For some reason it took me a little longer to get into this book compared to other Lee Child books. But, the real Jack Reacher grabbed my interest and pulled me through the rest of the book.

Not as much action or unusual characters as I’ve enjoyed in the past. Reacher stops in the town he believes his family cane from then the story changes lanes a bit.

Disclaimer: I received and e-ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Child's 23rd Jack Reacher book - so a very long-running series - once again delivers. We find Reacher taking advantage of an area of country he has not spent time in previously - a remote New Hampshire town and the supposed birthplace of his father. Again Child employs a dual story line and the pace is typical of a Reacher novel. I enjoy this series and give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Loved this book! One of the best in the series so far, for sure. Did the coincidences stretch the bounds of incredulity at times? Sure. But it was still a great story by a great author. As always, I look forward to more in this series.

I was only able to read a portion of Past Tense because despite the fact that I've read and enjoyed the other Reacher books, I found this one slow and not engaging at all. The one interesting part seemed cliche to me.

I always expect to be disappointed by the latest installment of Jack Reacher but Lee Child has a knack for surprising me.

The writing was superb as usual and this was another must read page turner to add to any collection.

This is the second book by Lee Child that I have read and I definitely enjoyed this one more than the other which was “The Midnight Line”. I liked the dual storyline which converges later on in the story. However I did feel that the one with Reacher in it, looking into his “family tree” to be quite slow moving and a bit dry. The second story line with the two young people stranded finally at a more than creepy motel was the most interesting in the book.

I like my characters well drawn and I think Mr. Child did a great job in helping me get to know Patty and Shorty and how they are hoping to set up a shop in Florida with the help of whatever is in that extremely heavy suitcase which they are unwilling to part with even when their lives are at stake. They have stopped at a motel during their cross country travels and this ends up to be the most incredibly wrong decision they have ever made.

The motel in question is being run by one of the most depraved and money hungry bunch of goons I’ve ever come across, headed by a man with the last name of Reacher, go figure??? We aren’t really sure what they are up to until the ¾ mark in the book but I had a pretty good hunch once the other “guests” started arriving and let’s just say that Patty and Shorty didn’t have much say in the process. Their clever thinking and love for each other help them through their ordeals.

Meanwhile we are still following Reacher and his quest for family knowledge as he searches libraries and town halls for records of his father and grandfather. I felt this was more than a bit boring and was anxious to get back to Patty and Shorty. His extreme detail in parts still drives me crazy example “Reacher hit him in the face, with a straight right, maximum force, crashing and twisting. Like a freight train. The kid’s lights went out immediately. He went slack and gravity took over. Reacher kept his left hand rock solid. All the kid’s weight fell on his own locked elbow. Reacher waited . . . .. . . The kid’s elbow broke and his arm turned inside out. Reacher let him fall, etc. etc. etc.” Too much detail already.

In what I have come to know as true Reacher style his path converges with those in trouble just when he is most needed. I have to admit that I’m a little surprised at how many people are so enthralled with this character as he doesn’t grow or change in his books, at least in what I’ve read. He is also endowed with super-human strength and smarts but I was willing to suspend belief for entertainment.

All in all I still had fun reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading series books with a character that they can count on to “come to the aid of those in need”.

Will post to public media closer to publication date

On the road with Jack, and what a ride!! Headed from Maine to California, he gets as far as New Hampshire. Jack stops to check out his own family history and finds much more. Be prepared to travel sinister, dark and twisted roads through the deep dark woods.. Increasing speed as fast as pages can turn, as you roar to the unknown. At times, if I could read and cover my eyes at the same time, I would. Jack Reacher, once again finds himself in the hot mess of the criminal element and takes on the clean-up. Lee Child hits it again. Hits it hard and mighty. Excellent plotting, high octane suspense and a list of believable characters. I wait anxiously for the next Reacher book and happily thank NetGalley, Mr. Child and his publisher for this opportunity to read this advance copy of Past Tense in exchange for my honest review. As Jack says, "Hope for the best and plan for the worst." Past Tense is the best.

I have liked 99% of the Reacher books that I have read. I liked this one a lot.

There are 2 parallel plots that happen for the first 75% of the book but one knows that at some point they will intersect.

Reacher is traveling from Maine to San Diego. He takes a detour in New Hampshire when he sees a sign for the town that his father grew up in. I love the way he interacts with the people in this town from the town attorney, the crazy? older man on the outskirts of town and the police department.

In the other plot, 2 people who are traveling to NYC from Canada experience car trouble and take refuge in a motel that is not what it seems. And just like the Hotel California, they can never leave. I love the suspense that Mr. Child builds as the reader wonders what is going to happen to these poor people.

Reacher to the rescue!

Fun read.

When I began the latest book from Lee Child, I was really wondering where and how the story would proceed. Not that it wasn’t a bad start, but it seemed a different beginning than his other books which, I guess, is the sign of a good book. You got to understand a part of Jack Reacher’s history but it wasn’t until the middle of the book before you a had an understanding of the scope of evil that would be explained. A great ending and an enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book even if you haven’t read others in the series.

I've read all of lee Child's Reacher books. The last few haven't met my expectations. But this one does! This is more personal and reveals much more of Jack's history than any other book. His characters and the locale are so vividly written that you get right into the story with Jack. He stops in a town that has a personal, FAMILY, connection for him and is immediately involved in mayhem and a deadly game of cat(s) and mouse. You race to the conclusion of his personal story and the resolution of the deadly game. One of the best of Child's "can't put down" books!

I've just finished my 23rd Jack Reacher novel. As is the usual case, Lee Child has hit the ball out of the park. Jack continues his vagabond lifestyle only this time he gets sidetracked with an old family issue. This is two entirely different stories running parallel both building and finally coming together.

Kudos to Mr. Child for coming up with another entertaining storyline. Afterall, Reacher has gone everywhere and done everything and met everyone!

This book was gifted to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Jack Reacher. Lee Child. What more could a reader want? A killer....pun intended...story. This one delivers in spades!

Lee Child doesn't disappoint with his latest Jack Reacher tale. As Reacher pursues his family history in a small New Hampshire village, he stumbles into nefarious activity in an isolated part of town with the inevitable result.

This book is Lee Child at his absolute best! I do not usually like books with parallel story lines, but this was written to perfection. Tension abounds in both story lines. For those who like Jack Reacher when he is on his own this book has that. It also has Jack working with others to achieve his goal.

Jack Reacher is back in Lee Child's 23rd book in the series and it's a strange one.

This time around, Reacher is vagabonding across the country again. He's decided to hitchhike diagonally from New England to Southern California for the winter. He doesn't make it very far. The first guy that picks Reacher up gets an emergency phone call and needs to head back home. So he lets Reacher out in the middle of nowhere next to a sign coincidentally pointing toward the small New Hampshire town where Reacher's dad was born. Why not pay a visit to the ancestral home?

Chapter two starts with Shorty and Patty, a pair of Canadians seeking a new life in the U.S. They have a heavy suitcase full of something valuable they plan to sell in New York and use the profits to set themselves up with a windsurfing business in Florida. Unfortunately, they're having car trouble and need to stop at a secluded motel run by a quartet of overly accommodating, creepy young men who seem to have something sinister planned. Remote control locks, hidden cameras, and metal bars embedded in the walls don't seem like standard motel features.

Here's where things get weird. These two stories basically never intersect. Chapters alternate between Reacher doing genealogical research at the town library and the Canadian couple discovering hints that their lives are in danger. Until the final pages, the stories are completely separate, literally and thematically. Reacher gets into few of his trademark brawls, making enemies with local apple farmers and the Boston mob, but for most of his story, he's scouring over census reports, birth records, and the minutes of a teenage bird watching club. When he finally crosses paths with Shorty and Patty to (((spoiler alert))) save them from the villainous motel-keepers, they're already well on the way to saving themselves. They share just a few sentences and then they're separated again. It's a shockingly experimental story structure for such a mainstream book series.

I don't want to give the impression I didn't like the book. Like all the Reacher books, it is very enjoyable to read. I had a hard time putting it down and read the whole thing in two or three sessions. If you're a Reacher fan, I'm sure you'll like this one, too. If you're new to the series, I recommend going back to an earlier volume.

I haven’t read all the Jack Reacher books yet but I can say I really enjoyed this one, despite not having read all of them in order. Big developments about Reacher’s past in this one.

It’s a slow simmer throughout the book with Reacher’s visit to Laconia New Hampshire, trying to find his father’s childhood home.  Naturally there are problems.  It’s as if Stan Reacher didn’t exist….<em>at first</em>.  There is a bit of genealogy involved when Reacher checks government offices for census info.  He’s trying to find his deceased  father’s home and I can say, if you are interested in a trail of family history, the census is the place to start.

Life is going along smoothly until he’s awakened at 3:01 a.m. and gets into an altercation.  Hey, it’s to save a lady from a thug so of course someone gets beat up.  He has to get into a few fights.  The first one starts up another spoke of the story about retaliation.  We revisit this a few times.

The other story line is about a young Canadian couple stranded near Laconia after their beat up Honda gave out. Patty Sundstrom and Shorty Fleck are broke.  They have a heavy fat suitcase with some treasure inside which they intend to sell when they reach NYC.  Then the plan is to head to Florida and open a windsurfing combo t-shirt business and live near the beach.

When they see a Motel sign they know they can coast the car in and spend the night, hoping to get a mechanic to look at their car then be on their way. Then the creepiness starts and this nice Canadian couple are in bad situation.  You like this couple so you do care what happens to them.  I really wanted to know what was in that heavy suitcase and it was revealed at the end.  Made me smile.

The separate stories eventually converge and then the fireworks begin. So much action all at once for the last quarter of the book.  I couldn’t put it down by this point.

There were a few loose ends, in my opinion, that I wish had been addressed.  If you haven’t read it then this may not make sense but it’s <strong>not</strong> a spoiler either. Why did the ornithologist want to speak to Reacher so badly?  What happened to the rough and tumble fruit pickers who wanted to continue a vendetta? The minor character Burke – he clearly had a mysterious past and I think it may have had some bearing on the story.

Much thanks to <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/">NetGalley</a> for allowing me access to this book prior to publication.  I really enjoyed it and gobbled it down over a weekend.  I was not compensated for my review and all opinions, positive and negative, are my own.

Another great Jack Reacher story. Full of action and bad guys. Jack does seem to find the problems where ever he goes and rights the wrong. this one was a bit different as it explored his Father's past. I could not put this one down (as usual). Love all the action an the surprises. Can't wait for the next reacher adventure

Past Tense by Lee Child is the latest Jack Reacher adventure but with a twist.
While Jack is a major player in the story and the plot, the main plot and characters are totally separate and could almost be book worth reading unto themselves.

The story, like many, starts with Jack hitchhiking. His intention was to go cross country diagonally north to south, east to west. Right off the bat he found himself looking a choice of direction. One was Laconia, New Hampshire. Knowing that this was where his father has supposedly lived and left from to join the Marine Corps, Jack decided to a little genealogical sightseeing was in order.
Simultaneously, Canadians Shorty Fleck and Patty Sundstrom were traveling through the area and developed car troubles. The were barely able to coast into a virtually hidden motel only noticeable by the motel sign out by the road.
As they try to get the car fixed, things start not to add up and their hosts start acting differently.
Meanwhile Jack is in town just looking up old records and ends up “aggravating” one of the power brokers in town. The local police it might be best if Jack just left but Jack being Jack won’t until he finishes what he came to do.
You might think you could write the rest of the tale from here but ....
Enjoy

I like that Reacher wasn't really the main character in the story. And that he actually struggled a bit in a fight. The whole crazy family tree can definitely be explored more. And he didn't sleep with anyone!