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.

When Jack Reacher detours to see the house in which his father was raised, he’s in for a big surprise — and a mystery. Did his Dad join the Marines to escape a murder charge? Written in Lee Child’s inimitable style, the action carries on as Reacher says nothing.

It seemed an interesting idea to explore Reacher's past, namely where his dad was raised in Laconia, NH. This really turned into the Laconia area instead of Laconia itself., which is familiar enough territory for me so why not? Reacher stories are usually good, though on the dry side and another side of Reacher sounded promising.
Maybe it was my mood every time I picked it up, but I am tired of him always acting so emotionless, strong, and smart. The being really smarter than everyone else bothered me more this time and became too annoying to finish it. What a surprise that was to me! After enjoying every other one of these books, I said enough. It felt like it dragged way too much and too often so I found myself flipping pages looking for conversation instead of his analyzing everything he saw or heard.
The other plot of the crazy guys at the "motel" and the guests, one sort of smart and the other dumber than rocks, I will have to forget rather than care enough to finish reading in order to find out what happens to them.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Another terrific read from Child. Doesn’t quite pack the punch of his last thriller The Midnight Line, but it’s interesting in that it fills in needed background on Jack Reacher. The bad guys’ plans are as awful as they are in many of his titles.

Jack Reacher! How have I not known about you before? Wow!
I need to find another bookcase for the 22 previous titles that will soon be filling my to-be-read stacks. I was fortunate to be able to read this one through NetGalley (thank you). Now I have to grab a hard copy so my husband can read it and understand...

Unexpected twists and turns in what I first thought would be formulaic Reacher. I enjoyed the plot developments, the writing style, and the description of a region and lifestyles I have experienced. And it’s stayed with me since reading it, so definitely recommend.