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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
In the sense that there's a very very bad man who you can't wait for Reacher to pulverize, this book fulfills the promise of any good Reacher tale. Child even manages putting 6'5" Reacher up against a 4'11" opponent and making the odds a bit more even than you'd expect.
But there are a few deal-breakers here in terms of plausibility, giving rise to some disbelief I could not suspend. First one: There's a key witness who can potentially take out a criminal cartel in a small Colorado town. She's under police protection. Unfortunately, the local cops are under a contract with a federal prison that says in the event of a prison emergency, EVERY cop must high-tail it to the prison immediately. This results in the cops leaving their witness unprotected, even though they have an inkling that the prison riot is a distraction intended to let an assassin off the witness. "But, the contract says we have to!" Sorry, but I don't believe that cops are that dumb or irresponsible. Second thing: there's a huge cache of government methamphetamine left over from WWII that apparently is still as potent as ever. Really? 60 plus years shelf life? I doubt it. Third thing: the area where the final set-piece takes place could only exist in a made up story.
None of this means that the book isn't entertaining. It's just not believable. Read it and see if you agree.
But there are a few deal-breakers here in terms of plausibility, giving rise to some disbelief I could not suspend. First one: There's a key witness who can potentially take out a criminal cartel in a small Colorado town. She's under police protection. Unfortunately, the local cops are under a contract with a federal prison that says in the event of a prison emergency, EVERY cop must high-tail it to the prison immediately. This results in the cops leaving their witness unprotected, even though they have an inkling that the prison riot is a distraction intended to let an assassin off the witness. "But, the contract says we have to!" Sorry, but I don't believe that cops are that dumb or irresponsible. Second thing: there's a huge cache of government methamphetamine left over from WWII that apparently is still as potent as ever. Really? 60 plus years shelf life? I doubt it. Third thing: the area where the final set-piece takes place could only exist in a made up story.
None of this means that the book isn't entertaining. It's just not believable. Read it and see if you agree.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
The ending was extremely abrupt and ambiguous which feels a little jarring, but not enough that I would reduce down to 3 or 3.5
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
61 Hours is the latest Jack Reacher novel, and packs as much punch as the other books in this popular series. In 61 Hours, Child cleverly constricts the setting to one small South Dakota town where incessant snow and temperatures that are far below freezing create as much conflict for Reacher as the bad guys do. While bad guy here is typically cartoonish—he’s a brutal sociopath who only stands 4’9’’—Child demonstrates the strength of his characterization by narrating the villian’s violent acts with such straightforward prose and in such sharp detail that you can’t help but feel scared anyway. And this being a Reacher novel, of course, this person isn’t the only bad guy to be had and probably not even the most dangerous. Even if you figure out some of the plot, part of the Child-Reacher genius is the ability to hide multiple things in plain sight, and for the unexpected and inventive to end up perfectly plausible. The 61 Hours in the title is simply a countdown that Child, as the narrative voice, offers the reader; it isn’t a Jack Bauer-type deadline or goofy plot device, but another tool this author uses to build suspense. As a result, you’ll have a hard time putting this one down. So hurry: there’s only 60 hours to go!
61 Hours is a solid entry in the Reacher series, and apparently signifies a narrative shift. As always, I look forward to the next.