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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
fast-paced
This is an excellent collection of short stories featuring Jack Reacher at various times in his fictional life, with plenty of variety to keep the reader entertained. A great escape!
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Tapas, Reacher-Style
The combination of all these stories actually results in an enjoyable read, but individually the stories are often too much setup, lacking substance, or so out-of-context that Reacher’s actions seem unwarranted.
Recommended with reservations... a bit of thought should have gone into ordering these stories in the anthology, because the quality definitely dropped as I neared the end.
Too Much Time ★★★☆☆
This is one of my favourite Reacher short stories, as he gets the screws turned on him after assisting law enforcement. The injustice of those in power railroading decent people for selfish gain hits me right in the feels - there’s something about it that gets my blood boiling. It’s also a surprising take from Lee Child, whose previous writings would have me believe him to be sympathetic towards law enforcement.
Like most Reacher short stories, the resolution is a bit too easy and there’s not enough page count for Lee Child’s signature small-details-leads-to-plot-twist style of writing. But it did better than most, and is definitely the best of all Reacher novella.
Recommended for short story lovers.
Small Wars ★★★☆☆
This novel surprised me as I enjoyed the character of Joe Reacher in his prime. While the actual storyline is a boring police procedural, inclusion of the Reachers adds spice to an otherwise bland plot. It’s also one of the best paced short stories, as it feels like you get into the weeds but doesn’t end too quickly.
Recommended for short story lovers.
It’s really too bad that Lee Child chose to kill Joe in the very first novel as he was (is?) a great character and one of the few things that Reacher is attached to. I was also very sad for the victim’s parents when it all clicked together for me.
This is the second (after Deep Down) novella that showcased a War Plans-related, fast-tracked female miiltary antagonist. Maybe I read them too close together, but I’m a bit unsettled that Lee Child did the same thing twice.
Second Son ★☆☆☆☆
I dislike Child Reacher novels almost on principle, and this one is no exception. His family was present but absent, ticking off boxes but giving us no real insight into their characters. The main mystery has an obvious solution, and Reacher’s solution was creative, but it didn’t feel very realistic. It’s a waste of time that kept me reading but I won’t recall anything of this story by the time tomorrow comes around.
Not a Drill ★★☆☆☆
An exceptionally mediocre Reacher short story, Not a Drill is ostensibly about a mystery surrounding the closure of a hiking trail. In reality, the back of the book is actually the entirety of the plot. Lee Child needs time to set up details that we miss, but Reacher doesn’t… and there’s just not enough room for that here. In the blink of an eye, all the revelations are done and you’re confused that the short story is at an end.
Maybe They Have a Tradition ★☆☆☆☆
As often in a Lee Child short story, too much time is spent on setup and not enough time is spent on substance. This feels like a few pages that were cut from 61 Hours.
Guy Walks Into a Bar ★★☆☆☆
For the word count, Guy Walks Into a Bar comes off as quintessentially Reacher: vigilantism, deep analysis and never a detail missed. There’s even a twist and a quick fight scene. Lee Child should be applauded for fitting so much of his distinct style into his short story.
Not recommended with reservations - it’s really more of a technical achievement than anything else.
No Room at the Motel ★☆☆☆☆
This short story really feels like it was edited out of a regular Reacher novel, and Lee Child decided to just publish it on its own. It’s a random scene of Reacher being himself; something that happens hundreds of times in any long-form novel.
Picture of the Lonely Diner ★☆☆☆☆
Reacher talks a lot, and because there’s so little context, he comes across as a bully and tone-deaf.
The combination of all these stories actually results in an enjoyable read, but individually the stories are often too much setup, lacking substance, or so out-of-context that Reacher’s actions seem unwarranted.
Recommended with reservations... a bit of thought should have gone into ordering these stories in the anthology, because the quality definitely dropped as I neared the end.
Too Much Time ★★★☆☆
This is one of my favourite Reacher short stories, as he gets the screws turned on him after assisting law enforcement. The injustice of those in power railroading decent people for selfish gain hits me right in the feels - there’s something about it that gets my blood boiling. It’s also a surprising take from Lee Child, whose previous writings would have me believe him to be sympathetic towards law enforcement.
Like most Reacher short stories, the resolution is a bit too easy and there’s not enough page count for Lee Child’s signature small-details-leads-to-plot-twist style of writing. But it did better than most, and is definitely the best of all Reacher novella.
Recommended for short story lovers.
Small Wars ★★★☆☆
This novel surprised me as I enjoyed the character of Joe Reacher in his prime. While the actual storyline is a boring police procedural, inclusion of the Reachers adds spice to an otherwise bland plot. It’s also one of the best paced short stories, as it feels like you get into the weeds but doesn’t end too quickly.
Recommended for short story lovers.
Spoiler
The following is in spoiler tags, and I say so since some Goodreads clients may not respect it. You’ve been warned:It’s really too bad that Lee Child chose to kill Joe in the very first novel as he was (is?) a great character and one of the few things that Reacher is attached to. I was also very sad for the victim’s parents when it all clicked together for me.
This is the second (after Deep Down) novella that showcased a War Plans-related, fast-tracked female miiltary antagonist. Maybe I read them too close together, but I’m a bit unsettled that Lee Child did the same thing twice.
Second Son ★☆☆☆☆
I dislike Child Reacher novels almost on principle, and this one is no exception. His family was present but absent, ticking off boxes but giving us no real insight into their characters. The main mystery has an obvious solution, and Reacher’s solution was creative, but it didn’t feel very realistic. It’s a waste of time that kept me reading but I won’t recall anything of this story by the time tomorrow comes around.
Not a Drill ★★☆☆☆
An exceptionally mediocre Reacher short story, Not a Drill is ostensibly about a mystery surrounding the closure of a hiking trail. In reality, the back of the book is actually the entirety of the plot. Lee Child needs time to set up details that we miss, but Reacher doesn’t… and there’s just not enough room for that here. In the blink of an eye, all the revelations are done and you’re confused that the short story is at an end.
Maybe They Have a Tradition ★☆☆☆☆
As often in a Lee Child short story, too much time is spent on setup and not enough time is spent on substance. This feels like a few pages that were cut from 61 Hours.
Guy Walks Into a Bar ★★☆☆☆
For the word count, Guy Walks Into a Bar comes off as quintessentially Reacher: vigilantism, deep analysis and never a detail missed. There’s even a twist and a quick fight scene. Lee Child should be applauded for fitting so much of his distinct style into his short story.
Not recommended with reservations - it’s really more of a technical achievement than anything else.
No Room at the Motel ★☆☆☆☆
This short story really feels like it was edited out of a regular Reacher novel, and Lee Child decided to just publish it on its own. It’s a random scene of Reacher being himself; something that happens hundreds of times in any long-form novel.
Picture of the Lonely Diner ★☆☆☆☆
Reacher talks a lot, and because there’s so little context, he comes across as a bully and tone-deaf.
Some good new stories and many good stories previously available. A better book if you have not read the short stories previously published. Child has a quick mind that creates concise and logical dialogue.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Bite-sized Jack Reacher stories are great for quick entertainment!
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
No Middle Name is a collection of short stories from Lee Child featuring Jack Reacher. It consists of 12 stories of various length and time periods. Some are set in between other Reacher books, when he’s left the Army life behind and is travelling the US, whilst others are set in his teen year or whilst serving in the Army.
This was a bit of a mixed bag, with some very enjoyable and some just okay. I think the ones set earlier than other Reacher novels are actually the better as it’s something new for longtime Lee Child readers, we get to see Jack Reacher in new environments and at different stages of his life, even if the structure of the stories doesn’t itself change.
All that said, I’ve never read a Reacher novel I didn’t enjoy in some way and this is no exception, it was an enjoyable quick read and a must for any Lee Child readers.
Note on the book itself, I love finding the little things when opening it up or seeing what's behind the cover...I'm a big fan of hardback and these little details add so much to them!
This was a bit of a mixed bag, with some very enjoyable and some just okay. I think the ones set earlier than other Reacher novels are actually the better as it’s something new for longtime Lee Child readers, we get to see Jack Reacher in new environments and at different stages of his life, even if the structure of the stories doesn’t itself change.
All that said, I’ve never read a Reacher novel I didn’t enjoy in some way and this is no exception, it was an enjoyable quick read and a must for any Lee Child readers.
Note on the book itself, I love finding the little things when opening it up or seeing what's behind the cover...I'm a big fan of hardback and these little details add so much to them!
I had already read most of the stories, so I just read the few new. I have always been a big fan of Lee Child and Jack Reacher. These short stories give some detail into Jack’s life. Other stories are somewhere in the middle of where Jack was and where he is headed. All good stories nonetheless.
I am a big fan of Jack Reacher, for sure. However, most of these stories were just adequate. I'm very disappointed. Lee Child did show Reacher at all sorts of ages and places, I'll give him that.