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Jack Reacher #25
The Sentinel
The edge-of-your-seat, heart-in-mouth new Jack Reacher thriller for 2021 - his 25th adventure. No one's bigger than Jack Reacher.
Jack Reacher gets off the bus in a sleepy no-name town outside Nashville, Tennessee. He plans to grab a cup of coffee and move right along.
Not going to happen.
The town has been shut down by a cyber attack. At the centre of it all, whether
he likes it or not, is Rusty Rutherford. He's an average IT guy, but he knows more than he thinks.
As the bad guys move in on Rusty, Reacher moves in on them . . .
And now Rusty knows he's protected, he's never going to leave the big man's side.
Reacher might just have to stick around and find out what the hell's gone wrong . . . and then put it right, like only he can.
Jack Reacher gets off the bus in a sleepy no-name town outside Nashville, Tennessee. He plans to grab a cup of coffee and move right along.
Not going to happen.
The town has been shut down by a cyber attack. At the centre of it all, whether
he likes it or not, is Rusty Rutherford. He's an average IT guy, but he knows more than he thinks.
As the bad guys move in on Rusty, Reacher moves in on them . . .
And now Rusty knows he's protected, he's never going to leave the big man's side.
Reacher might just have to stick around and find out what the hell's gone wrong . . . and then put it right, like only he can.
464 pages, Paperback
First published October 27, 2020
18075 people are currently reading
22252 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,598 reviews
November 22, 2020
Yikes. I did not like this one and I really wanted to. I have always put Jack Reacher up there along side Travis Mcgee (one of my favorite series), a selfless champion to victims of fraud, theft and worse. Travis was never brass or arrogant. That’s how Jack Reacher started out in his earlier books. Not so much anymore. The opening chapter of this book has nothing to do with the plot. The first chapter only sets up the character Jack Reacher. This is gratuitous violence where it didn’t need to be. And…and Reacher kept the money from the bad guy that belonged to the victims he was helping. In this book Jack Reacher is brusque and arrogant—cocksure. Granted there is a fine line between arrogant and confident and in this book, Jack reaches far across that line. I liked him better as a reluctant hero.
August 22, 2020
This is the first Reacher that I gave up on. Two books ago was bad... the last book Blue Moon, got right back on track. But this one feels wrong. Reacher’s dialog felt unnatural, stilted and way over the top. It did not sound like Reacher, but like someone pretending to be him. There was a flippant quality that came across more inciting than Reacher’s former cold calculating calm style of speaking. It felt like a thin transparent copy of the character I’ve enjoyed for so long.
I’ll give the next one a go, but I hope this isn’t indicative of the transition to Reacher’s new handler.
I’ll give the next one a go, but I hope this isn’t indicative of the transition to Reacher’s new handler.
December 1, 2020
Back for another Jack Reacher thriller, Lee Child brings a collaborator along to join the fun. Andrew Grant (Child, to keep the persona in line) does well to add his own flavouring to the piece, though some traditionalists have already begun to bemoan the change. I can see their point, but won’t be another stick in the mud for this one, which packed the punch I needed during a busy time of year!
As always, Jack Reacher finds himself in the middle of the scenario not entirely of his own making. Having decided that he ought to leave Nashville, Reacher convinces a young guy to give him a ride about eighty miles up the interstate to a sleepy Tennessee town. It seems quiet enough and is sure not to cause Reacher any issues. Little does Reacher know what awaits him.
Reacher meets Rusty Rutherford, who seems to be persona non grata amongst everyone in town. Having been the IT Manager for local services, Rutherford’s been made the scapegoat for the entire computer system being offline. It all relates to a ransomware attack, with hackers holding the only means to unlock all the computer’s data for a sizeable fee in a timely manner or risk having it erased. Rutherford tried to infiltrate the system and create an effective backup, but the ransomware has provisions for that and now millions will likely have to be spent to return things to normal. In an odd coincidence, Reacher rode into town with the very man, the insurance negotiator, who is tasked with trying to find a monetary solution to the mess.
While walking around town, Reacher notices that Rutherford is about to be targeted by a gang of apparent slick enforcers and comes to the man’s aid. This puts Reacher in a heap of trouble with local law enforcement, but his wily skills have him back on the street before long. Reacher learns a little more about Rutherford’s woes and how there’s a server that contains everything, including a a program Rutherford’s been working on that could have blocked the entire attack and a previously unknown backup that could be helpful.
Through a series of confidential conversations and secret double-crosses, Reacher is read in to a mission taking place that could have major impacts. It would seem the backup houses the name of a Russian spy who has been working nearby to infiltrate one of America’s most prized new digital systems, The Sentinel. A program that protects the integrity of US elections, the Sentinel could pose massive problems if it gets into the wrong hands, wreaking havoc on election registries and pushing the country into electoral chaos [and not of the faux claims of ‘rigged’ that disrupt the democratic transfer of power]!
As Reacher and Rutherford are joined by another key cog in the wheel, they must locate the errant server that has all the information and sell it before turning the perpetrator over to the authorities. However, as with anything that comes to the Russians, there’s always a catch and something that no one saw coming. If that were not enough, a local businessman has a plan all his own that could derail everything and leave a great deal of blood in his wake. Leave it to Reacher to find trouble with only his toothbrush in a back pocket!
Whenever I need something exciting and a little fun, I know I can find it in the hands of Lee Child and his Jack Reacher stories. While the series has made it to twenty-five books, I have never found them lose their momentum, though some will always be better than others. The introduction of the collaborating brothers here will, as I have already seen, rock the boat to the point that some become disheartened with the series. I liked the experiment, though found some small things that may not have been entirely to my liking, which I will tackle in a moment.
Jack Reacher remains a wonderful protagonist. His personality never changes and we don’t get any new backstory here, but he’s always a presence that cannot be missed. Reacher finds himself in a small town, minding his own business, when trouble seems to locate him like a lost puppy. He remains gritty and determined to help, something that Lee Child has fashioned him to be from the very start. However, I noticed that his admitted Luddite ways are inexplicably contrasted with an understanding of complex new Russian digital espionage. This is something that does not jive with a man who finds clamshell phones to be more technology than he can handle. Not that Reacher is a ‘basic’ man, but it seems above what series readers may have come to expect. Was he hiding it from years in the MPs and has somehow come to understand it through an odd osmosis?
The thing about Reacher novels is that there is usually an entirely new cast and crew of secondary characters, which makes things highly exciting and full of newness for the protagonist. This was no exception here, as a sleepy Tennessee town came to life, with personalities on all sides. Child (and Grant) do well to develop those townspeople, authorities, and foreign agents to keep the story flowing well and flavouring the narrative in ways that few would have come to expect. I enjoy it, as I learn a great deal from all the perspectives and must remain attentive to meet an entirely new set of fresh faces with each book. For the most part, they complement Reacher really well!
Being an active and involved reviewer, I try not to let the thoughts of others influence my reading, particularly when it comes to a series I have long enjoyed. That can sometimes be difficult, especially when I have a handful of people whose opinions matter great deal. However, I do enjoy going against the grain at times and speaking for myself, not allowing the current of opinion to push me in any one direction.
This book served the purpose that I needed it to, entertaining me fully and keeping me actively wanting to know what was going on. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the narrative worked well to keep me guessing and wanting to know even more. I loved the characters and felt that Child and Grant (I cannot bring myself to call them both ‘Child’, as Andrew Grant has made a name for himself independently) worked well together to keep the essence of the Reacher flavour in most aspects of the story. Strong chapters that always keep things moving proved to be the thing I needed to keep me pushing through, even as things are busy for me outside of the reading world.
I can see how some would have an issue, going so far as to say ‘this is not the Jack Reacher I know’. However, I fear that many people have failed to comprehend that Reacher, like us all, has to progress at some point. He’s had twenty-five full length adventures (and some short story side trips as well) and has surely ‘matured’ over that time. His nomadic ways have surely been offset with an understanding of the new things going on in the world. That said, I did feel that there was quite a leap (though subtle at the same time) in Reacher’s knowledge and comprehension, which could lead some to say that this is not the galoot they know so well. Was it Child and Grant trying to stay with the times and delve into election rigging? Could it be Grant’s collaborative influence that steered the story in new directions? I’m not sure and really don’t think it is worth my time dissecting it fully. I have said my bit and, like Reacher, I am ready to move on to a new adventure. But, I’ll be back, toothbrush in my back pocket, eager to see what else the series has for me!
Kudos, Messrs. Child and Grant, for an entertaining piece. I am eager to see what’s next and whether more collaborations are in store for series fans. At least those who have not turned their backs on Reacher because things ‘are not the same’.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
As always, Jack Reacher finds himself in the middle of the scenario not entirely of his own making. Having decided that he ought to leave Nashville, Reacher convinces a young guy to give him a ride about eighty miles up the interstate to a sleepy Tennessee town. It seems quiet enough and is sure not to cause Reacher any issues. Little does Reacher know what awaits him.
Reacher meets Rusty Rutherford, who seems to be persona non grata amongst everyone in town. Having been the IT Manager for local services, Rutherford’s been made the scapegoat for the entire computer system being offline. It all relates to a ransomware attack, with hackers holding the only means to unlock all the computer’s data for a sizeable fee in a timely manner or risk having it erased. Rutherford tried to infiltrate the system and create an effective backup, but the ransomware has provisions for that and now millions will likely have to be spent to return things to normal. In an odd coincidence, Reacher rode into town with the very man, the insurance negotiator, who is tasked with trying to find a monetary solution to the mess.
While walking around town, Reacher notices that Rutherford is about to be targeted by a gang of apparent slick enforcers and comes to the man’s aid. This puts Reacher in a heap of trouble with local law enforcement, but his wily skills have him back on the street before long. Reacher learns a little more about Rutherford’s woes and how there’s a server that contains everything, including a a program Rutherford’s been working on that could have blocked the entire attack and a previously unknown backup that could be helpful.
Through a series of confidential conversations and secret double-crosses, Reacher is read in to a mission taking place that could have major impacts. It would seem the backup houses the name of a Russian spy who has been working nearby to infiltrate one of America’s most prized new digital systems, The Sentinel. A program that protects the integrity of US elections, the Sentinel could pose massive problems if it gets into the wrong hands, wreaking havoc on election registries and pushing the country into electoral chaos [and not of the faux claims of ‘rigged’ that disrupt the democratic transfer of power]!
As Reacher and Rutherford are joined by another key cog in the wheel, they must locate the errant server that has all the information and sell it before turning the perpetrator over to the authorities. However, as with anything that comes to the Russians, there’s always a catch and something that no one saw coming. If that were not enough, a local businessman has a plan all his own that could derail everything and leave a great deal of blood in his wake. Leave it to Reacher to find trouble with only his toothbrush in a back pocket!
Whenever I need something exciting and a little fun, I know I can find it in the hands of Lee Child and his Jack Reacher stories. While the series has made it to twenty-five books, I have never found them lose their momentum, though some will always be better than others. The introduction of the collaborating brothers here will, as I have already seen, rock the boat to the point that some become disheartened with the series. I liked the experiment, though found some small things that may not have been entirely to my liking, which I will tackle in a moment.
Jack Reacher remains a wonderful protagonist. His personality never changes and we don’t get any new backstory here, but he’s always a presence that cannot be missed. Reacher finds himself in a small town, minding his own business, when trouble seems to locate him like a lost puppy. He remains gritty and determined to help, something that Lee Child has fashioned him to be from the very start. However, I noticed that his admitted Luddite ways are inexplicably contrasted with an understanding of complex new Russian digital espionage. This is something that does not jive with a man who finds clamshell phones to be more technology than he can handle. Not that Reacher is a ‘basic’ man, but it seems above what series readers may have come to expect. Was he hiding it from years in the MPs and has somehow come to understand it through an odd osmosis?
The thing about Reacher novels is that there is usually an entirely new cast and crew of secondary characters, which makes things highly exciting and full of newness for the protagonist. This was no exception here, as a sleepy Tennessee town came to life, with personalities on all sides. Child (and Grant) do well to develop those townspeople, authorities, and foreign agents to keep the story flowing well and flavouring the narrative in ways that few would have come to expect. I enjoy it, as I learn a great deal from all the perspectives and must remain attentive to meet an entirely new set of fresh faces with each book. For the most part, they complement Reacher really well!
Being an active and involved reviewer, I try not to let the thoughts of others influence my reading, particularly when it comes to a series I have long enjoyed. That can sometimes be difficult, especially when I have a handful of people whose opinions matter great deal. However, I do enjoy going against the grain at times and speaking for myself, not allowing the current of opinion to push me in any one direction.
This book served the purpose that I needed it to, entertaining me fully and keeping me actively wanting to know what was going on. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the narrative worked well to keep me guessing and wanting to know even more. I loved the characters and felt that Child and Grant (I cannot bring myself to call them both ‘Child’, as Andrew Grant has made a name for himself independently) worked well together to keep the essence of the Reacher flavour in most aspects of the story. Strong chapters that always keep things moving proved to be the thing I needed to keep me pushing through, even as things are busy for me outside of the reading world.
I can see how some would have an issue, going so far as to say ‘this is not the Jack Reacher I know’. However, I fear that many people have failed to comprehend that Reacher, like us all, has to progress at some point. He’s had twenty-five full length adventures (and some short story side trips as well) and has surely ‘matured’ over that time. His nomadic ways have surely been offset with an understanding of the new things going on in the world. That said, I did feel that there was quite a leap (though subtle at the same time) in Reacher’s knowledge and comprehension, which could lead some to say that this is not the galoot they know so well. Was it Child and Grant trying to stay with the times and delve into election rigging? Could it be Grant’s collaborative influence that steered the story in new directions? I’m not sure and really don’t think it is worth my time dissecting it fully. I have said my bit and, like Reacher, I am ready to move on to a new adventure. But, I’ll be back, toothbrush in my back pocket, eager to see what else the series has for me!
Kudos, Messrs. Child and Grant, for an entertaining piece. I am eager to see what’s next and whether more collaborations are in store for series fans. At least those who have not turned their backs on Reacher because things ‘are not the same’.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
November 1, 2020
RIP Jack Reacher.
No, Jack Reacher has not "died" but, metaphorically, the old Jack Reacher is gone. Andrew Child (Grant) authored this book, having Jack Reacher's character bestowed upon him by his older brother Lee Child (Grant).
I've read a few of Andrew's prior novels; and, while moderately good reads, I simply stopped reading them. His writing style is too pedantic for me, and the plots were repetitive and predictable. The same issues transferred to his authoring of the new Reacher.
The old Reacher had a no-nonsense grittiness to him. His dialogue was reticent. His actions were explosively minimalistic. His military demeanor was evident in his discussions and his actions. The new Reacher has become a "Chatty-Kathy," talking about minutia with extensive contemplation before action. That is not Jack Reacher. His "voice" has completely changed.
..."Well someone sent those guys after you. And it wasn't someone wanting to invite you over for milk and cookies."
"...milk and cookies..."? From Jack Reacher? No. Just, No. Perhaps "...wanting to invite you over for a good strong cup of coffee;" or "...wanting to invite you over for a cold beer..." That is Jack Reacher's voice. But "milk and cookies," No. When I read that line, early on in the book, I knew the old Jack Reacher was dead. That one simple sentence, that one completely uncharacteristic sentence, and I knew the old Reacher was gone.
Jack Reacher is a popular character so I suppose the new Jack Reacher may do well in sales. Instead of wrapping up Jack Reacher's character, Lee may have given his younger brother a publishing cash cow, but he did not give his younger brother his writing style or skills. Different author, different voice, different character despite the same name. Many character driven series end for assorted reasons; the author dies, the author tires of the character, sales decline, etc. I would have preferred that Lee simply wrapped up Reacher’s story and let him fade into the sunset, rather than have Reacher replaced by a shadow of his former self.
Here is the difference:
Lee Child wrote a Jack Reacher thriller; while Andrew Child wrote a thriller with a guy named Jack Reacher in it.
No, Jack Reacher has not "died" but, metaphorically, the old Jack Reacher is gone. Andrew Child (Grant) authored this book, having Jack Reacher's character bestowed upon him by his older brother Lee Child (Grant).
I've read a few of Andrew's prior novels; and, while moderately good reads, I simply stopped reading them. His writing style is too pedantic for me, and the plots were repetitive and predictable. The same issues transferred to his authoring of the new Reacher.
The old Reacher had a no-nonsense grittiness to him. His dialogue was reticent. His actions were explosively minimalistic. His military demeanor was evident in his discussions and his actions. The new Reacher has become a "Chatty-Kathy," talking about minutia with extensive contemplation before action. That is not Jack Reacher. His "voice" has completely changed.
..."Well someone sent those guys after you. And it wasn't someone wanting to invite you over for milk and cookies."
"...milk and cookies..."? From Jack Reacher? No. Just, No. Perhaps "...wanting to invite you over for a good strong cup of coffee;" or "...wanting to invite you over for a cold beer..." That is Jack Reacher's voice. But "milk and cookies," No. When I read that line, early on in the book, I knew the old Jack Reacher was dead. That one simple sentence, that one completely uncharacteristic sentence, and I knew the old Reacher was gone.
Jack Reacher is a popular character so I suppose the new Jack Reacher may do well in sales. Instead of wrapping up Jack Reacher's character, Lee may have given his younger brother a publishing cash cow, but he did not give his younger brother his writing style or skills. Different author, different voice, different character despite the same name. Many character driven series end for assorted reasons; the author dies, the author tires of the character, sales decline, etc. I would have preferred that Lee simply wrapped up Reacher’s story and let him fade into the sunset, rather than have Reacher replaced by a shadow of his former self.
Here is the difference:
Lee Child wrote a Jack Reacher thriller; while Andrew Child wrote a thriller with a guy named Jack Reacher in it.
November 1, 2021
That is all.
January 23, 2021
I know the authorship of this entry in the Jack Reacher series was a little different from normal but it was still Reacher at his best - travelling light, fighting off all the opposition and helping the needy just because he wants to.
I enjoyed The Sentinel very much. It was well paced, full of action and a bit tricky too with more than one set of baddies in play, confusing the situation. There was even a twist at the end which I did not see coming. The style was still very much Lee Childs'. If I had not been told it had another author I would not have guessed.
This was a very entertaining read. A comfortable one too because we know Reacher is going to win in the end somehow, even if he is tied to a chair or locked in a cellar. I have enjoyed all 25 books and I hope there are more to come.
I enjoyed The Sentinel very much. It was well paced, full of action and a bit tricky too with more than one set of baddies in play, confusing the situation. There was even a twist at the end which I did not see coming. The style was still very much Lee Childs'. If I had not been told it had another author I would not have guessed.
This was a very entertaining read. A comfortable one too because we know Reacher is going to win in the end somehow, even if he is tied to a chair or locked in a cellar. I have enjoyed all 25 books and I hope there are more to come.
March 1, 2022
Like so many other best selling authors, Lee Child is trying to keep the brand going by bringing in a co-author, his own younger brother. That never works for me and I admit I started this novel with trepidation. However, it turned out to be a good read, fast and action packed as all Jack Reacher novels are. I did notice a few changes in the Jack Reacher we know and love. He's chattier, for one thing. I didn't count words or anything, but I'm sure he did more talking than he usually does. And beyond that, he seemed to do more on-the-page thinking than usual, even plotting out his fist fights. Andrew Grant tries to bring him into modern times by giving him his first cell phone. I went along with that until he quickly works his way through the menus to find just the information he needs, the first time he tries.
Bottom line: The Sentinel is a pretty good read, but Andrew Grant's style is not exactly the same as Lee Child's.
March 29, 2024
I notice that Lee Child has brought in his younger brother Andrew (both use the same last-name pseudonym), who might eventually take over writing duties for the Jack Reacher series (?). If Andrew hadn’t been acknowledged, I wouldn’t have been any the wiser, this Reacher story is the same as all the preceding ones (a good thing!) as far as writing style and storyline formula are concerned. Reacher arrives in some godforsaken place in the USA, gets attacked by at least two goons, who he turns into minced meat, then some dastardly conspiracy emerges, which Reacher proceeds to sort out with cunning and loads more violence. In every ‘episode’ Reacher stays in cheap motels, visits a disposal store to buy new clothes (he travels without luggage), and has an affair with a woman. Why change a winning formula? I managed to get a signed (by both Child brothers) copy of this book at that fabulous bookstore (Topping) in Bath (Somerset, England) during my last visit! May there be many more Reacher books. We need our regular dose of righteousness and courage, not to mention the prehistoric reptile instincts and other Reacher quirks.
October 28, 2020
I have thoroughly enjoyed all previous Reacher books and I even liked the movies. I didnt understand what people didnt like about the last two books - I thought they were great.
But today is a sad day for Jack Reacher fans. With the franchise being taken over by Andrew Child, this new book reads more like bad fan fiction than an actual Reacher novel.
When Kyle Mills took over Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp series, the transition was flawless. Andrew should call up Kyle Mills and ask how not to turn a character into a cardboard cutout of himself.
As many have mentioned, we get a much more chatty Reacher which would be OK, but the writing....is...just...awful.
On page 33 we get:
“Three against one. Not the kind of odds to worry Reacher. But Reacher was not their target. That was clear.”
and on the VERY next page we get:
“It was four against one, now. Maybe five or six against one if they had a mobile backup. Not the kind of odds to bother Reacher. But Reacher was not their target.”
Ya we get it already...sheesh. Plenty more examples to choose from but I couldnt stand it and DNF at 25% because I was too irritated to continue.
Theres plenty of other action series out there, so I will be moving on. RIP Jack Reacher.
But today is a sad day for Jack Reacher fans. With the franchise being taken over by Andrew Child, this new book reads more like bad fan fiction than an actual Reacher novel.
When Kyle Mills took over Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp series, the transition was flawless. Andrew should call up Kyle Mills and ask how not to turn a character into a cardboard cutout of himself.
As many have mentioned, we get a much more chatty Reacher which would be OK, but the writing....is...just...awful.
On page 33 we get:
“Three against one. Not the kind of odds to worry Reacher. But Reacher was not their target. That was clear.”
and on the VERY next page we get:
“It was four against one, now. Maybe five or six against one if they had a mobile backup. Not the kind of odds to bother Reacher. But Reacher was not their target.”
Ya we get it already...sheesh. Plenty more examples to choose from but I couldnt stand it and DNF at 25% because I was too irritated to continue.
Theres plenty of other action series out there, so I will be moving on. RIP Jack Reacher.
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December 7, 2020
2.5 Stars ^ to 3.0 - "I (almost) liked it"
"The Sentinel - Jack Reacher #25"
Authors: Lee & Andrew Child
Audiobook - 10:20 Hours - Narrator: Jeff Harding
My purchased Penguin copy was just a bit over ten hours in listening length, not the 20+ hours indicated on my iPhone and mentioned in my “Reading Activity”, although at times it did seem to rattle on forever. Furthermore, the narrator on my version was Jeff Harding, not the anticipated Scott Brick. A number of my other Reacher audiobooks are read by Harding and apparently this is due to some weird geographical considerations in which Australia is treated as a country other than the USA – quelle surprise! Jeff Harding proved to be a very welcome change from the wearying Dick Hill in these earlier books, but I would have been considerably happier if Scott Brick had been the artist in my copy of “The Sentinel”.
Listening to this was a somewhat disappointing experience, not the least because the plot/storyline seemed confusing and drawn out. The initial scene involving a bar owner who fails to pay his performing group was contrived and had nothing to do with the plot, but it did establish the first action scene between Reacher and some bad guys. The action went as expected, but the ‘new’ Jack Reacher has developed some quite different perspectives. For example he is more talkative, particularly about what he intends to do to the baddies and how, – so much for “Reacher said nothing…”; he has developed a particular fondness for fight choreography, e.g. using his ‘elbows’ as fighting weapons, a lot more than he used to; and overnight he magically becomes competent with previously unknown technology (mobile phone inc GPS, etc).
The main plot/story is really pretty lame. The subject matter is all pretty high-tech, and way, way out of the previous Reacher’s league, but somehow he rapidly adapts to the tech-talk and the story progresses to its barely satisfactory conclusion. The baddies were woefully incompetent and despite the entrance of the “highly-feared” Russian, they remained so. I am happy to report that the previously mandatory booty calls and/or romantic love interests, while obliquely just below the surface, did not surface in “The Sentinel”.
Finally, I wish to quote from GR friend David Putnam’s review as an example of the ‘changed’ Jack Reacher:
"…and Reacher kept the money from the bad guy that belonged to the victims he was helping. In this book Jack Reacher is brusque and arrogant—cocksure. Granted there is a fine line between arrogant and confident and in this book, Jack reaches far across that line. I liked him better as a reluctant hero.”
Very well said, David!
"The Sentinel - Jack Reacher #25"
Authors: Lee & Andrew Child
Audiobook - 10:20 Hours - Narrator: Jeff Harding
My purchased Penguin copy was just a bit over ten hours in listening length, not the 20+ hours indicated on my iPhone and mentioned in my “Reading Activity”, although at times it did seem to rattle on forever. Furthermore, the narrator on my version was Jeff Harding, not the anticipated Scott Brick. A number of my other Reacher audiobooks are read by Harding and apparently this is due to some weird geographical considerations in which Australia is treated as a country other than the USA – quelle surprise! Jeff Harding proved to be a very welcome change from the wearying Dick Hill in these earlier books, but I would have been considerably happier if Scott Brick had been the artist in my copy of “The Sentinel”.
Listening to this was a somewhat disappointing experience, not the least because the plot/storyline seemed confusing and drawn out. The initial scene involving a bar owner who fails to pay his performing group was contrived and had nothing to do with the plot, but it did establish the first action scene between Reacher and some bad guys. The action went as expected, but the ‘new’ Jack Reacher has developed some quite different perspectives. For example he is more talkative, particularly about what he intends to do to the baddies and how, – so much for “Reacher said nothing…”; he has developed a particular fondness for fight choreography, e.g. using his ‘elbows’ as fighting weapons, a lot more than he used to; and overnight he magically becomes competent with previously unknown technology (mobile phone inc GPS, etc).
The main plot/story is really pretty lame. The subject matter is all pretty high-tech, and way, way out of the previous Reacher’s league, but somehow he rapidly adapts to the tech-talk and the story progresses to its barely satisfactory conclusion. The baddies were woefully incompetent and despite the entrance of the “highly-feared” Russian, they remained so. I am happy to report that the previously mandatory booty calls and/or romantic love interests, while obliquely just below the surface, did not surface in “The Sentinel”.
Finally, I wish to quote from GR friend David Putnam’s review as an example of the ‘changed’ Jack Reacher:
"…and Reacher kept the money from the bad guy that belonged to the victims he was helping. In this book Jack Reacher is brusque and arrogant—cocksure. Granted there is a fine line between arrogant and confident and in this book, Jack reaches far across that line. I liked him better as a reluctant hero.”
Very well said, David!
October 26, 2021
3 ☆ Reacher 2.0!
What's an author to do when he wants to retire from his second career, which he started at age 40 and turned out to be far more successful than he had ever hoped? Lee Child, a pseudonym for James Grant, published his first Jack Reacher thriller in 1997; Killing Floor was fantastic. Fast forward 20+ years - while reading book #24 Blue Moon, I thought Child was going to mimic Arthur Conan Doyle by killing Reacher so that Child could retire. Maybe his editor persuaded him out of the decision, but Blue Moon was the weakest Reacher novel ever because it taxed my already generous limits of willing suspension of disbelief.
James Grant's solution was to turn over writing duties to his younger brother Andrew Grant, hence the two names on the cover which are more prominent than even the title. Andrew knows Reacher.
The Sentinel feels like many of the previous stories. It adheres to the formula of Reacher suddenly arriving into town, doing his Good Samaritan thing to help others with both his brain and brawn, and then quietly leaving without fanfare. Andrew also slipped in many references to Reacher's past - from his mother's valor, his military career not ending well, to past white knight adventures.
In The Sentinel, Reacher arrives in Nashville, Tennessee by bus. His love for blues music leads him to a bar where he ensures, in true Robin Hood-fashion, that the band receives their payment. Reacher exits quickly and hitches a ride with a driver who's lost and en route to a small, nameless town a few hours away. He just wants coffee and expects to leave in less than a day. But then Reacher notices several people and a car intently closing in upon a clueless man and suspects a potential kidnapping. Of course, he prevents the snatching.
The ensuing chain of events pulls Reacher into the modern era. His grateful victim equips him with a cellphone. The motivation for the abduction is extremely revelant given that the publication year is an election year in the US. I liked the plotline though I did guess the identities of the main perpetrators.
I call this "Reacher 2.0" because there's a sense of timelessness (easing the path for 3 contracted future installments). There's no reference to how much time has elapsed since Reacher's last adventure. In the previous installment, Reacher was described as having some aches and pains, which would be expected for a man in his late 50s. None of that was apparent in this novel. Reacher still had several fights. He was again outnumbered a few times but handily prevailed (okay, these did test my suspension of disbelief but it was acceptable).
Overall, I feel that the transition in writers was nearly seamless. Reacher does appear a bit less laconic but his rationale is in keeping with his personality. I am satisfied with it and believe that Reacher fans will be pleased that his creator hadn't killed him off after all. New readers can start with The Sentinel as it's a reboot of the series.
What's an author to do when he wants to retire from his second career, which he started at age 40 and turned out to be far more successful than he had ever hoped? Lee Child, a pseudonym for James Grant, published his first Jack Reacher thriller in 1997; Killing Floor was fantastic. Fast forward 20+ years - while reading book #24 Blue Moon, I thought Child was going to mimic Arthur Conan Doyle by killing Reacher so that Child could retire. Maybe his editor persuaded him out of the decision, but Blue Moon was the weakest Reacher novel ever because it taxed my already generous limits of willing suspension of disbelief.
James Grant's solution was to turn over writing duties to his younger brother Andrew Grant, hence the two names on the cover which are more prominent than even the title. Andrew knows Reacher.
Reacher on the other hand was built for extremes. His default was either to move extremely slow or extremely fast. One moment he could appear languid, lazy, almost comatose. The next he could erupt into a frenzy of action, furious, relentless, for as long as necessary then relapse into serene stillness until the next threat presented itself.
The Sentinel feels like many of the previous stories. It adheres to the formula of Reacher suddenly arriving into town, doing his Good Samaritan thing to help others with both his brain and brawn, and then quietly leaving without fanfare. Andrew also slipped in many references to Reacher's past - from his mother's valor, his military career not ending well, to past white knight adventures.
Reacher shrugged. "It seems he was trying to do his best to do the right thing but got screwed by the people above him. Something similar happened to me once. It doesn't feel good. And now he's got a bunch of assholes on his tail for some reason he doesn't understand and you people are in no hurry to help him. Someone's got to."
In The Sentinel, Reacher arrives in Nashville, Tennessee by bus. His love for blues music leads him to a bar where he ensures, in true Robin Hood-fashion, that the band receives their payment. Reacher exits quickly and hitches a ride with a driver who's lost and en route to a small, nameless town a few hours away. He just wants coffee and expects to leave in less than a day. But then Reacher notices several people and a car intently closing in upon a clueless man and suspects a potential kidnapping. Of course, he prevents the snatching.
The ensuing chain of events pulls Reacher into the modern era. His grateful victim equips him with a cellphone. The motivation for the abduction is extremely revelant given that the publication year is an election year in the US. I liked the plotline though I did guess the identities of the main perpetrators.
I call this "Reacher 2.0" because there's a sense of timelessness (easing the path for 3 contracted future installments). There's no reference to how much time has elapsed since Reacher's last adventure. In the previous installment, Reacher was described as having some aches and pains, which would be expected for a man in his late 50s. None of that was apparent in this novel. Reacher still had several fights. He was again outnumbered a few times but handily prevailed (okay, these did test my suspension of disbelief but it was acceptable).
Overall, I feel that the transition in writers was nearly seamless. Reacher does appear a bit less laconic but his rationale is in keeping with his personality. I am satisfied with it and believe that Reacher fans will be pleased that his creator hadn't killed him off after all. New readers can start with The Sentinel as it's a reboot of the series.
October 28, 2020
Jack Reacher is an iconic character and author Lee a Child has treated readers to many fantastic books. But of late he seemed to lose his mojo, the stories seemed to be on repeat and so did Reacher. This changed in the previous book Blue Moon where in a totally illogical plot and setting, Reacher turned into a murdering psycho. It was an awful book and by far the worst of the Reacher books.
Then Lee Child announced he was handing over the reins to his brother to continue the series. Brother Andrew (who has written under the name Andrew Grant) now reclaims the Child surname. I’ve read some Andrew Grant/Child books and they were okay but very different in style to that of his brother. Anyway, the fans waited for this with baited breath and fingers crossed....
Reacher finds himself in a small town and goes to protect a guy from being attacked. Turns out he is an IT guy and may unknowingly hold the secret as to why the town is being blackmailed as part of a cyber-crime. Reacher decides to hang around, cause trouble, beat people up and flush out the bad guys.
And it’s a convoluted plot and not overly satisfying, quite a few aspects that if you spend any time thinking about, don’t really work. Reacher is certainly different, more chatty and less of his moral compass and more violence. It somehow says loudly to the audience that violence and murder is okay, because these are bad guys getting hurt and so it’s okay to enjoy it.
In summary this just felt like an average thriller featuring a tough loner. Those looking for a return to Reacher magic will likely be disappointed.
Then Lee Child announced he was handing over the reins to his brother to continue the series. Brother Andrew (who has written under the name Andrew Grant) now reclaims the Child surname. I’ve read some Andrew Grant/Child books and they were okay but very different in style to that of his brother. Anyway, the fans waited for this with baited breath and fingers crossed....
Reacher finds himself in a small town and goes to protect a guy from being attacked. Turns out he is an IT guy and may unknowingly hold the secret as to why the town is being blackmailed as part of a cyber-crime. Reacher decides to hang around, cause trouble, beat people up and flush out the bad guys.
And it’s a convoluted plot and not overly satisfying, quite a few aspects that if you spend any time thinking about, don’t really work. Reacher is certainly different, more chatty and less of his moral compass and more violence. It somehow says loudly to the audience that violence and murder is okay, because these are bad guys getting hurt and so it’s okay to enjoy it.
In summary this just felt like an average thriller featuring a tough loner. Those looking for a return to Reacher magic will likely be disappointed.
April 26, 2021
The lift Reacher picked up wasn’t his usual bus trip – but it worked just the same. Where the banker stopped was where Reacher got out – a small town near Nashville, Tennessee and one he’d stay for a meal and head on out. But circumstances caused a change of plans when Reacher spotted an apparent kidnapping unfolding. So, Reacher being Reacher, stepped in.
Reacher found himself involved in something he didn’t want to be involved in. Yet he stayed. Rusty Rutherford was a nice guy – average, down to earth. An IT person in a town which had been cyber attacked, so Rusty was fired and now the bad guys were sure he had what they wanted. Could Reacher sort out the mess without anyone else being killed?
The Sentinel is the 25th in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child, and the beginning of his collaboration with his brother, Andrew Child. Once again Reacher doesn’t pull his punches; tough as nails and nice as pie – Reacher at his usual best. I enjoyed The Sentinel very much with its full on action and plenty of twists, and hope the series continues for a long time yet. Recommended.
Reacher found himself involved in something he didn’t want to be involved in. Yet he stayed. Rusty Rutherford was a nice guy – average, down to earth. An IT person in a town which had been cyber attacked, so Rusty was fired and now the bad guys were sure he had what they wanted. Could Reacher sort out the mess without anyone else being killed?
The Sentinel is the 25th in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child, and the beginning of his collaboration with his brother, Andrew Child. Once again Reacher doesn’t pull his punches; tough as nails and nice as pie – Reacher at his usual best. I enjoyed The Sentinel very much with its full on action and plenty of twists, and hope the series continues for a long time yet. Recommended.
October 24, 2025
A great book from Lee child and Andrew child again about the drifter Jack Reacher.
I’m lucky enough to have the whole series of reacher books so I’m delighted when I get to read another..
Jack reacher is in a town outside Nashville and comes across a bar and likes the sound of the band..
being reacher he likes to wrong a right.
He ends up getting a lift to another town where it has come under a cyber attack.
He comes across a man named Rusty Rutherford, just an ordinary man that has had some bad luck and no one likes him at the moment.
Reacher knows when there is something not right and something is going to happen, seeing the lacklustre Rutherford being about to be under attack so reacher takes it on himself to help Rutherford .
Rutherford knows more than he’s letting on.
Reacher and Rutherford looks in to why Rutherford is a target,
There’s more to this than meets the eye and Jack has taken it on himself to help the little man out and find out what is happening, with his Brawn and brains he’s there looking for the truth..
I’m lucky enough to have the whole series of reacher books so I’m delighted when I get to read another..
Jack reacher is in a town outside Nashville and comes across a bar and likes the sound of the band..
being reacher he likes to wrong a right.
He ends up getting a lift to another town where it has come under a cyber attack.
He comes across a man named Rusty Rutherford, just an ordinary man that has had some bad luck and no one likes him at the moment.
Reacher knows when there is something not right and something is going to happen, seeing the lacklustre Rutherford being about to be under attack so reacher takes it on himself to help Rutherford .
Rutherford knows more than he’s letting on.
Reacher and Rutherford looks in to why Rutherford is a target,
There’s more to this than meets the eye and Jack has taken it on himself to help the little man out and find out what is happening, with his Brawn and brains he’s there looking for the truth..
November 7, 2020
This is the first book of the Jack Reacher series not written by Lee Child (the pen name of James Grover Grant, British author). He has turned over the series to his younger brother, Andrew. It seems the Grant boys are talented writers.
The book is well written and the characters are interesting. Jack Reacher hitches a ride and gets out in a small Tennessee town which was the destination of his ride. Reacher immediately gets into trouble by rescuing a man that is being attacked by a group of men. The story is non-stop action and intrigue. I am getting use to Scott Brick as the narrator since Dick Hill retired. I cannot wait for episode twenty-six.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is ten hours thirty-nine minutes. Scott Brick does a good job narrating the book. Brick is an actor and has won multiple awards for his audiobook narration.
The book is well written and the characters are interesting. Jack Reacher hitches a ride and gets out in a small Tennessee town which was the destination of his ride. Reacher immediately gets into trouble by rescuing a man that is being attacked by a group of men. The story is non-stop action and intrigue. I am getting use to Scott Brick as the narrator since Dick Hill retired. I cannot wait for episode twenty-six.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is ten hours thirty-nine minutes. Scott Brick does a good job narrating the book. Brick is an actor and has won multiple awards for his audiobook narration.
maybe
February 14, 2020Maybe...much as I’ve enjoyed Reacher over the years, I’m not sure how long the wandering loner character can be sustained, even in the vacuum of his world. Reacher using a walker?
Still, I’m interested in what Grant might do with him. Child’s last few Reacher efforts have been somewhat disappointing.
Still, I’m interested in what Grant might do with him. Child’s last few Reacher efforts have been somewhat disappointing.
November 17, 2021
The good news is that this book is way better than Blue Moon. After a relatively irrelevant introductory scene where Jack helps a band get paid for a gig in a Nashville bar, he catches a ride to a small town where the municipal technology systems engineer has become a pariah after a ransomware attack. Jack rescues him from a kidnapping attempt by parties unknown, mangling a couple of people, which angers the local police. Always a champion for the little guy, Jack naturally protects the techie, finding out that he has developed some useful coding. But, there is further skullduggery in town, linked to a death by torture of a journalist and some deep secret buried in the town's computer archives. Discovering the identity and motive for the bad guys is a chore, but kind of Jack's forte. 2.5 stars, rounded up.
December 9, 2020
The baton of authoring Jack Reacher is handed over from Lee Child to his brother Andrew Grant (aka Child) and the result is little disappointing!
Jack Reacher walks in on a kidnapping attempt and seeing the complexity of the plan and the apparent vulnerability of the victim decides to stay back and investigate.... What happens next?
Please read my review here https://rb.gy/s3qrpg to know more! Please read, Like, Comment or Share 🔥 it's incredibly encouraging!!
Jack Reacher walks in on a kidnapping attempt and seeing the complexity of the plan and the apparent vulnerability of the victim decides to stay back and investigate.... What happens next?
Please read my review here https://rb.gy/s3qrpg to know more! Please read, Like, Comment or Share 🔥 it's incredibly encouraging!!
October 29, 2025
Ах, тези руснаци! Никнат и където не ги сееш, но пък Ричър отново е познатата бойна машина, която ще ги премачка бързо и безкомпромисно.
Чете се бързо и си е доста злободневен, този пореден трилър на мистър Чайлд!
Чете се бързо и си е доста злободневен, този пореден трилър на мистър Чайлд!
September 28, 2024
2.5 stars
"You're just a Good Samaritan?" -- Detective John Goodyear
"Exactly." -- Jack Reacher, on page 47
The Sentinel marks a turning point of sorts in the long-running series (this is the 25th novel) featuring former military policeman-turned-drifter Jack Reacher. This is the first book being co-authored by the creator Lee Child's younger brother Andrew, aaaaand . . . . it's sort of a case of too many cooks spoiling the soup. In this over-baked tale (tired of those culinary metaphors yet?), Reacher wanders into a Tennessee town - after a 007-like standalone 'pre-title sequence' involving a beleaguered rock band in Nashville that went on for a little too long - to help out a once-respected but now slandered computer programmer. It seems the town's municipal database and infrastructure was hacked and is being held hostage for ransom. This spins into a crowded conspiracy-laden plot that was a little too much of a slow-burn slog to get through, which was unusual for this normally dependable series. Additionally, the three female leads (a retired federal agent, a federal agent working undercover, and a local policewoman) are disappointingly all sort of interchangeable ciphers, and a brief attempted torture scene involving one of them was just a little too squicky for its own good. Also, near the climax Reacher suddenly sported a convenient fear or phobia, which I don't recall being mentioned in any of the prior stories, and all I could think of was shouting 'Shenanigans!!!' at the writing duo.
"You're just a Good Samaritan?" -- Detective John Goodyear
"Exactly." -- Jack Reacher, on page 47
The Sentinel marks a turning point of sorts in the long-running series (this is the 25th novel) featuring former military policeman-turned-drifter Jack Reacher. This is the first book being co-authored by the creator Lee Child's younger brother Andrew, aaaaand . . . . it's sort of a case of too many cooks spoiling the soup. In this over-baked tale (tired of those culinary metaphors yet?), Reacher wanders into a Tennessee town - after a 007-like standalone 'pre-title sequence' involving a beleaguered rock band in Nashville that went on for a little too long - to help out a once-respected but now slandered computer programmer. It seems the town's municipal database and infrastructure was hacked and is being held hostage for ransom. This spins into a crowded conspiracy-laden plot that was a little too much of a slow-burn slog to get through, which was unusual for this normally dependable series. Additionally, the three female leads (a retired federal agent, a federal agent working undercover, and a local policewoman) are disappointingly all sort of interchangeable ciphers, and a brief attempted torture scene involving one of them was just a little too squicky for its own good. Also, near the climax Reacher suddenly sported a convenient fear or phobia, which I don't recall being mentioned in any of the prior stories, and all I could think of was shouting 'Shenanigans!!!' at the writing duo.
December 4, 2020
Since Reacher has been around since 1997 how old would he be now??
Much too old to be doing the same old thing beating up everyone in sight and hardly getting hurt in the process.
To have to read detailed fight after fight (and there are many) blow for blow really gets tired after a while.
I understand that for an author to keep a main character fresh and interesting and entertaining for 25 novels is quite a feat, BUT Lee Child would have done well to find an honorable way in which to finish off Reacher instead of handing him over to Andrew Child. I think even Reacher would agree.
While I liked this book better than the last one (“Blue Moon”) it didn’t captivate me the way Reacher did in the past. I just kept thinking of how old he would be at this point. Reacher with a cell phone is just not in the cards. A chatty-chatty Reacher is not true to form.
And for Heaven’s sake – is every book now going to have something to do with politics??? I get enough of that in the news.
Why 3-stars??? I have no excuse. I just liked Reacher so much in the past.
Much too old to be doing the same old thing beating up everyone in sight and hardly getting hurt in the process.
To have to read detailed fight after fight (and there are many) blow for blow really gets tired after a while.
I understand that for an author to keep a main character fresh and interesting and entertaining for 25 novels is quite a feat, BUT Lee Child would have done well to find an honorable way in which to finish off Reacher instead of handing him over to Andrew Child. I think even Reacher would agree.
While I liked this book better than the last one (“Blue Moon”) it didn’t captivate me the way Reacher did in the past. I just kept thinking of how old he would be at this point. Reacher with a cell phone is just not in the cards. A chatty-chatty Reacher is not true to form.
And for Heaven’s sake – is every book now going to have something to do with politics??? I get enough of that in the news.
Why 3-stars??? I have no excuse. I just liked Reacher so much in the past.
December 16, 2022
Jack Reacher never disappoints. Of course, after so many adventures, the latter no longer has the incisiveness of the novelty, and in fact there are all the usual ingredients that characterize the events of Reacher. And this, on the one hand, is very reassuring and on the other, however, takes away some expectations. The plot of this book is very complex and Reacher will be faced with a challenge based on hacker attacks, servers, cell phones and other technical devilry that are absolutely not part of his world. But as always happens in his adventures, Reacher finds himself immersed in it purely by chance and those who know him, know that Reacher does not turn away when he sees an injustice, and rules it in his way. Also in this case we will see the usual dose of irony, fist fights, a bit of splatter, a display of weapons and intelligence. Reacher will find allies and yet also many double agents and the book is therefore really readable and full of interesting ideas and twists. Certainly not a masterpiece of literature, but four well-deserved stars for a book that does not betray expectations.
October 12, 2024
In Andrew Child's hands Jack Reacher has become annoyingly sarcastic, condescending and jerk-like, and comes soaked in a bloodlust unknown during his original creators tenure. The lifeless prose I prayed would awaken turned out to be stillborn- with tedious mansplaining filling up at least half the book's length in place of, you know......plot.
Ugh...
Blurg...
Dang it!!!
I used to get a big ol' satisfied smile on my face at the end of most Reacher novels. Sadly, it seems those days have passed.
Time to pour out a little liquor, yo. Guess we all gotta go someday......
2 Sad Sack Stars
Ugh...
Blurg...
Dang it!!!
I used to get a big ol' satisfied smile on my face at the end of most Reacher novels. Sadly, it seems those days have passed.
Time to pour out a little liquor, yo. Guess we all gotta go someday......
2 Sad Sack Stars
December 8, 2020
I've always rather liked the Jack Reacher novels. The concept of the Lone Knight, riding into town (on a Greyhound bus or a hitched ride), defending the innocent and riding off into the sunset again, appeals to me. The fact that Jack Reacher is a bit of a Luddite and lives largely off the grid, adds to the escapist fantasy. Finally, I admire the way the author manages to make everything that Jack Reacher does, whether it's throwing a punch, staking out a building where villains are holed up, or selecting a seat in a bar, sound like the result of careful reasoning, sometimes leavened by well-honed survival instincts.
Well, no longer. This collaboration between Lee Child and his brother is not a success. Jack Reacher has become a cardboard cutout, a big man who mechanically walks from fight scene to fight scene. The secondary characters, including the innocent he's protecting, have no personality, no depth to them. The law enforcement characters in the novel, an FBI agent and two local cops, waltz in and out of the story to provide the information to drive the story forward, but without leaving any impression on the reader. (Like a butler appearing briefly on stage, bearing the telegram that propels the next act in the play). The plot is a contrived mess of stolen data, neo-Nazis, Russians and local louts, and multiple teams of villains trying to get hold of the innocent data manager. Various details strain one's credulity. A bouquet of Edelweiss, that fragile alpine flower, in the middle of Tennessee? really? And we are supposed to believe that Jack Reacher knows the birthdays of half a dozen political figures of the first half of the 20th century by heart?
Even the fight scenes are boring, mainly because it seems that the other guys (or gals) just stand there while Jack Reacher disarms, maims or kills them. There are plenty of scenes where Reacher grabs a gun, or a handy nearby tool, or even grabs hold of someone, and it seems this happens while everyone else is frozen. Not until the final scenes do any of these people seem to fight back.
I think this series has officially turned the corner from "entertainment with flair" to "assembly-line hack work". Too bad. It was nice knowing you, Reacher.
Well, no longer. This collaboration between Lee Child and his brother is not a success. Jack Reacher has become a cardboard cutout, a big man who mechanically walks from fight scene to fight scene. The secondary characters, including the innocent he's protecting, have no personality, no depth to them. The law enforcement characters in the novel, an FBI agent and two local cops, waltz in and out of the story to provide the information to drive the story forward, but without leaving any impression on the reader. (Like a butler appearing briefly on stage, bearing the telegram that propels the next act in the play). The plot is a contrived mess of stolen data, neo-Nazis, Russians and local louts, and multiple teams of villains trying to get hold of the innocent data manager. Various details strain one's credulity. A bouquet of Edelweiss, that fragile alpine flower, in the middle of Tennessee? really? And we are supposed to believe that Jack Reacher knows the birthdays of half a dozen political figures of the first half of the 20th century by heart?
Even the fight scenes are boring, mainly because it seems that the other guys (or gals) just stand there while Jack Reacher disarms, maims or kills them. There are plenty of scenes where Reacher grabs a gun, or a handy nearby tool, or even grabs hold of someone, and it seems this happens while everyone else is frozen. Not until the final scenes do any of these people seem to fight back.
I think this series has officially turned the corner from "entertainment with flair" to "assembly-line hack work". Too bad. It was nice knowing you, Reacher.
November 1, 2020
Not as enjoyable as I have come to expect
I was happy to see a new Jack Reacher book come out, usually they’re good for a exciting brainless escapist read. And I could sure use that during Covid. But this one felt... different. Off. Jack Reacher himself was wrong. His quirky knowledge and chatty way of talking to thugs before beating them up came off in this book as if he was autistic. And his chatty distractions were boring instead of informative and clever. Jack Reacher usually thinks a mile a minute during a fight scene but he did it so much and it slowed down the action and made those scenes boring and slow. There were so many references to current events, elections and Russian interference that it took me right out of the plot. And there were 3 teams of murderous bad guys plus an entire town hating on an IT guy. Convoluted and overkill.
I just thought the author was losing it or this book was a dud for some reason but then when I got to the end I noticed an “About the Authors” sections. What the? Apparently Lee Child wrote this one with his son. This explains why this book fell flat and didn’t feel like it had the Reacher mojo. Now I’m going to need to research when this started happening.
This is like the Dick Francis saga all over again, when after his wife/co-writer died his books weren’t as good and then his son Felix started co-writing them and they lost their charm and then Dick Francis passed away and Felix wrote them entirely on his own and then they were just bad.
I was happy to see a new Jack Reacher book come out, usually they’re good for a exciting brainless escapist read. And I could sure use that during Covid. But this one felt... different. Off. Jack Reacher himself was wrong. His quirky knowledge and chatty way of talking to thugs before beating them up came off in this book as if he was autistic. And his chatty distractions were boring instead of informative and clever. Jack Reacher usually thinks a mile a minute during a fight scene but he did it so much and it slowed down the action and made those scenes boring and slow. There were so many references to current events, elections and Russian interference that it took me right out of the plot. And there were 3 teams of murderous bad guys plus an entire town hating on an IT guy. Convoluted and overkill.
I just thought the author was losing it or this book was a dud for some reason but then when I got to the end I noticed an “About the Authors” sections. What the? Apparently Lee Child wrote this one with his son. This explains why this book fell flat and didn’t feel like it had the Reacher mojo. Now I’m going to need to research when this started happening.
This is like the Dick Francis saga all over again, when after his wife/co-writer died his books weren’t as good and then his son Felix started co-writing them and they lost their charm and then Dick Francis passed away and Felix wrote them entirely on his own and then they were just bad.
November 11, 2020
There is little to be gained in being a rigid fan. See the howls of derision when Daniel Craig was announced as Bond – There can’t possibly be a blonde haired Bond! Lee Child may be retiring, but he has sensibly kept his name on the first book written with his brother as the new Jack reacher author. Critics have pointed out that Reacher talks more, that he uses a mobile phone and even drives, more than once! So what? There will be changes, that’s the point of bringing in a new author. That and to keep the series going. Supply and demand. Of which there is plenty. Elements of Reacher’s mythology are peppered throughout: reference to his French mother, pointy heads, his MP unit, military tactics. And an obliging lady, eventually.
There are all kinds of twists and turns. There is definitely more life in this one than in the last couple of books, if you ask me. The last top quality one was Night School, 4 books ago. You could see that Lee Child was running out of ideas, exactly why he brought his younger brother in.
This story is bigger in every way. There are international angles, at least two heinous networks of bad guys, a larger cast of characters and a smattering of the trademark sarcasm. It gets personal for Reacher. It always does. It’s personal for us, the fans. But I, for one, am very happy with the new injection of life.
There are all kinds of twists and turns. There is definitely more life in this one than in the last couple of books, if you ask me. The last top quality one was Night School, 4 books ago. You could see that Lee Child was running out of ideas, exactly why he brought his younger brother in.
This story is bigger in every way. There are international angles, at least two heinous networks of bad guys, a larger cast of characters and a smattering of the trademark sarcasm. It gets personal for Reacher. It always does. It’s personal for us, the fans. But I, for one, am very happy with the new injection of life.
November 20, 2021
This is the 25th book in the Jack Reacher series by author Lee Child and the first with his brother Andrew. I have read all the books in the series and I have shared the feeling that the series was becoming tired and monotonous and needed freshening up. Well I suppose with the introduction of Andrew that was perhaps the intention but unfortunately for me it just added to the problems. In my opinion the character of Jack Reacher has been transformed and bears little resemblance to the one that we have got to know. The new Jack Reacher is far more chatty, looking for action, arrogant rather than the usual loner who is far more reluctant to get involved.
It is difficult to stop reading a series you have enjoyed in the past as you hold the hope that you will rekindle what you had before. Well I have been saying that for too long and maybe it is time for me personally to bow out of this one. I loved the early books but now find it tired and run it’s course.
It is difficult to stop reading a series you have enjoyed in the past as you hold the hope that you will rekindle what you had before. Well I have been saying that for too long and maybe it is time for me personally to bow out of this one. I loved the early books but now find it tired and run it’s course.
April 14, 2024
Another adventure where Reacher out thinks and defeats the bad guys. This time Russians trying to preserve a spy who could cause havoc in US elections. A small town in Tennessee with ransomeware, Nazi’s and spies. Reacher helps the ostracised IT guy blamed for all the problems with computers. Jack is also mistaken for someone to negotiate the ransom to free the computers.
The collaboration with his brother Andrew works for me. Reacher is slowly being dragged into the modern world. Cellphones enter his life.
The bunker was a good idea and you could feel Reacher’s claustrophobia. Lots of fights and a few deaths with no surprises on who defeats his adversaries.
The collaboration with his brother Andrew works for me. Reacher is slowly being dragged into the modern world. Cellphones enter his life.
The bunker was a good idea and you could feel Reacher’s claustrophobia. Lots of fights and a few deaths with no surprises on who defeats his adversaries.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2020
3.5 stars
Pssssst....The sentinel is not a person. That's as close as I'm gonna get to spoilers.
For the first time, Lee Child has teamed up with his brother in the creation of a Jack Reacher novel. T (Fun fact, Lee Child and Andrew Child are pen names. Their real names are James and Andrew Grant.)
According to this article https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainmen... Lee is "handing over the writing duties" to his younger brother. Sounds to me like this might be Andrew's baby rather than a collaborative effort.
December 8, 2020
The twenty fifth Jack Reacher novel, with Andrew joining his older brother as co-author and the passing of the mantle. It's like comfort food or an old friend, you just pick up from where you left off and the enjoyment continues. Another no name town, this time one that has suffered a cyber attack and Jack Reacher gets involved. All the usual adventure and action, as the story unfolds with a small reference to the US election danger. But it's your typical Reacher fare and 5 star rating!!
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