Lee Child

Never Go Back by Lee Child

"Nothing happens in the movies that doesn't happen in real life." (Really? Living Dead? Zombies? Godzillas?) One of the most ridiculous comments ever made, and made by someone who, apparently having nothing else to do, had read through Reacher's file -- begun on him before age six when, at a special screening put on by Army Psy-Ops, he attacked a monster on the screen with a switchblade. Age six mind you. Apparently, they loved his instant aggression, when all the show more other kids recoiled in fear.

Such an implausible story. Reacher, who never seems to lack for funds and always has cash on hand, (or just happens on his version of an ATM, a burning meth lab) travels across multiple states to visit Major Susan Turner, the commander of his old outfit, because he liked the sound of her voice. Then it turns out he is the object of a huge conspiracy that he, of course, solves forthwith after having been reinstated into the army. It would seem none of the new brass, including his JAG lawyers like him -- I can understand why, he's about the most abrasive personality ever -- but the non-coms all seem to fawn over him. He also remembers the smallest details of those who had served under him even after 16 years and knows what they are currently up to in spite of his peripatetic lifestyle with no home base, nor cell phone, etc. Banking for him must be a nightmare.

He insists he likes women, has as many affairs as possible, has no kids or responsibilities, yet when faced with a possible paternity issue from 16 years before (the timeline issue is another problem for me) he reveals little interest in the child.

Reacher has got to be the least likable paladin (I really hate to denigrate Richard Boone's character but don't want to call Reacher a hero.) He's what one critic described as a "good" psychopath because he kills loads of people, but theoretically only those who "deserve" to die, so those of us in the audience rooting for the vigilante, are supposed to like him.

I think he's one of the most boring characters in any series. He doesn't read, seemingly has no interests, and evinces no interest in anything nor the least bit of introspection. At least Lisbeth Salamander She knows herself, explaining to her rapist, as she’s about to take revenge, ‘Keep in mind that I’m crazy, won’t you.’ And yet, we read on, wondering what anti-social act is just around the corner. Feel free to skim. You'll miss little. show less

Former Army MP Jack Reacher hasn’t changed much over the years. He is a loner who travels around the United States with a toothbrush, passport, and (one would assume) an ATM card, since he has to pay for accommodations and food. Reacher often hitchhikes; he is unafraid, since few predators would try to mess with this imposing and muscular behemoth. As Lee Child’s “Past Tense” opens, our hero is eager to get from Maine to San Diego. He unexpectedly gets sidetracked and winds up in show more Laconia, New Hampshire, which was his dad’s hometown. Jack’s father, Stan, was a Marine who died thirty years earlier, but Reacher is curious to know more about him. He decides to look up old records and enlists the aid of, among others, Elizabeth Castle, a records clerk, and Carter Carrington, an attorney and census enthusiast.

Meanwhile, in a parallel plot line, two Canadians, twenty-five-year-old Shorty Fleck and Patty Sundstrom, are lugging a heavy suitcase. They hope to cash in on its contents and make a new start in the United States. Shorty, a potato farmer, is strong and good with his hands, but he is no genius. Patty is a former sawmill worker who is intelligent, intuitive, and proactive. Shorty and Patty are exhausted and their Honda Civic is on the verge of collapse, so they decide to stay at a motel while they rest and get their car repaired. In alternating chapters, we follow Reacher as he digs up information about his forbears, and gets into violent altercations with various thugs. Meanwhile, Patty and Shorty begin to suspect that the owner of the motel where they booked a room may be hiding something significant.

Child’s dialogue is terse and involving. He is a skilled descriptive writer who captures the forbidding nature of remote areas that have no cell service and are, to a large extent, cut off from civilization. As we have come to expect, Reacher uses his extraordinary fighting skills to maximum effect against the one-dimensional baddies he meets. There is plenty of bloodshed (life is cheap in this series), shrewd calculations--especially on the part of the good guys--and an Armageddon-like finale. Although this is a fast-paced and mildly entertaining novel, it is also too formulaic, predictable, and contrived to earn a glowing recommendation. The murky biographical details that Reacher gleans about his dad are hardly worth the mountain of trouble he lands in during his visit to the Granite State. show less

I always look forward to this series. I've read every one of them...but his might just be my last one. The one before this I forgave since it was Lee Child's brother, Andrew Grant, joining in. I've read his books also and always liked them, but he just doesn't have the "voice" of Jack Reacher...actually we hardly recognized Jack. It's not a horrible book by any means, but this is just not the Jack Reacher we knew and loved. His lack of concern about crossing lines to get the job done, his show more violence without hesitation or remorse, his unapologetic appreciation of women; that's what made him stand out and endure through so many books. I love the books and the character enough that I'll give the new author another chance, but if he doesn't get Jack back like he was soon, I give up. show less

Not quite a review focused on this book, but on the series as a whole -

So for years I’ve heard about this series written by Lee Child (aka Jim Grant) about a guy named Jack Reacher. I heard he was one badass loner, but didn’t have time for another series so I didn’t look into it. You know how it is; too many books, too little time. Then I got an audible.com account and needed something to download. Yeah I’m weird…series I follow in print I generally don’t follow in audio. So show more there was a void so to speak and I downloaded the first Jack Reacher novel. Why had I been waiting so long??!! I should have known I’d like these for a couple of simple reasons; they’re guy books and reviews by most women decry them as violent, simplistic and macho. Ding, ding! We have a winner.

Ok, so these aren’t high art or “literature” in the snooty “I only read authors you’ve never heard of and who have been dead for 100 years” way. They’re pulp in the purest sense and I love them. They’re suspenseful not in the sense that will Reacher get out of whatever mess he’s gotten into, but how. It’s like watching MacGuyver; there’s no doubt he will survive to next week’s episode, but you watch to see what he’ll do, what crazy tricks he’ll employ and for comeuppance of the crooks. Those looking for strict plausibility need not apply.

And that’s what makes Reacher so much fun. Being 6’5” and 250lbs with a military police background, plus intelligent, crafty and compassionate in the mix, you never know what you’re going to get, but you can be sure it will kick some bad guy ass. I’m a little bit in love with Jack Reacher.

For such a larger than life character, Child has given Reacher amazing depth. The strong, silent type hasn’t been done so well since Chandler’s Marlowe. Reacher’s resemblance to Marlowe is pronounced in a few ways. They’re both lone operators. One has a definite fixed address and the other doesn’t, but neither have sidekicks or backup. They’re both men driven by conscience and will go a fair bit out of their way to right a wrong. They’re both smart, but don’t have to show it off all the time; men of quiet confidence are much more interesting than a tough blowhard. Neither is a patronizing, misogynistic asshole toward women. Reacher is perhaps more susceptible to them (or maybe he just gives in more), but both love women as people not as objects. Both kick ass when the chips are down. What’s not to love?

Another aspect that feeds the crush I have on Reacher is the fantasy of leaving our middle-class existence in our nice suburb and breaking out. Reacher travels with what he stands up in. He goes from place to place getting in adventures, like Cain on Kung Fu. No car. No credit cards. No cell phone. Complete autonomy and freedom. He rejects everything about the American norm and we love him for it.

Of course this is the very device that feeds the plots of the novels in the series. One has to just accept the huge coincidence triggering whatever situation Reacher gets involved in. If you can do that, you’ll enjoy these. If not, you’ll be picking apart every preposterous little detail that springs up. Not that there’s a ton of them, but it’s what keeps the action moving.

For the most part, Child gets a lot of the ordinance, strategy and tactical aspects correct (I check a lot of it with my former handgun instructor and all around gun-expert husband). Sure, there are a few gaffes like when Reacher put a Desert Eagle in his pocket and then moved about with ease and nonchalance. And the time he looked down into a box of cartridges and noted the firing pins. And every once in a while Reacher says or thinks something distinctly British despite being a hard-boiled American steeped in the US Military. That could be chalked up to Reacher’s well-traveled past during his military service if you wanted to excuse it. On the whole though, Child gets the American nuances right.

I recommend not only the series, but the audio versions as well. Dick Hill is Jack Reacher for me. Oh sure, he can characterize other folks in the books, but in general those voices are all the same ones, just applied to new characters. His women all sound the same as to his southerners or whatever. But he seems to get into Reacher and I think he enjoys his time in the booth. He probably has a tiny crush on him, too. show less