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.

A really good book, took a while to get into, but then couldn’t put it down. Jack Reacher in Past Tense stopped by in Laconia NH to find out about his father Stan. In typical Reacher style he looks out/fights for the underdog. Love the workings of Reacher’s mind, his ability to figure out what people will do in a particular situation, his sense of right and wrong.
Reacher fans will love the book, anyone new to Jack Reacher will be in awe.
Good Story line

Another fun read from Lee Child. Jack Reacher, while in some ways is predictable, is always fun. The family elements that have been hinted at in the past are now in full play. It's good to see Jack Reacher's past being told and seeing how he interacts with the knowledge. Looking forward to more Jack!

Lee Child writes books that if you meet the main character you probably wouldn't like him very much until you got to know him. Jack is a person I want on my side. Jack always gets off on the wrong foot and this story is no exception. With all the bumps in the road do you you think things will turn out absolutely. Page turning, action packed book.

This was the second Jack Reacher books, the first I never finished. This one I zipped thru. Loved the setting and storyline.

Past Tense is the 23rd novel in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. I am not especially familiar with the Jack Reacher character, but I found that you do not have to have read the prior novels to appreciate and understand this novel.

Past Tense over two separate storylines. The first storyline follows Jack Reacher, who is traveling across country on his way to San Diego. He is passing through New Hampshire and he decides to take a detour to visit his father’s childhood of Laconia, New Hampshire. Jack makes a spur of the moment decision to satisfy a curiosity about where his father grew up.

In a parallel storyline, we follow Shorty Fleck, a Canadian potato farmer, and Patty Sundstrom, a quiet, intelligent sawmill employee. Patty and Shorty have driven down from Canada on their way to New York City to sell some valuable items to pay for their version of and American dream. Their plans are derailed when Shorty’s beat up Honda Civic starts over heating. Unable to continue their journey, Shorty and Patty are forced to stop off at a small Motel run by an odd, but very friendly group of young men.

With few other options, Shorty and Patty are resigned to rent a room at this isolated Motel. As Patty and Shorty enter their second day stranded at the motel, it starts to become apparent to Shorty and Patty that they may not be allowed to leave this motel as easily as they came. They will soon be a part of a very dangerous game of cat and mouse in which they are the prey. At. Time like this, Patty and Shorty could really use a guy like Jack Reacher, but will he find them in time considering he isn’t looking for them?

Jack Reacher is a believable anti hero. An incredibly skilled, militarily trained warrior. The story is interesting, and fun to follow although it does evolve slowly. Overall, a worthwhile read.

I liked this Jack Reacher novel. It was entertaining most towards the end. The beginning to me was slow to start and the main plot was one I have read about before. There were not many surprises for me in this one because I have predicted the writer's style after reading three of his books. Still entertaining and a great edition to the series.

Another great book from Lee Child! Always enjoy a tale about the exploits of Reacher. How Hollywood could have Tom C. in the Reacher role is beyond my comprehension. One is 6-5 and 250, the other is 5-5 and 150. As much as I would have liked to watch and enjoy the movie, I couldn't get past this.

Reacher always seems to stumble into something (guess the only reason for a book) and then works his way out.

This is another tale that kept me reading into the night and recommend highly.

a typical Jack Reacher story, full with suspense, action, crime. very detailed description of them things happening.

I've followed Jack Reacher since the day he was "born", so this book's theme was of special interest to me. As an enigmatic loner, Jack's always searched -- sometimes even unbeknownst to himself -- for meaning in his life. When he accidentally stumbles on what he believes to be his ancestral home town, he fully expects to learn more about his roots, and the imprint his family has left on it and it's inhabitants. What he doesn't expect is what he gets! Great book with a devious, twisted plot; highly recommended.

I've loved Lee Child's Jack Reacher series since book #1, and Past Tense was no exception. In fact, I think it is one of my favorites.

In this outing, Reacher is heading to San Diego for the winter when he makes an unplanned pit stop in Laconia, NH. He wasn't planning on spending any time there, but Laconia happens to be the birthplace of Reacher's father, and it seems like serendipity to do a little family tree research. There is also a second storyline about a young Canadian couple whose car breaks down and strands them at an exceedingly creepy motel. Both storylines were intriguing, and I couldn't wait to find out how Child was going to bring them together.

My favorite aspect of every Child novel is being privy to Reacher's thought process as he tackles every new obstacle put in his way. I find it truly fascinating. I also appreciate the way Child creates strong female characters. Surprisingly, this time Reacher doesn't sleep with her. LOL.

I highly recommend Past Tense to all loyal fans, as well as anyone just now discovering the brilliant Jack Reacher.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing an ARC in return for an honest review.

When Reacher takes a detour, he really takes a detour. In the newest Reacher book, the itinerant ex-military man is traversing the country by way of thumb and a smile. When he passes his father’s childhood home, he stops and, in true Reacher-style, is dumped into a mystery of deadly proportions. Every question he asks brings up twenty more unanswerable ones.

And also in true Reacher-style, many fists fly, many characters lie, and Reacher’s little detour takes one dangerous turn after another.

Thanks to Netgalley for a sneak peak at an arc in exchange for an honest review of the work.

Past Tense has two stories that the reader knows have to eventually merge and come together. Patty and Shorty's story was tense and very much the more interesting of the two stories, in my opinion. Reacher's storyline was very slow to develop. It just plodded along. Maybe I am just beginning to tire of Reacher. Maybe it was just that this particular installment of Reacher is just too predictable.

Another Jack Reacher book in the books! Thanks to my friends at NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy, I just couldn’t wait, all you Reacher fans can relate! Mr. Child kind of mixed it up in Past Tense. We had two stories for the price of one! The story about the Canadian couple (No Spoilers) could almost be a stand alone short story. It was set up as a nice mystery, and really delivered. In the other story Reacher investigates his family tree, which keeps us guessing until the very end! As always plenty of Reacher action and kicking you know what. The side characters were strong and interesting, particularly the Canadian couple. Always like the atmosphere of the small town that Mr. Child paints also. Past Tense by Lee Child will be released on Nov. 5th, 2018! Don’t miss it! On to San Diego, or wherever Reacher gets to when he takes his next turn! Thank you!

Although the scenarios seem to be getting more and more far-fetched, I find I don't even care - Lee Child consistently gives a carefully plotted narrative with almost unbearably increasing tension. And if the two halves of the story seem only tenuously connected ... oh well.

Although half of the story deals with his family, Reacher seems to be his most self-contained here, with no romantic interests and few (if any) call-backs to anyone he's known or worked with in previous stories.

In the end, it's hard to say if Reacher learns anything new about his past. But we learn that he's the same as he's always seemed to be - a loner, who just wants to quietly travel the world and keeps getting dragged into events where, once again, he feels compelled to be the rescuer.

Past Tense by Lee Child was a thoroughly enjoyable suspense novel. The suspense was excellent. The action was excellent. The plotting was excellent. The finale was perfect!

I loved the fact that our hero, Jack Reacher, depended upon his own finely tuned skills – both physical and mental – to assess each situation and render help. There was no technology needed nor utilized by him.

I loved the fact that our victims also utilized mental prowess to overcome their situation.

And I loved the fact that the author didn’t feel the need for foul language, graphic sex nor gore.

And I loved the ending. It was, in every way, a thoroughly enjoyable read and highly recommended!

I’m very thankful to Random House – Ballantine and NetGallery for an advance reader’s copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This review will be published immediately on GoodReads and on Amazon.com when it is released.