I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

I have been a great fan of Lee Child's Jack Reacher books for years. Unfortunately, this does not compare well with the previous books in the series. While the reader is given interesting background information about Reacher, the story lacks action and direction.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House and Lee child for the ARC of Past Tense in exchange for an honest review.

It was getting colder in Maine. Winter was coming, which meant Jack Reacher was leaving. The plan was to cross the country from corner to corner, Maine to California, chasing the sun. That was the plan at least, until the plan changed. Just outside of New England, Reacher found himself on a detour to a small town named Laconia; the town where his father was born and raised.

From the other direction, a young couple are forced to make a detour of their own. After their car breaks down, they happen upon a small empty motel, currently being remodeled. The helpful desk clerk let them rent the newly redone room to use while they waited for the mechanic. Unfortunately, the couple finds the staff to be a bit too helpful for their liking, and quickly realize it might be harder to leave than they originally thought.

Child adds another enjoyable chapter to the Jack Reacher saga. Past Tense breaks away from the Reacher formula by focusing on two stories in parallel, not just following along with Reacher. The change is a welcome one, but misses the mark ever so slightly. While I enjoyed both storylines, neither feel like a complete, finished thought. Reacher’s investigation into his father’s history never seems to carry enough weight to warrant the attention. Reacher seems more annoyed than curious half the time, even ignoring a few large coincidences without so much as batting an eye.

The couple’s time in the motel is a newer take on an old story. Child does his best to incorporate modern elements into his mousetrap, but there aren’t any surprises here. Surprisingly, there’s not much suspense here either. The couple don’t seem as overly concerned as they should, like they’ve read ahead and are simply resigned to playing along. In the end, both stories collide with kiddie-bumper-car force, and fizzle out without much of a bang.

Past Tense suffers a tad because Child has some really stellar Reacher books, and it’s not fair to compare them apples to apples. However, despite a few shortcomings, Past Tense is a fun and enjoyable read for new and old fans alike. If you’ve never read a Jack Reacher book, this one will do just fine, and most likely leave you wanting to read more Jack Reacher. It’s also more than capable of satiating Child’s biggest fans in between the home runs.

This is my favorite Jack Reacher book to date. I was 3/4 into the book before I even started putting the pieces together. Lee Child is brilliant, and common sense is sexy.

I'm a big Lee Child fan but this was one of my least favorite of his books. The story of people being hunted has been done before and I didn't think the back story of him trying to find out about his father was that interesting. Nevertheless, I did read the book in one day. Reacher is always a good character.

As an avid Jack Reacher fan, how could I resist the latest in the series. A must for any fan, but this could easily stand alone for the reader who hasn't read all the rest. Action-packed, as usual, and a bit of new information about Reacher's past, but nothing earth-shattering.

NetGalley always asks if I'm likely to purchase the title for my library. I answered no this time, not because the book is poorly written or inappropriate, but because only a small number of my high school students have even picked up any of the past Reacher novels. I find them a "hard sell" to even the most avid readers. Perhaps it takes some maturity to appreciate the stories.

(This blog post at https://book-lens.blogspot.com/ is scheduled to open a week before publication, Oct. 29)

The many attributes that have made us love Jack Reacher are evident once again in this 23rd release in the series. Jack's sense of justice, his willingness to fight when needed, and his near invincibility are once more in play. But Past Tense gives us a broader view of Jack's family background. Just how many Reacher families can there be in a small rural area?

What's different about this book
Actual coincidence plays a larger part in the plot development than I remember from past titles in the series. And the randomness of Jack's being at the exact spot there is a chilling case of victimization makes for a different but still engaging story. There are some skim-able areas in the development of the story, but by and large this is an entertaining read that continues to develop the larger-than-life figure of Jack Reacher.

What I'll do now that I've read it
This book will make a solid gift for family and friends who, as I do, love to read about Jack Reacher. And for those libraries where our Lee Child books go quickly, we'll be sure to have this new release on hand on Nov. 5. Perhaps not the best Jack Reacher yet, but a welcome new addition.

Past Tense by Lee Child

Yet another amazing Jack Reacher adventure. This is one that would make a great movie and is a gripping thriller as well. You will love the Jack handles different scenarios and his character is just so well liked. Everything he puts his mind to he makes it happen. I highly recommend this one.

A fast-paced thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat and wondering what will happen next and when. Jack Reacher is a good man who puts up with nothing and deals with bad behavior instantly and harshly. When he goes looking for the town where his father grew up, he's in for a few surprises, and none of them good. An innocent couple who gets stranded at a remote hotel, they become victims of a nefarious plot, and Jack's on a collision course with their captors. Very visual, would make a good movie. A lot of violence, but tolerable in the context.

I have to say that despite so many things I might not like about Jack Reacher, I love the guy. Reading this reminds me of the very first book of his, and I really enjoyed this book. Its a fast read, and fun.

Jack wanders by a town he thought his father had lived in, but can't find any records of his dad. Hmmmm, strange. Of course, he hangs around to investigate and finds himself coming to the rescue of a woman, with pretty significant consequences.

His inherent ability to be aware, aware of himself, aware of what's around him. He anticipates both actions and reactions and I do really enjoy his ability to clock the bad guys.

He stumbles into a vicious game with some innocent victims, who remarkably are quite capable on their own.

This is a classic Jack Reacher, totally fun.

My notes as I am reading:

So far this seems like a take off of a Jack Reacher novel....except it IS a Jack Reacher novel. I've read and liked many of these books before but this one seems like Lee Child "called it in" just to have another money making book.

The book so far is riddled with bad writing with nothing to say and silly truncated sentences: "They were standing next to the Honda. Its hood was up. The sun was bright". OR

"She came out of the bathroom. She was hungry. The door was still open. The sun was still bright. Now Shorty was there on his own. The other guy had gone."

The above is the work of a well known and liked author? I don't think so. The writing is so amateurish. Maybe Lee Child is bored with writing the Reacher books and should start a new venture.

At 10% read, I wrote: Does this book have a plot? I just flipped thru 5 pages of nothing but inconsequential simplistic dialogue.

At 13% I wrote: so far the story line (for no discernable reason) consists of 2 people who have car troubles and then (again for no apparent reason) a person who is looking for a house where his parents lived.

I'm done with this non-book.

There aren’t a lot of adult authors I’ll get on a holds list for consistently, but Lee Child is at the top of that list. I think the Jack Reacher books have had ups and downs, but I enjoyed Past Tense immensely. It had great subplots, funny side characters, and a crackling good main plot.

Recommended for all Reacher fans or anyone looking for a fairly violent page turner.

A "hunger games" feel at time and at others thrilling. I was left with a lot of unanswered questions with a few plot lines that were not "paid off." I would have liked resolution with regard to the family connection. This is a pretty violent book but that's to be expected of a Jack Reacher novel. The end seemed trite--leaving that much destruction in your wake seems unrealistic. Overall, I like it and think it will appeal to readers who are looking for action/adventure.

“Past Tense” by Lee Child is an intense, richly layered thriller that keeps the reader on edge. An outsider comes to town… a young couple’s old car breaks down near an isolated hotel where they meet some not very helpful people… and the locals cops try to prevent trouble by borrowing more.

The story was easy to fall into, pulling me along for the ride so well that I found myself getting angry when people did something apparently stupid, wanting to yell “Don’t you want to make it through all this?!” A couple times I thought “well, perhaps you are smart enough to figure out what is going on and how to make it through to the last page… wait! Don’t do that!”

Outstanding read.

#PastTense #NetGalley

PAST TENSE is another great Jack Reacher tale. I enjoyed the suspense. Loved learning about Jack's family.

Another great Jack Reacher book. I've always been a fan and this one did not disappoint! While this one was a bit slower at times, the crisp, clean writing style kept my mind from wandering off. I enjoyed the dual-storyline and seeing them come together later in the book. Definitely one of the better books in the series. Cannot wait to see what comes next!

Jack Reacher is en route to San Diego but makes a stop in Laconia, New Hampshire to find the home where his father grew up. Meanwhile, a young couple from Canada, driving a beat up car to Florida in hopes of making their fortune in the surfing and t-shirt business, barely make it to an isolated motel on the outskirts of town. I spent many pages wondering how their lives would intersect with Reacher’s - but of course they did. Very clever plot- as usual.

Another winner for Lee Child! I love the Jack Reacher series an am amazed that he has kept it fresh after so many books. Highly recommended!

First, I'd like to thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read this novel through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

There are Lee Child/Jack Reacher fans, verging on obsessionados (made that word up!) and there are the rest of us. But few can claim to be completely naive to the series which is ubiquitous in all airport bookstores and, of course, most have some familiarity with the movies. For Jack Reacher followers, who love to fill out the picture of who this iconic character is, this latest edition (#23) is an added piece to the mystery of Reacher's past as he attempts to understand his father. For the rest of us, it is a standard, plot driven, fast paced, commercial story of an ex-military police officer who fights the bad guys (with no question on the reader's part of who will win, despite the odds), and in a non-conformist manner, Reacher charms the good guys who find his unconventional style both annoying and inspirational. 

There are no character arcs here. Reacher is the same dragon-slaying, hard driving, stoic man at the beginning as at the end. What made this story a bit more intriguing was the fortitude and cleverness of the two main victims in solving much of their own dilemma. This is not literary brilliance and will not leave the reader pondering in new and thought-provoking ways. Nor is it the kind of mystery-suspense that keeps one in the edge of one's seat not knowing who will win or how...the outcome is known. Yet some days this is exactly what a reader wants, a modern swashbuckler. If so, enjoy!

I have read all the Jack Reacher novels. Most out of order due to being late to the party. This book, Past Tense, was great! If you haven't read any other or, many other Jack Reacher novels, each of Lee Child's books can stand on their own. Great writing and ability to provide clues to character backgrounds without recounting other previous plotlines is shown here in abundance. This book did not disappoint. As always, there were some twists. Yet at the end after the big show, there was another fantastic twist. Thanks for letting me preread this book! I couldn't possibly like it more!

This is a satisfying marking-time entry in the Jack Reacher series, but there's nothing in here you haven't seen in previous books. Reacher investigates a minor historical mystery with his trademark brand of unmotivated persistence (Killing Floor, anyone?). He stumbles across a criminal scheme whose sadism is exceeded only by its senselessness, or maybe the other way around (Make Me? or many others). He banters, duels and flirts with an ex-MP local law enforcement babe (The Affair?). He bashes overconfident bullies, makes shrewd deductions and computes clever calculations (take your pick). HIs wildly variable ability to know the time reaches a supernatural peak in this novel.

Now Reacher does all of these things very well, and the book delivers what his fans want. No series reader will be disappointed. . .nor surprised. Several recent entries--really everything since the first Tom Cruise movie version--have explored variations on the formula, letting Reacher develop as a character and giving the author room to challenge himself. The results have been promising but uneven, however Past Tense (perhaps the title is a clue) is Reacher-classic; except that the tight plots of previous books is missing. Instead there are more or less independent threads with minimally acceptable resolution and no climax.

No doubt the author can turn out annual books of this type forever, and perhaps his creative side is engaged with the television version of Reacher that has been announced. I thought the Tom Cruise movies (good movies, bad Reacher, and would have been better movies with either more Reacher in the first, and less in the second) inspired some ambition for the books to break new ground. If so, that now seems to be on hold.

I recommend this book for Reacher's many admirers, but not to meet the guy.