got his own standards and his own measure of things.
No he isn’t. At best, he is an obsessing asshole who can’t let things go. I think Reacher is the closest thing I have read to what you can call an Anti-Hero. He doesn’t qualify, I think, but he gets close! Real close.
The highlight of this book, for me, are two things:
1. Even if for a moment, Reacher is sulky and low. Almost beaten. Something he rectifies and gets going again but that makes his character better. Not a tough guy through and through. A guy who plays tough. Sounds better.
2. I think for the first time in this series, Lee Child has ended a book on a cliffhanger! All his books are self-contained but this time, seems like the author is in a mind of shaking things up. And all though it isn’t much of a cliffhanger but it is still there and that’s good. Now I guess I will be reading the next one sooner than I thought.
I ended up dragging this book for months due to other more immersive reads and obviously due to all the ass-kicking real life doled out to me but this is actually a quick read despite the number of pages. Most people find or think Reacher books are slow and repetitive. I think that’s what actually makes them good and true to the character of Jack Reacher. He is a sloth until he actually has a reason to expend his energy. He is calculative and analyzing till he needs to act on it.
This series, for me, is like a guilty read. I always resort to a Reacher book in times of despair and times when I feel like I might hit a slump. They keep me reading but never really ask for all my attention. And they always make me smile bcz it’s always amazing to see how much of an ass Reacher can be!
So go on, try him out and you might like him. But take a piece of advice, you do not mess with Reacher. Ever! Period!
PS: Casting Tom Cruise as Reacher? Dean knows how I feel!
June 9, 2018
4.25 stars
Another unputdownable read by Lee Child.
As usual, this one didn't disappoint. I liked how suspenseful and gripping the story was. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this installment, the real page-turner, from start to finish.
My only minor complaint is that the action scene near the end of the book lacked a bit of excitement and intensity. I was just expecting something a little more action-packed and heart-pounding.
Nevertheless, it was a good and engaging read with a clever plot. If you’re a crime-mystery/thriller/suspense fan, then you shouldn’t miss out on this series.
**This book can be read as a standalone.
Another unputdownable read by Lee Child.
As usual, this one didn't disappoint. I liked how suspenseful and gripping the story was. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this installment, the real page-turner, from start to finish.
My only minor complaint is that the action scene near the end of the book lacked a bit of excitement and intensity. I was just expecting something a little more action-packed and heart-pounding.
Nevertheless, it was a good and engaging read with a clever plot. If you’re a crime-mystery/thriller/suspense fan, then you shouldn’t miss out on this series.
**This book can be read as a standalone.
April 25, 2022
"Relax - I'm not going to shoot myself. It's not my style. I'm just going to sit here until my head explodes." -- a glum Jack Reacher, on the phone w/ military criminal investigator Susan Turner, on page 320
61 Hours - fourteenth in the long-running string of Jack Reacher action/adventure novels - is, just in my opinion, one of the better installments (up there with Gone Tomorrow and Bad Luck and Trouble) in the sturdy series. Why? Because things really spiral downward and become difficult for Reacher in the third act, with two upsetting deaths (the one was somewhat anticipated, but the other was a little surprising) of some solid and likable supporting characters, which briefly sends our protagonist into some understandable and all-too-human existential despair. Fortunately, he's able to shake it off and continue fighting the good fight as always. In his latest sojourn across the continental U.S., Reacher is temporarily stranded in a small community in rural South Dakota after a bus crash in the harsh winter weather. He is soon assisting the local police department when a mounting criminal conspiracy - involving the wonderfully odd mix of the county's prison system, an old / abandoned military installation, and a vengeful South American drug lord - threatens to cause some severe and fatal problems. Is Reacher up to the task? Of course he is . . . and it ends with a cliff-hanger!!!
61 Hours - fourteenth in the long-running string of Jack Reacher action/adventure novels - is, just in my opinion, one of the better installments (up there with Gone Tomorrow and Bad Luck and Trouble) in the sturdy series. Why? Because things really spiral downward and become difficult for Reacher in the third act, with two upsetting deaths (the one was somewhat anticipated, but the other was a little surprising) of some solid and likable supporting characters, which briefly sends our protagonist into some understandable and all-too-human existential despair. Fortunately, he's able to shake it off and continue fighting the good fight as always. In his latest sojourn across the continental U.S., Reacher is temporarily stranded in a small community in rural South Dakota after a bus crash in the harsh winter weather. He is soon assisting the local police department when a mounting criminal conspiracy - involving the wonderfully odd mix of the county's prison system, an old / abandoned military installation, and a vengeful South American drug lord - threatens to cause some severe and fatal problems. Is Reacher up to the task? Of course he is . . . and it ends with a cliff-hanger!!!
September 5, 2023
A fun, entertaining novel overall. (May contain spoilers hereafter).
In this iteration of the Jack Reacher series, we find the amazing orthophobe, Reacher, in 2010, on a tour bus full of senior citizens enroute through South Dakota to Mt Rushmore in the middle of winter. Still, no cell phone and no possessions, just the clothes on his back and a wallet.
A winter storm hits, and the bus loses control, stranding Reacher and the rest of the passengers in a mid-size SD town, setting off a chain of events, culminating in an astonishing climax.
At times, especially in the middle, the novel seemed drifting into 3-star territory as I wondered where Child, the author, was going with this. Unlike the previous 2 Jack Reacher novels which has Reacher and his compatriots often shuttling between major urban and/or international locales, this one has him stuck solo in small town, flyover country --- and there's a limit to how much an author can do with that, I think.
But, staying with Child in this book was worth it. I found his descriptions of the toughness and hardiness of Dakotas folk to be a nice touch, and the way he describes the setting to be entertaining. And, eventually, the plot gets going enough to be a real page turner.
Unlike in the previous 2 Jack Reachers I've read so far, this novel doesn't end in a happy ever after --- more a bittersweet ending. Yes, the bad guys do get theirs ---- but the 2 principal characters Reacher is involved with don't make it (i.e. the good guys have a bad ending).
[********ok, now, for nitpicking ---- because it has some aviation in it, and, being a professional pilot, when I see stuff that doesn't sound right, it's a burr under my saddle. So, if you don't care for my subsequent petty comments, then just go by what I previously read, and read no further*****]
NItpick #1: The novel has a Mexican drug lord loading up his goons into a Boeing 737 airliner, and flying them across the Mexican border and the associated US ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone) --- with no flight plan on file with the FAA. Wouldn't happen -- no way --- especially after the 9/11 attacks involving just that sort of thing --- an airliner like that penetrating US airspace. You have to file either an IFR flight plan or a DVFR flight either to an airport at which the aircraft can clear Customs or else make arrangements at some alternate landing site for Customs to meet the aircraft to clear Customs. Just crossing the border --- US Air Traffic Control would see them as well as the Air Force controllers monitoring the ADIZ, and they would have been intercepted. No way, a 737 airliner would just cross into the US from a narco-democracy like Mexico, fly all the way across CONUS, then land at a closed Air Force field and get away with that.
Nitpick #2: The novel has a 737 landing at a unlighted closed Air Force strip at night in SD in the middle of winter. Reacher, having wasted the airliner's field prep guy, uses the highway patrol flares he finds in the back of a police cruiser to illuminate the runway. 737 lands just fine. Ok, I used to fly Falcon jets --- on a dry runway with everything working --- flaps, slats, airbrake, antiskid --- I needed a minimum of 2700 ft landing distance. A 737: about 4700 feet. How many damned flares would Reacher have to light up to cover that distance ---- if he spaced them out every 150 ft? A lot. Probably more than you'd find a police vehicle. Landings at night obviously are more challenging than day --- less visual reference, of course --- and I don't care how good the pilots are, any one with half an ounce of common sense probably would balk at landing at an unprepared strip with ice on it --- with nothing but a half dozen or so highway patrol flares to guide me in. Suffice to say, I was unconvinced
Nitpick #3: After landing, the drug lord has a payment dispute with the fueling and deicing crew meeting his airliner at the strip so he wastes them. Then he directs his goons to do the deice and fueling. Having flown most of my career in the South and the Caribbean, admittedly, I am not an aircraft deicing expert; however, I know enough to say that it's something where you need to know what you're doing, and it's not a job for amateurs --- there's different kinds of fluids with different properties. Do it wrong, and you'll ice up anyway, and crash and burn. Ditto --- for fueling an airliner. Fueling and deicing are not something that a bunch of drug gang security goons are going to be able to do quickly and competently. And I don't think that the pilots involved with stand by and just be quiet while observing an ensuing clown show around their airplane that they're about to fly shortly.
{***** ok, that's all for the nitpicks.******]
At any rate, aside from previous comments, as I've said, a fun and entertaining book. I recommend it for all fans of the Jack Reacher franchise and for those into the action/ adventure genre.
In this iteration of the Jack Reacher series, we find the amazing orthophobe, Reacher, in 2010, on a tour bus full of senior citizens enroute through South Dakota to Mt Rushmore in the middle of winter. Still, no cell phone and no possessions, just the clothes on his back and a wallet.
A winter storm hits, and the bus loses control, stranding Reacher and the rest of the passengers in a mid-size SD town, setting off a chain of events, culminating in an astonishing climax.
At times, especially in the middle, the novel seemed drifting into 3-star territory as I wondered where Child, the author, was going with this. Unlike the previous 2 Jack Reacher novels which has Reacher and his compatriots often shuttling between major urban and/or international locales, this one has him stuck solo in small town, flyover country --- and there's a limit to how much an author can do with that, I think.
But, staying with Child in this book was worth it. I found his descriptions of the toughness and hardiness of Dakotas folk to be a nice touch, and the way he describes the setting to be entertaining. And, eventually, the plot gets going enough to be a real page turner.
Unlike in the previous 2 Jack Reachers I've read so far, this novel doesn't end in a happy ever after --- more a bittersweet ending. Yes, the bad guys do get theirs ---- but the 2 principal characters Reacher is involved with don't make it (i.e. the good guys have a bad ending).
[********ok, now, for nitpicking ---- because it has some aviation in it, and, being a professional pilot, when I see stuff that doesn't sound right, it's a burr under my saddle. So, if you don't care for my subsequent petty comments, then just go by what I previously read, and read no further*****]
NItpick #1: The novel has a Mexican drug lord loading up his goons into a Boeing 737 airliner, and flying them across the Mexican border and the associated US ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone) --- with no flight plan on file with the FAA. Wouldn't happen -- no way --- especially after the 9/11 attacks involving just that sort of thing --- an airliner like that penetrating US airspace. You have to file either an IFR flight plan or a DVFR flight either to an airport at which the aircraft can clear Customs or else make arrangements at some alternate landing site for Customs to meet the aircraft to clear Customs. Just crossing the border --- US Air Traffic Control would see them as well as the Air Force controllers monitoring the ADIZ, and they would have been intercepted. No way, a 737 airliner would just cross into the US from a narco-democracy like Mexico, fly all the way across CONUS, then land at a closed Air Force field and get away with that.
Nitpick #2: The novel has a 737 landing at a unlighted closed Air Force strip at night in SD in the middle of winter. Reacher, having wasted the airliner's field prep guy, uses the highway patrol flares he finds in the back of a police cruiser to illuminate the runway. 737 lands just fine. Ok, I used to fly Falcon jets --- on a dry runway with everything working --- flaps, slats, airbrake, antiskid --- I needed a minimum of 2700 ft landing distance. A 737: about 4700 feet. How many damned flares would Reacher have to light up to cover that distance ---- if he spaced them out every 150 ft? A lot. Probably more than you'd find a police vehicle. Landings at night obviously are more challenging than day --- less visual reference, of course --- and I don't care how good the pilots are, any one with half an ounce of common sense probably would balk at landing at an unprepared strip with ice on it --- with nothing but a half dozen or so highway patrol flares to guide me in. Suffice to say, I was unconvinced
Nitpick #3: After landing, the drug lord has a payment dispute with the fueling and deicing crew meeting his airliner at the strip so he wastes them. Then he directs his goons to do the deice and fueling. Having flown most of my career in the South and the Caribbean, admittedly, I am not an aircraft deicing expert; however, I know enough to say that it's something where you need to know what you're doing, and it's not a job for amateurs --- there's different kinds of fluids with different properties. Do it wrong, and you'll ice up anyway, and crash and burn. Ditto --- for fueling an airliner. Fueling and deicing are not something that a bunch of drug gang security goons are going to be able to do quickly and competently. And I don't think that the pilots involved with stand by and just be quiet while observing an ensuing clown show around their airplane that they're about to fly shortly.
{***** ok, that's all for the nitpicks.******]
At any rate, aside from previous comments, as I've said, a fun and entertaining book. I recommend it for all fans of the Jack Reacher franchise and for those into the action/ adventure genre.
September 4, 2023
This was Reacher at his best. A storyline not too convoluted, I got to drink in the characters and learn more about this excellent man who has enough heft to support all the instalments Lee Child (and son) so skilfully deliver.
This time Jack nmn Reacher lands in South Dakoda, a place on earth I couldn’t believe to be so cold. At one stage it was stated to be minus 14 degrees Celsius. Many times Jack struggled with the cold, and quickly had to loan a coat form one of the characters he stumbled across, funnily enough it was too big, which must have been a first! He is not always fallible, I liked seeing his ordinariness, he is not a machine all of the time. Also a glimpse of a vulnerability that is uncommon, placing his head in his hands, I saw a softness in a moment of grief that made me pause, I was so very sad for him. This book had everything.
Finding himself on a bus wreck, after hitching a ride with a group of senior citizens on tour, Reacher assists the injured and has no choice but to stay, given the appalling weather. I loved seeing him in command, directing others and knowing exactly what to do.
Whilst the oldies all receive billets within the community, Reacher finds himself paired with the Deputy of Police and his quiet reserved wife. Reacher’s trouble this time comes in the form of a pint-sized Mexican drug lord with a huge dose of grandeur and a small set of legs. At one stage of trouble Reacher’s size gets in the way as they are in a confined space, leading him to lament on the positives of his size regarding winning fights, ease of promotion and the like.
The heart of this story is Mrs Salter, the brave and sole witness to part of bringing this drug cartel down. She is under 24/7 watch, refusing witness protection and sticking to her guns. She witnessed a serious crime, the perpetrators need to be taken down, it is her civil duty. A lovely character to get to know, it felt like I was there with her and Reacher, who formed part of the guard in her home. An older lady, a retired librarian and Professor of Library studies at Harvard, her and Reacher formed a respectful bond learning about each other’s lives, the elder of the two making astute observations about Reacher’s make up and questioning him on these.
Jack’s dalliance is different this time, he forms a mutual alliance/attraction over the telephone when he reaches out to his old unit, speaking with one of the successors in the MP. This is full of heart as well, Lee Child has all the lines.
I loved a couple of quotes which captutred me instantly, it turns out I’m not so special, one of them forms part of the blurb.
I don't want to put the world to rights... I just don't like people who put the world to wrongs. I think this is Jack through and through. Love him.
Again, what Jack represents is as equally endearing.
To fill a small bag means selecting, and choosing, and evaluating. There's no logical end to that process. Pretty soon I would have a big bag, and then two or three. A month later I'd be like the rest of you. .
Adored this instalment, and I love the audio, again deftly narrated by Jeff Harding. I’d be bereft if they changed narrators for some reason. I listened to this on the BorrowBox platform via my public library at 1.25 speed. At the heart of an excellent character that is Reacher, delving further into what makes the man.
This time Jack nmn Reacher lands in South Dakoda, a place on earth I couldn’t believe to be so cold. At one stage it was stated to be minus 14 degrees Celsius. Many times Jack struggled with the cold, and quickly had to loan a coat form one of the characters he stumbled across, funnily enough it was too big, which must have been a first! He is not always fallible, I liked seeing his ordinariness, he is not a machine all of the time. Also a glimpse of a vulnerability that is uncommon, placing his head in his hands, I saw a softness in a moment of grief that made me pause, I was so very sad for him. This book had everything.
Finding himself on a bus wreck, after hitching a ride with a group of senior citizens on tour, Reacher assists the injured and has no choice but to stay, given the appalling weather. I loved seeing him in command, directing others and knowing exactly what to do.
Whilst the oldies all receive billets within the community, Reacher finds himself paired with the Deputy of Police and his quiet reserved wife. Reacher’s trouble this time comes in the form of a pint-sized Mexican drug lord with a huge dose of grandeur and a small set of legs. At one stage of trouble Reacher’s size gets in the way as they are in a confined space, leading him to lament on the positives of his size regarding winning fights, ease of promotion and the like.
The heart of this story is Mrs Salter, the brave and sole witness to part of bringing this drug cartel down. She is under 24/7 watch, refusing witness protection and sticking to her guns. She witnessed a serious crime, the perpetrators need to be taken down, it is her civil duty. A lovely character to get to know, it felt like I was there with her and Reacher, who formed part of the guard in her home. An older lady, a retired librarian and Professor of Library studies at Harvard, her and Reacher formed a respectful bond learning about each other’s lives, the elder of the two making astute observations about Reacher’s make up and questioning him on these.
Jack’s dalliance is different this time, he forms a mutual alliance/attraction over the telephone when he reaches out to his old unit, speaking with one of the successors in the MP. This is full of heart as well, Lee Child has all the lines.
I loved a couple of quotes which captutred me instantly, it turns out I’m not so special, one of them forms part of the blurb.
I don't want to put the world to rights... I just don't like people who put the world to wrongs. I think this is Jack through and through. Love him.
Again, what Jack represents is as equally endearing.
To fill a small bag means selecting, and choosing, and evaluating. There's no logical end to that process. Pretty soon I would have a big bag, and then two or three. A month later I'd be like the rest of you. .
Adored this instalment, and I love the audio, again deftly narrated by Jeff Harding. I’d be bereft if they changed narrators for some reason. I listened to this on the BorrowBox platform via my public library at 1.25 speed. At the heart of an excellent character that is Reacher, delving further into what makes the man.
March 18, 2025
این جلد خیلی شبیه کارای استیون کینگ بود. سهچهارم ابتدایی تقریباً بدون درگیری ولی پر از اضطراب، تنش و تعلیق و بعد توی یکچهارم نهایی کتاب به معنای واقعی منفجر میشه
یه شهر رو داریم که میشه گفت یه جورایی با شیطان معامله کرده
و فضاسازی عالی چایلد توی این جلد که حس سرما و انزوایی که خلق کرده بود دستهکمی از درخشش کینگ نداشت
اولین کتاب از مجموعهس که طوری تموم میشه احتمالاً مجبور میشید بعد از این، مستقیم جلد بعدی رو بخونید
یه شهر رو داریم که میشه گفت یه جورایی با شیطان معامله کرده
و فضاسازی عالی چایلد توی این جلد که حس سرما و انزوایی که خلق کرده بود دستهکمی از درخشش کینگ نداشت
اولین کتاب از مجموعهس که طوری تموم میشه احتمالاً مجبور میشید بعد از این، مستقیم جلد بعدی رو بخونید
March 28, 2021
Busses always seem to be dropping Jack Reacher off in the oddest of places where, inevitably, trouble is brewing.
In this case, Jack has hitched a ride on a tour bus filled with elderly folks who, for whatever insane reason, have decided to visit scenic South Dakota in the middle of winter. The bus hits an icy patch and skids off the road leaving Jack and the other passengers stranded out in the middle of nowhere in Bolton, South Dakota, a tiny town with huge problems.
A pint-sized Mexican drug lord has created a meth lab on an abandoned federal installation just outside of town. The outlaw bikers who run the lab are generally on their best behavior while in town and have given the local cops no reason to roust them. But just before Reacher arrives in town, one of the bikers is caught selling meth to a dealer from Chicago. An elderly woman witnesses the sale and the biker is arrested. The woman is determined to do her civic duty and testify against the biker, irrespective of the danger to herself.
The local police know that the drug cartel has dispatched a killer to eliminate the witness so that their operation will not be endangered. But the Bolton P.D. is not really up to the task of taking on a wily drug lord and his biker henchmen and the situation is looking grim. Enter Jack Reacher.
Jack will spend the next 61 hours attempting to do what he does best--outsmarting nasty villains while protecting helpless but civic-minded librarians. This is a book that moves at a somewhat slower pace than many other Reacher novels, but there are some very interesting characters, some plot twists that you don't expect, and as always, it's fun to watch Reacher in action. The action slowly builds to a great climax that will reward careful reading.
In this case, Jack has hitched a ride on a tour bus filled with elderly folks who, for whatever insane reason, have decided to visit scenic South Dakota in the middle of winter. The bus hits an icy patch and skids off the road leaving Jack and the other passengers stranded out in the middle of nowhere in Bolton, South Dakota, a tiny town with huge problems.
A pint-sized Mexican drug lord has created a meth lab on an abandoned federal installation just outside of town. The outlaw bikers who run the lab are generally on their best behavior while in town and have given the local cops no reason to roust them. But just before Reacher arrives in town, one of the bikers is caught selling meth to a dealer from Chicago. An elderly woman witnesses the sale and the biker is arrested. The woman is determined to do her civic duty and testify against the biker, irrespective of the danger to herself.
The local police know that the drug cartel has dispatched a killer to eliminate the witness so that their operation will not be endangered. But the Bolton P.D. is not really up to the task of taking on a wily drug lord and his biker henchmen and the situation is looking grim. Enter Jack Reacher.
Jack will spend the next 61 hours attempting to do what he does best--outsmarting nasty villains while protecting helpless but civic-minded librarians. This is a book that moves at a somewhat slower pace than many other Reacher novels, but there are some very interesting characters, some plot twists that you don't expect, and as always, it's fun to watch Reacher in action. The action slowly builds to a great climax that will reward careful reading.
March 20, 2011
I had to laugh. Those of us in the thriller game talk about building suspense with the "ticking clock": a hard deadline that the characters are up against. If they don't make it, all is lost. So what does Lee Child do? He imbeds an almost literal ticking clock in every chapter, ending each one with the reminder that there are "X hours to go." It's such an obvious device that it's like the magician showing you how the trick is done, but it still works-- you still gasp and chuckle with delight as you see the trick pulled off.
The secret hidden beneath the snowbound wastes near Bolton, South Dakota, is one that a very scary villain is willing to kill for (or, if necessary, torture, mutilate, cripple, then kill for). Reacher's immediate problem, however, is keeping a flinty old lady alive after she witnesses a drug deal that implicates the minions of said nasty villain. More I will not reveal, except to make one observation: you do NOT want to make Jack Reacher mad. Ever.
The secret hidden beneath the snowbound wastes near Bolton, South Dakota, is one that a very scary villain is willing to kill for (or, if necessary, torture, mutilate, cripple, then kill for). Reacher's immediate problem, however, is keeping a flinty old lady alive after she witnesses a drug deal that implicates the minions of said nasty villain. More I will not reveal, except to make one observation: you do NOT want to make Jack Reacher mad. Ever.
September 23, 2014
Terrific. Love all the Reacher books.
August 23, 2019
Book 14 in the Jack Reacher series.
This starts as a really slow burn that culminates in an inferno of volcanic proportions.
After a bus accident, which Jack is travelling on, in the middle of nowhere, well not nowhere, Bolton South Dakota to be exact, in the middle of a wind blasted freezing winter, an accident that renders the bus inoperable Jack finds himself the unwitting guest of Bolton’s Assistant Chief of Police. It soon becomes apparent that all is not well in Bolton. A biker clan has taken up residence on the periphery of Bolton and their current business endeavour is the production of methamphetamine. This, as you can imagine, is cause for a great deal of friction between the locals and the biker gang.
To make matters worse a local stalwart witnessed something that will get her killed. The local police are hard pressed to give the witness around the clock protection. So Jack being Jack he puts his hand up to protect the witness, a dear old lady called Janet Salter.
Add to the mix a psychopathic Mexican drug Lord who is orchestrating the death of certain Bolton denizens from a thousand miles away.
This story took awhile to really get going but once it does ‘kaboom’
For me the only downside in the story was that from early in the story the local villain was just a bit too obvious.
But for all that another terrific read from Lee Child.
A recommended 4 star read.
This starts as a really slow burn that culminates in an inferno of volcanic proportions.
After a bus accident, which Jack is travelling on, in the middle of nowhere, well not nowhere, Bolton South Dakota to be exact, in the middle of a wind blasted freezing winter, an accident that renders the bus inoperable Jack finds himself the unwitting guest of Bolton’s Assistant Chief of Police. It soon becomes apparent that all is not well in Bolton. A biker clan has taken up residence on the periphery of Bolton and their current business endeavour is the production of methamphetamine. This, as you can imagine, is cause for a great deal of friction between the locals and the biker gang.
To make matters worse a local stalwart witnessed something that will get her killed. The local police are hard pressed to give the witness around the clock protection. So Jack being Jack he puts his hand up to protect the witness, a dear old lady called Janet Salter.
Add to the mix a psychopathic Mexican drug Lord who is orchestrating the death of certain Bolton denizens from a thousand miles away.
This story took awhile to really get going but once it does ‘kaboom’
For me the only downside in the story was that from early in the story the local villain was just a bit too obvious.
But for all that another terrific read from Lee Child.
A recommended 4 star read.
April 8, 2023
I'm reading this series all over the place but as each book is its own self contained story it doesn't appear to be affecting my reading experience.
I really do love these books, whenever I pick one up I know I can sit back and know I'm in for a good time.
Five stars.
I really do love these books, whenever I pick one up I know I can sit back and know I'm in for a good time.
Five stars.
June 11, 2017
I've been reading them out of order but I gotta admit, I can't get enough of these Jack Reacher novels. The writing is tight, the plots are great, and pacing is dead on. Lee, if I send you a case of energy drinks and a lifetime supply of cigarettes, any chance you can kick it up to two novels a year?
August 4, 2010
I was bitterly disappointed in this book. Bitter, because I am a huge Jack Reacher fan and have never been as disappointed in one of his books as I was in this one.
First, the setting. I found the cold interesting at first, because I've never been in such extreme cold before... until I realized that the author was going to go on, and on, and on about it. Each minute Reacher was colder than the previous minute. And we knew this because we were told it in almost every paragraph. Every description was the same. White. Snow. Cold. Some ice thrown in for fun. Very dull.
Second, the action. Or lack thereof. Usually Reacher books are full of non-stop action, and fans of the series come to expect it. I know I do. Seeing how Reacher reacts in crazy circumstances is part of the fun of reading his books. 61 Hours, in that regard, was like watching paint dry. Nothing happened. Lots of talk, but no action. By the time you find a little bit of action in the very last pages of the book, it's too little & too late.
Third, the plot. Could there have been a more dull, plodding plot? Usually Jack Reacher books are full of twists and turns. You think you know what's going to happen, then something else happens and you realize you were way off - usually this happens at least 4 or 5 times in one Reacher book. Not so with this one. I guessed "whodunit" in the first 1/4 of the book and ended up being right. I can't remember this ever happening in another Reacher book. Therefore, I found the rest of the book slow and frustrating as I waited for Reacher to figure it out too. Another note about the plot - I found the whole time thing very annoying. We're told multiple times in each chapter how many hours/minutes were left in the countdown (as the title suggests, it started with 61 hours).
Fourth, the ending. I won't divulge anything or spoil anything for someone wanting to read this book... I will merely say that when I closed the book I was disgusted. Mostly disgusted at myself for wasting my time reading this book.
I never thought I'd be writing such a harsh review of a book in one of my favorite series.
First, the setting. I found the cold interesting at first, because I've never been in such extreme cold before... until I realized that the author was going to go on, and on, and on about it. Each minute Reacher was colder than the previous minute. And we knew this because we were told it in almost every paragraph. Every description was the same. White. Snow. Cold. Some ice thrown in for fun. Very dull.
Second, the action. Or lack thereof. Usually Reacher books are full of non-stop action, and fans of the series come to expect it. I know I do. Seeing how Reacher reacts in crazy circumstances is part of the fun of reading his books. 61 Hours, in that regard, was like watching paint dry. Nothing happened. Lots of talk, but no action. By the time you find a little bit of action in the very last pages of the book, it's too little & too late.
Third, the plot. Could there have been a more dull, plodding plot? Usually Jack Reacher books are full of twists and turns. You think you know what's going to happen, then something else happens and you realize you were way off - usually this happens at least 4 or 5 times in one Reacher book. Not so with this one. I guessed "whodunit" in the first 1/4 of the book and ended up being right. I can't remember this ever happening in another Reacher book. Therefore, I found the rest of the book slow and frustrating as I waited for Reacher to figure it out too. Another note about the plot - I found the whole time thing very annoying. We're told multiple times in each chapter how many hours/minutes were left in the countdown (as the title suggests, it started with 61 hours).
Fourth, the ending. I won't divulge anything or spoil anything for someone wanting to read this book... I will merely say that when I closed the book I was disgusted. Mostly disgusted at myself for wasting my time reading this book.
I never thought I'd be writing such a harsh review of a book in one of my favorite series.
March 12, 2011
After reading 61 Hours, I'm left with one burning question. Does Jack Reacher ever brush his teeth?
Lee Child goes into a lot of detail about how his hulking protagonist drifts around the United States with literally no possessions -- not even a backpack -- and how he buys a new set of clothes every week and throws away the old set. But does he ever brush his teeth? Does he bathe? Does he shave? If he doesn't shave, does he have a beard? He's not described with one.
If Child were more vague about Reacher's life on the road, I'd never even consider these things, but he goes into such detail about Reacher's clothing-buying habits that he creates a whole new set of questions.
He goes into detail about a lot of things. Sometimes he's almost like someone with Asperger's Syndrome. He describes tire ruts in snowy, icy roads so often in this novel that it's nearly fetishistic.
61 Hours has a built-in stopwatch. As Jack Reacher attempts to protect the life of an elderly woman who is to testify against a drug gang, everything leads toward some nebulous event that is going to occur 61 hours after a bus crash lands him in the small town of Bolton, South Dakota, in the middle of subzero weather and a snowstorm. Many chapters end with the line, "Five minutes to xx in the morning. Xx hours to go."
61 Hours starts out strong, but nearly three days is a long time to keep your audience engaged, and too much of the middle three-fifths of this book feels like padding.
The last 50 pages are pretty good, but not spectacular. Jack Reacher is a two-dimensional good guy facing a one-dimensional bad guy, so this book never involved me enough to feel as if I couldn't wait to finish it.
I like a lot of Child's attitude and his way with a thriller, but so far for me his series hasn't met the expectations set by all the raves from his rabid fans.
Lee Child goes into a lot of detail about how his hulking protagonist drifts around the United States with literally no possessions -- not even a backpack -- and how he buys a new set of clothes every week and throws away the old set. But does he ever brush his teeth? Does he bathe? Does he shave? If he doesn't shave, does he have a beard? He's not described with one.
If Child were more vague about Reacher's life on the road, I'd never even consider these things, but he goes into such detail about Reacher's clothing-buying habits that he creates a whole new set of questions.
He goes into detail about a lot of things. Sometimes he's almost like someone with Asperger's Syndrome. He describes tire ruts in snowy, icy roads so often in this novel that it's nearly fetishistic.
61 Hours has a built-in stopwatch. As Jack Reacher attempts to protect the life of an elderly woman who is to testify against a drug gang, everything leads toward some nebulous event that is going to occur 61 hours after a bus crash lands him in the small town of Bolton, South Dakota, in the middle of subzero weather and a snowstorm. Many chapters end with the line, "Five minutes to xx in the morning. Xx hours to go."
61 Hours starts out strong, but nearly three days is a long time to keep your audience engaged, and too much of the middle three-fifths of this book feels like padding.
The last 50 pages are pretty good, but not spectacular. Jack Reacher is a two-dimensional good guy facing a one-dimensional bad guy, so this book never involved me enough to feel as if I couldn't wait to finish it.
I like a lot of Child's attitude and his way with a thriller, but so far for me his series hasn't met the expectations set by all the raves from his rabid fans.
Read
October 4, 2020Went away for the weekend with a stack of books to read so obviously I plucked a Jack Reacher off the holiday-home bookshelf instead. As ever, enormously readable and very competently done though I really noticed a lot of authorial sleight of hand in this one (the countdown, which is very tension inducing but entirely author-led rather than plot-dependent, and the totally implausible set-up that conveniently gets rid of the police, which the author knows so well is a total cheat that he's got like four conversations about how it's totally definitely a situation that would reasonably occur.) Also loving the description of Reacher's hands as being the size of supermarket chickens, just picture that in your head a moment.
March 15, 2010
(Disclaimer: This review is written by someone who is a huge Lee Child/Jack Reacher fan. I will try and not let the bias creep in too much. Having said that, this book did not disappoint and I dare you to read it and find otherwise.)
The clock is ticking....61 hours….enough time for Reacher to become fully embroiled in another action-packed adventure….you betcha!
61 Hours is Lee Child’s latest book, the 14th for the Jack Reacher series. Reacher is an ex-military police officer who doesn’t really call anywhere home; carries very little, even opting to buy his clothes on a need-to-buy basis whilst discarding his old clothes; carries a toothbrush and passport and if possible nothing else; is strong, powerful and has quite an intelligent mind. Reacher is a man who can fix problems, more often than not, problems that don’t have anything to do with him…until he gets involved.
The latest setting Reacher finds himself in is a small town in South Dakota. Being one who often finds transport and jumps onboard, not necessarily caring where he ends up but just heading “somewhere”, Reacher manages to get a ride with a group of old age men and women on a tour bus. Not Reacher’s usual fare but never fear, this is not the opening of a novel that will proceed to describe long chats over cups of tea and games of bingo. There is a horror snowstorm on foot when the group passes through South Dakota. Unfortunately there is an accident and they are all holed up in the small town for a couple of days. Fate works in mysterious ways though as it is not unfortunate for the law abiding citizens of the town, now they have Jack Reacher at their fingertips and Andrew Peterson (town policeman) intends to ask for Reacher’s help with a few things.
Something big is going on in this small town. A little old lady is under police protection, due to stand trial as a witness to a drug deal in court. There’s a strange building out in the middle of nowhere. There’s Plato, a big man in the business of drugs, a small man in stature, a man controlling events from Mexico and this man doesn’t care who gets hurt in the process. There’s something not quite right happening, a few peculiar events here and there, a few deaths here and there, a few things that just don’t add up. Well, Jack’s back and you can bet he’ll do his damnedest to find the answers….after all, it’s bloody freezing and he needs to do something to stay warm. The clock is ticking….61 hours….will this be enough time for Reacher to be the hero we know he is?
I read 61 Hours whilst I was on holiday in Bali. Absolutely fantastic holiday read. I didn’t want to put it down; I just had to find out what was going to happen next. As always with Lee Child’s books I am engrossed from the first sentence and if you want to interrupt me whilst I’m reading you had better have a really good reason to do so. Mr Child just knows how to write to keep the reader entertained and interested. His main character Jack Reacher is a favourite of mine and Lee Child is my favourite author. What more can I say? His novels are always page-turners and once they’re finished you wish you hadn’t read so fast because now you have to wait for a new book to come out. Lucky for us 61 Hours ends with “To be continued 30/9/10” so we have two books this year! I cannot wait until the 30th of September.
If you haven’t read any Lee Child books I strongly advise you to do so, immediately, if not sooner. Be warned though, once you start you won’t be able to stop and you will be just like the rest of us hanging out for the new release every year. There should be a warning on Lee Child’s books….highly addictive!
The clock is ticking....61 hours….enough time for Reacher to become fully embroiled in another action-packed adventure….you betcha!
61 Hours is Lee Child’s latest book, the 14th for the Jack Reacher series. Reacher is an ex-military police officer who doesn’t really call anywhere home; carries very little, even opting to buy his clothes on a need-to-buy basis whilst discarding his old clothes; carries a toothbrush and passport and if possible nothing else; is strong, powerful and has quite an intelligent mind. Reacher is a man who can fix problems, more often than not, problems that don’t have anything to do with him…until he gets involved.
The latest setting Reacher finds himself in is a small town in South Dakota. Being one who often finds transport and jumps onboard, not necessarily caring where he ends up but just heading “somewhere”, Reacher manages to get a ride with a group of old age men and women on a tour bus. Not Reacher’s usual fare but never fear, this is not the opening of a novel that will proceed to describe long chats over cups of tea and games of bingo. There is a horror snowstorm on foot when the group passes through South Dakota. Unfortunately there is an accident and they are all holed up in the small town for a couple of days. Fate works in mysterious ways though as it is not unfortunate for the law abiding citizens of the town, now they have Jack Reacher at their fingertips and Andrew Peterson (town policeman) intends to ask for Reacher’s help with a few things.
Something big is going on in this small town. A little old lady is under police protection, due to stand trial as a witness to a drug deal in court. There’s a strange building out in the middle of nowhere. There’s Plato, a big man in the business of drugs, a small man in stature, a man controlling events from Mexico and this man doesn’t care who gets hurt in the process. There’s something not quite right happening, a few peculiar events here and there, a few deaths here and there, a few things that just don’t add up. Well, Jack’s back and you can bet he’ll do his damnedest to find the answers….after all, it’s bloody freezing and he needs to do something to stay warm. The clock is ticking….61 hours….will this be enough time for Reacher to be the hero we know he is?
I read 61 Hours whilst I was on holiday in Bali. Absolutely fantastic holiday read. I didn’t want to put it down; I just had to find out what was going to happen next. As always with Lee Child’s books I am engrossed from the first sentence and if you want to interrupt me whilst I’m reading you had better have a really good reason to do so. Mr Child just knows how to write to keep the reader entertained and interested. His main character Jack Reacher is a favourite of mine and Lee Child is my favourite author. What more can I say? His novels are always page-turners and once they’re finished you wish you hadn’t read so fast because now you have to wait for a new book to come out. Lucky for us 61 Hours ends with “To be continued 30/9/10” so we have two books this year! I cannot wait until the 30th of September.
If you haven’t read any Lee Child books I strongly advise you to do so, immediately, if not sooner. Be warned though, once you start you won’t be able to stop and you will be just like the rest of us hanging out for the new release every year. There should be a warning on Lee Child’s books….highly addictive!
July 21, 2023
If you can get past the title (the 61 hours countdown turns out to be a bit of a pointless gimmick) and the rather contrived set up, there's a hugely enjoyable thriller to be found. Our hero is on good form, the body count stays the right side of believable and there's a satisfying ending. A good entry in the series.
December 30, 2010
I have been a big Lee Child fan over the past few years. However in my opinion this was the slowest most painful reading experience i have had in a very long time. The Reacher character is becoming tired and book after book the author seems to be rewriting the back story so that once you have heard his history once you will see it in every book. This is a plausible point, as not everyone will read all of the Jack Reacher books and they need to learn about the protagonist.
However in 61 Hours you are given a lengthy character back history half way through the book, which is a poor edit, as you really need this earlier in the book so you can invest emotion and sympathise with the main character. It seems inserted as an afterthought. Also the book could have been cut by a third and not have detracted from the story at all. Seems Lee completed the book, thought it was too short and then during the editing phase bulked up the book by putting boring descriptions in which detract from what could have been a reasonable book.
However in 61 Hours you are given a lengthy character back history half way through the book, which is a poor edit, as you really need this earlier in the book so you can invest emotion and sympathise with the main character. It seems inserted as an afterthought. Also the book could have been cut by a third and not have detracted from the story at all. Seems Lee completed the book, thought it was too short and then during the editing phase bulked up the book by putting boring descriptions in which detract from what could have been a reasonable book.
August 17, 2024
A great, chilling read for the hot summer! With temps dropping to 30 below Reacher must figure out the mystery surrounding a small South Dakota town involving a biker gang, a Mexican drug lord and a strange Russian connection.
July 24, 2025
As far back as the days in which humans lived in caves, I'm pretty sure there were those rare folk that liked to tell stories, and the ones who told them really well were probably beloved members of the community. These early storytellers knew how to utilize the literary elements of dramatic irony: giving the audience more information than the characters in the story. This is what creates suspense, and all the greatest storytellers in history---from Shakespeare to Dickens to Stephen King---have been masters of creating suspense.
Lee Child, in his 14th Jack Reacher novel, "61 Hours" cements himself in the pantheon of great suspense writers. The title alone immediately clues the reader that this is going to be a thrill ride. Sixty-one hours until what?
As always, Child starts the story with a bang. In this case, it's a bus crash on an ice-covered highway in South Dakota during one of the worst blizzards in that state's history. Luckily for the mostly elderly passengers on board, Jack Reacher is on board, having hitched a ride at the last stop. When the cops show up, Reacher has things relatively under control. Things don't seem right to Reacher, though. He notices the cops acting funny, asking weird questions of all the passengers. Gradually, he realizes that something else is going on in the small town of Bolton, something bad.
To give much more away would, of course, spoil all the fun of reading it yourself and finding out what the hell is going to happen in 61 hours. If Reacher is involved, one knows it's going to be huge.
Seriously, this is Child's most suspense-filled Reacher book yet, and you will probably have to force yourself to put the book down periodically, just to catch the occasional breath...
Lee Child, in his 14th Jack Reacher novel, "61 Hours" cements himself in the pantheon of great suspense writers. The title alone immediately clues the reader that this is going to be a thrill ride. Sixty-one hours until what?
As always, Child starts the story with a bang. In this case, it's a bus crash on an ice-covered highway in South Dakota during one of the worst blizzards in that state's history. Luckily for the mostly elderly passengers on board, Jack Reacher is on board, having hitched a ride at the last stop. When the cops show up, Reacher has things relatively under control. Things don't seem right to Reacher, though. He notices the cops acting funny, asking weird questions of all the passengers. Gradually, he realizes that something else is going on in the small town of Bolton, something bad.
To give much more away would, of course, spoil all the fun of reading it yourself and finding out what the hell is going to happen in 61 hours. If Reacher is involved, one knows it's going to be huge.
Seriously, this is Child's most suspense-filled Reacher book yet, and you will probably have to force yourself to put the book down periodically, just to catch the occasional breath...
December 23, 2021
Fara indoiala, cel mai emotionant roman din aceasta serie. Lee Child are meritul extraordinar de a-i conferi veridicitate eroului sau umanizandu-l. Astfel, in acest volum, avem ocazia sa vedem un Jack Reacher care pe langa faptul ca este dur, neinfricat si invincibil, are si sentimente ba chiar sufera.
Cunoastem asadar, ipostaze surprinzatoare pentru el, atunci cand pierde persoane dragi, cand este ranit si disperat. Cu toate acestea, asa cum il stim, protagonistul nu renunta niciodata la lupta, chiar daca trebuie sa-si infrunte dusmanii cu mainile goale in situatii imposibile.
Finalul este tensionat, cititorul va avea emotii pentru reusita lui Reacher, se va teme pentru el si va crede, la un moment dat ca eroul sau preferat a pierdut lupta. Insa, indiferent de rezultat, autorul ne linisteste ca urmeaza o noua carte, ca seria va avea o continuare. Intrebarea e: cu Reacher sau fara el?
P.s. Spoiler sau nu, va soptesc: e cu Reacher! :D
Cunoastem asadar, ipostaze surprinzatoare pentru el, atunci cand pierde persoane dragi, cand este ranit si disperat. Cu toate acestea, asa cum il stim, protagonistul nu renunta niciodata la lupta, chiar daca trebuie sa-si infrunte dusmanii cu mainile goale in situatii imposibile.
Finalul este tensionat, cititorul va avea emotii pentru reusita lui Reacher, se va teme pentru el si va crede, la un moment dat ca eroul sau preferat a pierdut lupta. Insa, indiferent de rezultat, autorul ne linisteste ca urmeaza o noua carte, ca seria va avea o continuare. Intrebarea e: cu Reacher sau fara el?
P.s. Spoiler sau nu, va soptesc: e cu Reacher! :D
June 30, 2014
Let's get this straight - this isn't deep. It's not literary. But when I wanted a light read at my in-laws over Christmas, this was just about perfect. It's not taxing, but neither is it the incredibly short chapters and no-mystery-at-all of a James Patterson book. In fact, Child pulled off the difficult trick of making me think that my first instinct about the bad guy was wrong, and then having it be true after all. That's a good move - the staple of J.K. Rowling, when it came to Snape.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
March 31, 2025
As far as I've read Reacher series, this one is perhaps the best one from Reacher series: the plot is interesting, the characters are very alive and had some depth. The dialogues between Reacher and Susan Turner are little masterpieces, like the ones between Jack and the old lady.
The circumstances are quite odd, the same goes with the convention between police and the federal prison, the story of the ancient army deposit is weird, the book looks some (many) pages too long, but when you like Mr. Lee's style, that does not bother you at all.
So, five pure stars until the final pages, where some people are too dumb and greedy (the thieves from Rapid City), Plato too confident, the Russian too smart, one and a half tons per hour too much for someone to carry in a straight place. But I value Mr. Lee more for HOW he writes than WHAT he does, so they remain five...
The circumstances are quite odd, the same goes with the convention between police and the federal prison, the story of the ancient army deposit is weird, the book looks some (many) pages too long, but when you like Mr. Lee's style, that does not bother you at all.
So, five pure stars until the final pages, where some people are too dumb and greedy (the thieves from Rapid City), Plato too confident, the Russian too smart, one and a half tons per hour too much for someone to carry in a straight place. But I value Mr. Lee more for HOW he writes than WHAT he does, so they remain five...
October 27, 2016
Another great Reacher story. That's really all you need to know. Sit back, hold on, and enjoy the ride.
May 29, 2021
The insurmountable & unstoppable Jack Reacher, the “x-military” officer & drifter has a new project in his life.
NYT Best Seller #1 - June 06, 2010
In Bolton, South Dakota, 5 minutes to 3:00 PM. “Exactly 61 hours before It happened”. A lawyer drove into a empty prison lot, with “fat lazy flakes” coming from a snowstorm 60 miles away. ( 61 hours - is the title of the book)
Jack Reacher (the famous drifter & ex-military policeman) is traveling on a “Bus” stranded on a icy hill after almost being hit by a car & helps the people in the Bus escape/survive. The busy Town, it’s large 60 cell Prison, needs more guards, a small police dept. asks for his help to solve a crime.
Reacher’s experience with “South Dakota’s weather in the winter was not famously hospitable” to survive. Winters cold with high temperatures averaging below freezing & low temperatures averaging below 10 °F (−12 °C) in most of the state.
Reacher needs to find a link from the murdered Lawyer in the Prison Parking lot, to a Town Police murder, Bolton Politician scam to get Prison funds & finding a dead biker?
He needs to find the relation between Bolton resident and/or Criminal leader, storing a ”meth” drug (Methylated amphetamine).
Why is Janet Salter, the major witness & can Reacher protect her? Where is this South American “Godfather” drug character living in Mexico?
A movie with Tom Cruise, starring as Reacher was reviewed again
The hour “chapter” countdown used in the book is nice, e.g. Chapter 60 hours to go, Chapter 59 hours to go, 58, 57, etc. until 2 hours to go & the end of the book. And nice with few characters to track.
Like other Reacher books - he travels with nothing, “always buys new”.
NYT Best Seller #1 - June 06, 2010
Jack Reacher Poster
In Bolton, South Dakota, 5 minutes to 3:00 PM. “Exactly 61 hours before It happened”. A lawyer drove into a empty prison lot, with “fat lazy flakes” coming from a snowstorm 60 miles away. ( 61 hours - is the title of the book)
Jack Reacher (the famous drifter & ex-military policeman) is traveling on a “Bus” stranded on a icy hill after almost being hit by a car & helps the people in the Bus escape/survive. The busy Town, it’s large 60 cell Prison, needs more guards, a small police dept. asks for his help to solve a crime.
Reacher’s experience with “South Dakota’s weather in the winter was not famously hospitable” to survive. Winters cold with high temperatures averaging below freezing & low temperatures averaging below 10 °F (−12 °C) in most of the state.
Reacher needs to find a link from the murdered Lawyer in the Prison Parking lot, to a Town Police murder, Bolton Politician scam to get Prison funds & finding a dead biker?
He needs to find the relation between Bolton resident and/or Criminal leader, storing a ”meth” drug (Methylated amphetamine).
Why is Janet Salter, the major witness & can Reacher protect her? Where is this South American “Godfather” drug character living in Mexico?
A movie with Tom Cruise, starring as Reacher was reviewed again
The hour “chapter” countdown used in the book is nice, e.g. Chapter 60 hours to go, Chapter 59 hours to go, 58, 57, etc. until 2 hours to go & the end of the book. And nice with few characters to track.
Like other Reacher books - he travels with nothing, “always buys new”.
January 15, 2012
Not enough action. Reacher did some unsmart things. Incomplete ending. But, because I like hanging out with Reacher it was ok.
STORY BRIEF:
Reacher is on a bus. Due to winter weather he is stranded in Bolton, S. Dakota. Local police are guarding an elderly woman who witnessed a drug deal. Reacher decides to help protect her.
A biker gang has been living near Bolton in an abandoned army compound. The police believe they have been selling drugs (meth). The biker gang works for Plato, a Mexican drug lord who does very bad things to people.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
Not the best Reacher story. There were a few stupid decisions that bothered me. For example, police personnel asked Reacher to do some things for them. Each time this took Reacher away from protecting the witness which Reacher should have planned for. That was out of character for him.
Other Reacher books had more thriller and suspense. This was mostly noodling through the mystery. There was almost no action until the very end of the book. And that was not enough. I’d like to tell you the number of bad guys that Reacher took out in this book, but I won’t, to avoid spoilers. I’ll just say that his count was extremely low compared to other books, which made it less fun.
I was very disappointed that the author DID NOT FINISH THE STORY! I believe the author ran out of time or hit a writer’s block. The reader doesn’t know if Reacher is dead or alive or how he survived if alive. (Hint: We know he lives because there are sequels.) The sequel “Worth Dying For” begins a couple days after “61 Hours.” WDF has a brief comment about how Reacher survived at the end of 61H. But it wasn’t enough for me.
I loved the short back story about the military doing psychological research on little kids. They filmed kids’ reactions while watching a movie with a monster. When the monster appeared on the screen all the kids leaned back in their seats with fear on their faces - except for 6-year-old Reacher. He was the only kid who reacted with aggression instead of fear. He had drawn his switchblade open in less than a second and was leaning forward in his seat to attack the monster. Another LOL for me.
NARRATOR:
The narrator Dick Hill was very good.
DATA:
Unabridged audiobook reading time: 13 hrs and 11 mins. Swearing language: I don’t recall any. Sexual content: none. Setting: current day mostly S. Dakota with a little Mexico. Book copyright: 2010. Genre: mystery suspense thriller. Ending: mostly good but unfinished.
THE SERIES:
Following is a list of the Jack Reacher books in order with my ratings. All the books could be read as stand-alones, but I suggest reading them in order, maybe saving the lower rated ones for last.
4 ½ stars. Killing Floor (#1)
4 stars. Die Trying (#2)
4 stars. Tripwire (#3)
2 ½ stars. Running Blind (#4)
4 stars. Echo Burning (#5)
3 ½ stars. Without Fail (#6)
4 stars. Persuader (#7)
3 stars. The Enemy (#8)
4 ½ stars. One Shot (#9)
3 stars. The Hard Way (#10)
3 ½ stars. Bad Luck and Trouble (#11)
2 stars. Nothing To Lose (#12) too many low ratings
4 stars. Gone Tomorrow (#13)
3 stars. 61 Hours (#14)
4 ½ stars. Worth Dying For (#15)
STORY BRIEF:
Reacher is on a bus. Due to winter weather he is stranded in Bolton, S. Dakota. Local police are guarding an elderly woman who witnessed a drug deal. Reacher decides to help protect her.
A biker gang has been living near Bolton in an abandoned army compound. The police believe they have been selling drugs (meth). The biker gang works for Plato, a Mexican drug lord who does very bad things to people.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
Not the best Reacher story. There were a few stupid decisions that bothered me. For example, police personnel asked Reacher to do some things for them. Each time this took Reacher away from protecting the witness which Reacher should have planned for. That was out of character for him.
Other Reacher books had more thriller and suspense. This was mostly noodling through the mystery. There was almost no action until the very end of the book. And that was not enough. I’d like to tell you the number of bad guys that Reacher took out in this book, but I won’t, to avoid spoilers. I’ll just say that his count was extremely low compared to other books, which made it less fun.
I was very disappointed that the author DID NOT FINISH THE STORY! I believe the author ran out of time or hit a writer’s block. The reader doesn’t know if Reacher is dead or alive or how he survived if alive. (Hint: We know he lives because there are sequels.) The sequel “Worth Dying For” begins a couple days after “61 Hours.” WDF has a brief comment about how Reacher survived at the end of 61H. But it wasn’t enough for me.
I loved the short back story about the military doing psychological research on little kids. They filmed kids’ reactions while watching a movie with a monster. When the monster appeared on the screen all the kids leaned back in their seats with fear on their faces - except for 6-year-old Reacher. He was the only kid who reacted with aggression instead of fear. He had drawn his switchblade open in less than a second and was leaning forward in his seat to attack the monster. Another LOL for me.
NARRATOR:
The narrator Dick Hill was very good.
DATA:
Unabridged audiobook reading time: 13 hrs and 11 mins. Swearing language: I don’t recall any. Sexual content: none. Setting: current day mostly S. Dakota with a little Mexico. Book copyright: 2010. Genre: mystery suspense thriller. Ending: mostly good but unfinished.
THE SERIES:
Following is a list of the Jack Reacher books in order with my ratings. All the books could be read as stand-alones, but I suggest reading them in order, maybe saving the lower rated ones for last.
4 ½ stars. Killing Floor (#1)
4 stars. Die Trying (#2)
4 stars. Tripwire (#3)
2 ½ stars. Running Blind (#4)
4 stars. Echo Burning (#5)
3 ½ stars. Without Fail (#6)
4 stars. Persuader (#7)
3 stars. The Enemy (#8)
4 ½ stars. One Shot (#9)
3 stars. The Hard Way (#10)
3 ½ stars. Bad Luck and Trouble (#11)
2 stars. Nothing To Lose (#12) too many low ratings
4 stars. Gone Tomorrow (#13)
3 stars. 61 Hours (#14)
4 ½ stars. Worth Dying For (#15)
May 27, 2014
Knock The Chill Off With This Thriller
First off, let me say that if I had any notion of a vacation in winter, I’m not going to South Dakota. Lee Child’s thriller, 61 Hours, finds Jack Reacher the victim of a bus accident in sub- zero weather along a lonely stretch of highway with a busload of senior citizens. Being the Good Samaritan that he is, he assists the bus driver as much as he can as well as the other passengers. Takes a bit, but they finally get the help they need, which leads them to the town of Bolton, SD.
As is his custom, or better said Mr. Child’s custom, this unexpected detour lands Reacher in the midst of a brewing storm, literally on two counts: One, an even nastier weather system is on the way to make its acquaintance with the locals, not too much skin off their noses as they’re used to it for the most part. Moreover, number two, a stealthy plot beneath the frozen city’s surfaces churns in town and the much warmer south of the border locale of Mexico. Trouble’s coming and someone wants a few people dead that are impediments to rather lucrative and quite interesting loot. That loot borders on the legal/illegal gray area and blurred line. Read this story and you’ll understand that statement.
Without divulging too much for those who haven’t yet indulged in this Child thriller, Reacher’s chief concern is someone hard pressed to defend herself against some sly opposition who only want her dead and out of their way. I think what amazed me the most with this book was how Lee Child painted such a picture of the landscape that felt as if you’re actually in that environment. How he sustained that with his prose gifts and hooked me in with the suspense that built with the unstoppable countdown, hence the title, 61 Hours, is to read a true master at his craft. Writers remember to include weather in your stories. This is a lesson in how the surroundings can be a character. So anyway, when the clock inevitably strikes twelve if you will, a whole lot of stuff hits the fan, the ceiling, the roof and everything else in sight.
The characters are well drawn especially the local towns people. Considering the ‘story’s’ construct, perhaps Reacher’s opposition wasn’t as strong as in other adventures. But Child creates a rather ingenious character that fits the ‘landscape’ construct that makes for a compelling mano-a-mano battle. In addition, a very interesting but personal Reacher subplot further plumbs the depth of his character for his many fans to contemplate. It left me wondering is it possible for Jack Reacher to, let’s just say, stay in one place for a bit or aka, settle down like most of humanity. Well, here’s hoping against that one. Hey, no offense to the flirty professional person in question. However, we fans of Jack Reacher accept him as a direct, spare, brilliant deductive reasoning, take no prisoners, human Terminator. Look more than forward to losing myself in the next Reacher adventure.
First off, let me say that if I had any notion of a vacation in winter, I’m not going to South Dakota. Lee Child’s thriller, 61 Hours, finds Jack Reacher the victim of a bus accident in sub- zero weather along a lonely stretch of highway with a busload of senior citizens. Being the Good Samaritan that he is, he assists the bus driver as much as he can as well as the other passengers. Takes a bit, but they finally get the help they need, which leads them to the town of Bolton, SD.
As is his custom, or better said Mr. Child’s custom, this unexpected detour lands Reacher in the midst of a brewing storm, literally on two counts: One, an even nastier weather system is on the way to make its acquaintance with the locals, not too much skin off their noses as they’re used to it for the most part. Moreover, number two, a stealthy plot beneath the frozen city’s surfaces churns in town and the much warmer south of the border locale of Mexico. Trouble’s coming and someone wants a few people dead that are impediments to rather lucrative and quite interesting loot. That loot borders on the legal/illegal gray area and blurred line. Read this story and you’ll understand that statement.
Without divulging too much for those who haven’t yet indulged in this Child thriller, Reacher’s chief concern is someone hard pressed to defend herself against some sly opposition who only want her dead and out of their way. I think what amazed me the most with this book was how Lee Child painted such a picture of the landscape that felt as if you’re actually in that environment. How he sustained that with his prose gifts and hooked me in with the suspense that built with the unstoppable countdown, hence the title, 61 Hours, is to read a true master at his craft. Writers remember to include weather in your stories. This is a lesson in how the surroundings can be a character. So anyway, when the clock inevitably strikes twelve if you will, a whole lot of stuff hits the fan, the ceiling, the roof and everything else in sight.
The characters are well drawn especially the local towns people. Considering the ‘story’s’ construct, perhaps Reacher’s opposition wasn’t as strong as in other adventures. But Child creates a rather ingenious character that fits the ‘landscape’ construct that makes for a compelling mano-a-mano battle. In addition, a very interesting but personal Reacher subplot further plumbs the depth of his character for his many fans to contemplate. It left me wondering is it possible for Jack Reacher to, let’s just say, stay in one place for a bit or aka, settle down like most of humanity. Well, here’s hoping against that one. Hey, no offense to the flirty professional person in question. However, we fans of Jack Reacher accept him as a direct, spare, brilliant deductive reasoning, take no prisoners, human Terminator. Look more than forward to losing myself in the next Reacher adventure.
June 15, 2022
Not sure how my review disappeared? In this story Reacher uncovers a gang of methamphetamine dealers operating out of a mysterious abandoned U.S. military facility. The villain is called Plato who is trying to sell his business. This is one of Child’s better stories with all the bad guys. Set in winter it feels cold reading it and the ending is spectacular if somewhat unbelievable and far fetched.
May 17, 2010
Love the Reacher man, although this one may have given me chilblains. Do not start this book unless you have a warm blanket to hand. Brrr!
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