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curtiswastaken's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Gun violence, and Gore
jimbowen0306's review against another edition
4.0
Lee Child's main character is Jack Reacher, a man who walks the Earth, stumbling on crimes, both big and small, that require his particular skills to solve.
In this case, he comes across a former FBI agent, and current private eye, who is investigating what has happened to a colleague in a town called "Mother's Rest" (strangely). Reacher gets involved, and they travel all over the country to find out what happened, in the way that happens usually happens in Reacher books. Perhaps the most interesting point of this book is the denouement, which is... of its' time, but the first time I've seen it used.
This book is perfectly fine. If you like Reacher books is perfectly readable, it's just a bit same ole' same ole', so if you want to start with Reacher, I wouldn't necessarily start here.
In this case, he comes across a former FBI agent, and current private eye, who is investigating what has happened to a colleague in a town called "Mother's Rest" (strangely). Reacher gets involved, and they travel all over the country to find out what happened, in the way that happens usually happens in Reacher books. Perhaps the most interesting point of this book is the denouement, which is... of its' time, but the first time I've seen it used.
This book is perfectly fine. If you like Reacher books is perfectly readable, it's just a bit same ole' same ole', so if you want to start with Reacher, I wouldn't necessarily start here.
lethaldose's review against another edition
5.0
Great Reacher action. Great Reacher mystery.
I am a fan of all the Reacher books but I especially loved this one. Reacher falls into a mystery when he steps off a train. He just stepped off the train because he was curious about the strange name of a town, Mother's Rest. What he finds is a town trying to hide something and they end up pushing the one person you should never push, Reacher.
For most of this book I just for the life of me couldn't figure out what mystery was hiding at the heart of this town, then 2/3 of the way through the book when Reacher and his band of misfits seem to figure it out I was still scratching my head much like Reacher thinking that can't be all of it. And it wasn't the real mystery here is not revealed until the very end, I had some of it guessed but this was one of the more satisfying mysteries I have found in a Reacher book. Also, the action here is very solid, some of the other Reacher books suffer from a lack of action and I have seen complaints about that from some fans, I think maybe Lee Child did too because there is not shortage of action here.
In short this book has everything you want from not only a good Reacher book, but a good book in general. There are solid characters here of course headlined by Reacher himself. There is a good mystery that unfolds slowly throughout the book, and there is moments of intense excitement. A great book for any Reacher fan, and not a bad way for a new comer to jump into the series.
I am a fan of all the Reacher books but I especially loved this one. Reacher falls into a mystery when he steps off a train. He just stepped off the train because he was curious about the strange name of a town, Mother's Rest. What he finds is a town trying to hide something and they end up pushing the one person you should never push, Reacher.
For most of this book I just for the life of me couldn't figure out what mystery was hiding at the heart of this town, then 2/3 of the way through the book when Reacher and his band of misfits seem to figure it out I was still scratching my head much like Reacher thinking that can't be all of it. And it wasn't the real mystery here is not revealed until the very end, I had some of it guessed but this was one of the more satisfying mysteries I have found in a Reacher book. Also, the action here is very solid, some of the other Reacher books suffer from a lack of action and I have seen complaints about that from some fans, I think maybe Lee Child did too because there is not shortage of action here.
In short this book has everything you want from not only a good Reacher book, but a good book in general. There are solid characters here of course headlined by Reacher himself. There is a good mystery that unfolds slowly throughout the book, and there is moments of intense excitement. A great book for any Reacher fan, and not a bad way for a new comer to jump into the series.
stenger317's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
cecile87's review against another edition
4.0
Suspenseful and entertaining. This is my first read from the series. I enjoyed the woman Michelle Chang and the newspaper guy, Westwood. I have to admit I had no idea what they were in store for during the climax. Whew! I am guilty of looking ahead to see who made it to the end.
kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
Twentieth in the Jack Reacher thriller series and revolving around a man whom many would consider a bum, but we know him as an upright, honorable man exploring America, this time around, in the grain belt.
My Take
It is another pip from Child. And hugely gross at the very start before Child adds in a more personal suspense. Child continued to string me along after the initial shock and left me hanging forever until those driblets started to make sense. …a-a-a-n-d then he sent me off in another direction. It was red herring after red herring, pushing me blindly in one direction and then another. Yet, when I look back, the subtle clues are there. Be warned, parts of this are something of a primer on suicide.
I gotta say, Reacher's tour of town was a crack-up. No, not the actual tour, but all the excitement it generated. Reacher is walking about tra-la-la, and his trackers are gettin' so het' up, lol. Then the back-up "trigger" finally breaks down and made me laugh with her explanation of nationwide offices.
You will never believe that Reacher is taking a step into the modern age of technology. He'll have to if Hackett's ease in tracing their moves is any indication.
As usual, I do enjoy it when Reacher lays out his logic, the why of his choices and takedown moves. Child did leave me in total suspense in this story, and while he included some of the usual Reacher habits — a woman he enjoys, buying clothes as needed, there was a mildness to it. At least until that one fight. That one fight was enough to terrify me. I thought this was the end. I still think it could be. I never thought Jack Reacher was vulnerable.
I also think Reacher's reactions are why I'm giving this a "4". I'm too scared to give it a "5". How weird is that, huh?
The Story
Reacher stops at Mother's Rest simply because he's curious about the origin of the name. And he walks right into a small town conspiracy with deep, deep secrets.
The Characters
Jack Reacher is a former military cop who retired and is seeing the U.S.A. he spent so many years protecting. He's a wanderer, traveling as the whim takes him.
Theirs is a…
…loose organization of former FBI agents scattered across the country who need to supplement their income; it offers a range of specialized services, mostly security of various sorts. "Special Agent" Michelle Chang was with the FBI before she was forced out. Now she's based in Seattle. Keever is their man in Oklahoma City.
Ashley Westwood is the science editor for the LA Times who writes in-depth features for their Sunday magazine. Peter McCann is deeply interested in the Deep Web. Michael McCann is Peter's son who suffers from anhedonia and is unable to experience emotion. Lydia Lair is Peter's sister, living in Phoenix, and married to Dr. Evan Lair. Emily is their daughter who is about to get married. In Chicago, Eleanor Hopkins is a widow and retired laboratory researcher at the university who knows quite a bit about Peter. Exit is the friend Michael went to meet in Oklahoma.
Mother's Rest is…
…barely a hamlet sitting at a train stop and surrounded by huge grain elevators. The population really does not want Reacher or Chang in town. John and Steven Moynaham are just protecting their poor, one-eyed uncle's motel. The Cadillac driver runs the FedEx office. Other participants include the guy with two shirts, the counterman from the diner, the spare-parts guy, ironed-jeans guy, and the hog farmer. Maloney.
Keith Hackett is one of the best. He's employed by a humongous Ukrainian named Merchenko who offers subscription services. It's a menu of choices.
The Deep Web is composed of websites that don't want to be found.
The Cover and Title
The cover is simple with a black background and the author's name and title in the same embossed yellow font with the author's name slightly larger. Two gleaming silver metallic needle-like spears criss-cross with a blurb and series information in opposite corners.
My Take
It is another pip from Child. And hugely gross at the very start before Child adds in a more personal suspense. Child continued to string me along after the initial shock and left me hanging forever until those driblets started to make sense. …a-a-a-n-d then he sent me off in another direction. It was red herring after red herring, pushing me blindly in one direction and then another. Yet, when I look back, the subtle clues are there. Be warned, parts of this are something of a primer on suicide.
I gotta say, Reacher's tour of town was a crack-up. No, not the actual tour, but all the excitement it generated. Reacher is walking about tra-la-la, and his trackers are gettin' so het' up, lol. Then the back-up "trigger" finally breaks down and made me laugh with her explanation of nationwide offices.
You will never believe that Reacher is taking a step into the modern age of technology. He'll have to if Hackett's ease in tracing their moves is any indication.
As usual, I do enjoy it when Reacher lays out his logic, the why of his choices and takedown moves. Child did leave me in total suspense in this story, and while he included some of the usual Reacher habits — a woman he enjoys, buying clothes as needed, there was a mildness to it. At least until that one fight. That one fight was enough to terrify me. I thought this was the end. I still think it could be. I never thought Jack Reacher was vulnerable.
I also think Reacher's reactions are why I'm giving this a "4". I'm too scared to give it a "5". How weird is that, huh?
The Story
Reacher stops at Mother's Rest simply because he's curious about the origin of the name. And he walks right into a small town conspiracy with deep, deep secrets.
The Characters
Jack Reacher is a former military cop who retired and is seeing the U.S.A. he spent so many years protecting. He's a wanderer, traveling as the whim takes him.
Theirs is a…
…loose organization of former FBI agents scattered across the country who need to supplement their income; it offers a range of specialized services, mostly security of various sorts. "Special Agent" Michelle Chang was with the FBI before she was forced out. Now she's based in Seattle. Keever is their man in Oklahoma City.
Ashley Westwood is the science editor for the LA Times who writes in-depth features for their Sunday magazine. Peter McCann is deeply interested in the Deep Web. Michael McCann is Peter's son who suffers from anhedonia and is unable to experience emotion. Lydia Lair is Peter's sister, living in Phoenix, and married to Dr. Evan Lair. Emily is their daughter who is about to get married. In Chicago, Eleanor Hopkins is a widow and retired laboratory researcher at the university who knows quite a bit about Peter. Exit is the friend Michael went to meet in Oklahoma.
Mother's Rest is…
…barely a hamlet sitting at a train stop and surrounded by huge grain elevators. The population really does not want Reacher or Chang in town. John and Steven Moynaham are just protecting their poor, one-eyed uncle's motel. The Cadillac driver runs the FedEx office. Other participants include the guy with two shirts, the counterman from the diner, the spare-parts guy, ironed-jeans guy, and the hog farmer. Maloney.
Keith Hackett is one of the best. He's employed by a humongous Ukrainian named Merchenko who offers subscription services. It's a menu of choices.
The Deep Web is composed of websites that don't want to be found.
The Cover and Title
The cover is simple with a black background and the author's name and title in the same embossed yellow font with the author's name slightly larger. Two gleaming silver metallic needle-like spears criss-cross with a blurb and series information in opposite corners.
rembrandt1881's review against another edition
4.0
So the last Reacher book left me kind of skeptical about the direction of the series as a whole. It seemed to lack energy and the quick pacing that had some method of making sense in the 'action thriller' way. This book gets back to the great things about the series that had me hooked in the first place.
The way it starts with Reacher being sucked into a situation out of curiosity and mistaken identity while he travels the country because he wants to and because he can is classic for Reacher. The initial mystery is one thing and is enough to propel together a decent if average plot to push the story along, but the twists that comes in the last third of the book really sent this over the top. Normally these stories that involve the "deep web" can be ultra-corny and convenient for whatever needs to happen but this time it was done in a smart manner.
There were some things I had trouble with, the female protagonist of this story, Chang was a bit flat and boring to me. She seemed to be a swiss army knife of sorts, enough easily accessed credit to make travel easy, good enough with firearms to be helpful and smart enough to not be a liability, yet at the same time it's just that she is in perfect sync with Reacher, like one of the myriad of weapons he uses against his enemies. Reacher also went along a bit easily at times but that could be part of his maturation. The other co-protagonist was also perfectly competent for whatever was needed.
Now I liked the vulnerability Reacher showed physically. All of the fights and altercations over the years have built up and now he is feeling some of the effects could be hampering his performance now. It's a cool new spin in order to make some of the fights more difficult for a guy who has been immune to almost all physical damage for the past 19 books. The pacing was good even though it was a bit convenient and kept things moving at a brisk, yet logical pace.
The way it starts with Reacher being sucked into a situation out of curiosity and mistaken identity while he travels the country because he wants to and because he can is classic for Reacher. The initial mystery is one thing and is enough to propel together a decent if average plot to push the story along, but the twists that comes in the last third of the book really sent this over the top. Normally these stories that involve the "deep web" can be ultra-corny and convenient for whatever needs to happen but this time it was done in a smart manner.
There were some things I had trouble with, the female protagonist of this story, Chang was a bit flat and boring to me. She seemed to be a swiss army knife of sorts, enough easily accessed credit to make travel easy, good enough with firearms to be helpful and smart enough to not be a liability, yet at the same time it's just that she is in perfect sync with Reacher, like one of the myriad of weapons he uses against his enemies. Reacher also went along a bit easily at times but that could be part of his maturation. The other co-protagonist was also perfectly competent for whatever was needed.
Now I liked the vulnerability Reacher showed physically. All of the fights and altercations over the years have built up and now he is feeling some of the effects could be hampering his performance now. It's a cool new spin in order to make some of the fights more difficult for a guy who has been immune to almost all physical damage for the past 19 books. The pacing was good even though it was a bit convenient and kept things moving at a brisk, yet logical pace.
nnoyes's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
mhuntone's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bella382's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75