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Jack Reacher #4
Running Blind
Across the country women are being murdered by a killer who leaves no evidence, no wounds, no signs of struggle, and no clues to a motive. They are perfect crimes. In fact, only one thing links each they all knew Jack Reacher.
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
9511 people are currently reading
25315 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 5,287 reviews
July 3, 2012
I am afraid that this is a complete load of pants.
Lee child has been my guilty pleasure, but this book does not have reacher doing what he does best (killing people!) or the epic scale of the other books. And there are some serious flaws with the logic in the book.
Flaw One - Reacher is pulled in by the FBI because the results of a serial killer profiling exercise have resulted in the fact that it is Reacher. Despite going through his personal history, the FBI never once question him on his involvement with counterfeiting, armed militias, vietnam hoaxs and the rest.
Reacher convincing them he is not their man, but embarassingly for the story line, the FBI threaten his girlfriend if he doesnt help.
Reacher gets involved with the case as a special advisor - and its in more of a private detective mode investigating the case, rather than gung ho and smashing people up.
Then there is the story - several women who have filed complaints against the military for sexual harassment are found dead in a bath of paint. The FBI cannot determine how this is being completed
The answer is the second major flaw but is easily determined. They are being hypnotised into killing themseleves by the woman who is heading up the case.
And why is she doing this - because of an inheritance scam with her sister - one of the casualities. The other murders are simply to cover her tracks. Please dont insult the readers intelligence.
On a personal level - Reacher lets himself down my having a liaison with another invesigator before he closes things down with his previous dream woman, who he leaves cause he doesnt want to settle down.
By far and away, the weakest in the series to date.
I will perservere with the next one however.
Lee child has been my guilty pleasure, but this book does not have reacher doing what he does best (killing people!) or the epic scale of the other books. And there are some serious flaws with the logic in the book.
Flaw One - Reacher is pulled in by the FBI because the results of a serial killer profiling exercise have resulted in the fact that it is Reacher. Despite going through his personal history, the FBI never once question him on his involvement with counterfeiting, armed militias, vietnam hoaxs and the rest.
Reacher convincing them he is not their man, but embarassingly for the story line, the FBI threaten his girlfriend if he doesnt help.
Reacher gets involved with the case as a special advisor - and its in more of a private detective mode investigating the case, rather than gung ho and smashing people up.
Then there is the story - several women who have filed complaints against the military for sexual harassment are found dead in a bath of paint. The FBI cannot determine how this is being completed
The answer is the second major flaw but is easily determined. They are being hypnotised into killing themseleves by the woman who is heading up the case.
And why is she doing this - because of an inheritance scam with her sister - one of the casualities. The other murders are simply to cover her tracks. Please dont insult the readers intelligence.
On a personal level - Reacher lets himself down my having a liaison with another invesigator before he closes things down with his previous dream woman, who he leaves cause he doesnt want to settle down.
By far and away, the weakest in the series to date.
I will perservere with the next one however.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2016
“But you are kind of arrogant, you know?” she said. “Prosecutor, judge, jury, executioner, all in one? What about the rules?”
He smiled.
“Those are the rules,” he said. “People mess with me, they find that out pretty damn quick.”
FIVE SOLID STARS, YES!!!
Once again, Lee Child has delivered another winner with this smashing mystery/suspense/thriller story. Normally I’m a bit leery about picking up a book that is over 500 pages long. I would say most of the novels I’ve read are between 250 and 350 pages. However, I know I can count on this author, and Running Blind (or The Visitor) didn’t disappoint me one bit. I enjoyed every single page of it, and of course, there was never a dull moment. I was drawn into the story within the first few pages and it kept me wondering and guessing who the hell this killer was throughout the entire book!
I could feel the tension starting to ramp up when I reached the beginning of chapter 2, and it became more and more intense as I read further into the story. Every twist and turn made me even more curious about the killer’s motive. And by the end, I was surprised at the turn of events. I must admit, I never thought it would end this way, but well, it didn’t really matter because I was pleased anyway!
Even though there were only a few action scenes in this book, they were good and I enjoyed them all. The story mostly focused on an investigation which held my attention and kept me engrossed all the way through.
Due to plenty twists and turns in this book, it’s difficult for me to write a review without giving the story all away. So, I think I’d better stop right here and let you find out for yourself how brilliant it is.
By the way, this is a gripping crime thriller with an ingenious plot, appealing characters, and stunning twists. Fans of the genre shouldn’t miss out on this one.
On to the next book!
He smiled.
“Those are the rules,” he said. “People mess with me, they find that out pretty damn quick.”
FIVE SOLID STARS, YES!!!
Once again, Lee Child has delivered another winner with this smashing mystery/suspense/thriller story. Normally I’m a bit leery about picking up a book that is over 500 pages long. I would say most of the novels I’ve read are between 250 and 350 pages. However, I know I can count on this author, and Running Blind (or The Visitor) didn’t disappoint me one bit. I enjoyed every single page of it, and of course, there was never a dull moment. I was drawn into the story within the first few pages and it kept me wondering and guessing who the hell this killer was throughout the entire book!
I could feel the tension starting to ramp up when I reached the beginning of chapter 2, and it became more and more intense as I read further into the story. Every twist and turn made me even more curious about the killer’s motive. And by the end, I was surprised at the turn of events. I must admit, I never thought it would end this way, but well, it didn’t really matter because I was pleased anyway!
Even though there were only a few action scenes in this book, they were good and I enjoyed them all. The story mostly focused on an investigation which held my attention and kept me engrossed all the way through.
Due to plenty twists and turns in this book, it’s difficult for me to write a review without giving the story all away. So, I think I’d better stop right here and let you find out for yourself how brilliant it is.
By the way, this is a gripping crime thriller with an ingenious plot, appealing characters, and stunning twists. Fans of the genre shouldn’t miss out on this one.
On to the next book!
October 12, 2019
The fourth installment in the Jack Reacher series finds our hero in New York where he's just inherited a house from an old mentor who has recently died. Reacher has also fallen madly in love with the old mentor's daughter, Jodie, who he knew as a teenager and who has blossomed into a sexy, brilliant lawyer. Jack truly loves Jodie and Jodie truly loves Jack, but he's not at all sure about this homeownership business. (Seriously, can you imagine Jack Reacher mowing the lawn every Saturday?) Jack is a ramblin' man, and the house is a dead weight that is bringing him down, both physically and mentally.
Jack is desperately trying to figure out how to remain attached to Jodie while detaching himself from the house, when the FBI ensnares him in an investigation. A serial killer is moving around the country killing women in a particularly gruesome way. What the women have in common is that they all left the U.S. Army after making complaints about sexual harassment, and they all knew Jack Reacher.
The Fibbies claim that maybe Reacher is the killer. Or maybe it's somebody like Reacher. In any event, they insist that he cooperate with the investigation and help them capture the villain. Jack believes that the FBI investigation is headed entirely in the wrong direction, principally because it is relying too heavily on attempts to profile the killer. Reacher insists that they'll never catch the killer that way and so goes off in his own direction, as he is wont to do, leaving the FBI to basically eat his dust.
This is a very good entry in the series. The crimes are clever; the cast is a good one, and Reacher is genuinely distressed about the decisions he has to make in his life. As always, it's fun to watch him outsmart everyone else and also beat up a lot of people who badly need beating up. I enjoyed this books as much the second time around as I did the first.
Jack is desperately trying to figure out how to remain attached to Jodie while detaching himself from the house, when the FBI ensnares him in an investigation. A serial killer is moving around the country killing women in a particularly gruesome way. What the women have in common is that they all left the U.S. Army after making complaints about sexual harassment, and they all knew Jack Reacher.
The Fibbies claim that maybe Reacher is the killer. Or maybe it's somebody like Reacher. In any event, they insist that he cooperate with the investigation and help them capture the villain. Jack believes that the FBI investigation is headed entirely in the wrong direction, principally because it is relying too heavily on attempts to profile the killer. Reacher insists that they'll never catch the killer that way and so goes off in his own direction, as he is wont to do, leaving the FBI to basically eat his dust.
This is a very good entry in the series. The crimes are clever; the cast is a good one, and Reacher is genuinely distressed about the decisions he has to make in his life. As always, it's fun to watch him outsmart everyone else and also beat up a lot of people who badly need beating up. I enjoyed this books as much the second time around as I did the first.
May 27, 2013
I think this is the first book I've ever rated "one star." Normally, I don't finish books that I don't like, so I don't have a reason to assign a low rating. I did finish this one, unrealistically hoping it would get better. First of all, I normally love the Jack Reacher books for what they are: guilty pleasures and a fun way to spend an afternoon. This book just left me feeling guilty for wasting my time, with no pleasure to balance it.
I've read several other bad reviews and agree with them, but didn't see one that mentioned the biggest problem of the book, in my opinion: Hypnotism is not brain-washing! You cannot compel someone to do something under hypnosis that is inconsistent with his/her core values. These women were defined as mentally tough - and then they became robots through hypnosis? Absurd. And it is impossible to think that they all swallowed their tongues on command! The will to live, in a non-suicidal person, is paramount. Even if the person wanted to kill herself I don't think she could physcially do it that way. Drinking poisoned Kool-Aid is a far cry from voluntarily swallowing your tongue.
Other problems: Lamarr volunteered early on that she and her stepsister would inherit money when Lamarr's stepfather died. Then he dies and so does the stepsister. Reacher's first rule is to consider the obvious and follow the money. He fails miserably, as does the FBI.
Then there's Harper. The braless thing is stupid. I can imagine that being a young female FBI agent is tough enough without walking around braless with a tight white shirt on.
The problems with the book are too numerous to recount. I hated that I knew who the killer was so early in the book. And there was no true resolution. The bad guys (police & FBI) aren't held accountable and Reacher seems ok with it. He was jerked around by all of them and seems to take it in stride. Perhaps Reacher was "hypnotised," too?
I'm not giving up on the rest of the series, though. I hope the next one will live up to the standard set in the first three books.
I've read several other bad reviews and agree with them, but didn't see one that mentioned the biggest problem of the book, in my opinion: Hypnotism is not brain-washing! You cannot compel someone to do something under hypnosis that is inconsistent with his/her core values. These women were defined as mentally tough - and then they became robots through hypnosis? Absurd. And it is impossible to think that they all swallowed their tongues on command! The will to live, in a non-suicidal person, is paramount. Even if the person wanted to kill herself I don't think she could physcially do it that way. Drinking poisoned Kool-Aid is a far cry from voluntarily swallowing your tongue.
Other problems: Lamarr volunteered early on that she and her stepsister would inherit money when Lamarr's stepfather died. Then he dies and so does the stepsister. Reacher's first rule is to consider the obvious and follow the money. He fails miserably, as does the FBI.
Then there's Harper. The braless thing is stupid. I can imagine that being a young female FBI agent is tough enough without walking around braless with a tight white shirt on.
The problems with the book are too numerous to recount. I hated that I knew who the killer was so early in the book. And there was no true resolution. The bad guys (police & FBI) aren't held accountable and Reacher seems ok with it. He was jerked around by all of them and seems to take it in stride. Perhaps Reacher was "hypnotised," too?
I'm not giving up on the rest of the series, though. I hope the next one will live up to the standard set in the first three books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2022
Reacher is so cool!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Romance: 💙💚
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎🌏
Character development: 😳🤬😏🤓☺️
The Hero: Reacher - he is 6’5” and built like a brick outhouse. He is a former Military Policeman who was great at his job. Now he is retired from the military and has traveled the country on his own terms, stopping for periods of times in different towns. Now he is a homeowner, who has spent the summer fixing up his home and yard. He feels anchored now which he doesn’t like since he has lived like a hobo, traveling the country with the clothes on his back, a watch, a toothbrush and very little else.
The love interest: Jodi Garber - she is a New York corporate lawyer and the daughter of Leon Garber, Reacher’s old commanding officer who died recently leaving his half million dollar home to Reacher. She had feelings for Reacher since she was fifteen and they met on a base in the Philippines.
The Story: Reacher had feelings for Jodi when they first met, but dampened them down since she was the daughter of a man he respected and thought of like a father. When Leon Garber died, Reacher came to the funeral and was surprised to see Jodi and find her divorced and that she had feelings for him as well.
While helping out a local restauranteur who is being shaken down by a local gang, Reacher is picked up by the FBI and questioned about a series of murders across the company. The victims of the murders all happened to know Reacher.
I thought I would listen to this audiobook after binging Reacher season 1 on Amazon Prime. I loved it and wanted more so decided to try one of the audiobooks. Listening to this made me appreciate a lot about the script and the way Alan Ritchson played the character. I could see so many of the same characteristics in this Reacher as in the Amazon TV Show.
Reacher has the same confidence and is just as irreverent and arrogant in the books as in the show. I love the way that sometimes Reacher is so nice and selfless like he is for the local restauranteur and other times when people ask for his help he just flat out says No and when they ask why, he says because he doesn’t want to. It doesn’t benefit him at all, so why should he? Even when he helped the restauranteur he was indirectly helping himself because he enjoyed eating there and if it closed he wouldn’t be able to. Reacher yearns for his hobo lifestyle and feels that owning a house is like being strangled.
I also love how he gets back at people that try to use him or back him into a corner. I like this guy and picturing him as Alan Ritchson doesn’t hurt either. I didn’t really like the narrator, I thought he should have a deeper voice to match such a big guy. However, Jonathon Mcclain is a good reader with good cadence and tempo, so I still enjoyed the audiobook pretty well.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Romance: 💙💚
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎🌏
Character development: 😳🤬😏🤓☺️
The Hero: Reacher - he is 6’5” and built like a brick outhouse. He is a former Military Policeman who was great at his job. Now he is retired from the military and has traveled the country on his own terms, stopping for periods of times in different towns. Now he is a homeowner, who has spent the summer fixing up his home and yard. He feels anchored now which he doesn’t like since he has lived like a hobo, traveling the country with the clothes on his back, a watch, a toothbrush and very little else.
The love interest: Jodi Garber - she is a New York corporate lawyer and the daughter of Leon Garber, Reacher’s old commanding officer who died recently leaving his half million dollar home to Reacher. She had feelings for Reacher since she was fifteen and they met on a base in the Philippines.
The Story: Reacher had feelings for Jodi when they first met, but dampened them down since she was the daughter of a man he respected and thought of like a father. When Leon Garber died, Reacher came to the funeral and was surprised to see Jodi and find her divorced and that she had feelings for him as well.
While helping out a local restauranteur who is being shaken down by a local gang, Reacher is picked up by the FBI and questioned about a series of murders across the company. The victims of the murders all happened to know Reacher.
I thought I would listen to this audiobook after binging Reacher season 1 on Amazon Prime. I loved it and wanted more so decided to try one of the audiobooks. Listening to this made me appreciate a lot about the script and the way Alan Ritchson played the character. I could see so many of the same characteristics in this Reacher as in the Amazon TV Show.
Reacher has the same confidence and is just as irreverent and arrogant in the books as in the show. I love the way that sometimes Reacher is so nice and selfless like he is for the local restauranteur and other times when people ask for his help he just flat out says No and when they ask why, he says because he doesn’t want to. It doesn’t benefit him at all, so why should he? Even when he helped the restauranteur he was indirectly helping himself because he enjoyed eating there and if it closed he wouldn’t be able to. Reacher yearns for his hobo lifestyle and feels that owning a house is like being strangled.
I also love how he gets back at people that try to use him or back him into a corner. I like this guy and picturing him as Alan Ritchson doesn’t hurt either. I didn’t really like the narrator, I thought he should have a deeper voice to match such a big guy. However, Jonathon Mcclain is a good reader with good cadence and tempo, so I still enjoyed the audiobook pretty well.
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June 6, 2018
A batter steps into the box and looks out at the tall, hulking pitcher on top of the mound. He’s got the book on this guy, knows the formula. All heat, nothing but fastballs. Starts inside to back the hitter off the plate and then works the corners.
So he’s surprised when the first pitch is a loping change up, a slower pitch that comes across the outer edge of the plate for a strike. The next few pitches are all over the place – high, low, fast, slow, balls and another strike. The hitter is completely flustered, none of this has gone according to plan and he’s confused and disoriented and on a three two full count he is completely devastated when he’s struck out on a big 12-6 curve ball.
Lee Child’s fourth Jack Reacher is just that – a curve ball that has the reader tied up to the very end. The first three books held to a pretty simple formula centered around the implacable and stoic hero. This 2000 publication is more of a murder mystery than an action thriller and damned if Child doesn’t spend some time with character development and plot.
Sure there are some gaping holes and some inconsistencies and some preposterous twists but this is altogether a good book and a page turner. Fun, entertaining and the best one yet.
So he’s surprised when the first pitch is a loping change up, a slower pitch that comes across the outer edge of the plate for a strike. The next few pitches are all over the place – high, low, fast, slow, balls and another strike. The hitter is completely flustered, none of this has gone according to plan and he’s confused and disoriented and on a three two full count he is completely devastated when he’s struck out on a big 12-6 curve ball.
Lee Child’s fourth Jack Reacher is just that – a curve ball that has the reader tied up to the very end. The first three books held to a pretty simple formula centered around the implacable and stoic hero. This 2000 publication is more of a murder mystery than an action thriller and damned if Child doesn’t spend some time with character development and plot.
Sure there are some gaping holes and some inconsistencies and some preposterous twists but this is altogether a good book and a page turner. Fun, entertaining and the best one yet.
May 7, 2023
Just finished listening to it narrated by Dick Hill. It's thrilling and enjoyable like the other books in the series but isn't the most plausible one.
June 30, 2014
**SPOILERS BE HERE!**
Oh, where to begin? First, I'm now convinced Child is paid per word--nothing else excuses the descriptions: "He did this, and this other thing, and this other thing, and then this other thing. She felt one way, and another way, and another way that's actually the same thing as the first two ways, but phrased a little differently. He went into the bedroom, and he saw a bedspread, a lamp, a bedside table, a window, a cat, a rug." Come on.
But really, I have no problem generally with the Jack Reacher series. It's simple and pulpy, but usually good fun. And his vigilante-style justice and the fact that he always gets the girl are conventions I can usually go along with. But THIS book... Well, here's what I learned from it:
1. Never trust an unattractive woman.
2. A rambling man can't have a woman tying him down.
3. You should "play along" and help out a woman who claims sexual harassment, even if you know (and will then tell everyone else) that you think she was just being a big ho.
4. The only kind of relationship you can have with someone who has been sexually assaulted is a paternalistic sort, because they're damaged forever and will never want anything more than friendship and protection ever ever ever.
5. When you meet a pretty girl, she's required to give you her vital stats, because what else would you want to know about her? Age, height, relationship status, whether or not she wants to join you for dinner.
6. When said pretty girl tells you that she feels like she's continually harassed and objectified, go ahead and objectify her as well, because hey, you're Jack Reacher.
7. No one can resist Jack Reacher.
So.... yeah. Quality read.
Oh, where to begin? First, I'm now convinced Child is paid per word--nothing else excuses the descriptions: "He did this, and this other thing, and this other thing, and then this other thing. She felt one way, and another way, and another way that's actually the same thing as the first two ways, but phrased a little differently. He went into the bedroom, and he saw a bedspread, a lamp, a bedside table, a window, a cat, a rug." Come on.
But really, I have no problem generally with the Jack Reacher series. It's simple and pulpy, but usually good fun. And his vigilante-style justice and the fact that he always gets the girl are conventions I can usually go along with. But THIS book... Well, here's what I learned from it:
1. Never trust an unattractive woman.
2. A rambling man can't have a woman tying him down.
3. You should "play along" and help out a woman who claims sexual harassment, even if you know (and will then tell everyone else) that you think she was just being a big ho.
4. The only kind of relationship you can have with someone who has been sexually assaulted is a paternalistic sort, because they're damaged forever and will never want anything more than friendship and protection ever ever ever.
5. When you meet a pretty girl, she's required to give you her vital stats, because what else would you want to know about her? Age, height, relationship status, whether or not she wants to join you for dinner.
6. When said pretty girl tells you that she feels like she's continually harassed and objectified, go ahead and objectify her as well, because hey, you're Jack Reacher.
7. No one can resist Jack Reacher.
So.... yeah. Quality read.
November 30, 2023
Decided to have a quick re-read of a Jack Reacher early work #4 after re-reading the first ‘Killing Floor’ recently. Interesting to note how the series has evolved over the years and the joint works with his brother.
This one centres on a number of women being murdered. Ending up in bath tubs of green US Army camouflage paint. Clever plot line and end twist. Reacher at his ascerbic witted best but little joint busting action.
Have the new Reacher on order but it will be the new John Connolly that arrives first👌
This one centres on a number of women being murdered. Ending up in bath tubs of green US Army camouflage paint. Clever plot line and end twist. Reacher at his ascerbic witted best but little joint busting action.
Have the new Reacher on order but it will be the new John Connolly that arrives first👌
October 15, 2020
Popsugar Challenge 2020 - A book in a series of more than twenty books
Ugh, I really dont like it when Jack Reacher has more than a one night stand with a woman but im not going to down star it because he did kind of cheat on her so that kind of makes up for it (smiles).
As usual Jack speaks to my soul, his avoidance of commitment, his desire to never own anything or be bogged down with stuff. My favourite nomad.
As all the books in this series so far I really love how these are crafted, the twists, the visuals, the OMG did I just read that (im definitely leaving this book with weird thoughts about my mouth) and the OMG how did i miss that elements!
Can be read as a standalone and the series can be read out of order (which ive done) and it doesn't make any difference particularly.
Five stars as always. Thank you Lee Child for the glorious gift that is Reacher.
Ugh, I really dont like it when Jack Reacher has more than a one night stand with a woman but im not going to down star it because he did kind of cheat on her so that kind of makes up for it (smiles).
As usual Jack speaks to my soul, his avoidance of commitment, his desire to never own anything or be bogged down with stuff. My favourite nomad.
As all the books in this series so far I really love how these are crafted, the twists, the visuals, the OMG did I just read that (im definitely leaving this book with weird thoughts about my mouth) and the OMG how did i miss that elements!
Can be read as a standalone and the series can be read out of order (which ive done) and it doesn't make any difference particularly.
Five stars as always. Thank you Lee Child for the glorious gift that is Reacher.
June 3, 2010
I'm afraid I'm going to have give Jack reacher a rest for a while. This book was ridiculous. I had this thing figured out very early on and was dreading being right. You will not be impressed by the method of murder. It is a huge stretch to think that this could be remotely possible. Plus, the investigators are morons! Lee Child makes the FBI no more tha stupid thugs that can't get anything done without resorting to threats of everything from framing someone from murder to actually having them, or their loved ones, killed. Just stupid.
And another thing since I'm on a roll, I am really upset about Lee Child's understanding of military investigatory services. The MPs don't investigate more than petty crime. Just changing the service to Army CID would give a lot more credence to the backstory of Reacher.
And another thing since I'm on a roll, I am really upset about Lee Child's understanding of military investigatory services. The MPs don't investigate more than petty crime. Just changing the service to Army CID would give a lot more credence to the backstory of Reacher.
January 5, 2018
Ok, so I read 3 of these in quick succession late last year (the first 3) and then decided to take a break. I did enjoy them and I did enjoy this one, but I don't want to get hooked in as they are not my normal genre.
As per usual Jack is larger than life and without giving anything away he is instrumental n both the crime(s) and the solving. One has to admire him despite him being so bloody perfect.
All in all a good book and for 500+ pages it did whizz by. I still have, courtesy of my best mate, at least another 15 of them, so I will enjoy them but I just have to limit myself.
As per usual Jack is larger than life and without giving anything away he is instrumental n both the crime(s) and the solving. One has to admire him despite him being so bloody perfect.
All in all a good book and for 500+ pages it did whizz by. I still have, courtesy of my best mate, at least another 15 of them, so I will enjoy them but I just have to limit myself.
August 18, 2018
Reacher and the FBI
Running Blind offers the reader an impossible puzzle, sort of like the locked-room murder puzzle. There's a serial killer out there and it's a complete puzzle how the murders are being committed. In fact, it's such a puzzle that the FBI has to bring in Jack Reacher to solve it. As long as you don't get hung up on the unlikelihood of that playing out, you'll enjoy a pretty good mystery with few clues and a lot of dead ends to bang into.
This is the fourth Reacher novel and, if like me you skipped the second and third books, you'll be shocked at the new Reacher, no longer a drifter, a stranger without a home. He is now a homeowner with property taxes to pay and a high powered Manhattan lawyer as his girlfriend. But, he's still this odd duck who has to do things his own way.
Quite an enjoyable read, fastmoving, and definitely worth a read.
Running Blind offers the reader an impossible puzzle, sort of like the locked-room murder puzzle. There's a serial killer out there and it's a complete puzzle how the murders are being committed. In fact, it's such a puzzle that the FBI has to bring in Jack Reacher to solve it. As long as you don't get hung up on the unlikelihood of that playing out, you'll enjoy a pretty good mystery with few clues and a lot of dead ends to bang into.
This is the fourth Reacher novel and, if like me you skipped the second and third books, you'll be shocked at the new Reacher, no longer a drifter, a stranger without a home. He is now a homeowner with property taxes to pay and a high powered Manhattan lawyer as his girlfriend. But, he's still this odd duck who has to do things his own way.
Quite an enjoyable read, fastmoving, and definitely worth a read.
April 8, 2019
Ugh, where to begin. Another iteration of Lee Child's pattern: We have an inside man, a pointless subplot, and an improbable romance.
I'm irritated at the lack of continuity here. In the 2nd book, Jack Reacher had exposed corrupt FBI agents, saved a cherished FBI agent (and daughter of a high-ranking general), and stopped a terrorist attack, but this doesn't even merit a mention when he's picked up by the FBI again? Not a line? Not a phone call from the friends/allies he made in the 2nd book? People whose lives he saved, careers he protected? These FBI agents are allowed to lock him up in Quantico and put a camera on him? Try to get a sexy FBI agent to bang him? Not to mention all of the other blackmailing that went on. Not a mention of "that ugly business in Montana" or anything like that? Utterly ridiculous.
At least the relationship he established in the last book is still here, but that's about it for continuity.
The whole plot hinges on hypnotism?!? Really? You can hypnotize people into killing themselves? Right.
Oh, and there's a point-of-view character sprinkled throughout who is carefully manipulated to make you think he's the killer. (the killer's POV's are full of non gender-specific pronouns or in 2nd person, but this is obviously a male). Eventually this guy shows up as a harmless distraction, but it's a cheap way to try to lead the reader away from the real killer. (Who was obvious because of the "inside man" part of the pattern).
What a mess.
I'm irritated at the lack of continuity here. In the 2nd book, Jack Reacher had exposed corrupt FBI agents, saved a cherished FBI agent (and daughter of a high-ranking general), and stopped a terrorist attack, but this doesn't even merit a mention when he's picked up by the FBI again? Not a line? Not a phone call from the friends/allies he made in the 2nd book? People whose lives he saved, careers he protected? These FBI agents are allowed to lock him up in Quantico and put a camera on him? Try to get a sexy FBI agent to bang him? Not to mention all of the other blackmailing that went on. Not a mention of "that ugly business in Montana" or anything like that? Utterly ridiculous.
At least the relationship he established in the last book is still here, but that's about it for continuity.
The whole plot hinges on hypnotism?!? Really? You can hypnotize people into killing themselves? Right.
Oh, and there's a point-of-view character sprinkled throughout who is carefully manipulated to make you think he's the killer. (the killer's POV's are full of non gender-specific pronouns or in 2nd person, but this is obviously a male). Eventually this guy shows up as a harmless distraction, but it's a cheap way to try to lead the reader away from the real killer. (Who was obvious because of the "inside man" part of the pattern).
What a mess.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2021
Yet again another fun installment, I love Jack keeping me company while I am in isolation and working from home full time. And again, I feel in safe hands with Jack, the narrator and a prolific author that knows how to deliver quality action storylines. He takes us away from our daily life burdens and I find this type of reading satisfying, entertaining and fun. What more do I need?
Jack and Jodie are certainly an item, but Jodie senses Jack's hesitation to settle. She has made partner in an amazing law firm, pulls all nighters at work. Jack is not comfortable organising and being committed to car insurance, home insurance, utility bills - let alone staying in one city. He wants to rid his life of any committment or any traced of being settled, in the same way Jodie wants security and a sense of home.
So he jumps at the chance to 'consult' with the FBI on a matter out of town that involves him by association; he has had work dealings with two women found dead in very unusual circumstances. In baths with green paint. The purp seems very evasive and the numbers are growing.
As I only listen to this series and don't hold the physical book in my hands, I don't have any good one liners to quote. But Jack Reacher is the king of one liners, don't you think?
I can't help but race forward and try to reconcile a more than twenty year time span when the series introduced us to a man in his thirties after his illustrious military police career, and the women he meets in every installment.
But, as with all things, I do smash them so quickly. I have read the first four in as many weeks, so this little reader in Sydney is a very happy one indeed.
Jack and Jodie are certainly an item, but Jodie senses Jack's hesitation to settle. She has made partner in an amazing law firm, pulls all nighters at work. Jack is not comfortable organising and being committed to car insurance, home insurance, utility bills - let alone staying in one city. He wants to rid his life of any committment or any traced of being settled, in the same way Jodie wants security and a sense of home.
So he jumps at the chance to 'consult' with the FBI on a matter out of town that involves him by association; he has had work dealings with two women found dead in very unusual circumstances. In baths with green paint. The purp seems very evasive and the numbers are growing.
As I only listen to this series and don't hold the physical book in my hands, I don't have any good one liners to quote. But Jack Reacher is the king of one liners, don't you think?
I can't help but race forward and try to reconcile a more than twenty year time span when the series introduced us to a man in his thirties after his illustrious military police career, and the women he meets in every installment.
But, as with all things, I do smash them so quickly. I have read the first four in as many weeks, so this little reader in Sydney is a very happy one indeed.
July 3, 2013
A Reacher novel is kinda' like pizza: Even when it's not great, it's still usually pretty good. HOWEVER, have you ever had one of those pizzas that was so bad that you cannot help but to tell others to avoid that particular pizzeria? That's what Running Blind was like. Avoid it at all costs!
Seriously, THIS IS THE ONE TO AVOID IN THE SERIES! It's OMG stupid! If I told the heart of the mystery you wouldn't believe it, thinking it's the plot from some 3rd-rate Karloff movie from the 1930s, but once you realized I was serious and that that really was the crux of the issue here, you'd agree and say, "OMG, that IS stupid!" I won't give a spoiler because I don't want to be blocked, but it's a stinker.
There is some good characterization going on here. I liked the literary techniques Child used to mask the killer. And I liked the way Reacher (in some cases) was running circles around the authority figures who thought they had him under their thumbs.
Child might want to do a bit more study into forensics and transference before he makes claims about multiple trace free crime scenes.
One last comment: I listened to this on Books on Disk, and this particular voice artist was bad...distractingly bad.
Seriously, THIS IS THE ONE TO AVOID IN THE SERIES! It's OMG stupid! If I told the heart of the mystery you wouldn't believe it, thinking it's the plot from some 3rd-rate Karloff movie from the 1930s, but once you realized I was serious and that that really was the crux of the issue here, you'd agree and say, "OMG, that IS stupid!" I won't give a spoiler because I don't want to be blocked, but it's a stinker.
There is some good characterization going on here. I liked the literary techniques Child used to mask the killer. And I liked the way Reacher (in some cases) was running circles around the authority figures who thought they had him under their thumbs.
Child might want to do a bit more study into forensics and transference before he makes claims about multiple trace free crime scenes.
One last comment: I listened to this on Books on Disk, and this particular voice artist was bad...distractingly bad.
February 24, 2017
2 ½ stars. Long, drawn out process investigating murders. Not enough action. The ending was frustrating.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The story starts off in an exciting way with thugs demanding payoffs from a new restaurant owner. Reacher likes the restaurant and takes action. That was fun. But after that there was very little action, not enough. It was a long, drawn out process trying to solve the murders, but no one figured anything out until the very end. I’m reminded of the Michael Connelly books which have interesting discoveries along the way. That was missing here. For maybe the last third of the book, I had a good guess as to who and how, but Jack and others appeared kind of dumb because they never considered this. Sure, the author gave the reader more hints than Jack got, but I felt the characters should have been more open minded. Instead, I kept hearing it’s impossible. The first third of the book was pretty good due to anticipation, but the end was a letdown.
I really like the Reacher character and the series. Although I had problems with this book, it still kept my interest, and I plan to read the next one.
The FBI does really bad things to force Reacher to work on the case. At the end, the FBI does more really bad things. I hated the FBI��s actions and threats almost more than what the killer was doing. So I didn’t feel good at the end of the book.
I wanted the killer to suffer. So far in all four books, the bad guy is quickly killed at the end. I wanted to see them get caught, see them suffer, hear their words after they realized it was over. Especially in this book, I wanted to hear what the killer would have said about motive and methods. Without those insights and feelings, the ending was empty.
I did not like the author throwing in one character as a red herring. The purpose was to confuse the reader. It wasn’t explained, justified, or done well.
One thing odd about Reacher is that he doesn’t travel with clothes. He only has what he is wearing. He sometimes showers, but then he puts on the same clothes. He doesn’t do laundry. I’m sure his clothes smell. In previous books he would buy cheap new clothes and throw away the old. He wasn’t buying any new clothes in this book. This is one of those suspend disbelief items. Just don’t think about it.
STORY BRIEF:
A serial killer is killing women who were raped or sexually harassed while in the military. The men who hurt them were put in jail or lost their jobs. The women left the military. The FBI profilers think the killer is someone like Reacher. Since the first two victims knew him, the FBI have Reacher under surveillance. They learn Reacher is innocent when a 3rd victim is killed while they were watching him. Now the FBI forces Reacher to help them solve the case. They believe his military contacts and experiences will be useful. They threaten Reacher’s girlfriend to keep him in line.
THE SERIES:
If you haven’t read any Reacher before, start with books 1 and 2. You do not need to read them in order. There are at least sixteen books so far. My ratings and order of the first four books are:
4 ½ stars. Killing Floor
4 stars. Die Trying
4 stars. Tripwire
2 ½ stars. Running Blind.
NARRATOR:
The narrator Dick Hill was very good.
DATA:
Unabridged audiobook reading time: 13 hrs and 5 mins. Swearing language: I don’t recall any. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: one referred to not shown. Setting: 1999 various other U.S. locations. Book copyright: 2000. Genre: mystery suspense thriller. Ending: Bad guy is caught, but there is no good feeling because other things are frustrating.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The story starts off in an exciting way with thugs demanding payoffs from a new restaurant owner. Reacher likes the restaurant and takes action. That was fun. But after that there was very little action, not enough. It was a long, drawn out process trying to solve the murders, but no one figured anything out until the very end. I’m reminded of the Michael Connelly books which have interesting discoveries along the way. That was missing here. For maybe the last third of the book, I had a good guess as to who and how, but Jack and others appeared kind of dumb because they never considered this. Sure, the author gave the reader more hints than Jack got, but I felt the characters should have been more open minded. Instead, I kept hearing it’s impossible. The first third of the book was pretty good due to anticipation, but the end was a letdown.
I really like the Reacher character and the series. Although I had problems with this book, it still kept my interest, and I plan to read the next one.
The FBI does really bad things to force Reacher to work on the case. At the end, the FBI does more really bad things. I hated the FBI��s actions and threats almost more than what the killer was doing. So I didn’t feel good at the end of the book.
I wanted the killer to suffer. So far in all four books, the bad guy is quickly killed at the end. I wanted to see them get caught, see them suffer, hear their words after they realized it was over. Especially in this book, I wanted to hear what the killer would have said about motive and methods. Without those insights and feelings, the ending was empty.
I did not like the author throwing in one character as a red herring. The purpose was to confuse the reader. It wasn’t explained, justified, or done well.
One thing odd about Reacher is that he doesn’t travel with clothes. He only has what he is wearing. He sometimes showers, but then he puts on the same clothes. He doesn’t do laundry. I’m sure his clothes smell. In previous books he would buy cheap new clothes and throw away the old. He wasn’t buying any new clothes in this book. This is one of those suspend disbelief items. Just don’t think about it.
STORY BRIEF:
A serial killer is killing women who were raped or sexually harassed while in the military. The men who hurt them were put in jail or lost their jobs. The women left the military. The FBI profilers think the killer is someone like Reacher. Since the first two victims knew him, the FBI have Reacher under surveillance. They learn Reacher is innocent when a 3rd victim is killed while they were watching him. Now the FBI forces Reacher to help them solve the case. They believe his military contacts and experiences will be useful. They threaten Reacher’s girlfriend to keep him in line.
THE SERIES:
If you haven’t read any Reacher before, start with books 1 and 2. You do not need to read them in order. There are at least sixteen books so far. My ratings and order of the first four books are:
4 ½ stars. Killing Floor
4 stars. Die Trying
4 stars. Tripwire
2 ½ stars. Running Blind.
NARRATOR:
The narrator Dick Hill was very good.
DATA:
Unabridged audiobook reading time: 13 hrs and 5 mins. Swearing language: I don’t recall any. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: one referred to not shown. Setting: 1999 various other U.S. locations. Book copyright: 2000. Genre: mystery suspense thriller. Ending: Bad guy is caught, but there is no good feeling because other things are frustrating.
April 11, 2015
Great read!
I knew it, I knew it ... kept me guessing all the way.
I knew it, I knew it ... kept me guessing all the way.
January 15, 2024
Ο Τζάκαρος τρώει ραβιόλια. Και συνεχίζει να πεινάει. Το μέγεθος της στομάχας του Ρίτσερ, όμως, λίγη σημασία έχει όταν εμφανίζονται δύο μπράβοι και απαιτούν από τον ιδιοκτήτη του εστιατορίου 200 δολάρια τη βδομάδα για να μην του κάνουν το μαγαζί παζλ -με οψιόν να το ανεβάσουν στα 400 όταν με το καλό αποκτήσει πελατεία. Προφανώς και ο Τζακ Ρίτσερ δεν τα ανέχεται αυτά για αυτό βγαίνει έξω και πάει και... αγοράζει ένα ετικετογράφο και ένα σωληνάριο κόλλα. Επειδή ΤΖΑΚ ΡΙΤΣΕΡ.
Όπως σίγουρα έχετε μαντέψει, λίγα λεπτά μετά, ο τεστοστεναρισμένος Φίσερ* της βίας μετατρέπει τους δύο μπράβους σε αλοιφή για κάλους και τους στέλνει με ένα μήνυμα -γραμμένο με ετικετογράφο και κολλημένο με κόλλα στα μέτωπα τους- στον μεσιέ Πετροσιάν, τον αρχηγό της μαφίας τους.
Μία ώρα και 17 λεπτά αργότερα (μην ξεχνάτε ότι στην ερπετική παρεγκεφαλίδα του Τζακ Ρίτσερ υπάρχει ένα ατομικό ρολόι που μετράει με ακρίβεια ανά δευτερόλεπτο το χρόνο εκτός και αν τον χτυπήσεις με μετεωρίτη στο κεφάλι) και ενώ ο Τζακ οδηγεί σχεδόν αμέριμνος, το FBI τον σταματάει, τον βγάζει από το αμάξι του, τον βάζει σε ένα άλλο αμάξι και, για κάποιο λόγο που μάλλον έχει σχέση με το φαινόμενο της πεταλούδας ή την αυξημένη εντροπία του συστήματος, του δίνουν ένα ένταλμα ερεύνης για το σπίτι του (κληρονομιά του γερο-Γκράμπερ από το προηγούμενο βιβλίο, του οποίου βατεύει και την δικηγορίνα κόρη). Και του δίνουν το ένταλμα απειλώντας τον με όπλο. Ακολουθεί μία μάλλον περίεργα ακατανόητη σκηνή με μία μίνι φούστα, μπούτια και μια ανταλλαγή προσβολών που αγγίζει τόσο πρόστυχα τη σφαίρα του αναίτιου σε σημείο να δικαιολογεί μήνυση για σεξουαλική παρενόχληση.
Στη συνέχεια τον μεταφέρουν σε ένα περίεργο χώρο και τον βάζουν να κάτσει, ενώ κάθε πέντε περίπου λεπτά περνάει κάποιος ανοίγει την πόρτα τον κοιτάζει και... συνεχίζει τη ζωή του. Αυτό που διαβάσατε. Και να χαίρεστε που το συνέπτυξα.
Κάποια στιγμή -πολύ αργά για τον απελπισμένο αναγνώστη- αποφασίζουν να ασχοληθούν κανονικά μαζί του και αφού του λένε ένα σωρό ιστορίες για αγρίους και του κάνουν ένα σωρό κουλές ερωτήσεις, τη στιγμή που υποθέτεις ότι η επόμενη ηλίθια ερώτηση που θα του κάνουν είναι "ΘΑ ΣΚΟΤΩΝΕΣ ΤΟ ΧΙΤΛΕΡ ΑΝ ΜΠΟΡΟΥΣΕΣ;;;" και είσαι έτοιμος να παραδώσεις πνεύμα και το βιβλίο στο τζάκι, τον ενημερώνουν ότι πρακτικά θεωρείται ύποπτος για το φόνο δύο γυναικών που γνώριζε από τα χρόνια του στο στρατό.
Αμέσως μετά έρχεται η γκόμενά του (η κόρη του γερο Γκράμπερ) που είναι φυσικά και δικηγόρος του (με ειδίκευση στο βαψονυχικό δίκαιο, καμία σχέση με ποινικά), το συζητάνε λίγο, και ο Ρίτσερ αποφασίζει ότι τον έχουν συλλάβει για άλλο λόγο και ότι είναι σίγουρος πως υπάρχει και τρίτη νεκρή (πάλης ξεκίνημα, νέοι αγώνες) και... λίγα λεπτά αργότερα απλά τον αφήνουν ελεύθερο. Έτσι, γεια σας.
Φυσικά, μετά, έρχονται χαράματα στο σπίτι του. Και πίνουν καφέ. Και του ξερνάνε όλη την ιστορία. Εν τω μεταξύ (αν εξαιρέσει κάνεις τους δύο άτυχους ανώνυμους μπράβους από την αρχή) ο "σκοτώνω και δεν πληρώνω" Τζακ δεν έχει χαστουκίσει ούτε το μάγουλο του μετά το ξύρισμα. Και μέχρι να το αναλογιστείτε αυτό οι εφμπιάδες τον εκβιάζουν ότι αν δεν τους βοηθήσει με την υπόθεση θα δώσουν το όνομα και τη διεύθυνση της φιλενάδας του στον Πετροσιάν (το μαφιόζο του οποίου τους άντρες έδειρε στην αρχή) ο οποίος είναι και καλά "μεγάλη ανωμαλάρα" και γαμεί και κόβει και ράβει και γενικώς απαπαπαπα. Και στη συνέχεια ξεκινάει οδικώς με την αντιπαθέστατη προφάιλερ του FBI που... φοβαται τα αεροπλάνα, για την Βιρτζίνια (από Νέα Υόρκη), ενώ στο δρόμο προσπερνάνε ένα στουκαρισμένο αμάξι ίδιο με το δικό του, αλλά δεν ανησυχεί (μάλλον το έχει πάρει με leasing), και παράλληλα μαθαίνει ότι οι νεκρές βρέθηκαν μέσα σε μπανιέρες με στρατιωτική πράσινη μπογιά, ενώ τα αίτια θανάτου τους είναι ακόμα αδιευκρίνιστα. Επίσης, για κακή του τύχη, ένας αναγνώστης με IQ 75 και πάνω, αντιλαμβάνεται ποιος είναι ο δράστης (επιβεβαιώνεται στο τέλος) και λίγο αργότερα και το κίνητρο. Και, φυσικά, όταν φτάνουν στα κεντρικά και παίρνει τη γκόμινα (sic) ντηλέφωνο, εκείνη δεν απαντάει. Επειδή... γυναίκες!
Στην παράνοια που ακολουθεί ο Ρίτσαρος φτάνει μέχρι του σημείου να σκηνοθετήσει μία τελείως άχρηστη επίσκεψη στη στρατιωτική μονάδα όπου ένας φίλος του τον βοηθάει να το σκάσει από... το παράθυρο, να πάρει ελικόπτερο και άλλα μέσα να φτάσει στη Νέα Υόρκη να τραμπουκίσει δύο Κινέζους μπράβους (αντιπάλους του Πετροσιάν) να γυρίσει πίσω στην ώρα του και να βγει από το δωμάτιο στο οποίο τον είχανε δει να μπαίνει σαν να μην τρέχει τίποτα. Φυσικά και το νεαντερτάλειο σχέδιό του πετυχαίνει και όλοι οι μαφιόζοι (πιο χαζοί κι από τρύπια εξάτμιση) σκοτώνονται μεταξύ τους και έτσι τελειώνει ο κίνδυνος του Πετροσιάν.
Ενώ όλα αυτά τα ανόρμαλα λαμβάνουν χώρα, δε γίνεται και καμία πρόοδος σχετικά με την ταυτότητα του δράστη. Ο Ρίτσερ τα έχει σπάσει κανονικά με την προφάιλερ και μόνο χαστούκια δεν παίζουν, συνέχεια στην κόντρα, σκοτώνεται και η αδελφή της προφιλερούς που είναι κι αυτή στη λίστα πιθανών θυμάτων που έχουν συντάξει και γενικώς ένα μπάχαλο.
Φυσικά, ο Τζακ θα βγάλει άκρη στο τέλος του βιβλίου, θα σκοτώσει με τα γυμνά του χέρια το δολοφόνο (ΧΜΟΥΩΡΓΚ), χωρίς κιόλας να το θέλει (χμουώργκ) και θα μάθουμε το απίστευτο εφεύρημα του Lee Child για το πώς έμενε αδιευκρίνιστος ο τρόπος με τον οποίο ο δολοφόνος σκότωνε. Χωρίς σπόιλερ, θα σας πω ότι αν ο τρόπος ήταν "είχε αρειανούς μισθοφόρους που σκοτώναν με αόραστες ακτίνες από τους δορυφόρους του Άρη", θα ήταν πιο ικανοποιητική σαν εξήγηση και λιγότερο προσβλητική για τη νοημοσύνη του αναγνώστη.
Στο τέλος τέλος, ο παίχτης κάνει μια συμφωνία κυρίων με το FBI γιατί γενικώς έχει πέσει πολύ θανατικό και δυσφήμιση, χωρίζει το κομενέτο γιατί εκείνη έγινε συνεταίρα πολυτελείας στο δικηγορικό γραφείο της και πάει Λονδίνο και ετοιμάζεται να πάρει ξανά τους δρόμους, με μόνη αποσκευή μια αναδιπλούμενη οδοντόβουρτσα. Επειδή, Τζακ Ρίτσερ.
Το βιβλίο είναι αρκετά κοντά στον όρο "ντροπή" (ακόμα και σε σχέση με άλλα του ιδίου), αλλά επειδή έχω διαβάσει και Κατερίνα Μαλακατέ, ξέρω τι θα πει απόλυτος πάτος και, σίγουρα, στέκεται κάπως ψηλότερα από την καταποντισμένη και ανήλιαγη τάφρο ποιότητας που στοιχειώνουν τα έργα της τελευταίας.
*παγκοσμίου κλάσεως σκακιστής και γκραν μετρ, εμβόλιμος ανάμεσα σε εκατοντάδες ρώσους παγκόσμιους πρωταθλητές
Όπως σίγουρα έχετε μαντέψει, λίγα λεπτά μετά, ο τεστοστεναρισμένος Φίσερ* της βίας μετατρέπει τους δύο μπράβους σε αλοιφή για κάλους και τους στέλνει με ένα μήνυμα -γραμμένο με ετικετογράφο και κολλημένο με κόλλα στα μέτωπα τους- στον μεσιέ Πετροσιάν, τον αρχηγό της μαφίας τους.
Μία ώρα και 17 λεπτά αργότερα (μην ξεχνάτε ότι στην ερπετική παρεγκεφαλίδα του Τζακ Ρίτσερ υπάρχει ένα ατομικό ρολόι που μετράει με ακρίβεια ανά δευτερόλεπτο το χρόνο εκτός και αν τον χτυπήσεις με μετεωρίτη στο κεφάλι) και ενώ ο Τζακ οδηγεί σχεδόν αμέριμνος, το FBI τον σταματάει, τον βγάζει από το αμάξι του, τον βάζει σε ένα άλλο αμάξι και, για κάποιο λόγο που μάλλον έχει σχέση με το φαινόμενο της πεταλούδας ή την αυξημένη εντροπία του συστήματος, του δίνουν ένα ένταλμα ερεύνης για το σπίτι του (κληρονομιά του γερο-Γκράμπερ από το προηγούμενο βιβλίο, του οποίου βατεύει και την δικηγορίνα κόρη). Και του δίνουν το ένταλμα απειλώντας τον με όπλο. Ακολουθεί μία μάλλον περίεργα ακατανόητη σκηνή με μία μίνι φούστα, μπούτια και μια ανταλλαγή προσβολών που αγγίζει τόσο πρόστυχα τη σφαίρα του αναίτιου σε σημείο να δικαιολογεί μήνυση για σεξουαλική παρενόχληση.
Στη συνέχεια τον μεταφέρουν σε ένα περίεργο χώρο και τον βάζουν να κάτσει, ενώ κάθε πέντε περίπου λεπτά περνάει κάποιος ανοίγει την πόρτα τον κοιτάζει και... συνεχίζει τη ζωή του. Αυτό που διαβάσατε. Και να χαίρεστε που το συνέπτυξα.
Κάποια στιγμή -πολύ αργά για τον απελπισμένο αναγνώστη- αποφασίζουν να ασχοληθούν κανονικά μαζί του και αφού του λένε ένα σωρό ιστορίες για αγρίους και του κάνουν ένα σωρό κουλές ερωτήσεις, τη στιγμή που υποθέτεις ότι η επόμενη ηλίθια ερώτηση που θα του κάνουν είναι "ΘΑ ΣΚΟΤΩΝΕΣ ΤΟ ΧΙΤΛΕΡ ΑΝ ΜΠΟΡΟΥΣΕΣ;;;" και είσαι έτοιμος να παραδώσεις πνεύμα και το βιβλίο στο τζάκι, τον ενημερώνουν ότι πρακτικά θεωρείται ύποπτος για το φόνο δύο γυναικών που γνώριζε από τα χρόνια του στο στρατό.
Αμέσως μετά έρχεται η γκόμενά του (η κόρη του γερο Γκράμπερ) που είναι φυσικά και δικηγόρος του (με ειδίκευση στο βαψονυχικό δίκαιο, καμία σχέση με ποινικά), το συζητάνε λίγο, και ο Ρίτσερ αποφασίζει ότι τον έχουν συλλάβει για άλλο λόγο και ότι είναι σίγουρος πως υπάρχει και τρίτη νεκρή (πάλης ξεκίνημα, νέοι αγώνες) και... λίγα λεπτά αργότερα απλά τον αφήνουν ελεύθερο. Έτσι, γεια σας.
Φυσικά, μετά, έρχονται χαράματα στο σπίτι του. Και πίνουν καφέ. Και του ξερνάνε όλη την ιστορία. Εν τω μεταξύ (αν εξαιρέσει κάνεις τους δύο άτυχους ανώνυμους μπράβους από την αρχή) ο "σκοτώνω και δεν πληρώνω" Τζακ δεν έχει χαστουκίσει ούτε το μάγουλο του μετά το ξύρισμα. Και μέχρι να το αναλογιστείτε αυτό οι εφμπιάδες τον εκβιάζουν ότι αν δεν τους βοηθήσει με την υπόθεση θα δώσουν το όνομα και τη διεύθυνση της φιλενάδας του στον Πετροσιάν (το μαφιόζο του οποίου τους άντρες έδειρε στην αρχή) ο οποίος είναι και καλά "μεγάλη ανωμαλάρα" και γαμεί και κόβει και ράβει και γενικώς απαπαπαπα. Και στη συνέχεια ξεκινάει οδικώς με την αντιπαθέστατη προφάιλερ του FBI που... φοβαται τα αεροπλάνα, για την Βιρτζίνια (από Νέα Υόρκη), ενώ στο δρόμο προσπερνάνε ένα στουκαρισμένο αμάξι ίδιο με το δικό του, αλλά δεν ανησυχεί (μάλλον το έχει πάρει με leasing), και παράλληλα μαθαίνει ότι οι νεκρές βρέθηκαν μέσα σε μπανιέρες με στρατιωτική πράσινη μπογιά, ενώ τα αίτια θανάτου τους είναι ακόμα αδιευκρίνιστα. Επίσης, για κακή του τύχη, ένας αναγνώστης με IQ 75 και πάνω, αντιλαμβάνεται ποιος είναι ο δράστης (επιβεβαιώνεται στο τέλος) και λίγο αργότερα και το κίνητρο. Και, φυσικά, όταν φτάνουν στα κεντρικά και παίρνει τη γκόμινα (sic) ντηλέφωνο, εκείνη δεν απαντάει. Επειδή... γυναίκες!
Στην παράνοια που ακολουθεί ο Ρίτσαρος φτάνει μέχρι του σημείου να σκηνοθετήσει μία τελείως άχρηστη επίσκεψη στη στρατιωτική μονάδα όπου ένας φίλος του τον βοηθάει να το σκάσει από... το παράθυρο, να πάρει ελικόπτερο και άλλα μέσα να φτάσει στη Νέα Υόρκη να τραμπουκίσει δύο Κινέζους μπράβους (αντιπάλους του Πετροσιάν) να γυρίσει πίσω στην ώρα του και να βγει από το δωμάτιο στο οποίο τον είχανε δει να μπαίνει σαν να μην τρέχει τίποτα. Φυσικά και το νεαντερτάλειο σχέδιό του πετυχαίνει και όλοι οι μαφιόζοι (πιο χαζοί κι από τρύπια εξάτμιση) σκοτώνονται μεταξύ τους και έτσι τελειώνει ο κίνδυνος του Πετροσιάν.
Ενώ όλα αυτά τα ανόρμαλα λαμβάνουν χώρα, δε γίνεται και καμία πρόοδος σχετικά με την ταυτότητα του δράστη. Ο Ρίτσερ τα έχει σπάσει κανονικά με την προφάιλερ και μόνο χαστούκια δεν παίζουν, συνέχεια στην κόντρα, σκοτώνεται και η αδελφή της προφιλερούς που είναι κι αυτή στη λίστα πιθανών θυμάτων που έχουν συντάξει και γενικώς ένα μπάχαλο.
Φυσικά, ο Τζακ θα βγάλει άκρη στο τέλος του βιβλίου, θα σκοτώσει με τα γυμνά του χέρια το δολοφόνο (ΧΜΟΥΩΡΓΚ), χωρίς κιόλας να το θέλει (χμουώργκ) και θα μάθουμε το απίστευτο εφεύρημα του Lee Child για το πώς έμενε αδιευκρίνιστος ο τρόπος με τον οποίο ο δολοφόνος σκότωνε. Χωρίς σπόιλερ, θα σας πω ότι αν ο τρόπος ήταν "είχε αρειανούς μισθοφόρους που σκοτώναν με αόραστες ακτίνες από τους δορυφόρους του Άρη", θα ήταν πιο ικανοποιητική σαν εξήγηση και λιγότερο προσβλητική για τη νοημοσύνη του αναγνώστη.
Στο τέλος τέλος, ο παίχτης κάνει μια συμφωνία κυρίων με το FBI γιατί γενικώς έχει πέσει πολύ θανατικό και δυσφήμιση, χωρίζει το κομενέτο γιατί εκείνη έγινε συνεταίρα πολυτελείας στο δικηγορικό γραφείο της και πάει Λονδίνο και ετοιμάζεται να πάρει ξανά τους δρόμους, με μόνη αποσκευή μια αναδιπλούμενη οδοντόβουρτσα. Επειδή, Τζακ Ρίτσερ.
Το βιβλίο είναι αρκετά κοντά στον όρο "ντροπή" (ακόμα και σε σχέση με άλλα του ιδίου), αλλά επειδή έχω διαβάσει και Κατερίνα Μαλακατέ, ξέρω τι θα πει απόλυτος πάτος και, σίγουρα, στέκεται κάπως ψηλότερα από την καταποντισμένη και ανήλιαγη τάφρο ποιότητας που στοιχειώνουν τα έργα της τελευταίας.
*παγκοσμίου κλάσεως σκακιστής και γκραν μετρ, εμβόλιμος ανάμεσα σε εκατοντάδες ρώσους παγκόσμιους πρωταθλητές
Read
June 6, 2022A Jack Reacher book, ie compulsory to read when found on a hotel bookshelf. This isn't his best, in that the mystery is twisty and clever but there's a whole lot of implausibility and I'm not just talking about hands the size of supermarket chickens. The actual murder method had my daughter spluttering rage at its ridiculousness, but I was more narked by Reacher's deductive reasoning, which is basically that racism and misogyny are stupid beliefs and thus people capable of coming up with clever criminal schemes can't be racists or misogynists. Um.
Whatever, we didn't come here for realism. Fun.
Whatever, we didn't come here for realism. Fun.
November 18, 2017
My rating: 4/5
The novel is great as the first two. I have to read the third one but I just couldn't get it in a lower price in amazon. So I bought the fourth one which is running blind or visitor. But when I jumped into the story I found out that the third book and the fourth are connected in a way ( not by story, so no problem) But You can read the third after four. There will be no problem in it. A character is present in both the books.
Just like the first two ones the phasing of the novel is really fast. It's a thrill ride. Jack Reacher is always badass.
The novel is great as the first two. I have to read the third one but I just couldn't get it in a lower price in amazon. So I bought the fourth one which is running blind or visitor. But when I jumped into the story I found out that the third book and the fourth are connected in a way ( not by story, so no problem) But You can read the third after four. There will be no problem in it. A character is present in both the books.
Just like the first two ones the phasing of the novel is really fast. It's a thrill ride. Jack Reacher is always badass.
June 16, 2017
One hundred pages too long and more holes than a colander. The identity of the killer was telegraphed about half way.
July 16, 2014
"I am the one and only..." - Chesney Hawkes
"Vodka helped create some of the greatest fiction we've ever read" - some quote by someone, somewhere, after a bottle.
To give Lee Childs his due, he is excellent writer of popcorn fiction - you know, the tough-guy-with-his-own-rules character. I'm a big fan of Jack Reacher and his on goings. The Visitor is slightly different to the other three Reacher novels in the sense Jack isn't smashing people's faces up so much, it's more a direct murder/mystery story. He gets thrown in the deep end and offered a chance to work with the FBI, where they are investigating a serial killer who isn't a fan of women in the military. Or after a dust up with a few New York mobsters, he gets to go down for potential murder. Manipulated? Yes. Decisions decisions.
In Jack's fourth outing in the series Reacher gets to flex his brainstrings and not his muscles - so given this, it does (for me) lead towards a ponderous read. After two hundred and fifty pages I'd already guessed who was committing the murders - it was plainly obvious. So despite the author showing Jack is much more than just brawn (which is welcome) there wasn't much for me to enjoy. The ending finished how I guessed it would, leaving me thinking - despite all the murders and running around going on, it was all too obvious. Transparent is the word of the day here. Don't do that as a writer, don't go hinting who could potentially be the killer - the story was killed fairly quickly once a few hints were there. Possibly didn't help as by the end of the first few hundred pages we're getting the killers thoughts on page. That's not a bad thing in itself, but it is a bad thing when you let slip something that reveals the identity of the antagonist.
So let's talk characters, Jodie is still here playing the not-so-happy love of Reachers life - she wants to make partner at a law firm. You can guess the problems their having with Jack continually taking the law into his own hands. Then there is Harper, a 'vanilla' FBI agent, assigned to shadow Jack's every movement. She is rather great in a tomboy-with-gun sorta way. Other members of the FBI investigative team include Blake, a doughnut eating agent (it's not water weight, that's FAT mate). Then there's Julia Lamaar, who's sister is on the list of potential targets. She is the head analyst of the FBI's psychologically criminology unit. There are many more characters who make a appearance, none that really stuck with me.
Another out of character nugget was Jack's tedious moaning and whining about his life, what's going on between him and Jodie. Throw in a third and you've got a triangle! See I went to school! When I was reading this I was thinking, perhaps the writer wants to show a more caring softer side. That's fine, tough guys can be sensitive. NOT WHEN THEY MOAN LIKE SOMEONE OUT OF A SOAP!! Was I shouting? Sorry about that. The balance of Jack was being ripped apart in my mind. It doesn't help that the pacing is slow, as. The only time Jack get's to kick some booty is at the start of the novel. Then we're left with a mystery to solve, that isn't so mysterious after all. In my opinion, if you're going to have a moment of feeling (when you're the tough guy) he needs to then go and do what he does best, be tough.
The worst so far in my humble opinion. Hopefully the next novel in the series will be a stunner! Maybe? Possibly? Hey, I'm not a cynic.
To finish up I'd like to say what a dirty slutter Jack Reacher is! Seriously, he's always eyeing up the ladies, a bit of mouth-to-mouth in this one. James Bond best move over, there's a real (sensitive) tough guy in town.
"Vodka helped create some of the greatest fiction we've ever read" - some quote by someone, somewhere, after a bottle.
To give Lee Childs his due, he is excellent writer of popcorn fiction - you know, the tough-guy-with-his-own-rules character. I'm a big fan of Jack Reacher and his on goings. The Visitor is slightly different to the other three Reacher novels in the sense Jack isn't smashing people's faces up so much, it's more a direct murder/mystery story. He gets thrown in the deep end and offered a chance to work with the FBI, where they are investigating a serial killer who isn't a fan of women in the military. Or after a dust up with a few New York mobsters, he gets to go down for potential murder. Manipulated? Yes. Decisions decisions.
In Jack's fourth outing in the series Reacher gets to flex his brainstrings and not his muscles - so given this, it does (for me) lead towards a ponderous read. After two hundred and fifty pages I'd already guessed who was committing the murders - it was plainly obvious. So despite the author showing Jack is much more than just brawn (which is welcome) there wasn't much for me to enjoy. The ending finished how I guessed it would, leaving me thinking - despite all the murders and running around going on, it was all too obvious. Transparent is the word of the day here. Don't do that as a writer, don't go hinting who could potentially be the killer - the story was killed fairly quickly once a few hints were there. Possibly didn't help as by the end of the first few hundred pages we're getting the killers thoughts on page. That's not a bad thing in itself, but it is a bad thing when you let slip something that reveals the identity of the antagonist.
So let's talk characters, Jodie is still here playing the not-so-happy love of Reachers life - she wants to make partner at a law firm. You can guess the problems their having with Jack continually taking the law into his own hands. Then there is Harper, a 'vanilla' FBI agent, assigned to shadow Jack's every movement. She is rather great in a tomboy-with-gun sorta way. Other members of the FBI investigative team include Blake, a doughnut eating agent (it's not water weight, that's FAT mate). Then there's Julia Lamaar, who's sister is on the list of potential targets. She is the head analyst of the FBI's psychologically criminology unit. There are many more characters who make a appearance, none that really stuck with me.
Another out of character nugget was Jack's tedious moaning and whining about his life, what's going on between him and Jodie. Throw in a third and you've got a triangle! See I went to school! When I was reading this I was thinking, perhaps the writer wants to show a more caring softer side. That's fine, tough guys can be sensitive. NOT WHEN THEY MOAN LIKE SOMEONE OUT OF A SOAP!! Was I shouting? Sorry about that. The balance of Jack was being ripped apart in my mind. It doesn't help that the pacing is slow, as. The only time Jack get's to kick some booty is at the start of the novel. Then we're left with a mystery to solve, that isn't so mysterious after all. In my opinion, if you're going to have a moment of feeling (when you're the tough guy) he needs to then go and do what he does best, be tough.
The worst so far in my humble opinion. Hopefully the next novel in the series will be a stunner! Maybe? Possibly? Hey, I'm not a cynic.
To finish up I'd like to say what a dirty slutter Jack Reacher is! Seriously, he's always eyeing up the ladies, a bit of mouth-to-mouth in this one. James Bond best move over, there's a real (sensitive) tough guy in town.
January 20, 2021
After recently enjoying Heather Martin’s excellent biography of Lee Child/Jim Grant, I decided to re-read one his earlier books in the Jack Reacher series. It must have been almost 20 years since I first read The Visitor, so it frequently felt like I was reading a new book. A strange sensation, considering how many memorable scenes and characters there are in it.
The novel initially finds Reacher in a very un-Reacher like situation. He has a house and a car; both inherited from his former commanding officer. Also a girlfriend; daughter of the same CO. As for a steady 9 to 5 job, forget it! He already feels trapped enough. Most of his spare time has been spent clearing up his large overgrown garden. Then he is unwittingly and unwillingly co-opted by his old nemesis the FBI in the hunt for a serial killer who drowns their female victims in tubs of camouflage paint.
This is a real masterclass in suspense-thriller writing. The action is relentless, coast to coast. The plot twists come thick and fast and each chapter ends in a tantalising cliffhanger which just begs one to continue reading till the end.
Unsurprisingly, at the end of the novel, Reacher has managed to extricate himself from the settled life and is back to his wandering ways.
As, these days, I’m always discovering new books by new authors, it’s very rare that I re-read anything, although I’m very glad I made an exception for The Visitor.
The novel initially finds Reacher in a very un-Reacher like situation. He has a house and a car; both inherited from his former commanding officer. Also a girlfriend; daughter of the same CO. As for a steady 9 to 5 job, forget it! He already feels trapped enough. Most of his spare time has been spent clearing up his large overgrown garden. Then he is unwittingly and unwillingly co-opted by his old nemesis the FBI in the hunt for a serial killer who drowns their female victims in tubs of camouflage paint.
This is a real masterclass in suspense-thriller writing. The action is relentless, coast to coast. The plot twists come thick and fast and each chapter ends in a tantalising cliffhanger which just begs one to continue reading till the end.
Unsurprisingly, at the end of the novel, Reacher has managed to extricate himself from the settled life and is back to his wandering ways.
As, these days, I’m always discovering new books by new authors, it’s very rare that I re-read anything, although I’m very glad I made an exception for The Visitor.
January 9, 2019
I needed something easy today and this was the perfect balm for my stressed out brain.
I think I need some kind of small town conspiracy story to follow up. I need corruption and vigilante justice, backwater evil and all kinds of vice.
Hit me up with recommendations please...
I think I need some kind of small town conspiracy story to follow up. I need corruption and vigilante justice, backwater evil and all kinds of vice.
Hit me up with recommendations please...
February 9, 2017
I always "feel" that I should like the Jack Reacher books better. I mean these are very popular books...everyone seems to love them...Tom Cruise even agreed to play Jack in the film. Must be great, right?
Still, mostly I like these. I can go a good solid 4 stars here. As the books go along there always seems to be (to me anyway) times where Jack just doesn't make a lot of sense within his own story/plot/personality. I mean (I say that a lot don't I?) I get the "freedom" of being a rootless drifter (in many ways Jack could be seen as the modern equivalent of the iconic "wandering" or "drifting" Gunfighter from the American West. he shows up. handles the trouble and then rides off into the sunset...albeit in a Greyhound rather than on horseback.). Still we're getting to the point where some of it is getting a bit hard to swallow. Anyone who's ever been in a place with nowhere to sleep and nothing to eat while broke will tell you it's not quite as easy to function as Jack makes it look. The guy needs to have ...the books need to show... a more reliable way for jack to live now that his savings are gone. It's the same kind of thing that ruined The Rockford Files for me. I like James Garner, but he'd have to get paid once in a while to keep going not get stiffed on ever single job as he seems to on that program.
Okay, that said what we get here is a good well crafted story with Jack being strong armed into working with the FBI (if you're like me you'll grit your teeth at the pushy feds...I'm not a big government person anyway). The plot is well crafted and the story telling/plot holds together and develops well. No clueless plot coming from left field here. It's all thought out.
All in all better than some Reacher novels I've read. Good one, nice solid 4 star read, Enjoy.
Still, mostly I like these. I can go a good solid 4 stars here. As the books go along there always seems to be (to me anyway) times where Jack just doesn't make a lot of sense within his own story/plot/personality. I mean (I say that a lot don't I?) I get the "freedom" of being a rootless drifter (in many ways Jack could be seen as the modern equivalent of the iconic "wandering" or "drifting" Gunfighter from the American West. he shows up. handles the trouble and then rides off into the sunset...albeit in a Greyhound rather than on horseback.). Still we're getting to the point where some of it is getting a bit hard to swallow. Anyone who's ever been in a place with nowhere to sleep and nothing to eat while broke will tell you it's not quite as easy to function as Jack makes it look. The guy needs to have ...the books need to show... a more reliable way for jack to live now that his savings are gone. It's the same kind of thing that ruined The Rockford Files for me. I like James Garner, but he'd have to get paid once in a while to keep going not get stiffed on ever single job as he seems to on that program.
Okay, that said what we get here is a good well crafted story with Jack being strong armed into working with the FBI (if you're like me you'll grit your teeth at the pushy feds...I'm not a big government person anyway). The plot is well crafted and the story telling/plot holds together and develops well. No clueless plot coming from left field here. It's all thought out.
All in all better than some Reacher novels I've read. Good one, nice solid 4 star read, Enjoy.
May 10, 2022
Read this book as a part of a challenge, my partner had it lying around so I thought, why not.
The books is engaging from the very first page.
Jack Reacher is sitting in a bar, where the owner of the bar is being hassled by the local "mafia" to pay cash for "security" which a whole load of rubbish, the owner can't afford it and he is being bullied. Jack cant just stand by and watch someone being picked on and belittled, even though it has nothing to do with him, so Jack puts together a very simple but extremely clever plan, and he teaches these men a lesson, don't pick on the little people.
Jack returns home from the bar, and is blinded by bright lights, there are police surrounding him everywhere, he has been taken into custody and is investigated by the FBI, he is the suspect of serial killing of two women he previously represented whilst he was in the Army. These two women have only one thing in common and that is that they both know Jack Reacher.
Jack is a hero, I assimilate him with a James Bond type character, he is suave, strong, intelligent, cool, calm and collected.
The case is mysterious, and nothing I could have guessed.
I like the thrill of the book, but a little slow for my likings. I will give the series another go, with another on in the Jack Reacher series to see if they are similar.
Please visit my blog and follow to see all of my past and future book reviews.
https://www.facebook.com/Kylies-Book-...
The books is engaging from the very first page.
Jack Reacher is sitting in a bar, where the owner of the bar is being hassled by the local "mafia" to pay cash for "security" which a whole load of rubbish, the owner can't afford it and he is being bullied. Jack cant just stand by and watch someone being picked on and belittled, even though it has nothing to do with him, so Jack puts together a very simple but extremely clever plan, and he teaches these men a lesson, don't pick on the little people.
Jack returns home from the bar, and is blinded by bright lights, there are police surrounding him everywhere, he has been taken into custody and is investigated by the FBI, he is the suspect of serial killing of two women he previously represented whilst he was in the Army. These two women have only one thing in common and that is that they both know Jack Reacher.
Jack is a hero, I assimilate him with a James Bond type character, he is suave, strong, intelligent, cool, calm and collected.
The case is mysterious, and nothing I could have guessed.
I like the thrill of the book, but a little slow for my likings. I will give the series another go, with another on in the Jack Reacher series to see if they are similar.
Please visit my blog and follow to see all of my past and future book reviews.
https://www.facebook.com/Kylies-Book-...
July 28, 2022
The FBI is a bunch of RUTHLESS bastards. They don't care who they mess with or ruin- as long as they come out ahead... and spotless. That's the take-away from this story.
A thrill ride of Reacher falling into several misadventures and the FBI being douche bags about it. Reacher is forced to work with the Bureau to solve a case of military women getting murdered. The one thread they have to connect them is they all filed sexual harassment charges against the service.
Reacher also makes a decision about the house Leon Garber left him in his will when he died. Also he must decide about the relationship he has with Leon's daughter Jodie Garber, an attorney for a high powered Manhattan law firm. Will Reacher remain tied down to a house and a girlfriend?
In light of the current state of affairs where the FBI has been accused of playing politics: first with the Trump/Russia hoax and then the covering up of Hunter Biden's laptop and calling it "disinformation", this story gives more fuel to those charges. Slimy, politically motivated CYA (cover your ass) tactics employed by the men in charge in this story make the current FBI "missteps", blunders and accusations very, very, VERY plausible.
In the end, I never suspected the guilty party... will you solve it before the climactic scene? I didn't and was surprised at the killer. All the clues are there to see and discover. Read it carefully and you just might figure it out.
A thrill ride of Reacher falling into several misadventures and the FBI being douche bags about it. Reacher is forced to work with the Bureau to solve a case of military women getting murdered. The one thread they have to connect them is they all filed sexual harassment charges against the service.
Reacher also makes a decision about the house Leon Garber left him in his will when he died. Also he must decide about the relationship he has with Leon's daughter Jodie Garber, an attorney for a high powered Manhattan law firm. Will Reacher remain tied down to a house and a girlfriend?
In light of the current state of affairs where the FBI has been accused of playing politics: first with the Trump/Russia hoax and then the covering up of Hunter Biden's laptop and calling it "disinformation", this story gives more fuel to those charges. Slimy, politically motivated CYA (cover your ass) tactics employed by the men in charge in this story make the current FBI "missteps", blunders and accusations very, very, VERY plausible.
In the end, I never suspected the guilty party... will you solve it before the climactic scene? I didn't and was surprised at the killer. All the clues are there to see and discover. Read it carefully and you just might figure it out.
February 26, 2012
My fourth Jack Reacher and very nearly my last. I've enjoyed the three previous books and was expecting to enjoy this one. But I didn't.
I would have abandoned this in disgust by half way if it were not for my sheer determination to finish it - just in case the author redeemed himself. But he didn't.
I really wanted this to be good - I like Jack Reacher books - or at least I have until this one. There was nothing in the previous books to suggest that I would tire of the main character or the story lines. I usually get that sort of inkling by book 3 and so I thought this one a safe bet.
Little of this book was believable and I had the end sorted out early... so soon in fact I thought I had to be wrong, it couldn't be that obvious.
At half way I read the review on Goodreads to see if there was a clue to encourage me to keep reading what by now I was considering an insult to my intelligence. I think Beej's review saved it - just. Apparently I shouldn't give up on the series as the following novels shrug this slump off. "...Reacher hasn't lost his shine."
Well, I'm not in a hurry to find out. But I will give him another chance.
I would have abandoned this in disgust by half way if it were not for my sheer determination to finish it - just in case the author redeemed himself. But he didn't.
I really wanted this to be good - I like Jack Reacher books - or at least I have until this one. There was nothing in the previous books to suggest that I would tire of the main character or the story lines. I usually get that sort of inkling by book 3 and so I thought this one a safe bet.
Little of this book was believable and I had the end sorted out early... so soon in fact I thought I had to be wrong, it couldn't be that obvious.
At half way I read the review on Goodreads to see if there was a clue to encourage me to keep reading what by now I was considering an insult to my intelligence. I think Beej's review saved it - just. Apparently I shouldn't give up on the series as the following novels shrug this slump off. "...Reacher hasn't lost his shine."
Well, I'm not in a hurry to find out. But I will give him another chance.
December 31, 2018
Τελευταίο βιβλίο για το 2018 και έμεινα, για άλλη μια φορά, ικανοποιημένος από τον Lee Child και τον Jack Reacher. 4ο βιβλίο της σειράς (ευτυχώς η Bell επανακυκλοφορεί τα βιβλία που ήταν εξαντλημένα εδώ και καιρό) και ο συγγραφέας αποδεικνύει για ακόμα μια φορά γιατί ο ήρωας του είναι από τους πιο μακροβιότερους στη λογοτεχνία (23 βιβλία ως τώρα).
Καλή Χρονιά σε όλους!!!!
Καλή Χρονιά σε όλους!!!!
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