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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
this is bad even for the low expectations of a jack reacher book
If you're a fan of Jack Reacher, this is another of his adventures. It isn't as nightmare-inducing as Make Me, but it still touches on a bit of what could be happening in the wilds of the western U.S.
An odd entry in the series - not that it’s an unusual story, but that it promises a big pay off that doesn’t quite arrive. Couple this with a big villain who breeds fear in others that we never quite see delivered, and it all feels a little anti-climactic.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I was nervous about Lee Child giving up full control over the writing of the Jack Reacher series last year when The Sentinel came out. Fortunately, bringing Andrew Child into the mix has not hurt the franchise one bit. The Sentinel was great and Better Off Dead is as well. Featuring callbacks to the past (there's a lot of talk about that jawbone scar on his abdomen that Reacher got in a bombing while he was still in the service), this one is really fast-paced (aren't they all?) and starts off with a bang. Without giving too much away, I'm sure I won't be the only one reading the intro and wondering, upset... "is this the last Reacher book?" only to have all explained soon after.
I know there are always the detractors who roll their eyes at how much of a Mary Sue Reacher can be, but come on... do we really read these books for accuracy? Do we really think ANYONE can do what Reacher can? Ha! These books are pure entertainment and I love that they're still going, each adventure more implausible and yet more fun to read than the last.
And now the long wait until next year's adventure begins...
I was nervous about Lee Child giving up full control over the writing of the Jack Reacher series last year when The Sentinel came out. Fortunately, bringing Andrew Child into the mix has not hurt the franchise one bit. The Sentinel was great and Better Off Dead is as well. Featuring callbacks to the past (there's a lot of talk about that jawbone scar on his abdomen that Reacher got in a bombing while he was still in the service), this one is really fast-paced (aren't they all?) and starts off with a bang. Without giving too much away, I'm sure I won't be the only one reading the intro and wondering, upset... "is this the last Reacher book?" only to have all explained soon after.
I know there are always the detractors who roll their eyes at how much of a Mary Sue Reacher can be, but come on... do we really read these books for accuracy? Do we really think ANYONE can do what Reacher can? Ha! These books are pure entertainment and I love that they're still going, each adventure more implausible and yet more fun to read than the last.
And now the long wait until next year's adventure begins...
A fine/mediocre Reacher novel. Can definitely tell the younger brother is now writing some (or all) of the book. Very different inner narrative and sometimes a different dialogue (in that there is dialogue). I liked the female FBI character (I do think overall they write good female characters).
Where I felt disappointed was the story line with the villain. I kept waiting for more of a twist. It felt like they started with a good premise (New Deal town that is slowly dying and criminal uses it as his base) but then the terrorist and smuggling part fizzled. There is also a part of the plot where the woman is searching for her brother and we find out he wants revenge against the Army/Military for ignoring his injuries so he builds these smoke bombs. Felt half-baked. Not well thought through enough. Still a diverting read and as always I will read the next one. I do wonder if Lee Child will start a new series with a totally different character. Would be fun.
Where I felt disappointed was the story line with the villain. I kept waiting for more of a twist. It felt like they started with a good premise (New Deal town that is slowly dying and criminal uses it as his base) but then the terrorist and smuggling part fizzled. There is also a part of the plot where the woman is searching for her brother and we find out he wants revenge against the Army/Military for ignoring his injuries so he builds these smoke bombs. Felt half-baked. Not well thought through enough. Still a diverting read and as always I will read the next one. I do wonder if Lee Child will start a new series with a totally different character. Would be fun.
This didn't read like any of the books in the Reacher series written by Lee Child alone. Longtime fans of the series may not enjoy the transition to Andrew Child.
His brother helped/wrote this book. It was a younger Reacher. It doesn't match Lee Child's writing.
Better Off Dead is the 26th book in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child and now his brother, Andrew. Pick a fight with Reacher and soon find out you are better off dead. Hence the perfect title!
In a huge plot twist, the latest installment of the series begins with our main character dead on a slab in a morgue. Panic set in immediately since I am nowhere near ready for this series to end. The story rewinds to a few days prior when Reacher is doing what he does best—roaming west with no destination—when he comes upon a Jeep crashed into a tree with a woman slumped over the wheel.
Enter Michaela Fenton, an army veteran turned FBI agent searching for her twin brother who is mixed up with some dangerous people led by a mysterious man named Dendoncker. He rules from the shadows and rarely comes into sight. But leave it up to Reacher to seek Dendoncker out and help find a missing person.
"There was nothing to suggest the place was owned by a murderer. That it was the hub of a smuggling operation." ~ 58%
For those unfamiliar, I am reading the Jack Reacher series in the most untraditional way (backward). I read every new book soon as its published (S/O to the publisher for an advance copy); in between new releases, I read from the beginning of series. Each book may be read as a standalone and the mysteries do not overlap so it is not confusing. There is nothing much to Reacher's personal life that needs to be revealed in chronological order far as I can tell. And might I say, this series continues to impress me with its thrilling storylines, attention to detail, descriptive action and consistency.
Don't let the page count fool you! I know 520 pages sounds like a big ass commitment but I assure you Better Off Dead is fast-paced, full of action and a really good mystery that will keep you interested. I turned the pages faster than Reacher could disarm a threat. It only took a few days for me to read the entire book and I actually want more! This brother duo is doing an awesome job co-authoring what I now call the Jack "F'ing Fearless" Reacher series.
~LiteraryMarie
In a huge plot twist, the latest installment of the series begins with our main character dead on a slab in a morgue. Panic set in immediately since I am nowhere near ready for this series to end. The story rewinds to a few days prior when Reacher is doing what he does best—roaming west with no destination—when he comes upon a Jeep crashed into a tree with a woman slumped over the wheel.
Enter Michaela Fenton, an army veteran turned FBI agent searching for her twin brother who is mixed up with some dangerous people led by a mysterious man named Dendoncker. He rules from the shadows and rarely comes into sight. But leave it up to Reacher to seek Dendoncker out and help find a missing person.
"There was nothing to suggest the place was owned by a murderer. That it was the hub of a smuggling operation." ~ 58%
For those unfamiliar, I am reading the Jack Reacher series in the most untraditional way (backward). I read every new book soon as its published (S/O to the publisher for an advance copy); in between new releases, I read from the beginning of series. Each book may be read as a standalone and the mysteries do not overlap so it is not confusing. There is nothing much to Reacher's personal life that needs to be revealed in chronological order far as I can tell. And might I say, this series continues to impress me with its thrilling storylines, attention to detail, descriptive action and consistency.
Don't let the page count fool you! I know 520 pages sounds like a big ass commitment but I assure you Better Off Dead is fast-paced, full of action and a really good mystery that will keep you interested. I turned the pages faster than Reacher could disarm a threat. It only took a few days for me to read the entire book and I actually want more! This brother duo is doing an awesome job co-authoring what I now call the Jack "F'ing Fearless" Reacher series.
~LiteraryMarie
Good and interesting story. I was unsure about Andrew Child taking over the Reacher character but having read and enjoyed 2 books now I will continue to read more. Reacher is different (more techie), but that aside, not too different, and the stories are good,