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Jack Reacher #15
Wespennest
Eine Stadt lebt in Angst - bis ein einsamer Fremder auftaucht und den Tyrannen entgegentritt: Jack Reacher!
Ein angeschlagen und ungelenk wirkender Mann betritt die Bar eines Motels in Nebraska: Es ist Jack Reacher. Dort bekommt er zufällig mit, dass der Dorfarzt einen Notruf entgegennimmt, sich jedoch weigert, der Anruferin zu helfen. Kurzerhand zwingt Reacher ihn dazu, seine Pflicht zu erfüllen – und lernt eine Frau kennen, die nicht zum ersten Mal von ihrem Mann verprügelt wurde. Er stellt den Schläger im örtlichen Steakhouse und löst damit eine Lawine aus. Denn der Schläger ist niemand anderes als einer der Duncan-Brüder. Seit Jahren führen sie mit eiserner Faust ein Regime der Einschüchterung und der erpresserischen Ausbeutung …
Ein angeschlagen und ungelenk wirkender Mann betritt die Bar eines Motels in Nebraska: Es ist Jack Reacher. Dort bekommt er zufällig mit, dass der Dorfarzt einen Notruf entgegennimmt, sich jedoch weigert, der Anruferin zu helfen. Kurzerhand zwingt Reacher ihn dazu, seine Pflicht zu erfüllen – und lernt eine Frau kennen, die nicht zum ersten Mal von ihrem Mann verprügelt wurde. Er stellt den Schläger im örtlichen Steakhouse und löst damit eine Lawine aus. Denn der Schläger ist niemand anderes als einer der Duncan-Brüder. Seit Jahren führen sie mit eiserner Faust ein Regime der Einschüchterung und der erpresserischen Ausbeutung …
448 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2010
About the author
Lee Child
312 books31.7k followersLee Child was born October 29th, 1954 in Coventry, England, but spent his formative years in the nearby city of Birmingham. By coincidence he won a scholarship to the same high school that JRR Tolkien had attended. He went to law school in Sheffield, England, and after part-time work in the theater he joined Granada Television in Manchester for what turned out to be an eighteen-year career as a presentation director during British TV's "golden age." During his tenure his company made Brideshead Revisited, The Jewel in the Crown, Prime Suspect, and Cracker. But he was fired in 1995 at the age of 40 as a result of corporate restructuring. Always a voracious reader, he decided to see an opportunity where others might have seen a crisis and bought six dollars' worth of paper and pencils and sat down to write a book, Killing Floor, the first in the Jack Reacher series.
Killing Floor was an immediate success and launched the series which has grown in sales and impact with every new installment. The first Jack Reacher movie, based on the novel One Shot and starring Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike, was released in December 2012.
Lee has three homes—an apartment in Manhattan, a country house in the south of France, and whatever airplane cabin he happens to be in while traveling between the two. In the US he drives a supercharged Jaguar, which was built in Jaguar's Browns Lane plant, thirty yards from the hospital in which he was born.
Lee spends his spare time reading, listening to music, and watching the Yankees, Aston Villa, or Marseilles soccer. He is married with a grown-up daughter. He is tall and slim, despite an appalling diet and a refusal to exercise.
Killing Floor was an immediate success and launched the series which has grown in sales and impact with every new installment. The first Jack Reacher movie, based on the novel One Shot and starring Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike, was released in December 2012.
Lee has three homes—an apartment in Manhattan, a country house in the south of France, and whatever airplane cabin he happens to be in while traveling between the two. In the US he drives a supercharged Jaguar, which was built in Jaguar's Browns Lane plant, thirty yards from the hospital in which he was born.
Lee spends his spare time reading, listening to music, and watching the Yankees, Aston Villa, or Marseilles soccer. He is married with a grown-up daughter. He is tall and slim, despite an appalling diet and a refusal to exercise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,195 reviews
May 6, 2021
Happily, Jack Reacher has survived the catastrophic explosion that ended his last adventure, 61 Hours. (This gives nothing away for those who haven't read the book. The fact that there is a fifteenth Reacher book is a pretty good sign that he must have survived the fourteenth, although that was not entirely clear at the time.)
Jack now finds himself out in the Middle-of-Nowhere, Nebraska, still recuperating from his injuries and attempting to find a ride to Virginia. As often happens in these books, a small and totally unexpected incident propels Reacher into a major and life-threatening adventure. In this case, Reacher meets a drunken doctor in a bar. The doctor gets a phone call from a woman who has a nose bleed that will not stop. The doctor refuses to go treat the woman and so Reacher, ever the White Knight, compels him to do so.
Once at the woman's home, Reacher quickly deduces that the woman is the victim of domestic abuse. Once the doctor has treated the woman, Reacher goes looking for the husband and punches his lights out to teach the guy a lesson. But, inevitably of course, Reacher has inadvertently stumbled into the briar patch. The husband, in concert with his father and his two uncles, have a stranglehold on the farmers and other residents who inhabit this small and isolated corner of the world. They have intimidated and dominated the kindly folk much in the same way that the Rykers had earlier intimidated and dominated the sod busters of Wyoming before Shane came to the rescue.
In essence, virtually all of the Reacher novels are modern versions of Jack Schaefer's classic novel. Our hero, who has powers beyond those of most mortal men, rides into town (usually on a bus or in a car where he has hitched a ride, rather than on a stallion), and discovers some fundamental injustice. Often the townfolk recognize that the injustice exists, but they are too weak or too scared or too disorganized to do anything about it. Reacher analyzes the problem, steps up to the plate and deals with the bad guys thus saving the town. He then rides off into the sunset (or in this case, actually, into the sunrise). Thus far, no sweet little boy has been dogging his heels begging him to stay, although occasionally there is a beautiful and usually well-sated woman who wishes that he would.
The villains in this book are among the best that Child has created, and they have a dark secret that is well hidden through virtually the entire book. There is also an old mystery that needs to be solved here and the result is another Reacher book that you can't put down. It consists of 62 tightly-written chapters, each of which just short enough to convince you that you can read "just one more" before giving it up for the night. Then before you know it, it's three o'clock in the morning and your wife is waking up again for the fifth or sixth time wondering when in the hell you're going to turn the damned light off so that she can get some sleep. By then, though, you're far enough along that she's just going to have to tough it out for another thirty minutes or so.
Jack now finds himself out in the Middle-of-Nowhere, Nebraska, still recuperating from his injuries and attempting to find a ride to Virginia. As often happens in these books, a small and totally unexpected incident propels Reacher into a major and life-threatening adventure. In this case, Reacher meets a drunken doctor in a bar. The doctor gets a phone call from a woman who has a nose bleed that will not stop. The doctor refuses to go treat the woman and so Reacher, ever the White Knight, compels him to do so.
Once at the woman's home, Reacher quickly deduces that the woman is the victim of domestic abuse. Once the doctor has treated the woman, Reacher goes looking for the husband and punches his lights out to teach the guy a lesson. But, inevitably of course, Reacher has inadvertently stumbled into the briar patch. The husband, in concert with his father and his two uncles, have a stranglehold on the farmers and other residents who inhabit this small and isolated corner of the world. They have intimidated and dominated the kindly folk much in the same way that the Rykers had earlier intimidated and dominated the sod busters of Wyoming before Shane came to the rescue.
In essence, virtually all of the Reacher novels are modern versions of Jack Schaefer's classic novel. Our hero, who has powers beyond those of most mortal men, rides into town (usually on a bus or in a car where he has hitched a ride, rather than on a stallion), and discovers some fundamental injustice. Often the townfolk recognize that the injustice exists, but they are too weak or too scared or too disorganized to do anything about it. Reacher analyzes the problem, steps up to the plate and deals with the bad guys thus saving the town. He then rides off into the sunset (or in this case, actually, into the sunrise). Thus far, no sweet little boy has been dogging his heels begging him to stay, although occasionally there is a beautiful and usually well-sated woman who wishes that he would.
The villains in this book are among the best that Child has created, and they have a dark secret that is well hidden through virtually the entire book. There is also an old mystery that needs to be solved here and the result is another Reacher book that you can't put down. It consists of 62 tightly-written chapters, each of which just short enough to convince you that you can read "just one more" before giving it up for the night. Then before you know it, it's three o'clock in the morning and your wife is waking up again for the fifth or sixth time wondering when in the hell you're going to turn the damned light off so that she can get some sleep. By then, though, you're far enough along that she's just going to have to tough it out for another thirty minutes or so.
July 3, 2021
Worth Dying For (Jack Reacher, #15), Lee Child
There’s deadly trouble in the corn country of Nebraska . . . and Jack Reacher walks right into it.
First he falls foul of the Duncans, a local clan that has terrified an entire county into submission. But it’s the unsolved case of a missing child, already decades-old, that Reacher can’t let go.
The Duncans want Reacher gone—and it’s not just past secrets they’re trying to hide.
They’re awaiting a secret shipment that’s already late—and they have the kind of customers no one can afford to annoy.
For as dangerous as the Duncans are, they’re just the bottom of a criminal food chain stretching halfway around the world.
For Reacher, it would have made much more sense to keep on going, to put some distance between himself and the hard-core trouble that’s bearing down on him.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و نهم ماه ژانویه سال 2018میلادی
عنوان: لانه زنبور؛ نویسنده: لی چایلد؛ مترجم: محمد عباس آبادی؛ تهران، کتابسرای تندیس؛ 1397؛ در 518ص؛ شابک9786001823550؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان انگلیسی - سده 21م
پانزدهمین کتاب از سری «جک ریچر»، با عنوان «لانه زنبور»، به قلم «لی چایلد»، نخستین بار در سال 2010میلادی، منتشر شد، در این داستان، «جک ریچر»، میخواهد برای دیدار، با «سوزان ترنر»، فرمانده تازه ی واحد ویژه ی «صد و ده»، به «ویرجینیا» برود، ولی در ایستگاهی، در بخشی زراعی در «نبراسکا»، رخدادهای مرگباری، در جریان است؛ «دانکن»ها، خانواده ای که با توان اقتصادی خود، و با ایجاد ترس و وحشت، سراسر آن بخش را، زیر توان خود درآورده اند، و با سوداگری پنهانی، چشم به راه رسیدن یک کالا هستند، که ورود «ریچر» به آنجا، سدی سر راهشان برمیافرازد؛ آنها با یاری چندین تن از خریداران خارجی هولناک دادوستد خویش، میخواهند، از شر «ریچر» رها شوند، چرا که او نه تنها روند معامله شان را بر هم میریزد، بلکه پرده برداری از راز پرونده ای کهن، که ناپدید شدن دختر بچه ای هشت ساله است را نیز، در خیال خویش میپروراند؛ برای «ریچر»، کار هوشمندانه این است، که به راه خویش برود، تا بین خود و دردسرهایی که سر راهش هستند، جدایی بیندازد؛ ولی چنین کاری برای «حک ریچر» گویا ناشدنی است
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 11/04/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
There’s deadly trouble in the corn country of Nebraska . . . and Jack Reacher walks right into it.
First he falls foul of the Duncans, a local clan that has terrified an entire county into submission. But it’s the unsolved case of a missing child, already decades-old, that Reacher can’t let go.
The Duncans want Reacher gone—and it’s not just past secrets they’re trying to hide.
They’re awaiting a secret shipment that’s already late—and they have the kind of customers no one can afford to annoy.
For as dangerous as the Duncans are, they’re just the bottom of a criminal food chain stretching halfway around the world.
For Reacher, it would have made much more sense to keep on going, to put some distance between himself and the hard-core trouble that’s bearing down on him.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و نهم ماه ژانویه سال 2018میلادی
عنوان: لانه زنبور؛ نویسنده: لی چایلد؛ مترجم: محمد عباس آبادی؛ تهران، کتابسرای تندیس؛ 1397؛ در 518ص؛ شابک9786001823550؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان انگلیسی - سده 21م
پانزدهمین کتاب از سری «جک ریچر»، با عنوان «لانه زنبور»، به قلم «لی چایلد»، نخستین بار در سال 2010میلادی، منتشر شد، در این داستان، «جک ریچر»، میخواهد برای دیدار، با «سوزان ترنر»، فرمانده تازه ی واحد ویژه ی «صد و ده»، به «ویرجینیا» برود، ولی در ایستگاهی، در بخشی زراعی در «نبراسکا»، رخدادهای مرگباری، در جریان است؛ «دانکن»ها، خانواده ای که با توان اقتصادی خود، و با ایجاد ترس و وحشت، سراسر آن بخش را، زیر توان خود درآورده اند، و با سوداگری پنهانی، چشم به راه رسیدن یک کالا هستند، که ورود «ریچر» به آنجا، سدی سر راهشان برمیافرازد؛ آنها با یاری چندین تن از خریداران خارجی هولناک دادوستد خویش، میخواهند، از شر «ریچر» رها شوند، چرا که او نه تنها روند معامله شان را بر هم میریزد، بلکه پرده برداری از راز پرونده ای کهن، که ناپدید شدن دختر بچه ای هشت ساله است را نیز، در خیال خویش میپروراند؛ برای «ریچر»، کار هوشمندانه این است، که به راه خویش برود، تا بین خود و دردسرهایی که سر راهش هستند، جدایی بیندازد؛ ولی چنین کاری برای «حک ریچر» گویا ناشدنی است
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 11/04/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
October 16, 2023
This Reacher instalment set me alight. I love an easy read, and this delivered. He found himself where he was needed, he communicated with the good guys to ascertain what needed to be done and inserted himself into the situation. All for the greater good. I love his selflessness, willingness to help at the risk of his life, and the fact he almost lost his nose it broke so bad.
Now, usually I’m the last to guess what is going on, and in this one I wasn’t sure why it took him so long to entirely grasp the machinations of the baddies. But no matter, I still loved watching him alongside the locals to slowly regain the control of the town which had so easily been taken over by an insipid and evil family.
The locals seemed to have a quick switch of not wanting to help themselves, to springing into action, but again, Reacher played his deft hand and subtly showed this town of downtrodden folk what a better life they deserved. He lays out info without personal involvement, but still showing care. I like that about him.
From the opening scene we see Reacher pushes the local (drunk) town doctor who is shirking his duties, and fobbing off what appears to be a battered woman. Reacher refuses to see this man ignore his duties and lightning fast inserts himself into the melee, driving the very drunk doctor to the home of this beaten woman. Quickly he learns a lot of what he needs to know and sets off on the path to righteousness.
The usual goody bag of one liners and quick wit abounding, his quick thinking and ability to lay down on hard earth, cross his arms over his body and sleep – then wake and know it’s 2:00am. It’s cool, and I love the arsenal of goodies Lee Child came up with to make this character what he is and continues to be.
Another part of this one I loved; he helped a grieving mother make the right decision about an awful situation. It was a quick couple of paragraphs in which he had to gently but forcefully guide her into making the correct decisions for her own wellbeing which would affect the rest of her life. The concise succession of sentences showed his compassion and sensibility in an easy manner to help this woman he had known for a couple of days. As all these books go, we realise he does not know the folk he crosses paths with, but I loved this particular scene.
We learn from Reacher, and we learn from the wronged, and I loved it. I won’t wait so long this time between books.
As always, I listened to the imitable Jeff Harding narrate this via BorrowBox and my public library, at 1.5 X speed. Loved it. Ooops, as always when it comes to Jack NMI Reacher, I repeat myself. I think I may love him more than Myron Bolitar!
Now, usually I’m the last to guess what is going on, and in this one I wasn’t sure why it took him so long to entirely grasp the machinations of the baddies. But no matter, I still loved watching him alongside the locals to slowly regain the control of the town which had so easily been taken over by an insipid and evil family.
The locals seemed to have a quick switch of not wanting to help themselves, to springing into action, but again, Reacher played his deft hand and subtly showed this town of downtrodden folk what a better life they deserved. He lays out info without personal involvement, but still showing care. I like that about him.
From the opening scene we see Reacher pushes the local (drunk) town doctor who is shirking his duties, and fobbing off what appears to be a battered woman. Reacher refuses to see this man ignore his duties and lightning fast inserts himself into the melee, driving the very drunk doctor to the home of this beaten woman. Quickly he learns a lot of what he needs to know and sets off on the path to righteousness.
The usual goody bag of one liners and quick wit abounding, his quick thinking and ability to lay down on hard earth, cross his arms over his body and sleep – then wake and know it’s 2:00am. It’s cool, and I love the arsenal of goodies Lee Child came up with to make this character what he is and continues to be.
Another part of this one I loved; he helped a grieving mother make the right decision about an awful situation. It was a quick couple of paragraphs in which he had to gently but forcefully guide her into making the correct decisions for her own wellbeing which would affect the rest of her life. The concise succession of sentences showed his compassion and sensibility in an easy manner to help this woman he had known for a couple of days. As all these books go, we realise he does not know the folk he crosses paths with, but I loved this particular scene.
We learn from Reacher, and we learn from the wronged, and I loved it. I won’t wait so long this time between books.
As always, I listened to the imitable Jeff Harding narrate this via BorrowBox and my public library, at 1.5 X speed. Loved it. Ooops, as always when it comes to Jack NMI Reacher, I repeat myself. I think I may love him more than Myron Bolitar!
February 15, 2011
I have mixed feelings upon finishing this latest Lee Child novel. Slipping into the world of Jack Reacher (lots of violence and very little angst) is comforting and familiar. Child has a formula going in many of his books and for the most part, it works pretty well. Jack Reacher comes into a small town in Nebraska (but it could be Montana or Texas or anywhere else with wide open spaces and sparse populations) and discovers that something is not right. Even though he is on his way to somewhere else (in this novel, he's headed to Virginia to meet an important character from 61 Hours), he decides to stay and get involved. In Worth Dying For, Reacher's decision to drive a slightly drunk doctor to take care of a battered woman leads him to cross the Duncans, a family who controls this Nebraska county economically (and otherwise) with an iron fist. The events this one action set in motion are complex, layered, and ultimately bloody.
That said, I felt a bit uneasy in how the whole plot plays out and the phrase, revenge porn, again comes to mind. These are all bad, bad men but the fact that Reacher kills without remorse feels like a fantasy of what being a cop or a soldier is like. I think of Arkady Renko and Dave Robochieoux (sp?) and of how violence and rage lead to alcoholism and nightmares. In this novel, Jack Reacher is like a robot or an avenging angel, playing at humanity. I rooted for him the whole way but then felt kind of sick about it afterwards.
That said, I felt a bit uneasy in how the whole plot plays out and the phrase, revenge porn, again comes to mind. These are all bad, bad men but the fact that Reacher kills without remorse feels like a fantasy of what being a cop or a soldier is like. I think of Arkady Renko and Dave Robochieoux (sp?) and of how violence and rage lead to alcoholism and nightmares. In this novel, Jack Reacher is like a robot or an avenging angel, playing at humanity. I rooted for him the whole way but then felt kind of sick about it afterwards.
May 8, 2022
"[An injured Reacher] was on the wrong side of a locked door, unarmed, attacking from the low ground. Not good. Not good at all." -- Jack Reacher, assessing his options, on page 360
I sort of raved the last month about 61 Hours being one of the better Jack Reacher novels in the long-running series, and fortuitously (is that the proper word to use?) its direct follow-up Worth Dying For was also uniformly excellent. Also - and this is a little unusual for the series - the events occur in the immediate aftermath of his previous adventure, with Reacher still nursing some wounds and nagging injuries sustained in the literally explosive conclusion at the abandoned South Dakota military installation of the preceding book. This time around our intrepid former military policeman is simply passing through a very rural stretch of Nebraska, and a brief interaction with an intoxicated physician (who requires a designated driver in making a house call to a battered wife) soon leads to Reacher discovering that this small farming community is very much under the thumb of a conceited local family named the Duncans. Things soon spiral into an ever larger conspiracy - involving hired guns from competing Italian, Lebanese, and Persian crime syndicates converging on said community - along with long-buried secrets from a local 'cold case' also coming into play. Reacher really takes a beating in this one (although he administers his fair share of fractures to a number of hired goons) at times, but he also pleasingly helps to serve up a heaping and necessary portion of some much-delayed justice in the final chapters. I just hope he eventually makes it to Virginia in one piece.
I sort of raved the last month about 61 Hours being one of the better Jack Reacher novels in the long-running series, and fortuitously (is that the proper word to use?) its direct follow-up Worth Dying For was also uniformly excellent. Also - and this is a little unusual for the series - the events occur in the immediate aftermath of his previous adventure, with Reacher still nursing some wounds and nagging injuries sustained in the literally explosive conclusion at the abandoned South Dakota military installation of the preceding book. This time around our intrepid former military policeman is simply passing through a very rural stretch of Nebraska, and a brief interaction with an intoxicated physician (who requires a designated driver in making a house call to a battered wife) soon leads to Reacher discovering that this small farming community is very much under the thumb of a conceited local family named the Duncans. Things soon spiral into an ever larger conspiracy - involving hired guns from competing Italian, Lebanese, and Persian crime syndicates converging on said community - along with long-buried secrets from a local 'cold case' also coming into play. Reacher really takes a beating in this one (although he administers his fair share of fractures to a number of hired goons) at times, but he also pleasingly helps to serve up a heaping and necessary portion of some much-delayed justice in the final chapters. I just hope he eventually makes it to Virginia in one piece.
May 29, 2011
Three and a half stars. While sticking to the basic formula of Reacher kicks bad guys' butts, Child manages to change it up a little. In some ways, Reacher's an anachronism, and if serious modern technology was used with strategy against him, he'd be in trouble. It starts to look as though he will be outnumbered when professional enforcers get added into the mix of local thugs, but The mystery was only moderately engaging.
December 1, 2016
Another great Reacher. If you like Reacher, that's all you need to know.
September 25, 2021
In this 15th book in the 'Jack Reacher' series, the steely hero intervenes in a domestic abuse situation, and draws the ire of the 'town mafia.' The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Jack Reacher, perpetual traveler and tough guy seeking justice, stops off in a small Nebraska community as he's hitchhiking south.
While having coffee in a motel bar where the local doctor happens to be drinking, a call comes in - Eleanor Duncan has a nosebleed. The doc refuses to respond so Reacher - suspecting domestic abuse - insists on driving the doc to Eleanor's house and finds she has indeed been hit in the face. Reacher proceeds to locate Eleanor's husband Seth at a steakhouse and breaks his nose. After this all hell breaks loose.
Seems the Duncans (Seth, his father and two uncles) have a stranglehold on the local farming community and have completely intimated everybody who lives there. The Duncans aren't about to take any flak from Reacher and tell a couple of 'cornhuskers' - former college football players the Duncans hire to be bodyguards and enforcers - to get rid of Reacher. The two cornhuskers don't succeed.
Moreover the Duncans are involved in illegal trafficking through Canada and are in trouble because a shipment they promised is late. Since they're already furious at Reacher the Duncans tell their customers that the shipment is delayed because Reacher is sniffing around. Before long a slew of people are out to maim/kill Reacher including a bunch of cornhuskers and three sets of hitmen - sent by the Arabs, Italians, and Iranians who are awaiting the shipment.
Reacher is very tough, however, and his encounters with these creeps generally ends badly for the would-be assassins. Lee Child does a good job describing scenes of combat and carnage and one has to admire Reacher's capabilities with his fists and any tools or weapons he happens to get his hands on.
While all this is going on Reacher hears about the disappearance of a local young girl twenty-five years ago and decides to find out what happened to her - not so easy while so many people are out to kill him.
Most of the story is about Reacher playing cat and mouse with the people chasing him and there's a lot of violence and unpleasant behavior. However Reacher is very clever and figures everything out in the end.
There are some surprises and twists in this exciting thriller. Recommended for fans of the series.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
September 12, 2014
4 ½ stars. Lots of bad guys for Reacher to beat up. It was well done and lots of fun.
STORY BRIEF:
Reacher arrives in a remote farming area in Nebraska. The Duncan clan has terrified the entire county into submission. They require all farms to use their trucking company and pay high rates. They have former football players on staff as thugs to bully the locals. They are waiting for a shipment of something illegal to arrive which they sell to a guy in Las Vegas. Twenty-five years ago the daughter of one of the locals disappeared. It was never solved.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is one of the better Reacher stories. I had a few laughs from Reacher’s macho talk. The ending was excellent. I don’t want to be redundant, but for newcomers I’ll repeat a few things I’ve said in other reviews. Reacher is like a comic book super hero. You need to suspend disbelief. He has no luggage. He buys new cheap clothes about every three days and throws away his dirty clothes. He lives in motels, eats in cheap diners, and usually travels by bus or hitchhiking. I enjoy hanging out with him even when I give the story a lower rating.
NARRATOR:
The narrator Dick Hill was very good.
DATA:
Unabridged audiobook reading time: 13 hrs and 45 mins. Swearing language: none. Sexual content: none. Setting: current day Nebraska. Book copyright: 2010. Genre: mystery suspense thriller. Ending: feel good and satisfying.
THE SERIES:
Following is a list of the Jack Reacher books in order with my ratings. All the books could be read as stand-alones, but I suggest reading them in order, maybe saving the lower rated ones for last. Dates are copyright dates.
4 ½ stars. Killing Floor (#1) 1997
4 stars. Die Trying (#2) 1998
4 stars. Tripwire (#3) 1999
2 ½ stars. Running Blind (#4) 2000
4 stars. Echo Burning (#5) 2001
3 ½ stars. Without Fail (#6) 2002
4 stars. Persuader (#7) 2003
3 stars. The Enemy (#8) 2004
4 ½ stars. One Shot (#9) 2005 (movie with Tom Cruise available 12/2012)
3 stars. The Hard Way (#10) 2006
3 ½ stars. Bad Luck and Trouble (#11) 2007
2 stars. Nothing To Lose (#12) 2008
4 stars. Gone Tomorrow (#13) 2009
3 stars. 61 Hours (#14) 2010
4 ½ stars. Worth Dying For (#15) 2010
4 stars. The Affair (#16) 2011
4 stars. Second Son 2011 (short story at the end of the “The Affair” and available separately on Kindle)
2 ½ stars. A Wanted Man (#17) 2012
(not read) Deep Down 2012 (short story available on Kindle) (set during Reacher’s army days)
2 ½ stars. Never Go Back (#18) 2013
3 stars. Personal (#19) 2014
TOM CRUISE AS REACHER:
If you haven’t heard, Tom will be playing Reacher in the first Reacher movie based on the book “One Shot.” He’s tiny. HE’S A LITTLE GUY. There are billions of people in this world. You'd think at least one exists who’s the right size and can act. Stallone was an unknown when he did the first Rocky, and it turned out great! Please movie people, show some Reacher integrity. Reacher is different. Let him stay that way. I heard the author respond to this by saying “they wanted an A list actor and all of them were within 4 inches of Tom Cruise’s height. No A list actor is over 6 feet tall.” He also said “don’t believe press releases about actors’ heights.”
STORY BRIEF:
Reacher arrives in a remote farming area in Nebraska. The Duncan clan has terrified the entire county into submission. They require all farms to use their trucking company and pay high rates. They have former football players on staff as thugs to bully the locals. They are waiting for a shipment of something illegal to arrive which they sell to a guy in Las Vegas. Twenty-five years ago the daughter of one of the locals disappeared. It was never solved.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is one of the better Reacher stories. I had a few laughs from Reacher’s macho talk. The ending was excellent. I don’t want to be redundant, but for newcomers I’ll repeat a few things I’ve said in other reviews. Reacher is like a comic book super hero. You need to suspend disbelief. He has no luggage. He buys new cheap clothes about every three days and throws away his dirty clothes. He lives in motels, eats in cheap diners, and usually travels by bus or hitchhiking. I enjoy hanging out with him even when I give the story a lower rating.
NARRATOR:
The narrator Dick Hill was very good.
DATA:
Unabridged audiobook reading time: 13 hrs and 45 mins. Swearing language: none. Sexual content: none. Setting: current day Nebraska. Book copyright: 2010. Genre: mystery suspense thriller. Ending: feel good and satisfying.
THE SERIES:
Following is a list of the Jack Reacher books in order with my ratings. All the books could be read as stand-alones, but I suggest reading them in order, maybe saving the lower rated ones for last. Dates are copyright dates.
4 ½ stars. Killing Floor (#1) 1997
4 stars. Die Trying (#2) 1998
4 stars. Tripwire (#3) 1999
2 ½ stars. Running Blind (#4) 2000
4 stars. Echo Burning (#5) 2001
3 ½ stars. Without Fail (#6) 2002
4 stars. Persuader (#7) 2003
3 stars. The Enemy (#8) 2004
4 ½ stars. One Shot (#9) 2005 (movie with Tom Cruise available 12/2012)
3 stars. The Hard Way (#10) 2006
3 ½ stars. Bad Luck and Trouble (#11) 2007
2 stars. Nothing To Lose (#12) 2008
4 stars. Gone Tomorrow (#13) 2009
3 stars. 61 Hours (#14) 2010
4 ½ stars. Worth Dying For (#15) 2010
4 stars. The Affair (#16) 2011
4 stars. Second Son 2011 (short story at the end of the “The Affair” and available separately on Kindle)
2 ½ stars. A Wanted Man (#17) 2012
(not read) Deep Down 2012 (short story available on Kindle) (set during Reacher’s army days)
2 ½ stars. Never Go Back (#18) 2013
3 stars. Personal (#19) 2014
TOM CRUISE AS REACHER:
If you haven’t heard, Tom will be playing Reacher in the first Reacher movie based on the book “One Shot.” He’s tiny. HE’S A LITTLE GUY. There are billions of people in this world. You'd think at least one exists who’s the right size and can act. Stallone was an unknown when he did the first Rocky, and it turned out great! Please movie people, show some Reacher integrity. Reacher is different. Let him stay that way. I heard the author respond to this by saying “they wanted an A list actor and all of them were within 4 inches of Tom Cruise’s height. No A list actor is over 6 feet tall.” He also said “don’t believe press releases about actors’ heights.”
March 2, 2011
Them Cornhuskers oughta stuck to huskin' corn, cuz they shore ain't no match for Jack Reacher! He can outthink and outfight and just plain outCOOL everyone who tangles with him. This one was very satisfying. It was reminiscent of the older Reacher novels---totally unbelievable and all the more fun because of it. Jack gets to spout off a lot of great quips in this one, too. Wouldn't we all love to be able to think of those perfect comebacks in every stressful encounter?
This story will make you want to avoid Nebraska for at least the next few lifetimes, unless you like your landscapes FLAT and featureless.
This story will make you want to avoid Nebraska for at least the next few lifetimes, unless you like your landscapes FLAT and featureless.
June 20, 2024
Винаги ми е голям кеф да чета за поредните гниди премачкани безмилостно от Ричър!
А за насилниците на деца и жени си има специално място в Ада.
P.S. Интересно, преводачите у нас масово не правят разлика между гилза и куршум...
А за насилниците на деца и жени си има специално място в Ада.
P.S. Интересно, преводачите у нас масово не правят разлика между гилза и куршум...
April 13, 2023
Book 15 in the Jack Reacher series and I though this one was fantastic.
I didn't guess what the shipment was at all. Great twist.
Good old Jack to save the day!
Five stars.
I didn't guess what the shipment was at all. Great twist.
Good old Jack to save the day!
Five stars.
August 28, 2021
I've noted before that (for me) the Reacher books tend to run hot and cold. I suppose that on the whole I tend to like more than I dislike.
Here we have another good read. I won't go through the book's/character's idiosyncrasies again. I've mentioned them over and over. Reacher tends to look like a giant homeless guy...hitch-hiking. Okay.
The biggest problem I have with this series is that sometimes the writer comes across in a very self righteous and judgmental way. He insults various groups at times with what I'd call group insults. However then at other times his character (Reacher) will simply execute some slob because the law won't (be able) to do "the job".
Oh well.
Any way here the story draws Reacher into what turns out to be an old set of wrongs that grew to a head some years before... Reacher finds that what he's stumbled into here is an evil that needs...attention.
Okay, I liked this one and can recommend it. Enjoy.
Here we have another good read. I won't go through the book's/character's idiosyncrasies again. I've mentioned them over and over. Reacher tends to look like a giant homeless guy...hitch-hiking. Okay.
The biggest problem I have with this series is that sometimes the writer comes across in a very self righteous and judgmental way. He insults various groups at times with what I'd call group insults. However then at other times his character (Reacher) will simply execute some slob because the law won't (be able) to do "the job".
Oh well.
Any way here the story draws Reacher into what turns out to be an old set of wrongs that grew to a head some years before... Reacher finds that what he's stumbled into here is an evil that needs...attention.
Okay, I liked this one and can recommend it. Enjoy.
January 13, 2023
****A word of warning: The following review may contain spoilers. It's almost unavoidable, given the real subject matter, which Lee Child manages to keep hidden until about p. 312. Seriously, if you haven't read this book and actually want to in the near or distant future, I would advise you NOT to read this review, as I will almost certainly be giving away some vital plot points. Sorry. Move along...****
**** (Please don't mistake my brusque manner for rudeness. I am merely worried that some of you out there reading my reviews may want to someday read this novel, "Worth Dying For", the fifteenth book in the Jack Reacher series, and I wouldn't want to ruin the experience by letting slip important little twists such as the Navy SEAL who also happens to be the Russian spy---SHIT! Well, there I go... Never mind that one. It's not that important of a twist anyway, certainly not as important as the transvestite hooker who turns out to be Reacher's high school sweetheart AND inadvertently carrying the secret microfilm in her brassiere. Oops, I did it again... Sorry. But, anyway, DON'T read further in this review if you don't want to find out how the group of white supremacists accidentally unleash the Ebola virus in downtown Minneapolis and---ah, dammit...****
Okay, let me just apologize for all that. Reading a Jack Reacher novel---as I'm sure you fellow fans know and understand---gets me kind of wound up. Child's "lone wolf" protagonist is the prototypical Western hero, and "Worth Dying For" is Child's most obvious attempt at creating a contemporary Western action/adventure story. It's as brutal and violent as previous Reacher novels, but in this one Reacher almost surpasses his cold, hard-hearted Action Hero persona to become something darker and closer to the anti-hero that we all secretly know him to be. And yet, in this one especially, you root for him even more because the villains in this story deserve everything Reacher throws at them. Because behind all the pyrotechnics and action sequences, Child usually has something to say about a subject, and the subject matter in this book is more disturbing than anything in any previous Reacher book.
It deals with a topic that is in the news constantly and yet people still don't want to talk about it, or they feel extremely uncomfortable (and rightfully so) discussing it, but it's a problem that will sadly, and terrifyingly, may never go away because it is also a multi-billion dollar industry. People around the globe are getting insanely rich from this, while millions of lives are literally being ruined because of it. Reacher is the fantasy hero that saves the day in this story, but in real life, there aren't many Reachers that can step in and put a stop to these bad guys. Because these bad guys live all around us. They probably look like your neighbor. They most likely look that strange, quiet guy that lives down the street, the one that rarely leaves his house.
Some of you can already guess what I may be talking about. My feelings on the subject have been talked about at length in other reviews of other books. It's something I feel strongly about, mainly because I am a parent, and there is a parent in this book that undergoes a heart-wrenching experience, one that no parent should ever have to go through, and in the book, with the help of Jack Reacher, she is able to perform a kind of cathartic and liberating Biblical vengeance upon the wrong-doers that is at once unusually harsh and vicious but oh so satisfying.
Besides his usual amount of no-holds-barred action and suspense, Child includes an unusual amount of levity and humor in this one (at least, for a typical Reacher novel, which is generally humorless by nature), mainly because the subject matter is so unsettling and horrific that I'm sure Child felt the need to interject an occasional laugh or "breather". Unfortunately, some of the humor, admittedly, falls flat or completely fails in this one, because it simply doesn't feel appropriate, but I can totally understand and respect why Child makes the attempt. Even Shakespeare knew that sometimes comic relief just wasn't going to cut it.
**** (Please don't mistake my brusque manner for rudeness. I am merely worried that some of you out there reading my reviews may want to someday read this novel, "Worth Dying For", the fifteenth book in the Jack Reacher series, and I wouldn't want to ruin the experience by letting slip important little twists such as the Navy SEAL who also happens to be the Russian spy---SHIT! Well, there I go... Never mind that one. It's not that important of a twist anyway, certainly not as important as the transvestite hooker who turns out to be Reacher's high school sweetheart AND inadvertently carrying the secret microfilm in her brassiere. Oops, I did it again... Sorry. But, anyway, DON'T read further in this review if you don't want to find out how the group of white supremacists accidentally unleash the Ebola virus in downtown Minneapolis and---ah, dammit...****
Okay, let me just apologize for all that. Reading a Jack Reacher novel---as I'm sure you fellow fans know and understand---gets me kind of wound up. Child's "lone wolf" protagonist is the prototypical Western hero, and "Worth Dying For" is Child's most obvious attempt at creating a contemporary Western action/adventure story. It's as brutal and violent as previous Reacher novels, but in this one Reacher almost surpasses his cold, hard-hearted Action Hero persona to become something darker and closer to the anti-hero that we all secretly know him to be. And yet, in this one especially, you root for him even more because the villains in this story deserve everything Reacher throws at them. Because behind all the pyrotechnics and action sequences, Child usually has something to say about a subject, and the subject matter in this book is more disturbing than anything in any previous Reacher book.
It deals with a topic that is in the news constantly and yet people still don't want to talk about it, or they feel extremely uncomfortable (and rightfully so) discussing it, but it's a problem that will sadly, and terrifyingly, may never go away because it is also a multi-billion dollar industry. People around the globe are getting insanely rich from this, while millions of lives are literally being ruined because of it. Reacher is the fantasy hero that saves the day in this story, but in real life, there aren't many Reachers that can step in and put a stop to these bad guys. Because these bad guys live all around us. They probably look like your neighbor. They most likely look that strange, quiet guy that lives down the street, the one that rarely leaves his house.
Some of you can already guess what I may be talking about. My feelings on the subject have been talked about at length in other reviews of other books. It's something I feel strongly about, mainly because I am a parent, and there is a parent in this book that undergoes a heart-wrenching experience, one that no parent should ever have to go through, and in the book, with the help of Jack Reacher, she is able to perform a kind of cathartic and liberating Biblical vengeance upon the wrong-doers that is at once unusually harsh and vicious but oh so satisfying.
Besides his usual amount of no-holds-barred action and suspense, Child includes an unusual amount of levity and humor in this one (at least, for a typical Reacher novel, which is generally humorless by nature), mainly because the subject matter is so unsettling and horrific that I'm sure Child felt the need to interject an occasional laugh or "breather". Unfortunately, some of the humor, admittedly, falls flat or completely fails in this one, because it simply doesn't feel appropriate, but I can totally understand and respect why Child makes the attempt. Even Shakespeare knew that sometimes comic relief just wasn't going to cut it.
June 3, 2013
I get the feeling like I’m the last person to know; I bought this book still thinking that it would be a shocking resolution to the cliff hanger ending of the previous 61 Hours.
You see I was hooked into the possibilities: could Reacher actually be dead? OK I really doubted it but more likely – would everyone’s favourite 00-bearman be crippled with burns? At any rate I thought the pundit prediction that his female counterpart running Reacher’s old unit would play the major role of this novel was spot on.
But no. Even just reading the blurb will tell you that Reacher is still functioning. I’m pretty sure Childs plays on our expectations, having Reacher described as “hurting” but at the end of the day he can still kick ass without flinching so one wonders why even bother trying to fool us into thinking Jack Reacher is mortal?
Instead of playing the awesome sequel card, Childs just introduces us to another Jack Reacher adventure – this time versus the Duncans an evil family of hick/paedophile/smugglers who control a local farming community with extreme violence and a gang of retired football players (most of whom are named Brett). If that isn’t slapstick enough for you, the Duncans answer to a the Italians, who answer to some other bad guys, who answer to some Iranians, who answer to the Saudis – all of whom send a couple of guys to keep an eye on the others, resulting in a small town full of organized criminals who comically murder each other (or get their hearts punched out by Reacher)
While the story is fairly run-of-the-mill for Childs, the prose is solid, and the action is well planned. The drama is somewhat limp for this story as the main characters are nowhere near as memorable as in 61 hours and other Reacher novels, and without attachments the story merely becomes a blow by blow account of Reacher pounding on the baddies, and dressing down the cowering townsfolk.
Still, Child leads the field in thriller writing, and Worth Dying For is a prime example of his brillance, I think as an author not living up to your own works is forgivable when all your works are leagues ahead of everything else in the genre
You see I was hooked into the possibilities: could Reacher actually be dead? OK I really doubted it but more likely – would everyone’s favourite 00-bearman be crippled with burns? At any rate I thought the pundit prediction that his female counterpart running Reacher’s old unit would play the major role of this novel was spot on.
But no. Even just reading the blurb will tell you that Reacher is still functioning. I’m pretty sure Childs plays on our expectations, having Reacher described as “hurting” but at the end of the day he can still kick ass without flinching so one wonders why even bother trying to fool us into thinking Jack Reacher is mortal?
Instead of playing the awesome sequel card, Childs just introduces us to another Jack Reacher adventure – this time versus the Duncans an evil family of hick/paedophile/smugglers who control a local farming community with extreme violence and a gang of retired football players (most of whom are named Brett). If that isn’t slapstick enough for you, the Duncans answer to a the Italians, who answer to some other bad guys, who answer to some Iranians, who answer to the Saudis – all of whom send a couple of guys to keep an eye on the others, resulting in a small town full of organized criminals who comically murder each other (or get their hearts punched out by Reacher)
While the story is fairly run-of-the-mill for Childs, the prose is solid, and the action is well planned. The drama is somewhat limp for this story as the main characters are nowhere near as memorable as in 61 hours and other Reacher novels, and without attachments the story merely becomes a blow by blow account of Reacher pounding on the baddies, and dressing down the cowering townsfolk.
Still, Child leads the field in thriller writing, and Worth Dying For is a prime example of his brillance, I think as an author not living up to your own works is forgivable when all your works are leagues ahead of everything else in the genre
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2012
Lee Child must have made more money with this series than he could ever spend. So my guess as to the reason that he continues with it, is that he thinks the novels are getting better. There's also the possibility that like his millions of readers, he simply enjoys Jack Reacher's company.
This, to my mind, is the best of the series. It isn't so much a vindication as a triumph. It offers the trademark Reacher thrill of vicariously beating up on lethally armed and well-muscled people who really deserve it from the safety of your armchair.
But all the books in the series do that. There's much more here.
I wouldn't personally wish to spend time with Reacher. His world view is too bleakly simplistic and his character too austere. Then there's his talent for getting into serious trouble. He is, though, completely convincing and utterly consistent in the way that he behaves. Moral outrage fuels his engine and his engine is a race-tuned V12.
There's a lot of sly humour in this book. Despite coming from Coventry, Child has totally mastered the American idiom in which he chooses to write. And though he's an incredibly economical and disciplined writer, there's a lyricism to the way he writes about place here that puts you firmly in the featureless chill of his barren Nebraskan landscape.
Maybe it's the place. Thirty years ago, Bruce Springsteen recorded a folk album on a four-track tape machine in his garage. That was called Nebraska and created the same mood this story does in its descriptions of a place so vast and featureless it provokes desolation in the human heart.
Even in Jack Reacher's heart. And that's saying something.
On every level, this is a brilliantly successful book.
This, to my mind, is the best of the series. It isn't so much a vindication as a triumph. It offers the trademark Reacher thrill of vicariously beating up on lethally armed and well-muscled people who really deserve it from the safety of your armchair.
But all the books in the series do that. There's much more here.
I wouldn't personally wish to spend time with Reacher. His world view is too bleakly simplistic and his character too austere. Then there's his talent for getting into serious trouble. He is, though, completely convincing and utterly consistent in the way that he behaves. Moral outrage fuels his engine and his engine is a race-tuned V12.
There's a lot of sly humour in this book. Despite coming from Coventry, Child has totally mastered the American idiom in which he chooses to write. And though he's an incredibly economical and disciplined writer, there's a lyricism to the way he writes about place here that puts you firmly in the featureless chill of his barren Nebraskan landscape.
Maybe it's the place. Thirty years ago, Bruce Springsteen recorded a folk album on a four-track tape machine in his garage. That was called Nebraska and created the same mood this story does in its descriptions of a place so vast and featureless it provokes desolation in the human heart.
Even in Jack Reacher's heart. And that's saying something.
On every level, this is a brilliantly successful book.
September 27, 2019
Book 15 in the Jack Reacher series.
First things first, there is one hell of a lot of carnage in this book and not a police officer in sight. Four crime groups all trying hard to improve their position on the food chain. The best method of achieving this is by killing your opponents on the chain. But when not killing each other they, all four groups, have one man in their sights and that man is, of course, Jack Reacher. Jack being Jack he is not about to sit around waiting for his own demise he is busy dispensing his own brand of Divine retribution.
In a small town in the middle of Nebraska which is in the middle of nowhere, the Duncan family rule the rest of the community with an iron fist. By happenstance Jack finds himself here and when he see what fear the locals are living in he decided to make things better for them, Jack Reacher style.
Let the killing start and believe me there is a lot of it.
I’m not saying that the baddies don’t deserve everything that gets dished up to them for they are, without a doubt, truly the lowest form of life, but the killing is just so unrelenting.
Ah well when all’s said and done this is fantasy, is it not? A fantasy where good always prevails. Sometimes, though, the division between good and evil can be a bit blurred.
If death and destruction being served up to the baddies is your thing you are going to love this. If, on the other had, it’s not your thing it’s probably best not to bother.
For me, it was a page turner but I would have preferred a little less slaughter.
A four star read because it kept me glue to the page.
First things first, there is one hell of a lot of carnage in this book and not a police officer in sight. Four crime groups all trying hard to improve their position on the food chain. The best method of achieving this is by killing your opponents on the chain. But when not killing each other they, all four groups, have one man in their sights and that man is, of course, Jack Reacher. Jack being Jack he is not about to sit around waiting for his own demise he is busy dispensing his own brand of Divine retribution.
In a small town in the middle of Nebraska which is in the middle of nowhere, the Duncan family rule the rest of the community with an iron fist. By happenstance Jack finds himself here and when he see what fear the locals are living in he decided to make things better for them, Jack Reacher style.
Let the killing start and believe me there is a lot of it.
I’m not saying that the baddies don’t deserve everything that gets dished up to them for they are, without a doubt, truly the lowest form of life, but the killing is just so unrelenting.
Ah well when all’s said and done this is fantasy, is it not? A fantasy where good always prevails. Sometimes, though, the division between good and evil can be a bit blurred.
If death and destruction being served up to the baddies is your thing you are going to love this. If, on the other had, it’s not your thing it’s probably best not to bother.
For me, it was a page turner but I would have preferred a little less slaughter.
A four star read because it kept me glue to the page.
September 22, 2024
Once again Reacher finds himself in an isolated small town controlled by men protecting their enigmatic and nefarious scheme. The cowering townsfolk implore Reacher to continue on his journey and to leave them be before ultimately appealing for his help in ridding the community of the evil amongst them.
If you’re looking for some escapist fun and adventure then this is right up the your alley. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
If you’re looking for some escapist fun and adventure then this is right up the your alley. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
November 16, 2010
Classic Child. Very entertaining, fast moving. Always an easy, fun read. Love Jack Reacher character
February 9, 2013
I absolutely love this Jack Reacher novel. Great writing and the bad guys get what they deserve, 10 of 10 stars
September 22, 2020
Pretty typical Jack Reacher, but a bit darker and more serious than most. Reacher seems to step in a killer ant hill while bumping into a hornet's nest, and opens a can of worms that seems to be poisonous snakes instead. The usual, but multiplied a bit.
Reacher just can't let things go. He comes across a case of domestic abuse, so of course, he needs to return the favor to the abuser. He seeks him out, and breaks his nose, along with beating up a bodyguard or two along the way. One thing leads to another, and pretty soon he's got giant football players after him, along with a lot of really bad guys with a lot to lose. A whole town is being terrorized and owned by some of these guys, and they are too cowed to help, so Reacher is pretty much on his own. Lots of opportunities for Reacher to show off his skill at being a Jack Reacher, running around dominating these low-life.
All in all, a fun read to escape the non-fun of 2020.
Reacher just can't let things go. He comes across a case of domestic abuse, so of course, he needs to return the favor to the abuser. He seeks him out, and breaks his nose, along with beating up a bodyguard or two along the way. One thing leads to another, and pretty soon he's got giant football players after him, along with a lot of really bad guys with a lot to lose. A whole town is being terrorized and owned by some of these guys, and they are too cowed to help, so Reacher is pretty much on his own. Lots of opportunities for Reacher to show off his skill at being a Jack Reacher, running around dominating these low-life.
All in all, a fun read to escape the non-fun of 2020.
February 9, 2017
4 Stars
I think this happens to be the most satisfying Reacher book I've read.
Not only did I finally find out how Reacher escaped from his predicament in 61 Hours but I believe the antagonists of this book definitely deserved what they had coming to them.
Reacher was seriously injured from the proceedings of 61 Hours but he still managed to kick some serious ass in their book. This book is definitely action packed to the last page!
Until the end I hadn't guessed what it was the Duncan's were actually doing.
Now that Reacher is I ally on his way to Virginia to see Susan I really hope they'll meet in one of the next books!
I think this happens to be the most satisfying Reacher book I've read.
Not only did I finally find out how Reacher escaped from his predicament in 61 Hours but I believe the antagonists of this book definitely deserved what they had coming to them.
Reacher was seriously injured from the proceedings of 61 Hours but he still managed to kick some serious ass in their book. This book is definitely action packed to the last page!
Until the end I hadn't guessed what it was the Duncan's were actually doing.
Now that Reacher is I ally on his way to Virginia to see Susan I really hope they'll meet in one of the next books!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2014
It all began with a doctor's house-call.Reacher drives the highly inebriated physician to tend to a woman whose husband uses her as a punching bag. When Reacher takes things into his own hands, hoping to teach the bully a lesson, he becomes persona non grata in this small Nebraska town. Interested in handling Reacher themselves, the Duncan clan sets their sights on this intruder with hopes of offering some Nebraska welcome. While dodging the clan, Reacher learns of a decades-old mystery that has kept the town whispering and pointing in the direction of the Duncans. Meanwhile, a mysterious delivery is on its way from the Pacific Northwest, with numerous groups waiting to divide up the spoils. While Reacher chooses to crack the mystery and keep the Duncans on their toes, what he discovers leaves him wishing he'd let that house call go unanswered. Child hooks the reader from the outset, putting Reacher in the crosshairs and letting his true nature shine through.
While the series reader will have seen Reacher the military man and the investigator, Child has shifted the approach away from a breadcrumb trail that is his past into something more about the inner being of the present Reacher. While war and mystery will always be key aspects of Jack Reacher, the reader has been treated to a thoroughly entertaining death-defying man whose stamina and soldier intuitiveness have kept him alive for many years, under circumstances in which he should never have escaped.
Kudos Mr. Child for keeping Reacher alive and scintillating as the novels progress.
While the series reader will have seen Reacher the military man and the investigator, Child has shifted the approach away from a breadcrumb trail that is his past into something more about the inner being of the present Reacher. While war and mystery will always be key aspects of Jack Reacher, the reader has been treated to a thoroughly entertaining death-defying man whose stamina and soldier intuitiveness have kept him alive for many years, under circumstances in which he should never have escaped.
Kudos Mr. Child for keeping Reacher alive and scintillating as the novels progress.
October 17, 2019
3.5 stars
November 3, 2017
As characteristic of a Jack Reacher novel, this is fast paced and a quick read. The plot was well laid but for me personally, it was not interesting. However, Reacher kept me going till the end with his unique person and capability!
March 3, 2012
"Worth Dying For" by Lee Child was worth reading.
Reacher is hitchhiking to Virginia when his ride lets him out at a crossroads in the middle of nowhere in rural Nebraska. He finds a hotel, the only one in a sixty mile radius and after checking in, gets a coffee at the bar a few seats down from the only other patron, an older gentleman who is already half in the bag. A call comes in that a local resident has a nose bleed that won't stop bleeding and needs a doctor. The doctor is the other patron and he doesn't want to go. Reacher reminds him he took an oath and offers to drive, but there's something else that has the doctor scared.
The woman has a broken nose, and from Reacher's long experience as a military policeman, he realizes it's the result of spousal abuse and he sets out to rectify the situation. What he doesn't realize is that the woman is the wife of a man whose family has ruled the region for decades through a trucking monopoly and a small army of hired thugs who terrorize any local that steps out of line. Before long, Reacher is up to his neck in trouble and soon realizes there are secrets and alliances at play that make the situation much more dangerous than he'd anticipated.
Lee Child is a master. Everything that needs to be there is there, with nothing that doesn't serve to move the story ahead. This one is a very good, hard-to-put-down read for action-thriller-mystery fans.
Reacher is hitchhiking to Virginia when his ride lets him out at a crossroads in the middle of nowhere in rural Nebraska. He finds a hotel, the only one in a sixty mile radius and after checking in, gets a coffee at the bar a few seats down from the only other patron, an older gentleman who is already half in the bag. A call comes in that a local resident has a nose bleed that won't stop bleeding and needs a doctor. The doctor is the other patron and he doesn't want to go. Reacher reminds him he took an oath and offers to drive, but there's something else that has the doctor scared.
The woman has a broken nose, and from Reacher's long experience as a military policeman, he realizes it's the result of spousal abuse and he sets out to rectify the situation. What he doesn't realize is that the woman is the wife of a man whose family has ruled the region for decades through a trucking monopoly and a small army of hired thugs who terrorize any local that steps out of line. Before long, Reacher is up to his neck in trouble and soon realizes there are secrets and alliances at play that make the situation much more dangerous than he'd anticipated.
Lee Child is a master. Everything that needs to be there is there, with nothing that doesn't serve to move the story ahead. This one is a very good, hard-to-put-down read for action-thriller-mystery fans.
November 23, 2017
ebook while listening to audio
This my second time around and this book is one of my favorites. Child's constant explanation of things is enjoyable and educational especially to someone like me who has been asking "why" for almost 70 years. The story really flows and I had to slow down my reading to keep in sync with the narration. Like JR, I'm a baseball fan. Growing up I saw a lot of greats strike out, but it was an esoteric feeling when Mays, Aaron, Robinson, Mantle, Bonds,etc., hit a "no doubter" home run. Child hit one with "Worth Dying For".
This my second time around and this book is one of my favorites. Child's constant explanation of things is enjoyable and educational especially to someone like me who has been asking "why" for almost 70 years. The story really flows and I had to slow down my reading to keep in sync with the narration. Like JR, I'm a baseball fan. Growing up I saw a lot of greats strike out, but it was an esoteric feeling when Mays, Aaron, Robinson, Mantle, Bonds,etc., hit a "no doubter" home run. Child hit one with "Worth Dying For".
May 25, 2020
I wanted to give this only a four star rating. But I am very generous today and if any novel deserves a five, it's this one for sure. One of the best Reacher novels for sure.
January 1, 2018
Well, that was ... very ... violent? Lots of broken bones and faces and whatnot!
Lots of dead people too - none that didn't deserve it, but it was a lot. ☺
But it's a Jack Reacher book - what do you expect. I loved it.
How this one guy saves the whole county. Amazing. Super exciting. Of course you almost immediately know what they're smuggling, but still, it was all so very exciting!!!
I only read one of those Reacher paperbacks every six months or even only once a year - but I really love them. What I don't love is that Tom Cruise is trying to be Jack on the big screen - Ridiculous!!! Six-five and blond and good looking - yup Tom, that's so you! ☺☺☺
Lots of dead people too - none that didn't deserve it, but it was a lot. ☺
But it's a Jack Reacher book - what do you expect. I loved it.
How this one guy saves the whole county. Amazing. Super exciting. Of course you almost immediately know what they're smuggling, but still, it was all so very exciting!!!
I only read one of those Reacher paperbacks every six months or even only once a year - but I really love them. What I don't love is that Tom Cruise is trying to be Jack on the big screen - Ridiculous!!! Six-five and blond and good looking - yup Tom, that's so you! ☺☺☺
April 10, 2024
Enjoyed this Nebraska story set in flat cornfields. The strange Duncan family holding the area hostage by their monopoly transport company. A mysterious cargo being smuggled from Canada.
Reacher becomes involved and his brutal justice takes over when he investigates the disappearance of an 8 year old girl 25 years ago. Lots of fights with the 10 300lb cornhusker past footballers. The appearance of six professional criminals from Las Vegas to protect their investment and ensure delivery.
The finale is particularly brutal.
Reacher becomes involved and his brutal justice takes over when he investigates the disappearance of an 8 year old girl 25 years ago. Lots of fights with the 10 300lb cornhusker past footballers. The appearance of six professional criminals from Las Vegas to protect their investment and ensure delivery.
The finale is particularly brutal.
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