Get Back Jack

Hunt for Reacher #2

by Diane Capri

#1 Amazon and USA Today Bestselling Author DIANE CAPRI Does It Again! NEW Hunt for Jack Reacher Novel!

FBI Special Agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar’s off-the-books assignment leads them to the surviving members of Jack Reacher’s elite military unit. Five years ago, Reacher sorted and destroyed a team of arms dealers before he moved on. But he made mistakes. Now, his bad luck and trouble legacy plunges Otto and Gaspar into the minefield of a grudge war between Reacher’s fearless old friends and chilling new enemies.
When his enemies take women and children hostage for ransom, Kim’s relentless pursuit leads her deeper into the deadly war Reacher failed to finish. Mercenaries and Kim’s unwavering heart push her through -- until she meets the wrong woman with nothing to lose.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Action, Crime, Mystery Thriller

358 pages, Paperback

Published September 15, 2013

About the author

Bestselling author Diane Capri is a recovering lawyer. She’s a snowbird who divides her time between Florida and Michigan. An active member of Mystery Writers of America, Author’s Guild, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime, she loves to hear from readers and is hard at work on her next novel.

Connect with her online:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/@DianeCapri
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Diane-...

Here’s the Long version, if you’re looking for more info:

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author Diane Capri’s work is what the #1 worldwide publishing phenomenon Lee Child calls “Full of thrills and tension, but smart and human, too.” Margaret Maron, Edgar, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity Award-winning MWA Past President, says: “Expertise shines on every page.” And Library Journal raves: “….offers tense legal drama with courtroom overtones, twisty plots, and loads of atmosphere. Recommended.”

Diane’s new Jess Kimball series kicked off with Fatal Distraction, opening as the #3 Bestselling Legal Thriller, behind John Grisham. Diane’s new Hunt for Jack Reacher series began with Don’t Know Jack, which garnered #1 Bestseller spots on Mystery, Hard-boiled Mystery, Police Procedural, Women Sleuths, and Legal Thriller lists both in the U.S. and U.K. Don’t Know Jack was followed by two bestselling short stories in the Hunt for Jack Reacher series, Jack in a Box and Jack and Kill. Diane’s Judge Wilhelmina Carson mysteries were praised by Romantic Times and garnered the coveted “Top Pick.” Diane’s savvy, spunky character, attorney Jennifer Lane, stars in her own romantic suspense series, which kicks off with Annabelle’s Attack.

Diane is the past Executive Vice President of International Thriller Writers, past member of the Board of the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, and active in Sisters in Crime and other writing organizations. She comes to writing after a successful legal career and is married to her college sweetheart. She loves her nomadic snowbird existence preferring perpetual summer migrating from Florida to Michigan each year.

Diane says she writes mystery and suspense for the same reason she reads: to find out what happens, why people do what they do, and how to bring justice to an unjust world.Her books are translated in twenty territories. Diane loves to hear from readers. Contact her at: DianeCapri.com/Contact to receive notice of new releases, subscribe to Diane’s blog, or simply connect with her.

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Every single thing I am about to say about this book in the Hunt for Jack Reacher series can be written about every single book in the Hunt for Jack Reacher series. Because they are barely books. And they are identical in almost every conceivable way.

The plot is non-existent, pacing is ridiculously poor (stop talking about Otto’s fear of flying, stop talking about overwrought and useless exposition about nothing that actually advances the story or even seems remotely pertinent), and the author is drastically out of touch with reality or even a good sense of plausible suspension of disbelief. Often times the author gets stuck and so creates a monologue via drone: describing events that are not possible to be chained together because this author is a technophobe who doesn’t understand technology let alone surveillance capabilities. Characters are cardboard caricatures who are so flat as to be offensive to one-dimensional beings.

Do we really need to hear about “FBI Special Agent Kim Otto,” written in that formal sense, over and over again? No. The banter between Otto and Gaspar is ridiculously inept. NO ONE talks like that. Even the characters would get tired of it if not forced into this tripe by the author. Plot holes and drastic leaps of blind and stupid faith are required. Oh, minor pet peeve: there is no determination between chapters other than “well, looks like 2.5-5 pages! Time for a new chapter!” They literally happen mid-conversation. Why? No conceivably logical or useful reason.

And please stop saying “Otto looked at her Seiko.” Why name-drop that watch? Continually? And why is every upscale neighborhood (or even appearance in later books) ALWAYS referred to as “tony”? Dear author, expand your vocabulary and stop falling back on cheap gimmicks.

I enjoy the Jack Reacher series. I wonder what Lee Child was thinking when he agreed to this. This series, however, is a blight on the opus that is Jack Reacher. The only reason I keep reading it is because I want to see how it slides into the REAL Jack Reacher books, which is—I suspect—why other people also read this crap, painfully inflating sales and ratings beyond what this author should naturally receive.

So I’ll end with a couple of questions:
* Who the hell edited these books? They should be fired. And banned from the industry. Twice.
* What kind of blackmail material does this author have on Lee Child? This cannot stand.
* I seriously question the publishing house that put this out. Unless they were simply cashing in on the Jack Reacher universe, which would make sense if they were. But this is like comparing one of the top films of all time to the lowest-rent public television broadcast done by two drunk friends who secretly hate each other but only do the public television to outdo the other one. And they’re both illiterate.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the fourth of Diane Capri’s Jack books that I have read. And to date this one is by far my favorite! This one is more of a short story, or even chapter in the large Hunt for Reacher story. This one is almost four times the length of the two previous short stories in the series. It is something you can really sink your teeth into. I was hooked after reading the first story in this series and know I will be reading them all. I am trying to pace myself at about a book a week. I have already picked up the eBooks for all that are currently available. And plan on reviewing one a week until I have reviewed them all. In the six months before reading this series I read 29 Jack Reacher Novels and short stories by Lee Child. And somehow, I stumbled upon these books while preparing one of my reviews and recalled my dad having mentioned them. So, I decided to give one a try. And I am very thankful that I did. I typically read a couple hundred books a year, and the last few years have been over 300 a year. And at the pace I am going I will finish off this series un under a year from my first Reacher read. These stories are great reads for Reacher fans. But they are written well enough that they could be read on their own. But they really ought to be read in order, something I must admit that is something that I often do not do, but in this case am sticking to the order. Lee Child himself has even plugged these books in the Reacher Report. And they deserve the applause.

In this part of the saga of FBI special agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar now trying to track down Jack Reacher via his old team the 100th. But most of them members are either dead or now missing. The one they do connect with is Frances Neagley and she does not prove very cooperative. This story really amps up the action and the drama. And in some ways it reads like a Reacher novel with out Reacher being in it. The elements involved are:

Missing women
Child hostages
A young man murdered
A shootout
Travelling back and forth to Mexico and taking on a gang

Otto, Gaspar, and Neagley end up cleaning up the remnant from a mess that was left behind 5 years ago. This is a great story that was very hard to put down.

Another great story in an excellent series, may favorite so far.

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Diane Capri.

[Marty Fried · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good, but IMO not great, entry into the series. I do like that they are fairly uncomplicated reads, with interesting characters and story. One problem is that I'm pretty sure they will never find Jack Reacher, so it takes away a little of the suspense. He's sort of like The Fugitive's "man with one arm" from the 60s TV series.

But it's still an enjoyable series as is. And Lee Child (author of Jack Reacher series) says "Full of thrills and tension, but smart and human, too. Kim Otto is a great, great character – I love her."

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

High body count but has some interesting posits and juxtapositions with characters from Reacher's Army special unit. Not on the same writing level of Lee Child and rather scattered in context to this strangely plotted searching sub hostage situation. Frankly too, it can get rather cheesy with the cutie ethnic nicknames and Seiko branding. Both at times reminded me of a style earlier than 2005.

But it kept me reading. And I do like Otto and Gaspar. She in particular seem too feelie and phobic for the job. Some of the law and police interchange didn't add up as close to real. Especially within Chicago and with some FBI dealings this was true.

But they are candy reads to me. Despite the sap (a weapon, not the liquid from trees). And I will read the next short episode. It seems like Gaspar's wife has been close to her delivery day for a year. I bet it will be on Thanksgiving Day.

[D.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A satisfying and thrilling read in it's own right, yet very Reacher-esque for Reacher fans seeking more in the same vein.

Get Back Jack picks up where Lee Child's Bad Luck and Trouble storyline left off. Apparently a couple of loose ends from that tome intersect with a seemingly routine assignment for two FBI agents. Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar are the two FBI agents assigned to complete a routine, yet clandestine, background check on Reacher. As with anything remotely related to Reacher, nothing is ever easy or routine. From this premise, Diane Capri weaves a wonderfully sinewy story where the plot thickens and the tension builds progressively to an increasingly riveting crescendo before coming to a satisfying conclusion. The twist and turns in the storyline and the tightly written prose kept me turning the pages, even stealing moments during the day, to see what happens next up until the very last page. Truly the mark of a well written, well crafted and satisfying thriller.

I enjoyed the banter and rapport between Otto and Gaspar that was reminiscent of comedic interplay between Lucy and Ricky Ricardo of I Love Lucy fame. And I loved reading the sparring play out between Otto and Neagley, a personal favorite character from the Reacher series.

Definitely a must read!

Note: I received an Advance Reader's copy of the book.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Capri returns to offer another volume in the ongoing search for Jack Reacher. Agents Otto and Gaspar continue to build a background on Reacher while they try to bring him to justice, always a step behind where he's been or actions he's undertaken. In this instance, the agents seek to extract information through conversations with Reacher's former military police unit, all of whom fostered a close relationship with him while serving their country. While Otto and Gaspar try to piece together what they can about the elusive Reacher, the dead ends continue while the bodies pile up. Someone is trying to silence the group before either agent can learn anything. Working, loosely, with one of the unit's members, Frances Neagley, Otto and Gaspar must decipher if Reacher is behind this, in an attempt to scrub out any information transmission. When ransom demands begin for a $65 million exchange of some of the unit's members and their families, the group follows what little clues they have to Mexico, sure that Reacher plays no role in this, but clear that two of the unit have gone rogue, with no clear rationale. Capri entertains the reader while working in conjunction with Lee Child's favourite character, to bring the most exciting story to light. The reader, especially one well-versed with Jack Reacher, will surely enjoy this tale.

Having not read any of the Reacher books yet (gasp), I cannot speak to the mysterious character who is at the centre of Capri's series. Be that as it may, the intensity of the stories have led me to slate a period to dive in to surround myself in the life of Reacher. I am sure that, thereafter, I will have a better understanding of the search for Reacher and the constant need to locate this highly volatile character. While nothing stunning, Capri's novel does advance the search for Jack Reacher and provides the reader with an interesting plot line in the further adventures of all involved.

Kudos Madam Capri for bringing readers a little close to Reacher as he continues to elude those who seek him the most.

[SteVen Hendricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review- At first, I thought I wasn't going to really like this series but now I’m contemplating reading several more of The Hunt for Jack Reacher novels by Tampa Bay area neighbor Diane Capri. Get Back Jack took a bit to get used to at first but I ended up liking this book. FBI Special Agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar were good characters to me. Their “off-the-books” assignment in search of Jack Reacher lead them to the surviving members of Reacher’s elite military unit. Five years beforehand, Reacher sought and destroyed a team of arms dealers before he moved on but he made some mistakes in the mess that he left behind and now his bad luck and troubled legacy lead Otto and Gaspar into a grudge war between Reacher’s fearless old military friends and chilling new enemies. Kim Otto’s relentless pursuit of Reacher leads her into a deeper and more deadly war Reacher failed to finish with the bad guys he had previously ran into. Capri does an excellent job with Otto’s character which helped carried the storyline and plot in this book. It was intriguing, mysterious and well put together. With all that was going on, Capri kept the story understanding and readable. And although Reacher really isn’t the main character in these novels, Otto is and I kinda like her. Quick weekend beach read that I enjoyed. I’ll check out a few others in the series when time permits.

[Greg Kemble · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is more want I wanted and expected from the series, but Diane Capri is no Lee Child. To be fair, Lee Child is one of a kind, but I struggled with Capri's depictions of his characters. Worse, Capri's FBI agents live inside a world of jumped-to conclusions that just make me cringe, and their "boss" is borderline magical--a mix of omniscience and inscrutability. A mere convenience for the writer, in my view.

It probably doesn't help that the audiobook reader's voice is flat and emotionless (others have called her "robotic," and I have to agree).

Anyway, parts of this were good enough that I'll probably read at least one more, especially since it looks like someone else reads it. It's also shorter...

[Tulay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointed.

Did read and enjoyed the other books in this series, but very disappointed with this one. I'm Otto consistently complains about needing coffee, sleep and checking time on her Seiko watch. Does she gets money advertising the brand? What was the purpose of this book? Ending even didn't make sense.

[Larry Hellyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This "Reacher" book is as good as nearly all of Lee Child's books. It is absolutely required reading for anyone who lovesthe Reacher books. It is great!!!

[Sue Beatson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable series

Getting to see the stories of Jack Reacher from a different perspective is interesting to say the least, Diane Capri knows her subject and ties her Hunting series in nicely with the original Lee Child books.
Well paced stories, interesting leading characters in Otto and Gaspar, whose background stories also build on every book keeping the reader entertained and on the hook.
Highly recommend

[Mervin Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a Jack Reacher fan, you'll love this book and series by Diane Capri. Even if "you don't know Jack," but are a a fan of Capri's other novels, you will probably love this series as well. Capri is a master at creating intricate, mysterious plot lines woven together seamlessly with Jack's previous misadventures! Her characters, two government agents tasked with an "off the books assignment," are human, flawed, but very likable, and slightly mysterious themselves. Each new assignment reveals a little more of Gaspar and Kim's backstories. I was already a Capri fan when I became hooked by her first book about Reacher. Now I'm addicted! If you like quick, taut, action thrillers, you can't go wrong with this one! I think it's her best Reacher book yet!


[Gus Philpott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid thriller. Good continuity throughout.

[Russty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this series has run its course... NO MORE!!!

The fourth book / story I've read and Reacher hasn't been positively seen by those who would be looking for him. They "sensed" him, maybe, and was caught on film by a drone.... and, and, and...(but it seemed to start with so much promise!!!)

Think I'll just stick with the genuine article

[Kamlesh Gandhi · Rating 1 out of 5]

One word TERRIBLE

[Tom · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just couldn't get into this author.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non-stop action thriller!

If you're a Jack Reacher fan, you'll love this book and series by Diane Capri. Even if "you don't know Jack," but are a a fan of Capri's other novels, you will probably love this series as well. Capri is a master at creating intricate, mysterious plotlines woven together seamlessly with Jack's previous misadventures! Her characters, two government agents tasked with an "off the books assignment," are human, flawed, but very likable, and slightly mysterious themselves. Each new assignment reveals a little more of Gaspar and Kim's backstories. I was already a Capri fan when I became hooked by her first book about Reacher. Now I'm addicted! If you like quick, taut, action thrillers, you can't go wrong with this one! I think it's her best Reacher book yet!

[Roger]

Get Back Jack (Hunt For Jack Reacher #2), my sixteenth read from author Diane Capri. Owning 50 of her books I'm somewhat surprised that FBI agents Otto and Gaspar have formed an opinion of Jack Reacher that is at odds with that of most of Lee Child's longtime readers. Otto and Gaspar are having their opinions continually changed as they discover the true character of Lee Child's best-known character. Kelley Hazen's bland narration adds little to nothing to Capri's writing. I'm an audiobook fan and this one wouldn't lead me to buy more audiobooks, I'm actually sorry I spent the additional money on this narrator's work. I'm voluntarily reading & reviewing it because every great book needs reviews. I'll definitely be reading more from this author and in the Hunt for Reacher Series! (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Jill Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar, still looking for Reacher, get side-tracked by some murders that are taking place to the last team Reacher worked with in the Army. They work with Frances Neagley to find the few that are still alive, but missing — Karla Dixon and Jorge Sanchez. Manuel Orozco and Calvin Franz died years ago by being thrown out of a helicopter (from The Killing Floor) and Tony Swan died in an accident. Margaret Berenson and Edward Dean were a part of the past team and feel that they are owed the $65 million that they think the others collected. They kidnap Dixon and Franz’s family and hide them in Mexico and then Texas at a cartel’s compound. Capri will never be Lee Child, but she actually did better than I thought with the kick-ass scenes. 7 Stars (9.26 to 10.16.17)

[Iah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if I really dislike this series or not, I am strangely drawn to it but also incredibly frustrated by Otto & Gaspar who for FBI agents seem to lack both common sense & professionalism. With no indication that reacher is involved, they assume he is and judge him & others based on virtually no information at all.
We know he is a serial killer, we know the circumstances of his actions. All these 2 idiots have is a file that says he has no bills, home or police record, & a boss who is not being truthful.

Also given how important it is to know what brand watch Otto uses why do we not know about Gaspar's watch? Dose he have one? Why don't know what brand of socks Gaspar wares!
It's incredibly irritating & irrelevant to have to read Otto looked at her Seiko over and again.

[Darryle B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe this series would be much more captivating if it had appearances of Reacher in a kind of cat and mouth scenario. I liked the appearances of characters from Reacher's previous books, but I highly recommend reading those books first before reading this series if you do at all.

While the concept and the series has a lot of potential, I don't believe this series is strong enough for me to to continue on to the next books. There were things that happened to some of the characters that I did not like especially since I grew fond of those characters. Maybe at some point when I an current with Reacher's most recent novels that I might pick this up again but for now, continuing on with this series has come to a close.

[Hugh Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kim Otto is no Jack Reacher so if you're looking for a Reacher story this isn't it.

But is she Frances Neagley? Perhaps. The two clash like titans before teaming up to rescue Dixon and others who might be the last survivors of Reacher's Army MP team.

Kim is tough as nails, to be sure, and thinks both strategically and tactically. She knows her limitations and when she can stretch them. Her partner, Gaspar, appreciates her even though he cannot stop tormenting her.

This is not a story about finding Reacher or solving the mystery of who or what Boss Cooper is but it is still FBI heroism at its best.

Four stars because it is just a little derivative.

[John Worthington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otto and Kim are back on the trail of Jack Reacher. This time the run into Neagley and some more of Jack Reacher's former team. I couldn't pinpoint exactly which Jack Reacher story(s) this book came from. I think the one story where he saved some of his team members who were being murdered and thrown out of helicopters and then when he saved the family in Mexico of one of his former team mates. The author asks an interesting question in this book, where was Jack when Neagley's son was killed.

[RavenT · Rating 3 out of 5]

The racist nicknames grate a lot at this point: Suzie Wong, chico, Cheech, and so on. It's not comradery or bonding, as the aauthor seems to think. The fact that they are both non-white doesn't make it all better, either. These two do not have an friendship. It's not out of character for the time this is set, but I still dislike reading that sort of interaction between the two main characters.

It distracts from the story telling, which I guess is average in this novel. I dont know how much further I will read this series. I nearly gave this book 2 stars, but rounded up to 3.

[Susannah Carleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. Good book (and this one, like the first one, is book length) with an interesting plot and a casual of characters that includes two former members of Reacher’s unit. Karla Dixon appears briefly, but Frances Neagley plays a significant role. Reacher does not appear, at least not where Otto and Gaspar can see him.

The story is loosely based on events in Lee Child’s Bad Luck and Trouble.

[Carianne Carleo-Evangelist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another quick read as Diane Capri has us in the footsteps of Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar in their quest for Jack Reacher. Thanks to Neagey, Reacher's old army mate and their unwilling partner in this book, we learn the identity of the man they're working for,who Otto always refers to as The Boss. A great read that covers both high end private eyes in NYC and Chicago and the Mexican drug cartel. Perfect light summer read that also piqued my curiosity to maybe give Lee Child another go.

[Bonnie Irwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite of this series so far, this novel is an extension of the story from Child's Bad Luck and Trouble in which some of Reacher's original team from the military are targeted. Apparently, Reacher was not as successful as it seems, because someone is back and stalking them. My favorite part is the way Frances Neagley, former colleague of Reacher, and Kim Otto, try to come to terms with each other, in an interesting alliance, as the case takes them to Chicago, DC. Mexico, and Texas.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a lot of books since I read Bad Luck and Trouble, the Lee Child book that this book pries itself into the plot of, and I should revisit that. I still don’t understand why Otto and Gaspar are tracking (not very successfully) Reacher, but their partnership is growing on me. There’s plenty of action (occasionally unconvincing) and the thoughtful inspection of Child’s Neagley character adds depth.


Not in the same class as Lee Child, but a welcome appendix.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Get Back Jack is the continuing story (from #1, #1.1 and #1.2) of the search for Jack Reacher by two FBI agents. I didn't believe the story line especially what the two FBI agents did in the novel. Also, I couldn't keep track sometime as to what was going on. Not a bad book; just not as good as I would like to spend my time on. The same overall storyline continues in Jack in he Green (#2.5). I will possibly read it as it is also a novella (same as #1.1 and #1.2).

[Lynette MB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than expected!

I've only previously read some of the author's Jack Reacher short stories, so didn't know what to expect from a full length novel. Despite the "Reacher is a criminal" perspective that is off-putting to a Reacher fan, the story is well-framed, engaging, and exciting. It also does a good job of contrasting agendas and perspectives and how they shape thoughts, decisions, and actions. An excellent read.