I’ve read a few and have to agree, they’re a pretty good read.Originally Posted by vagabond
Latest book disappointing. The plot was ok but the writing very slack and could have been written by any one of several recent authors. I have liked Jack Reacher from very early on but I think it's time to call it a day.
Robert Parker novels much slicker and Ace Atkins took over when Parker died almost seamlessly. Shame it wasn't the same for Reacher.
I gave up after 2 or 3 reacher books after enjoying the movie(s) as they all seemed the same, might try again at some point though.
Earlier in my life I collected similar 'pulp' novels in the Destroyer series from Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy. Incredibly politically incorrect in todays world but exciting 3-4 hour speed reads. Turned into a rarely seen TV pilot and the Fred Ward film 'Remo: Unarmed and dangerous' I'd love to see a Netflix / Amazon series with 3-4 episode arcs per 'story' with Frank Grillo or Scott Adkins in the lead role.
Agreed, the first 2 or 3 are enjoyable but after reading a few the general shape of things to come is a bit predictable.
Decided to use my free token to get the audio book, it is pure torture to listen to. The guy that narrates it has a very annoying voice, possible one of the most annoying voices I have ever heard, and he tries to do different tones for the different characters but they all just sound the same, how can a huge franchise choose such a terrible narrator! I would be gutted to spend the £28!! for the audio book.
If you are even half tempted to get the audio book, just don't!
About half way in, the new books have lost their way since Lee stepped back and let his brother write them. I use to love the books and binge read the new ones, but the last few have gone downhill.
Thats a shame, I love the early books but they certainly lost their spark several books ago.
Cheers..
Jase
I love Parker’s earlier work, the Spenser series is great up to ”A Catskill Eagle”. After that it started to go downhill. Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall were decent to begin with but overall the last years of RBP were pretty gruesome. I read one Ace Atkins’ Spenser novel and found it horrible. Horses for courses I suppose.
I have enjoyed a couple of early Jack Reacher books but haven’t read any recent ones. I find it easy to believe that any series of books will start to get dull over time.
The TV series is still going ahead, Alan Ritchson has been cast as the lead. Big (6ft 2in) lad with a square jaw and a rough n ready look to him, but he looks a bit "all American hero" for my liking as a Jack Reacher.
I still picture Jon bernthal as Reacher personally but I guess that wasn't to be.
On the plus side, the first series is going to be based on Killing Floor, which is an incredible book. I hope they do it justice and resist the temptation to pad it out for telly (its perfect for a 6 part series, more than that would destroy the pacing).
Last edited by kevkojak; 29th October 2021 at 13:43.
I was a huge Reacher fan but was starting to get a bit bored of same ol' same ol' plot lines and set pieces. So had no real urge to read the new books by Lee Child's brother.
However my daughter picked up The Sentinel the other day and offered it to me - I read it last weekend and it's OK.
They've become a bit like a "brain-out" action film - just a couple of hours of escapism that you forget the moment it finishes. Nothing more sadly.
Just seen the trailer for the series coming out in Feb. Well the guy a better cast than cruise, at least he’s big! He does look way to young tho
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Said it before on here but David Baldacchi is a good comparison. Just read the Camel Club where the leader is a bit like a Reacher character , then it extends into a book named Divine Justice, but read the books in order otherwise it will not be so fullfilling.
Feb 4th on Prime, for the new series.
It's just a matter of time...
I read a few of the early Reacher books, but got real tired of the implausibility of the plot turns, and impossible circumstances Reacher always fights out of.
Another DB fan here, not read a bad book from him
This new series looks pretty good. I've recently re-read killing floor and found myself trying to picture the characters for TV. Finlay looks a bit wet, I imagined a tough looking Idris Elba type, and I'll always picture Reacher as Jon Bernthal, this new fella looks a bit too clean and polished.
Still, I quite like the tone of the trailer. It looks more action than murder mystery, hopefully that's just to draw in viewers not familiar with the books - he has to be a thinker, not just a big lump who bashes folk up.
This series (based on killing floor) is set almost immediately after his leaving the army so I don't mind the fresh, youthful energy.
Having read all Lee Child’s books I still maintain Killing Floor to be the best. Ironically it was Jack Reacher 1 , but I read it about 6 or 7 novels in.
As a aide issue Im listening to Better off dead the second Andrew Child collaboration and so far its OK, certainly similar enough to Lee Child to avoid swipes from the Reacher purists.
Steve
Somehow the character Hemingway stuck with me from when I first read that many years ago. Great book.
There's a fifth one after Divine Justice; Hell's Corner. I really enjoyed those, all a bit daft but entertaining. Richard Osman has borrowed heavily from that series for his Thursday Murder Club novels with a group of pensioners chasing baddies, one with a somewhat "misty" past in spycraft.
Baldacci is a very good storyteller, I'm not quite sure his John Puller (Jack Reacher rip-off) character went down well though, I'm pretty sure Reacher killed a character called David Baldacci in one of his novels after that series came out.
Same here. Bit too much of the same
You are right he had a baddy called DB and also he wove the name Will Robie into a plot , and offed him as well :)There's a fifth one after Divine Justice;
Baldacci is a very good storyteller, I'm not quite sure his John Puller (Jack Reacher rip-off) character went down well though, I'm pretty sure Reacher killed a character called David Baldacci in one of his novels after that series came out.
Likewise - I've got all the books, in various forms, but about 6 are sitting unread currently.
I'll get around to them sometime, I'm sure, but there always seems something better to read at the moment.
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
New series releases next week on Prime folks (might be the week after... its early December anyway).
The trailer looks great, Richardson looks HUGE and the early hype is good.
Here's hoping it's as good as the last series. This one is based on Bad Luck & Trouble which is a "getting the band back together" sort of story and allows for an ensemble cast rather than being totally jack reacher centric. That said, thank GOD the showrunners ignored media pressure to shoe-horn the leads from the last series into this one... each story is a stand-alone with very few characters crossing over would have been suicide to try to write in old love interests and allies (other than from his military past).
Has anyone read the latest book? For the first time in well over a decade I haven't rushed out to buy it on release day. I usually aim for a special edition first run, either signed or with exclusives (Waterstones usually manage an interview or something in the back). Since his brother started writing them I'm totally disinterested.
The Netflix adaptation is pretty good, but I find it hard to look past that the author is a Coventry born Villa fan who made good. ie he left Coventry ;-)
Last edited by Padders; 28th November 2023 at 23:05.
Its Friday 15 th Dec for Prime launch.
Yes I listened to Andrew & Lee Childs book ( The secret) about a month ago. I dont want to spoil it for readers, what I can say is starts with a number of seemingly un connected stories which is a departure from the traditional Lee Child which usually has just two.
Lastly the ending is a bit stuttered, leaving the reader to question “ is that it” oh no theres more!
I just finished the latest book, was ok, nothing like the early books but an improvement over the last few.
Looking forward to season 2 of the show
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