Jack Reacher always provides a great read and this is no different. After leaving Maine, he starts heading Southwest and decides to stop off to seethe hometown of his father and leave more about his past. Due to his involvement in stopping an assault, he becomes a target but keeps pushing to get to the bottom of his upbringing. He stumbles upon a sick game and like typical saves the day. I look forward to more exploits of Jack Reacher.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for sharing this advanced copy of another gripping Reacher novel. What follows is the review posted on Goodreads.

In this installment, Reacher decides to visit his father's childhood home of Laconia NH. He's interested in learning a bit more about his father's past and family. Almost immediately, he steps into both trouble by defending the helpless, and into a mystery surrounding his father's past.

As always, there's a thriller within the thriller, in this case around a motel in the middle of nowhere, and the two Canadian guests who unfortunately end up there. Lee Child weaves the story so that this storyline intersects with Reacher's search for his past, which ends up literally in a fight for survival.

Each Reacher book is a little different. This one had plenty of action and fighting, but the books seem to be trending towards a slightly slower pace. I loved the build up to what was really going on in the motel (which took a good chunk of the book), and when the two story lines finally converge Reacher helped solve the situation. No remorse. No regrets. What needed to be done was done.

I've read all of the books in the series, and have not been disappointed. #23 was no exception. When the book is released in November, you should run to your independent bookstore and buy it.

This was an eARC I was so excited to get approved for - the Jack Reacher series is one of my all time favorite but I have to say this one didn't do it for me. Normally when I read a Reacher book, I pick it up and don't put it down until I'm fnished. I'm sad to say this latest book was very easy to pick up, read a couple chapters and put back down. I didn't connect at all.

The story itself was written in typical Lee Child/Reacher style. However, at times, I felt the story was very strange and completely out there. It took a long time for the two plots to connect. I was left feeling disappointed at the end.

You can't win them all and I am too much of a Lee Child fan to let this one keep me from reading the next in the series. As always, I look forwad to the next Reacher adventure.

Thank you #netgalley and #randomhouseballantine for the eARC.

This wasn’t my favorite Reacher book. The POV shift was clunky, and the dual story line was very predictable. It was still written beautifully and that makes up for a lot!

Receiving an ARC of a Jack Reacher book is like winning the book lottery! I’ve been with Jack since book 1. This is the one series I always recommend to others. How Lee Child can consistently develop these adventures for Reacher is beyond my comprehension.

Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Two parallel stories going on in the same town. Reacher, who just wants to see where his dad grew up. A couple over from Canada who find themselves stranded in an isolated, remote motel deep in the woods with no other guests and no cell phone service. The motel owners are a little too friendly and the creep factor is palpable.

Then their worlds collide. You’ll want to add this to your shelfie!

Publishing date is scheduled for 11/5/18.

As happy as I was to receive the ARC of the new Jack Reacher novel, my disappointment matches. There were many familiar and endearing Reacherisms in this novel, but the small scale of the story seemed to limit the tale. The incidents in the woods were dreary, Ryantown not even a shadow of its heyday. There were good people populating the novel, and that was all the merrier given the bad people in the woods. Reacher had little to do with them, so it wasn't much of a Reacher story until the end. Ultimately Stan Reacher is found. How could a guy named Reacher live in a town until he was 90 years old and yet the name rang no bells at the county records office?
I did enjoy seeing Jack Reacher again. I just wish he had more to do that was of interest. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Lou Jacobs's Reviews > Past Tense
Past Tense by Lee Child
Past Tense (Jack Reacher, #23)
by Lee Child (Goodreads Author)

M 50x66
Lou Jacobs's review
Jul 21, 2018 · edit

it was amazing

The wandering Avenging Angel returns. Jack Reacher, Ex-Army MP is on the move ... he's tired of the cold Maine climate and starts with thumb out on his usual circuitous journey ... hopefully ending in the warmer clime of San Diego. His journey is soon derailed when he sees a sign for Laconia, New Hampshire ... and congers up a genealogy detour to seek out his roots. He apparently recalls his father Stan talking about his early life in Laconia. With his digging into the local history and records he's afforded the opportunity to come to the rescue of a damsel in distress. Awaken at 3 AM in his hotel room , he investigates and finds a 30 some cocktail waitress being hassled by a rich, entitled 20 ish guy who won't take "No" for an answer ... much to this young man's detriment Reacher intervenes. Juxtaposed with this story line is the journey of Patty and Shorty.. 25 year old Canadians seeking better life and fortune in Florida .. with a projected stopover in NYC to sell their suitcase-full of "wares" Their journey is quickly short circuited when their junker of a car breaks down and they find themselves virtually trapped as prisoners in a remote motel.
Lee Child expertly weaves the two plots together with a extremely compelling story that eventually collides together in an exciting denouement. Although I am a long time fan of Jack Reacher this novel can easily be loved as a standalone book. Thanks to Netgalley & Random House Publishing Group for providing this Uncorected Electronic Proof for my enjoyment and in exchange for an honest review.


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Reading Progress

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read Lee Child's new book Jack Reacher " Past Tense." I would like to thank NewGallery for allowing me to review this book and give my honest opinion.
I am a HUGE fan of the Jack Reacher series! When I started reading this book, I was so excited to delve in to it. But, sorry to say, it just wasn't as good as Lee Child's previous books in the series. The main character, Jack Reacher, didn't seem to be the same Jack Reacher I remember from the previous books. He has always been the hero that didn't want to "kill" people, hurt them yes for the sake of helping others out. In this book he had no hesitation to kill the bad people, whereas he usually makes a effort to teach them a lesson before killing them.
I am hoping when Jack Reacher finally reaches his destination of San Diego things become more interesting and flow better.
The premise of the book is two different stories which at the end, do overlap but in a very confusing way.
I did not find it a struggle to finish the book. It kept me interested and I highly recommend it to anyone reading the Jack Reacher series......but, if you have not read the previous books in the series, do not start with this one. The previous books in the series are outstanding.

I am a huge Jack Reacher fan, but this book is simply not as good as vintage Reacher. Child has strung together several small plots, none of them really jelling. As always, when Reacher walks into town, things start happening.

This time he comes to Laconia, NH, seeking information about his roots. While on this quest, he stirs up trouble in Laconia, the area around it and ultimately interrupts a murderous game. Generally the plots hang together decently and we understand his motivation, but I found this lacked cohesion.


I look forward to my yearly dose of Jack, and felt disappointed and unfulfilled by this episode.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this amazing book. Having long been a fan of the Reacher books, I was happy to obtain this for review. Personally, I found the last Reacher book a little less enjoyable than usual. Happy to report this was a return to form and an enjoyable read. As always, our hero has a destination in mind, and then something happens to ensure he never gets there. Was interesting to read about his family roots, and Shorty and Patty were very believable characters. The whole story kept me reading, and I can’t wait to see the next adventures!

5 stars

Jack Reacher decides that he is going from Maine to California – walking, hitching, however. But he doesn’t get too far. He sees a sign for Laconia, New Hampshire and recalls that it is where his father was from. His dad never went back to Laconia, but Reacher would like to see the house where he lived. After an exhaustive search through country records, Reacher finally finds in the police reports a mention of his father Stan. He learns from the clerk that a lot of people lived outside Laconia and searches the entire county. There he finds his grandparents and Stan. But someone makes a phone call and tells the listener that Reacher is looking up old records.

At the same time, Patty and Shorty are making a trip in their beat up old Honda from Canada to New York City to sell a treasure. The reader doesn’t get to learn what the treasure consists of, but it is heavy. The car doesn’t make it; it is overheating and making a clunking noise under the hood. They coast into a motel with no other cars there. How odd. They meet Mark who fiddles under to hood and now it won’t even turn over. They are given a room that was refurbished and bed down for the night – Mark promising all along that he will call the mechanic in the morning as the phones are out just then.

Something wakes Patty in the night. She begins to get suspicious when the door to their room won’t open. It opens easily in the morning. At the same time, the reader gets a view behind the scenes. They are being held for some reason by the four male owners of the motel.

Reacher sets out walking the eight or so miles to a place called Ryanville. It is the little wide spot in the road where his father grew up. There, he runs into trouble with an apple grower. He is asked by the police to leave town and not come back. Of course he comes back, for he has plans for the next day.

Meanwhile, back at the motel, things are escalating. Patty and Shorty’s captors’ stories get weirder. There are too many inconsistencies for Patty is nothing if not pretty smart. When Reacher makes a visit to the motel, he also notices something not quite right. He sneaks back that night.

Then the story gets more paced and it literally explodes into action and drama with nail biting tension thrown in. The ending of the book is soft and nostalgic. At least I thought so.

The bad guys in this book were really bad: conniving, manipulative and more than a little goal oriented – their own goals of course. Jack Reacher was himself. That is to say always ready. His motto is “hope for the best, plan for the worst.” It works beautifully for him. I absolutely love his character. This book is remarkably well written and plotted as are all of Lee Child’s novels. He has a way with words and describing situations that are way beyond good. It’s excellent. There were a couple of places in the novel that I questioned, “Could that really happen that way?” But they were relatively minor and I have a tendency to question almost everything.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine/Delacorte Press for forwarding to me a copy of this absolutely riveting book for me to read, enjoy and review.

What Reacher fan doesn't look forward to the next installment in this series? I await each one, but sadly this one is very different from previous books and didn't quite hit the usual mark of excellence for me. Reacher is wandering again, this time from Maine towards SanDiego when he decides to make a brief detour to Laconia NH to do a little family history sleuthing in his dad's hometown. Jack is Jack, so he doesn't stay out of trouble for long and soon finds himself trying to evade a "hit" on his life. In a parallel plot line, a young couple from Canada, Shorty and Patty are making their way from Canada to NYC with a mysterious and have suitcase, in a beat up Honda. As the Honda is nearing a breakdown they find a room in a backwoods motel and the plot heats up from there.

Both plot lines continue in parallel with no intersection until the final ten chapters of the book. The intersection seems artificial given the weak connection that brings them together. The story development is slower than normal for a Reacher plot and it just feels like the author was reaching this time to get a book out. Here's hoping that when Jack reaches SanDiego there's a more intersting story waiting for him there.

Visiting his father's birthplace in New Hampshire, Reacher arrives just as some *really nefarious* stuff is happening and involves himself in some violent genealogy, including the step by step fight descriptions we expect in a Reacher book (those apple picking locals, even the one with some high school wrestling experience, sure play their cards wrong).

It’s so refreshing to have our Jack Reacher, the 6’4”, 240# former MP in this novel instead of a 5’3” actor trying to carry out all the real Reacher is called upon to do as he pursues the right and protects those who can’t protect themselves. In this story, Reacher travels to (what he believes is) his ancestral home in search of some closure. As usual trouble finds him as bullies and kidnappers rear their ugly heads. And as usual, the strong, quiet protagonist deals with the troublemakers decisively. A good addition to the Reacher legend.

“Past Tense”, the latest Lee Child effort in the Jack Reacher series, falls a bit short of previous successes. Jack is his usual analytical, perceptive and tough guy self as he visits his father’s childhood town in New Hampshire. However, there slightly less energy, zip or suspense when compared to earlier books even though the basic story lines hold true. If PAST TENSE is one’s first Jack Reacher read this may not be noticeable. But for a veteran like myself this book is slightly slow moving.

I loved this book. It’s been a while since I’ve read a Jack Reacher book, but one of the beauties of this series is that each one works well as a standalone. Even if it’s your first Reacher book, you’ll find yourself completely intrigued by the mystery of his past here.

Readers should note that the book isn’t particularly action packed. Action does happen, but it takes a while. Instead you have two puzzles that demand to be solved. One the puzzle of Reacher and his past. The other the puzzles of two characters stuck in a remote location. I will admit that the puzzle of our two stuck characters was immediately obvious to me, but I read a lot and it’s one of my favorite plot devices. As a result, even though I knew what was going on there, I was just thrilled.

Child really is a master of characterization and it stands out here. Every character we meet is nuanced and fascinating.

This one kept me reading and I simple didn’t want it to end!

I NEVER grow tired of Jack Reacher He has become iconic to me. This time, Jack is looking into the mystery of his own past, but in true Reacher fashion he finds more than he's bargaining for and helps a Canadian couple who have fallen into a deadly situation. I really liked the way this was two stories told independently, yet overlapping to one final showdown. Another great read from Lee Child!

Full review to be published online in late November.

PAST TENSE is very different for a Reacher book. It had the kind of plot twists that the readder would find in a Harlan Coben thriller and not the linear plot progression one expects from a Reacher book. Reacher hits his late father’s hometown on a whim to try to learn about his past. This story intertwines with one about a young couple who unintentionally wind up at a remote motel in the woods. The two plots alternate, but don’t come together until late in the book.

I would have enjoyed the storyline about the young couple more if it hadn’t turned out to be such an improbable premise. It was creepy waiting to find out what the purpose was; but once the reader knows for sure the anticipation is gone. At that point the enjoyment takes a pretty big dip, and doesn’t go back up until the climactic scenes of the book. It didn’t help that I had recently read a thriller with a similar plot.

It is left for the Reacher part of the book to sustain the load, and it had a rather laconic pace. I will say that Lee Child gave a bit of a surprise twist to the young lovers predicament. They turned out to be quite resourceful. Oh, and Reacher finds out more about his family’s past than he ever bargained for.

PAST TENSE is a good read; but I have to say I’ve never read a Reacher book like this. There is little of the expected action and head-banging, and it’s slower paced and more introspective. Honestly, if I found out later that Lee Child had a ghost writer for this book I wouldn’t be the least surprised. It’s that far off the track of the usual Reacher book.

Lee Child hits a home run with another Jack Reacher novel. Jack takes a detour to explore his roots in this adventure. Story meanders through a sleepy town, that suddenly heats up with arrival of Jack. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Jack at his best here.

Past Tense – Lee Child

I was fortunate to receive this novel from Netgalley.com as an Advance Reader Copy, in exchange for an objective review.

I have never read a Reacher book that I didn’t like, and this awesome new adventure is no exception!

Jack Reacher is presently in Maine, and it looking to head to southern California for the winter, via hitchhiking or whatever means he comes across. As he accepts a ride from a nice individual heading to Boston, he notices a sign along the way for Laconia, New Hampshire. Family lore says his father was from there, and Jack decides to head that way to see what he can learn about his little known paternal family.

Meanwhile, Shorty Fleck and Patty Sundstrom have left their hometown in Canada and are on the road to Florida in search of an idyllic life on the beach. Their old Honda is over-heating and they stop at a small out of the way hotel in Laconia, New Hampshire. The proprietors are welcoming, and the two are given a newly refurbished room. But the next morning, their car won’t start, and the phones are dead. There’s no cell service. And then strange things start to happen…

As with every novel by Lee Child, I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN! The Jack Reacher character just drags me in every time. Part wandering vagabond, part old military cop, and part ruthless avenging angel for the greater good, Reacher is unique, intriguing, and just plain awesome. A must-read for Reacher fans everywhere, and a fabulous first introduction to readers who haven’t yet met Jack!