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Hunt for Reacher #1
Don't Know Jack
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author DIANE CAPRI Delivers in this Hunt for Jack Reacher book!
"Full of thrills and tension, but smart and human, too. Kim Otto is a great, great character - I love her." Lee Child, #1 World Wide Bestselling Author of Jack Reacher Thrillers
Jack Friend or Enemy?
It’s been a while since we first met Lee Child’s Jack Reacher in Killing Floor. Fifteen years and more than twenty-five novels later, Reacher still lives off the grid, until trouble finds him, and then he does whatever it takes, much to the delight of readers and the dismay of villains.
Now someone big is looking for him. Who? And why?
Hunting Jack Reacher is a dangerous business, as FBI Special Agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar are about to find out. Otto and Gaspar are by-the-book hunters who know when to break the rules.
Reacher is perhaps the best killer the US Army has ever produced, as many villains have learned the hard way.
Now, Reacher is a wanted man, but is he friend or enemy?
Only the secrets hidden in Margrave, Georgia will tell them.
"Full of thrills and tension, but smart and human, too. Kim Otto is a great, great character - I love her." Lee Child, #1 World Wide Bestselling Author of Jack Reacher Thrillers
Jack Friend or Enemy?
It’s been a while since we first met Lee Child’s Jack Reacher in Killing Floor. Fifteen years and more than twenty-five novels later, Reacher still lives off the grid, until trouble finds him, and then he does whatever it takes, much to the delight of readers and the dismay of villains.
Now someone big is looking for him. Who? And why?
Hunting Jack Reacher is a dangerous business, as FBI Special Agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar are about to find out. Otto and Gaspar are by-the-book hunters who know when to break the rules.
Reacher is perhaps the best killer the US Army has ever produced, as many villains have learned the hard way.
Now, Reacher is a wanted man, but is he friend or enemy?
Only the secrets hidden in Margrave, Georgia will tell them.
324 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
8532 people are currently reading
4666 people want to read
About the author
Diane Capri
199 books756 followersBestselling author Diane Capri is a recovering lawyer. She’s a snowbird who divides her time between Florida and Michigan. An active member of Mystery Writers of America, Author’s Guild, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime, she loves to hear from readers and is hard at work on her next novel.
Connect with her online:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/@DianeCapri
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Diane-...
Here’s the Long version, if you’re looking for more info:
#1 Amazon Bestselling Author Diane Capri’s work is what the #1 worldwide publishing phenomenon Lee Child calls “Full of thrills and tension, but smart and human, too.” Margaret Maron, Edgar, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity Award-winning MWA Past President, says: “Expertise shines on every page.” And Library Journal raves: “….offers tense legal drama with courtroom overtones, twisty plots, and loads of atmosphere. Recommended.”
Diane’s new Jess Kimball series kicked off with Fatal Distraction, opening as the #3 Bestselling Legal Thriller, behind John Grisham. Diane’s new Hunt for Jack Reacher series began with Don’t Know Jack, which garnered #1 Bestseller spots on Mystery, Hard-boiled Mystery, Police Procedural, Women Sleuths, and Legal Thriller lists both in the U.S. and U.K. Don’t Know Jack was followed by two bestselling short stories in the Hunt for Jack Reacher series, Jack in a Box and Jack and Kill. Diane’s Judge Wilhelmina Carson mysteries were praised by Romantic Times and garnered the coveted “Top Pick.” Diane’s savvy, spunky character, attorney Jennifer Lane, stars in her own romantic suspense series, which kicks off with Annabelle’s Attack.
Diane is the past Executive Vice President of International Thriller Writers, past member of the Board of the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, and active in Sisters in Crime and other writing organizations. She comes to writing after a successful legal career and is married to her college sweetheart. She loves her nomadic snowbird existence preferring perpetual summer migrating from Florida to Michigan each year.
Diane says she writes mystery and suspense for the same reason she reads: to find out what happens, why people do what they do, and how to bring justice to an unjust world.Her books are translated in twenty territories. Diane loves to hear from readers. Contact her at: DianeCapri.com/Contact to receive notice of new releases, subscribe to Diane’s blog, or simply connect with her.
Connect with her online:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/@DianeCapri
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Diane-...
Here’s the Long version, if you’re looking for more info:
#1 Amazon Bestselling Author Diane Capri’s work is what the #1 worldwide publishing phenomenon Lee Child calls “Full of thrills and tension, but smart and human, too.” Margaret Maron, Edgar, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity Award-winning MWA Past President, says: “Expertise shines on every page.” And Library Journal raves: “….offers tense legal drama with courtroom overtones, twisty plots, and loads of atmosphere. Recommended.”
Diane’s new Jess Kimball series kicked off with Fatal Distraction, opening as the #3 Bestselling Legal Thriller, behind John Grisham. Diane’s new Hunt for Jack Reacher series began with Don’t Know Jack, which garnered #1 Bestseller spots on Mystery, Hard-boiled Mystery, Police Procedural, Women Sleuths, and Legal Thriller lists both in the U.S. and U.K. Don’t Know Jack was followed by two bestselling short stories in the Hunt for Jack Reacher series, Jack in a Box and Jack and Kill. Diane’s Judge Wilhelmina Carson mysteries were praised by Romantic Times and garnered the coveted “Top Pick.” Diane’s savvy, spunky character, attorney Jennifer Lane, stars in her own romantic suspense series, which kicks off with Annabelle’s Attack.
Diane is the past Executive Vice President of International Thriller Writers, past member of the Board of the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, and active in Sisters in Crime and other writing organizations. She comes to writing after a successful legal career and is married to her college sweetheart. She loves her nomadic snowbird existence preferring perpetual summer migrating from Florida to Michigan each year.
Diane says she writes mystery and suspense for the same reason she reads: to find out what happens, why people do what they do, and how to bring justice to an unjust world.Her books are translated in twenty territories. Diane loves to hear from readers. Contact her at: DianeCapri.com/Contact to receive notice of new releases, subscribe to Diane’s blog, or simply connect with her.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 655 reviews
March 19, 2013
If you enjoy the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child, don't read this. You will be horribly disappointed and have wasted your time with this garbage. The entire pretext with which the FBI is looking for and investigating Reacher is because he is a criminal which is far from the case for Lee Child's character.
In in own right, the book isn't even good. The plot steals everything from The Killing Floor. The characters Ms. Capri has created are horrible and have zero character development.
Alluding to a mystery man whom the reader is to assume is Reacher is the only "appearance" the title character makes in the book. Giving Racher a child from a tryst in The Killer Floor is really was a pathetic plot twist that served zero purpose.
Horrible book. Embarrassment to the Reacher name. I'd rather watch Tom Cruise.
In in own right, the book isn't even good. The plot steals everything from The Killing Floor. The characters Ms. Capri has created are horrible and have zero character development.
Alluding to a mystery man whom the reader is to assume is Reacher is the only "appearance" the title character makes in the book. Giving Racher a child from a tryst in The Killer Floor is really was a pathetic plot twist that served zero purpose.
Horrible book. Embarrassment to the Reacher name. I'd rather watch Tom Cruise.
June 11, 2017
What attracted me to the book was the link to Jack Reacher, however this is a very tenuous link and the use of his name was a bit like using a celebrity to advertise a cheap product that we all know the celebrity would never actually use.
Since reading the book I have read a few reviews that say this is an ideal book for fans of Jack Reacher WHY ???? It has very little to do with Jack, the FBI agents seem to think he is a psychotic evil murderer and the style of writing is nothing like Lee Child.
Kim Otto is interesting and I wanted to like her, but she is supposed to be a top FBI agent, yet she jumps to conclusions and makes assumptions seemingly on a whim. All the actual evidence they gather contradicts their assumptions but instead of making them change their views it seems to harden their opinions.
I began to think the author had made her incompetent on purpose and this was part of the story, but eventually it became clear it was the author that didn’t really know what she was doing, as towards the end of the book the agents suddenly became experienced experts.
As a basic Thriller the book is OK, but I still think using Jack Reacher’s name is a bit of a con.
Since reading the book I have read a few reviews that say this is an ideal book for fans of Jack Reacher WHY ???? It has very little to do with Jack, the FBI agents seem to think he is a psychotic evil murderer and the style of writing is nothing like Lee Child.
Kim Otto is interesting and I wanted to like her, but she is supposed to be a top FBI agent, yet she jumps to conclusions and makes assumptions seemingly on a whim. All the actual evidence they gather contradicts their assumptions but instead of making them change their views it seems to harden their opinions.
I began to think the author had made her incompetent on purpose and this was part of the story, but eventually it became clear it was the author that didn’t really know what she was doing, as towards the end of the book the agents suddenly became experienced experts.
As a basic Thriller the book is OK, but I still think using Jack Reacher’s name is a bit of a con.
July 8, 2012
I'm a huge Lee Child fan and love the Jack Reacher books. If you're expecting Reacher to show up here, you'll be disappointed. However, if you accept this is a book about "hunting" for Reacher, I think you'll be pleased. As any fan knows, Jack Reacher is off the grid and is not going to be found easily, if at all -- unless of course he wants to be. So going along for the ride with these two FBI agents while they look for him is a fun experience. The writing is fast-paced, action-packed and character driven. As one reviewer said, it's a nice feeling to know you know more than the characters about their target. Yet the main thrust of the novel is about solving a different, present day crime once the agents end up in a town Reacher had visited 15 years before. Overall, this was a great read and I highly recommend it. I'm looking forward to reading more of Ms. Capri's work.
September 14, 2017
A decent read, but the story revolving around Jack Reacher didn't entirely work for me. Every time Reacher kept getting a mention I was yearning for him to become involved in the action. He doesn't, of course, this isn't Lee Childs' book.
It was kind of like going on a walk and being told of fantastic views along the way, only to find them blocked from view at every turn; in that way, it's just a walk - pleasant in and of itself, but not exhilarating.
It was kind of like going on a walk and being told of fantastic views along the way, only to find them blocked from view at every turn; in that way, it's just a walk - pleasant in and of itself, but not exhilarating.
March 9, 2018
3.5 stars but I can't round it up. Primarily as it is the first in chronological time for this series, I felt it was just too much all at once. Too much introductory information, too much movement on planes and places, and especially too many characters in this particular escapade/ assignment.
Yes, you can tell I read this after all the other "Hunt for Jack Reacher" series, so I can relatively compare. I've read everything up to and including #7 already, and I felt this one was the poorest. Just exactly because of what I stated in the first paragraph of this review. But it was NOT poor in itself.
Kim Otto is a true star character. Gaspar is only slightly less. And they do get better.
Many of the reviews for this one (and I seldom read reactions or reviews first but I did this time because of my only getting the downloads in an out of order arrival and of varying lengths as they are- so I wanted their take of the book length beginning). Those reviews under star this book, IMHO. I can understand not liking the plot. But I see 1 star or 2 for very exaggerated reasons of having either questionable or off putting dialog? And I just want to say that Diane Capri does NOT fear to jump PC fences. So that may turn people off in 2018? And that her characters are cops and tough feds- fighting at times their very own authority figures which are totally questionable to be trusted. And their parleys between each other are not snowflake nor in any territory of unoffensive to ethnicity or state of appearance or gender sensibilities. Like real cops. And without using any foul and repeated swear context (there are NONE in these books) - I think all of these exchanges are not at all outside of believable. Quite the opposite. Ok, Sunshine?
But this particular book held so much and so often. Just too much and too fast. Hardly sleeping and eating eggs or fast food or junk to the point of wondering how these people have any energy to speak of for this kind of work. Also the driving issues become central and often discussed here. Almost too much. And that whole car proclivity gets settled more as the series goes on.
And the body count here is high and the circumstances nearly impossible for a team that holds little knowledge of each other and has existed only a couple of days. At points it was hard for me to follow the pivotal character Sylvia's context. It was for me.
But you DO get incredible insight into Kim's past, which really cut my sails a bit. You got none of her very early history nuance in the later books. By the people she knows by name and position in a D.C. elite "social establishment" you absolutely know she wasn't a Snow White in her past. And she's such a honest and nearly pure figure in the "now". Hmmm!
It finishes with a couple of real showdowns and the plotting is huge and wide. It isn't quite like that further into the series, and we get considerably more intelligence savvy later as they solidly pair to their best slotted tasks. But this one totally includes Roscoe and we get an inkling of a blonde 15 year only who is 6 foot tall and clearly seems Jack Reacher's daughter. Roscoe is the police chief in Margave, GA. (You'll remember her from Lee Child's Killing Floors.) The place where Joe Reacher was murdered. (Or could she be Joe's child?)
Diane Capri reads as a person who has worked in BOTH the before tech and the now tech (I-phones, tracing, drones etc.) eras. And I feel that judging her because she uses Lee Child characters as if it was something averse or copied? Not at all. Lee Child is a benevolent mentor and greatly approves. And she does a terrific job of keeping Reacher as Reacher. He never appears. And her duo paired agents here are the best I've come across since Rizzoli and Iles. They work like hand and glove but with all kinds of personality twists. Kind of like "The Odd Couple" if you are aware of that old movie, tv sit. com. duo.
Later in the series these evolve to rather awesome examples for this particular genre.
Yes, you can tell I read this after all the other "Hunt for Jack Reacher" series, so I can relatively compare. I've read everything up to and including #7 already, and I felt this one was the poorest. Just exactly because of what I stated in the first paragraph of this review. But it was NOT poor in itself.
Kim Otto is a true star character. Gaspar is only slightly less. And they do get better.
Many of the reviews for this one (and I seldom read reactions or reviews first but I did this time because of my only getting the downloads in an out of order arrival and of varying lengths as they are- so I wanted their take of the book length beginning). Those reviews under star this book, IMHO. I can understand not liking the plot. But I see 1 star or 2 for very exaggerated reasons of having either questionable or off putting dialog? And I just want to say that Diane Capri does NOT fear to jump PC fences. So that may turn people off in 2018? And that her characters are cops and tough feds- fighting at times their very own authority figures which are totally questionable to be trusted. And their parleys between each other are not snowflake nor in any territory of unoffensive to ethnicity or state of appearance or gender sensibilities. Like real cops. And without using any foul and repeated swear context (there are NONE in these books) - I think all of these exchanges are not at all outside of believable. Quite the opposite. Ok, Sunshine?
But this particular book held so much and so often. Just too much and too fast. Hardly sleeping and eating eggs or fast food or junk to the point of wondering how these people have any energy to speak of for this kind of work. Also the driving issues become central and often discussed here. Almost too much. And that whole car proclivity gets settled more as the series goes on.
And the body count here is high and the circumstances nearly impossible for a team that holds little knowledge of each other and has existed only a couple of days. At points it was hard for me to follow the pivotal character Sylvia's context. It was for me.
But you DO get incredible insight into Kim's past, which really cut my sails a bit. You got none of her very early history nuance in the later books. By the people she knows by name and position in a D.C. elite "social establishment" you absolutely know she wasn't a Snow White in her past. And she's such a honest and nearly pure figure in the "now". Hmmm!
It finishes with a couple of real showdowns and the plotting is huge and wide. It isn't quite like that further into the series, and we get considerably more intelligence savvy later as they solidly pair to their best slotted tasks. But this one totally includes Roscoe and we get an inkling of a blonde 15 year only who is 6 foot tall and clearly seems Jack Reacher's daughter. Roscoe is the police chief in Margave, GA. (You'll remember her from Lee Child's Killing Floors.) The place where Joe Reacher was murdered. (Or could she be Joe's child?)
Diane Capri reads as a person who has worked in BOTH the before tech and the now tech (I-phones, tracing, drones etc.) eras. And I feel that judging her because she uses Lee Child characters as if it was something averse or copied? Not at all. Lee Child is a benevolent mentor and greatly approves. And she does a terrific job of keeping Reacher as Reacher. He never appears. And her duo paired agents here are the best I've come across since Rizzoli and Iles. They work like hand and glove but with all kinds of personality twists. Kind of like "The Odd Couple" if you are aware of that old movie, tv sit. com. duo.
Later in the series these evolve to rather awesome examples for this particular genre.
November 29, 2013
Capri begins a new series for Reacher fans (and those who have heard of him), tasking two FBI agents with building a file on the elusive man. Having dropped off the radar 15 years earlier, Agents Gaspar and Otto are sent by their mysterious boss down to Georgia to find out something concrete. While poking around, Gaspar and Otto stumble upon a murder, with possible Reacher ties, and pursue it, in hopes of adding to their slim file. While things take turns away from Reacher research, both agents uncover a larger scheme that MAY have something to do with Reacher, or may just be a case worth solving. Filled with action, dry wit, and wonderful narrative, Capri hooks readers from the beginning as she create a hunt for Jack Reacher that will take as many turns as can be jammed into one story. Fans of Reacher and curious newbies alike will devour this book and all it has to offer.
Having yet to read any Reacher, I was not sure how well I would adapt to Capri and her story. I chose to read the two short stories in the series first, which did little to ruin this novel, but did help flesh out some of the character nuances found within these pages. It has piqued my curiosity enough to want to reach Lee Child's series and see who this Reacher might be. Her writing is fast-paced and full of great dialogue, which pushes the story along and keeps the reader enthralled.
Kudos Madam Capri for such a great intro to a new series and ties in nicely with a well-established one. I look forward to seeing how the Hunt goes, over time.
Having yet to read any Reacher, I was not sure how well I would adapt to Capri and her story. I chose to read the two short stories in the series first, which did little to ruin this novel, but did help flesh out some of the character nuances found within these pages. It has piqued my curiosity enough to want to reach Lee Child's series and see who this Reacher might be. Her writing is fast-paced and full of great dialogue, which pushes the story along and keeps the reader enthralled.
Kudos Madam Capri for such a great intro to a new series and ties in nicely with a well-established one. I look forward to seeing how the Hunt goes, over time.
April 8, 2021
Perhaps the most compelling thing to wonder about this book is why Lee Child let her write it! Capri states in a forward that they are friends, but there’s nothing about the story, other than stealing the setting and basic facts of Child’s debut of Jack Reacher in “Killing Floor” (which the author admits), that will excite Reacher fans at all. The FBI order to find him by a mysterious “Charlie’s Angel”-type boss who is never revealed, yet seems to possess unexplained omniscience, winds up essentially a non-starter.
Featuring two FBI agents who are supposed to be top players, but rather seem mostly incompetent, there is really herein almost no character or no story-line to really like. We wound up feeling cheated, and frankly mostly bored in this embarrassment to one of our favorite characters ever. That there are now 13 more of these published is virtually unbelievable. Indeed, the novel’s title, “Don’t Know Jack”, might be a better description of our feelings having finished this waste of time. Ouch! {1.5}
Featuring two FBI agents who are supposed to be top players, but rather seem mostly incompetent, there is really herein almost no character or no story-line to really like. We wound up feeling cheated, and frankly mostly bored in this embarrassment to one of our favorite characters ever. That there are now 13 more of these published is virtually unbelievable. Indeed, the novel’s title, “Don’t Know Jack”, might be a better description of our feelings having finished this waste of time. Ouch! {1.5}
April 21, 2021
Apparently, Diane Capri is a friend of Lee Child and has his permission to use the Jack Reacher character in her own books. Special FBI agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar are highly skilled hunters of killers, on the trail of Jack Reacher. A less than average crime thriller, it consists of two lacklustre characters and a somewhat ordinary saga. Spoiler alert, this is NOT a Jack Reacher adventure and the title is somewhat ironic given misleading blurb hook for the book. This is the first in a series but is disappointing and only rates two-stars. As an independent reviewer, my thanks to the author for a copy gratis prior to publication. All opinions expressed herein are freely given and totally my own.
March 17, 2012
Well, sure, I would like it, right? It was great fun writing this book and I'm enjoying reactions from readers. Jack Reacher is such an iconic character and we readers have strong feelings about him. Agents Otto and Gaspar have a tiger by the tail here, don't they?
October 4, 2019
Over the six months before reading this book I read 29 Jack Reacher Novels and short stories by Lee Child. I stumbled upon these books while preparing one of my reviews and recall my dad having mentioned them. So, I decided to give one a try. I typically read a couple hundred books a year, and the last few years have been over 300 a year. I do not recall encountering the name Diane Capri, in fact, the series rang a bell based on how my father described it, but not the author. After reading this volume I picked up the next few in the series. This was a great beginning and it will be interesting to see where it leads. This first story was published in 2012, 15 years after the book Killing Floor was published by Lee Child. And this story is set 15 years after the events in that first Reacher novel.
In this story FBI special agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar are put on Jack’s trail but with only 2 witnesses to question and the task of looking into what happened in Margrave 15 years earlier. This request comes from very high up in the Hoover building. But it has also been expressed that it be done under the radar. There is a lot going on in this novel as the two agents try to gather some intel on Jack they get drawn into a current conflict. So soon they are working against two different missions and two different agenda’s all the while trying to stay under the radar.
The story brings back some characters and places from that first Reacher novel. It also has a lot of action on its own. More than one body, a bombing, blackmail material. And a whole lot of questions. At first Otto and Gaspar wonder if this is just a test. But between shutting back and forth along the eastern US seaboard and a quick hop to Europe, the soon realize things are much more serious than they thought. And the stakes much higher.
It is hard not to appreciate both Otto and Gaspar as characters. There is much to respect in them, and soon readers find them self vested in the outcome. It is interesting to encounter Beverly Roscoe 15 years later and also Lamont Finlay. The action is sustained throughout the book, and ends with a bit of a cliff hanger.
The book was a very interesting read. It was good enough I picked up the next 3, 2 are short stories and the third a novel. It will be interesting to see how Capri follows Jack, for the Lee Child Books jump all over the place time wise. But I have a feeling this series will need to be much more linear. The other confusing thing about this series is the numbering. Goodreads numbers the short stories as dots where Amazon and the authors page just use whole numbers. So, depending how you look at it there are either 9 novels and three short stories, or 12 stories in total numbered 1-12. But no matter how you number them if the rest are as good as this first one, I am in for some great reads ahead. If you are a fan of the Reacher stories you should give these a try. I would recommend having read the Reacher volume first. But if you have not this book is well enough written to stand on its own outside the Lee Child Reacher canon. A great fall read, and I look forward to more in this series and sampling other series by Capri in the future.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
In this story FBI special agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar are put on Jack’s trail but with only 2 witnesses to question and the task of looking into what happened in Margrave 15 years earlier. This request comes from very high up in the Hoover building. But it has also been expressed that it be done under the radar. There is a lot going on in this novel as the two agents try to gather some intel on Jack they get drawn into a current conflict. So soon they are working against two different missions and two different agenda’s all the while trying to stay under the radar.
The story brings back some characters and places from that first Reacher novel. It also has a lot of action on its own. More than one body, a bombing, blackmail material. And a whole lot of questions. At first Otto and Gaspar wonder if this is just a test. But between shutting back and forth along the eastern US seaboard and a quick hop to Europe, the soon realize things are much more serious than they thought. And the stakes much higher.
It is hard not to appreciate both Otto and Gaspar as characters. There is much to respect in them, and soon readers find them self vested in the outcome. It is interesting to encounter Beverly Roscoe 15 years later and also Lamont Finlay. The action is sustained throughout the book, and ends with a bit of a cliff hanger.
The book was a very interesting read. It was good enough I picked up the next 3, 2 are short stories and the third a novel. It will be interesting to see how Capri follows Jack, for the Lee Child Books jump all over the place time wise. But I have a feeling this series will need to be much more linear. The other confusing thing about this series is the numbering. Goodreads numbers the short stories as dots where Amazon and the authors page just use whole numbers. So, depending how you look at it there are either 9 novels and three short stories, or 12 stories in total numbered 1-12. But no matter how you number them if the rest are as good as this first one, I am in for some great reads ahead. If you are a fan of the Reacher stories you should give these a try. I would recommend having read the Reacher volume first. But if you have not this book is well enough written to stand on its own outside the Lee Child Reacher canon. A great fall read, and I look forward to more in this series and sampling other series by Capri in the future.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
February 15, 2012
Oh hell yes! I am in love with this book. I’m a huge Jack Reacher fan. If you don’t know Jack (pun intended!) then get thee to the bookstore/wherever you buy your fix and pick up one of the many Jack Reacher books by Lee Child. Heck, pick up all of them. In particular, read The Killing Floor. Then come back and read Don’t Know Jack. This story picks up the other from the point of view of Kim and Gaspar, FBI agents assigned to build a file on Jack Reacher. The problem is, as anyone who knows Reacher can attest, he lives completely off the grid. No cell phone, no house, no car…he’s not tied down. A pretty daunting task, then, wouldn’t you say?
First lines: “Just the facts. And not many of them, either. Jack Reacher’s file was too stale and too thin to be credible. No human could be as invisible as Reacher appeared to be, whether he was currently above the ground or under it. Either the file had been sanitized, or Reacher was the most off-the-grid paranoid Kim Otto had ever heard of.”
Right away, I’m sensing who Kim Otto is and I’m delighted that I know something she doesn’t. You see, I DO know Jack. And I know he’s not paranoid. Not really. I know why he lives as he does, and I know what kind of man he is. I loved having that over Kim and Gaspar. If you haven’t read any Reacher novels, then this will feel like a good, solid story in its own right. If you have…oh if you have, then you, too, will feel like you have a one-up on the FBI. It’s a fun feeling!
Kim and Gaspar are sent to Margrave by a mysterious boss who reminds me of Charlie, in Charlie’s Angels. You never see him…you hear him. He never gives them all the facts. So they are left with a big pile of nothing. They end up embroiled in a murder case that seems connected to Reacher somehow, but they can’t see how. Suffice to say the efforts to find the murderer, and Reacher, and not lose their own heads in the process, makes for an entertaining read.
I love the way the author handled the entire story. The pacing is dead on (ok another pun intended), the story is full of twists and turns like a Reacher novel would be, but it’s another viewpoint of a Reacher story. It’s an outside-in approach to Reacher.
You might be asking, do they find him? Do they finally meet the infamous Jack Reacher?
Go…read…now…find out!
First lines: “Just the facts. And not many of them, either. Jack Reacher’s file was too stale and too thin to be credible. No human could be as invisible as Reacher appeared to be, whether he was currently above the ground or under it. Either the file had been sanitized, or Reacher was the most off-the-grid paranoid Kim Otto had ever heard of.”
Right away, I’m sensing who Kim Otto is and I’m delighted that I know something she doesn’t. You see, I DO know Jack. And I know he’s not paranoid. Not really. I know why he lives as he does, and I know what kind of man he is. I loved having that over Kim and Gaspar. If you haven’t read any Reacher novels, then this will feel like a good, solid story in its own right. If you have…oh if you have, then you, too, will feel like you have a one-up on the FBI. It’s a fun feeling!
Kim and Gaspar are sent to Margrave by a mysterious boss who reminds me of Charlie, in Charlie’s Angels. You never see him…you hear him. He never gives them all the facts. So they are left with a big pile of nothing. They end up embroiled in a murder case that seems connected to Reacher somehow, but they can’t see how. Suffice to say the efforts to find the murderer, and Reacher, and not lose their own heads in the process, makes for an entertaining read.
I love the way the author handled the entire story. The pacing is dead on (ok another pun intended), the story is full of twists and turns like a Reacher novel would be, but it’s another viewpoint of a Reacher story. It’s an outside-in approach to Reacher.
You might be asking, do they find him? Do they finally meet the infamous Jack Reacher?
Go…read…now…find out!
July 15, 2015
Just a terrible book. Dialog is awful. Character's make comments that are out of left field and reference character's that the reader could have no idea who they are. Several times it seems like a character's name changes multiple times during a chapter. Plot is nonsense. The involvement of the character of Jack Reacher from Lee Child's novel's is an obvious money grab. It was the only reason I picked it up and I imagine it's the only reason most people did.
I rated it a one star, but it doesn't even deserve that.
I rated it a one star, but it doesn't even deserve that.
October 13, 2013
I just purchased "Don't Know Jack" as an e-book. I'll probably read it, because I paid for it, but because of the outrageous "License" terms, I won't review it, and I won't be buying any more of your books.
"This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people". I refuse to accept any author's or publisher's right to apply "terms" to the way I read books. I don't "share" ebooks. I don't post them on websites. But I absolutely reserve the right to give away my only copy, just as I would with a paper book. I actually support the idea of paying royalties on every transfer of any work of art (though how it would ever work, I can't imagine), but authors and publishers neither have a moral right nor (in most countries) a legal right to demand that I can not give away a book I have purchased.
I do not "agree" to your terms.
"This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people". I refuse to accept any author's or publisher's right to apply "terms" to the way I read books. I don't "share" ebooks. I don't post them on websites. But I absolutely reserve the right to give away my only copy, just as I would with a paper book. I actually support the idea of paying royalties on every transfer of any work of art (though how it would ever work, I can't imagine), but authors and publishers neither have a moral right nor (in most countries) a legal right to demand that I can not give away a book I have purchased.
I do not "agree" to your terms.
July 12, 2021
I want to like this. But there is no plot, no explanation for anything, and who are these characters who appear part way through? Very confusing.
February 6, 2024
This was pretty good, but slightly frustrating because I know, or strongly suspect, that they will never be successful in their quest to find Jack Reacher, unless they get together with Lee Child to write a joint book. And that would be a disappointment if it never happens, because I've read most of the Jack Reacher series, and their suspicions about him are totally wrong, so it would be an interesting event.
They are convinced that he's some sort of crazy killer, and suspect him for almost every death they come across. If you haven't read any of the Reacher series, you'd probably be pretty curious to read some, and you'd be surprised. I'm not sure if it's better to have read the series or not.
But the characters are interesting and work well together. And it's kind of interesting that they have an assignment from the big boss, but really have no idea why or what for. They learn that he seems to know a lot more than he's telling them, and a lot of strange things happen along the way. It's all a bit unlikely to me, but I'm not taking it too seriously.
The narrator does a good job, and reads somewhat in the style of the Jack Reacher narrators.
They are convinced that he's some sort of crazy killer, and suspect him for almost every death they come across. If you haven't read any of the Reacher series, you'd probably be pretty curious to read some, and you'd be surprised. I'm not sure if it's better to have read the series or not.
But the characters are interesting and work well together. And it's kind of interesting that they have an assignment from the big boss, but really have no idea why or what for. They learn that he seems to know a lot more than he's telling them, and a lot of strange things happen along the way. It's all a bit unlikely to me, but I'm not taking it too seriously.
The narrator does a good job, and reads somewhat in the style of the Jack Reacher narrators.
May 28, 2020
Huge fan of Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels, so of course when I heard about Diane Capri's Hunt for Jack Reacher series I figured it would be right up my alley.
Wrong.
This is a boring poor man's fan fiction that uses incidents of past Reacher novels and side characters you can barely remember to paint over an incredibly weak thriller. I didn't care for this one at all and this will be my first and last dip into the franchise. I'm sticking with the real deal: Child's Reacher.
Wrong.
This is a boring poor man's fan fiction that uses incidents of past Reacher novels and side characters you can barely remember to paint over an incredibly weak thriller. I didn't care for this one at all and this will be my first and last dip into the franchise. I'm sticking with the real deal: Child's Reacher.
April 20, 2021
As a huge fan of Lee Child's Jack Reacher series this book constantly showed up in my suggestions. So when the price finally hit 99 cents I took a chance.
FBI agents Otto and Gaspar are tasked with finding Jack Reacher, ostensibly for some sort of job offer. Their hunt starts in a small town in southern Georgia where the first Reacher book took place 15 years ago.
From the start the agents leap to the conclusion that Reacher is some sort of bad guy. They get pulled into a local murder case and from that point on they feel Reacher is somehow tied into every bad happening presently and every past crime. Extremely unprofessional in my opinion.
It wasn't totally a bad story but I will not be journeying any further in this series. The title is quite accurate as the lead characters are completely wrong with their mindset on Reacher
FBI agents Otto and Gaspar are tasked with finding Jack Reacher, ostensibly for some sort of job offer. Their hunt starts in a small town in southern Georgia where the first Reacher book took place 15 years ago.
From the start the agents leap to the conclusion that Reacher is some sort of bad guy. They get pulled into a local murder case and from that point on they feel Reacher is somehow tied into every bad happening presently and every past crime. Extremely unprofessional in my opinion.
It wasn't totally a bad story but I will not be journeying any further in this series. The title is quite accurate as the lead characters are completely wrong with their mindset on Reacher
March 6, 2019
1st in a series of novelty mysteries that emerge from 2 FBI agents doing a background check of the, off-the-grid, Jack Reacher that are pulled into investigations not directly tied to their mission...In this one, the setting for Lee Child's "Killing Floor," leads the agents, a Cuban male & a Vietnamese female into arcane FBI infighting...Just a so-so story, but interesting as to its novelty!
April 4, 2021
Very exciting
I have been a Jack Teacher fan for years and this book added a while new layer to the elusive Mr. Reacher.
I have been a Jack Teacher fan for years and this book added a while new layer to the elusive Mr. Reacher.
February 2, 2012
Don't Know Jack is nonstop action, answers that only lead to more questions, and more twists than a winding, mountain road. The main character is FBI agent Kim Otto, a young FBI agent on her first assignment as Number One, who's determined to prove herself in that role. Her second is Carlos Gaspar, seasoned agent and father of four who's managed to hold his post despite an injury that's left him with constant pain in his leg. The two are tossed together by "the Boss," a mysterious, enigmatic figure who they never name, and speak to only when he calls on the special cell phones he provided. Their assignment? An "under the radar" mission to build a file on Jack Reacher.
I'm coming at the book from a different perspective than most readers probably are: I've never read a Reacher novel. Reacher is a former special ops soldier turned mercenary? Government operative? No one knows. But he's ruthless and will stop at nothing - including murder - to complete his mission, which is inevitably something for the greater good. Reacher lives so far off the grid, he hasn't been seen or heard of in fifteen years, yet the Boss is certain he's alive (and there's no evidence to the contrary).
Otto and Gaspar meet in a small, Georgia town where they enlist the help of the police chief - a woman who knew Reacher way-back-when, and whose motives - and loyalties - are unclear. They immediately get wrapped up in her investigation of a simple, spousal murder that's anything but. It should be a local matter, but every indication points to the Boss intending them to get involved.
The Boss himself is an enigma. He calls at the most opportune (or inopportune) times, and always seems to be one step ahead of Otto and Gaspar on this wild chase he's sent them on. Their search eventually takes them to a high-end escort service in DC that Otto has a surprising connection to, to Switzerland, and back across the U.S. in a chase where the stakes increase by the minute.
If you like a good mystery steeped in action, Don't Know Jack is a book you Don't Want to Miss!
I'm coming at the book from a different perspective than most readers probably are: I've never read a Reacher novel. Reacher is a former special ops soldier turned mercenary? Government operative? No one knows. But he's ruthless and will stop at nothing - including murder - to complete his mission, which is inevitably something for the greater good. Reacher lives so far off the grid, he hasn't been seen or heard of in fifteen years, yet the Boss is certain he's alive (and there's no evidence to the contrary).
Otto and Gaspar meet in a small, Georgia town where they enlist the help of the police chief - a woman who knew Reacher way-back-when, and whose motives - and loyalties - are unclear. They immediately get wrapped up in her investigation of a simple, spousal murder that's anything but. It should be a local matter, but every indication points to the Boss intending them to get involved.
The Boss himself is an enigma. He calls at the most opportune (or inopportune) times, and always seems to be one step ahead of Otto and Gaspar on this wild chase he's sent them on. Their search eventually takes them to a high-end escort service in DC that Otto has a surprising connection to, to Switzerland, and back across the U.S. in a chase where the stakes increase by the minute.
If you like a good mystery steeped in action, Don't Know Jack is a book you Don't Want to Miss!
February 10, 2012
FBI Special Agent Kim Otto has a special mission--find all she can about retired US Army officer Jack Reacher--for her very first lead assignment. She has almost no information other than a thin file that stops 15 years earlier and a specific location where to start her search for answers. She has no idea of what she is looking for or why.
Not long after she reaches her destination of Margrave, GA, she realizes that there is much more to the assignment than she was lead to believe. She is drawn into a string of murders, corruption, and money laundering that seem to be related to her assignment--she just isn't sure how.
This high-paced new series is a follow-up to Lee Child's popular Jack Reacher series. The story picks up in Margrave 15 years after Child's "Killing Floor."
This is a great story with plenty of action to keep the reader engaged. I should point out that I have not read the original Jack Reacher series, but I still found the storyline easy to follow. I loved this novel--and I have added Child's series to my to-be-read list as well.
Not long after she reaches her destination of Margrave, GA, she realizes that there is much more to the assignment than she was lead to believe. She is drawn into a string of murders, corruption, and money laundering that seem to be related to her assignment--she just isn't sure how.
This high-paced new series is a follow-up to Lee Child's popular Jack Reacher series. The story picks up in Margrave 15 years after Child's "Killing Floor."
This is a great story with plenty of action to keep the reader engaged. I should point out that I have not read the original Jack Reacher series, but I still found the storyline easy to follow. I loved this novel--and I have added Child's series to my to-be-read list as well.
May 29, 2019
The concept is clever: With the permission of wildly successful author Lee Child, his signature character Jack Reacher and novels in which he appeared become a key piece of a new but related series. In addition to having Reacher in the background (as the draw for a huge existing audience of readers), the writing style attempts to channel Lee Child: crisp detail creating an absorbing story, great characters, and frenetic pace.
For me, the net result is a fail. It just didn't meet any of the expectations a reader would reasonably have, given the beloved known character and the blessing of his creator. A mighty attempt to give the reader some engaging characters, an interesting plot, and page turning action just doesn't deliver. I dragged myself to the end of this effort, mainly to confirm that I can abandon the rest of this series without regret.
For me, the net result is a fail. It just didn't meet any of the expectations a reader would reasonably have, given the beloved known character and the blessing of his creator. A mighty attempt to give the reader some engaging characters, an interesting plot, and page turning action just doesn't deliver. I dragged myself to the end of this effort, mainly to confirm that I can abandon the rest of this series without regret.
September 2, 2017
Boring rubbish trading on the Reacher name - it just never goes anywhere
December 4, 2017
Otto and Gaspar are FBI agents who are sent to Margrave, GA in search of Jack Reacher but there is so much more going on in this small town. They keep getting sent to places all over the country in their search but it seems all roads lead back to Margrave. Lots of life and death situations, drama and interrogations. A series I think I want to read more of.
January 29, 2018
Agents Kim Otto and Carlos M. Gaspar both receive calls on anonymous and untraceable cell phones at roughly 4:00 am in different parts of the country. They are to meet at the Atlanta airport (planes will be held for them) and start building a file on, and trying to locate Jack Reacher. A person who is completely off the radar, and no one knows where he is or if he's alive. They are given no further information.
They are directed to Margrave, GA. the last know town where Reacher was known to be. They are immediately given the runaround by the local sheriff, and tried to be run out of town by the local GHP.
With encountering multiple murders, missing suspects, explosions, and no cooperation of any kind from the local police, along with an un-named boss who seems to know where they are at all times, and pushing them to try harder, until Otto goes off the playbook and decides she is going to do the job they were told to do. No matter what.
This is a nonstop, fast paced story, with more twist in it than should be allowed.
They are directed to Margrave, GA. the last know town where Reacher was known to be. They are immediately given the runaround by the local sheriff, and tried to be run out of town by the local GHP.
With encountering multiple murders, missing suspects, explosions, and no cooperation of any kind from the local police, along with an un-named boss who seems to know where they are at all times, and pushing them to try harder, until Otto goes off the playbook and decides she is going to do the job they were told to do. No matter what.
This is a nonstop, fast paced story, with more twist in it than should be allowed.
February 4, 2013
DON'T KNOW JACK was the first book in the Hunt for Reacher series. Ms. Capri was also a new to me author, so not having read any of her other books, I was not disappointed. The storyline did keep my interest but not enough to say I couldn't put it down. The characters were okay, although I was a little frustrated at times with Kim, the alpha female as Gaspar says. Some of the plot points were a little hard to believe but again this was fiction. Overall not a bad read by no means and I wasn't disappointed. There were a few twists and turns which created a bit of mystery for me.
Rating: 3
Reviewed by: KellyR,My Book Addiction REviews
Rating: 3
Reviewed by: KellyR,My Book Addiction REviews
September 14, 2021
A brand new series where we follow FBI agents Otto and Gaspar in their search for Reacher who is supposedly thought of for a covert assignment. I really love this series and the widening of the Reacher universe.
June 2, 2018
Sent on an apparent fact-finding mission about Jack Reacher, FBI agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar end up in Margrave, Georgia tangled up in a new murder that may be tied to Reacher's past.
I loved The Killing Floor by Lee Child, the book that introduced the world to Jack Reacher and his unconventional life. So when I found out that this book revisited those events and moved the story forward I couldn't pass it up. I'm assuming that Capri worked with Lee Child somehow to determine how the lives of Roscoe and Finlay develop after the original novel. I found some of the choices surprising and bit outlandish, but I went with it. And the current mystery playing out of the original events was interesting...to a point. Capri spends about 3/4 of the novel setting it all up, but races through the end of the book at a frenetic pace that had me stopping to keep things straight with who was doing what to whom! It all just came together and played out too quickly for my taste - it felt rushed like dominoes cascading in a frenetic line.
I did grow to like the characters of Otto and Gaspar throughout the novel. They had interesting personalities and their interactions were generally pretty fun to read. Honestly, I kept picturing Liza Lapira and Michael Pena as these characters as I read through the book. While the characters have a serious side, there was a lot of humor between them and in their dialogue, so those two actors would be perfect if there was ever a Jack Reacher side movie made!
There were too many things that just played oddly for me - such as the mysterious boss; revealing the boss as almost a throw-away; dismissing the actual killer as so much immaterial at the end of the book; and the fact that a prostitute is also a skilled pilot made my head spin. While I would say I mostly had fun reading this book, I'm not sure I'll come back for the future installments. The curiosity wore off by end and the need to suspend disbelief is much bigger than a regular Reacher novel.
My current interest has been satisfied, so I may just go back to Reacher and his regular exploits.
I loved The Killing Floor by Lee Child, the book that introduced the world to Jack Reacher and his unconventional life. So when I found out that this book revisited those events and moved the story forward I couldn't pass it up. I'm assuming that Capri worked with Lee Child somehow to determine how the lives of Roscoe and Finlay develop after the original novel. I found some of the choices surprising and bit outlandish, but I went with it. And the current mystery playing out of the original events was interesting...to a point. Capri spends about 3/4 of the novel setting it all up, but races through the end of the book at a frenetic pace that had me stopping to keep things straight with who was doing what to whom! It all just came together and played out too quickly for my taste - it felt rushed like dominoes cascading in a frenetic line.
I did grow to like the characters of Otto and Gaspar throughout the novel. They had interesting personalities and their interactions were generally pretty fun to read. Honestly, I kept picturing Liza Lapira and Michael Pena as these characters as I read through the book. While the characters have a serious side, there was a lot of humor between them and in their dialogue, so those two actors would be perfect if there was ever a Jack Reacher side movie made!
There were too many things that just played oddly for me - such as the mysterious boss; revealing the boss as almost a throw-away; dismissing the actual killer as so much immaterial at the end of the book; and the fact that a prostitute is also a skilled pilot made my head spin. While I would say I mostly had fun reading this book, I'm not sure I'll come back for the future installments. The curiosity wore off by end and the need to suspend disbelief is much bigger than a regular Reacher novel.
My current interest has been satisfied, so I may just go back to Reacher and his regular exploits.
February 2, 2022
Hunt for Reacher book #1
In a few words:
Agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gasper are assigned to search for a man named Jack Reacher and tasked with conducting a thorough background investigation but first they have to locate him. They are sent to his last known location: Margrave, Georgia, a small town where Jack was last seen. The off the book undercover assignment is to be completed under the radar. The facts were that no one knew for certain where he was, more likely he didn’t want to be found.
My thoughts:
There is a lot going on in this novel as the two agents try to gather some Intel on Jack. Not to long after reaching Margrave they are drawn into a current conflict and pulled into another mission while trying to stay under the radar. It has a lot of action, more than one body, a bombing and blackmail material. Shuttling back and forth along the US seaboard and a hop to Europe they realize fast enough that the stakes are high.
If you expect Jack Reacher (Lee Child’s character) to show up you will be disappointed, her never does. His name comes up many times and some sightings maybe; maybe not... he is a ghost, maybe not. The two FBI are always looking for him and the story continuously alludes to this mystery man. The narrative throughout is bogged down in minutia and is very choppy: the chapters are short and paragraphs even shorter making this a very fast read. You have to suspend beliefs to enjoy this story it lacks substance and character development. Otto and Gasper are horrible FBI agents; they make snap judgments and assume Reacher is behind all those heinous and horrible crimes. The story is illogical, contrived and poorly written and filled with gaping holes.
IMO: Ms. Capri companion series of books "Hunt for Reacher" is better left on the self.
In a few words:
Agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gasper are assigned to search for a man named Jack Reacher and tasked with conducting a thorough background investigation but first they have to locate him. They are sent to his last known location: Margrave, Georgia, a small town where Jack was last seen. The off the book undercover assignment is to be completed under the radar. The facts were that no one knew for certain where he was, more likely he didn’t want to be found.
My thoughts:
There is a lot going on in this novel as the two agents try to gather some Intel on Jack. Not to long after reaching Margrave they are drawn into a current conflict and pulled into another mission while trying to stay under the radar. It has a lot of action, more than one body, a bombing and blackmail material. Shuttling back and forth along the US seaboard and a hop to Europe they realize fast enough that the stakes are high.
If you expect Jack Reacher (Lee Child’s character) to show up you will be disappointed, her never does. His name comes up many times and some sightings maybe; maybe not... he is a ghost, maybe not. The two FBI are always looking for him and the story continuously alludes to this mystery man. The narrative throughout is bogged down in minutia and is very choppy: the chapters are short and paragraphs even shorter making this a very fast read. You have to suspend beliefs to enjoy this story it lacks substance and character development. Otto and Gasper are horrible FBI agents; they make snap judgments and assume Reacher is behind all those heinous and horrible crimes. The story is illogical, contrived and poorly written and filled with gaping holes.
IMO: Ms. Capri companion series of books "Hunt for Reacher" is better left on the self.
January 31, 2018
Don't Know Jack - a review by Rosemary Kenny
A new series from the amazingly inventive Mistress of Murder-Mysteries, Diane Capri sees novice FBI Special Personnel Task Force Agent Kim Otto teamed with a recovering (from injury) more senior Task Force Agent Carlos Gaspar on a mission to find the elusive and reclusive Jack Reacher of Lee Child fame.
Don't Know Jack is the first book in the series and follows on from events in Margrave, Georgia that Reacher brought his special brand of justice to, in Childs' Killing Floor. Anorexic files on Reacher's Army career and honorable discharge from it years earlier are of little help and witnesses from the period seem reluctant to elaborate. When Supervisor Duffy arrives she seems just as keen as the locals for the pair to leave as quickly and unenlightened as when they arrive...maybe the next books in this series will bring answers and closure - why not try them all?
A new series from the amazingly inventive Mistress of Murder-Mysteries, Diane Capri sees novice FBI Special Personnel Task Force Agent Kim Otto teamed with a recovering (from injury) more senior Task Force Agent Carlos Gaspar on a mission to find the elusive and reclusive Jack Reacher of Lee Child fame.
Don't Know Jack is the first book in the series and follows on from events in Margrave, Georgia that Reacher brought his special brand of justice to, in Childs' Killing Floor. Anorexic files on Reacher's Army career and honorable discharge from it years earlier are of little help and witnesses from the period seem reluctant to elaborate. When Supervisor Duffy arrives she seems just as keen as the locals for the pair to leave as quickly and unenlightened as when they arrive...maybe the next books in this series will bring answers and closure - why not try them all?
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