I have only read 1 or 2 books in the Jack Reacher series but I enjoyed them both. Coming into this book I am familiar with the character of Reacher and was able to follow his way of thinking and doing things. I really enjoyed that the book went back in time and explained the history and procedural ways of doing things. I enjoyed the fact that the villain of the story was always ahead of the investigation. I like thrillers and this was a good addition to my pile. Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free copy to read and review.

This book is by one of my favorite authors. I enjoyed this book very much. I'm looking forward to more of his novels, and can't wait for a new release. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. This is a crime thriller novel which is one of my favorite genres. I received this book as a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Night School, a Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child is fabulous, as usual. There are new and believable characters, a suspenseful story, of course a great villain and that little bit of something extra that is in every Reacher novel. It's formula, yet a formula that presents in a fresh, unique way every time. Highly recommend.

*3.5 stars. I needed a break from some pretty heavy reading and a new Jack Reacher story was just the ticket. The twenty-first book in the series takes the reader back to 1996. Jack has just been given a medal by the US Army for a job well done and is told that his next assignment will be to return to school for a course entitled 'Impact of Recent Forensic Innovation on Inter-Agency Cooperation.' Of course that is a smoke screen for an important top-secret mission involving the National Security Council, CIA and FBI...and fate of the world as we know it.

The men are told that there is a jihadist sleeper cell group operating in Hamburg, Germany, consisting of four men in their twenties--three Saudis and one Iranian--whose mission has been to embed themselves in the West and await instructions. The Iranian is a double agent and has alerted his American handler that they have had a visitor, a messenger who had come to rendezvous with an American, to receive an opening gambit in a sale. When the messenger returns to their apartment, he is excited by the message he has received and spills the beans--the American wants $100 million dollars for the item he wishes to sell.

It is the job of this elite team the NSC has put together, including Reacher and side-kick Neagley, to figure out who is this person and what is he selling? And of course try to stop him.

This thriller is an interesting police procedural with the usual Reacher story formula--beating up gangs of attackers nearly single-handedly, sleeping with the one beautiful woman involved in the case, using his remarkable instincts to pull a rabbit out his hat as far as clues go. Plenty of twists and turns keep the plot moving along nicely and delivers a satisfying ending.

Interesting quote from the ultimate 'bad guy' (considering the current political climate in America and Europe): "They want their country back. I'll make sure they get the country they deserve. Strong again. With purity of purpose. All pulling together in the same direction. No more dead wood. No more outside interference. Nothing of that kind will be tolerated. Germany will be for Germans."

My husband's usual review of these kinds of books is simple: "It was good! The good guys win; the bad guys lose." And so it goes...

I like Lee Child's books, but I had a hard time keeping focused with this one. The pace was slow and didn't hold my interest. I'll keep reading his books, though. He's a great author and storyteller.

This is not a typical Jack Reacher book. But you'll get no complaints from me. He's still a badass and this flashback story helps you understand how and why he got to be such a badass. Or not. It's is just a story and he's still Reacher. This entry drops Reacher into a typically mysterious situation and forces him to use his wits, strict code of honesty and fists to uncover the mystery and force the bad guys out into the open. I found it compelling and entertaining.

I gave this three stars because, no matter what, I like Jack Reacher. However, this is at the bottom of my list as far as the series goes. Honestly, I don't enjoy prequels and this is no exception. It's 1996 and Reacher is still evolving and I really couldn't get very interested in the mystery. I want more of the present Reacher. Let his past be part of the mystery.

Lee Child never disappoints with his books. If you want a great story that keeps you reading this is the book to read.

Never disappointed in a Lee Child book, especially a Reacher book. Keep on searching Reacher for whatever it is you are looking for and we will keep following you across the country.

Not all that impressed with it. This book was recommended to me so I thought I'd try it, see what this Jack Reacher was all about.. There was some exciting action but for the most part it was just okay. Military action, spying and covert affairs.. everything a good spy/military action story should have. I received a copy through NetGalley and my review is voluntary.

Jack Reacher has achieved a high level of popularity through the release of a couple major motion pictures based upon his adventures. I was a fan of Jack Reacher, the creation of Lee Child, before he hit the big screen and was happy to slip back into the world that Child created for him with the release of the 21st book in the series: “Night School.”

Jack Reacher had no idea why he was being sent to class. The mystery only deepened when he found himself in a room with a FBI agent and a CIA operative. The three men seemed very different from Reacher, a military police officer in the Army, but Reacher has no choice but to follow orders. The only unifying thread between the three men is that they had all just recently received rewards for successfully completing difficult missions in service to their country. They are soon to find out that they are going to be given their toughest test yet.

Reacher and the other “students” learn that a jihadist group in Hamburg, Germany, have reached an agreement to purchase something from an American for one hundred million dollars. While they are not sure what the item is, they can only guess that it is a weapon of mass destruction based on the exorbitant buying price. The sale must be stopped at all costs and the group soon finds itself immersed in the task of finding the American and learning his past before the sale can be completed and the safety of the world compromised.

In “Night School,” Lee Child chooses to take the reader back into Reacher’s past and presents a story of intrigue that gives a glimpse as to how Reacher came to become the character that the readers have come to know and love. There is a great deal of international intrigue and action as the story unravels that is sure to appeal to fans of the series. Reacher remains a compelling character and Child takes time to set up the story with a small core cast so that they all become fully formed as the story unwinds. Child also presents a different side to Reacher as he is still in the Army and thus must act as part of a group instead as the lone wolf that he has become since leaving the military. It is a pleasant change to see Reacher working as a part of a team and this provides a new insight into the character than has been presented in previous novels.

While “Night School” is a good novel, it ultimately falls into the trap that plagues sequels as it is hard to build a sense of urgency and suspense when the ending is already known. If the sale had been completed and the jihadists used the weapon against the United States, readers would have known about this important failure in Reacher’s past. This keeps the suspense level down as the reader knows that Reacher’s group is going to be successful in the end. This lack of urgency causes the story to bog down at times so that it takes a little bit of work to get through the story at times. “Night School” is still a good novel but it was one of the weaker novels in the series. It provides an interesting glimpse into the earlier life of Reacher that had only been touched on before and does help flesh out his character some but will ultimately be more of an interesting side note in the series. Long-time readers are sure to enjoy the novel and should not hesitate to read it but it is not one of Child’s best.

I would like to thank Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this review copy. “Night School” is available now.

I love Lee Child’s character, Jack Reacher which is why I got this book. I was disappointed in the story line. While it is about Jack Reacher, it is a throwback to when he was still in the military. I thought some pre-history to where Jack came from would be great. But alas, it really didn’t provide any insight into why Jack is the wanderer he is.

The story is about stopping a bad guy from selling nuclear weapons. Of course, Jack has a liaison with a gal that is his superior. This is the typical Jack that breaks all the rules. It was set in Germany and Jack acquired help from a local detective to help find and stop the nuclear weapons from being sold on the black market.

If you like Jack Reacher but want a story that is a bit more mundane that the normal story line, this book will satisfy that.

Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series has been a favorite of mine for over 10 years.

Night School is a little different than the typical Reacher formula we’ve come to know and love. Mr. Child takes us back in time twenty years to 1996. (This is according to the book summary. I can’t find a year in the book anywhere, but I could have missed it.) Reacher is still in the Army (very late in his career I think). He’s fresh off of a secret assignment that’s resulted in a(nother) Legion of Merit medal. He is quickly sent on his next assignment, to participate in a course for inter-agency cooperation. Reacher thinks one step ahead as always, and quickly realizes the assignment isn’t as it seems.

The novel escalates from here. It turns out there is some kind of large money deal going down in Germany. Something between Saudi Arabia and an American. But that’s as much as the U.S. Government knows. It’s big money, and it could be anything. Whatever it is, it’s not good.

As a regular reader, it was interesting to see Reacher on an Army assignment, versus the nomad vigilante seen in most of the novels. Typically, Reacher accidentally gets mixed up in some kind of trouble and his sense of justice keeps him in town to see it through. In 1996, Reacher gets involved because the Army tells him to do. (Of course, there are the typical Reacher fights and a little office romance thrown into the mix. So Army Reacher really isn’t that far off from nomad Reacher.)

If you’re new to the series, don’t fret. You can jump right into this novel. While it is a twenty-year-old adventure, the story is standalone (as with all Reacher novels) and you don’t need any backstory to follow along and enjoy the ride.

As always, Night School is a fast-paced page turner. Mr. Child is good at giving just enough information to keep the reader guessing and the story moving. Reacher has the right mix of intellect and street-smarts to solve the puzzle and fight the bad guys along the way. It was fun to see Jack Reacher at his prime in the Army. Hoping Mr. Child gives us this opportunity again in the future.

I love that this is a prequel in the Jack Reacher series. We imagine how he might be in his Army days but this puts us back there. Would love to see more of the early Jack Reacher.

Lee Child is one of those authors you know is going to grab you on the first page and not let you go until you get to the last page. Jack Reacher is a favorite character and does not disappoint in this newest book. Can't wait to read the next.

“Night School” eBook was published in 2016 and was written by Lee Child (http://www.leechild.com). Mr. Child has published 21 novels. All “Jack Reacher” thrillers. This is the latest in that series.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Situations. The story is set in 1996 and located mostly in Germany, though some is in the US. The primary character, as might be expected, is US Army Major Jack Reacher.

Reacher is a member of the US Army Military Police. At the beginning of the story he is assigned to a until that is very quietly being assembled to thwart the sale of something to Muslim extremists for $100 million. They don’t know who is selling it or what it is. Their only lead is an apartment in Germany with four young Muslim men.

Reacher and the small assembled team pursue many paths in their investigation before they finally believe they have found the who and the what. Their efforts are somewhat disrupted by radical right wing elements within Germany. Along the way in the story Reacher finds a brief time to enjoy the company of an attractive woman that is part of the team.

I have not read any of the other Jack Reacher novels, but thoroughly enjoyed the 8 hours I spent reading this 385 page Mystery Thriller. The Reacher character is not necessarily a violent man, but he is more than willing to do what is needed to accomplish what he sees as his mission. Nor does he take threats from others lightly. Those that oppose his investigations are obstacles to be removed. I liked the Reacher character. The cover art is not very interesting. I give this novel a 4.4 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.

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