If you are a die hard Jack Reacher fan, Andrew is still not quite there. With that being said, this is a great novel. It has action, suspense and some unexpected plot twists. I highly recommend this book. It is a great stand alone novel, if you're new to the Reacher series.

Another great Jack Reacher book that keeps you on the edge of your seat - although the pacing is a bit slower than usual. I really enjoyed the storyline and characters in this book - minus the bad guys/gals. The way Reacher's mind works is common sense mixed with intuition and it really gets a workout in this story. Without giving too much away I loved the strong female characters but was a bit disappointed towards the end as the one story played out - disappointed in the female, not the story. I received an ARC in exchange for my review. I sincerely thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for this opportunity.

Great book! Great series! Great author! This book had a bit of everything! It had high suspense, action packed, murder, mystery, great fight scenes, it would be a great movie! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book and series! They're well worth reading! I can't wait for more! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

The Secret goes back about twenty years when Jack Reacher is still in the army. He is paired up with agents from the FBI, CIA and Treasury to figure out who is revenge killing a group of scientists responsible for a chemical leak in India in 1969.

Enjoyed the read but slower paced than most Reacher books.

I admit that I've been wary going into Reacher books as Andrew Child worked to get his feet under the character, but this is a solid entry into the Reacher canon. The Secret from the title involves a secret government project from 1969 that rears its head in the 90's while Reacher is still in the Army and finds him placed on a task force with other problem children from the FBI, CIA, and Treasury to investigate the murders of scientists involved in this old project. The mystery unfolds slowly as the team is obviously not getting the full story, though there's action interspersed as the narrative jumps from the investigative team to the bad guys throughout. It was also a nice little surprise having Reacher able to interact with his brother again. A quick, fun read that I look forward to recommending. Thank you to Random House - Ballantine, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for the early read in exchange for my honest opinion.

It was very interesting to go "back in time" with Reacher and not as a flashback. I really enjoyed watching Reacher work within the confines of the Army and using his contacts. The subject was amazing and Reacher is always a thrill-ride.

The Reacher books are always formulaic but I found this one to be predictable as well.

There are scientists dying under suspicious circumstances. They are made to look like suicides or accidents.

Years ago, in India, the United States was working on a project which they never wanted the public to know about. Turns out that project was not successful in the way it was intended and there were unforeseen consequences!

Now someone knows what went on all of those years ago and is determined to find all of the scientists responsible for what happened!

In this novel Reacher is recruited by the Secretary of Defense to represent the Army in a collection of specialists, including the FBI, CIA, etc to research why these men are being killed and who might be next on the list.

The team knows next to nothing about the group of scientists – it won’t take long for them to find the connection.

Sadly, it didn’t take me long to find the connection either and the person or persons responsible for the killings.

This novel doesn't have quite as much of “knock em outs” as is usual for Reacher but for fans there will be enough to satisfy!

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

I had wondered if the partial handoff of Jack Reacher from Lee Child to Andrew Child would be rough and lose the compelling storylines that make the Reacher series so good. But Reacher has weathered the transition beautifully, and he remains the best hero in the world of thrillers. "The Secret" goes back to Reacher's time as an MP and is another success; indeed, it's astonishing that every one of the series has been a home run. I confess I did roll my eyes a bit at the conspiratorial suggestions of how defense secretaries operate, but I guess that's what makes thrillers thrilling. And the narrative unfolds beautifully to a typically tense ending. Best tribute to this book is that i couldn't stop reading and so it interfered with my work!

A secret has been kept since 1969 that he thought would never be revealed. The team of scientists involved begin to die under suspicious circumstances, most look like suicide. It becomes evident that the secret is out and whoever knows is killing every one of the scientists involved. The Department of Defense organizes a task force of misfit officers from various agencies to ascertain who the killer is and stop him. Reacher is the Army representative to the task force and he vows to find the killer; which might necessitate getting to the bottom of the secret. The task force is given very little information to work with which makes it hard for them to come up with any names for the killer. The killer always seems one step ahead of any information the task force has. If they fail the task force becomes the scapegoat.

This is a slow paced thriller — the information is difficult to obtain and the bodies keep coming. Can Reacher solve the mystery and keep his rank and his job?
I found this slow and methodical.

I love Lee Child. I don't love it when he goes back in time without telling us! I'm a big chronological reader and this one threw me for a loop. But, it was still a great story. I love the adventure. I love Jack Reacher. I'm already ready for the next title in the series!

I love the Reacher character. He is a good man, and seems to be caring and wants things to be right. It is too long between books, but what can you do Great!

An interesting premise in this newest edition of the Jack Reacher story. Thanks for Netgalley and the publisher.

I wasn’t 100% sure what was happening in the beginning but it ended up being a solid book in Reacher’s past. Some awful antagonists and as always some good people that Reacher surrounds himself with. Lots of action and investigating. Always love reading a Reacher book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the DRC.