Jack Reacher - any good?
Discussion
Prolex-UK said:
Second comments above about John Milton series. Well worth a read. A lot of the story lines are based on real like events as well. The latest had a hint of events in Salisbury.....where author lives as well !
I have not started the latest Milton book, I will be starting it this evening, the author's office is right next to the site of the Salisbury poisoning. I have really enjoyed all the others as well as Mark Dawson's other non-Milton books. Ben
BigBen said:
Prolex-UK said:
Second comments above about John Milton series. Well worth a read. A lot of the story lines are based on real like events as well. The latest had a hint of events in Salisbury.....where author lives as well !
I have not started the latest Milton book, I will be starting it this evening, the author's office is right next to the site of the Salisbury poisoning. I have really enjoyed all the others as well as Mark Dawson's other non-Milton books. Ben
Fastchas said:
droopsnoot said:
Fastchas said:
If you like DeMille then I heartily recommend his other novels.
I've read a couple of his, and found them quite different to each other. I did very much enjoy "By the rivers of Babylon", much more than I recall liking another of his, which I think was "Up country" but might have been something else.Plum Island is very good and a good introduction into the character, John Corey.
"Night Fall" is another Nelson DeMille I've read recently, that was very good and has quite an ending. It's not (as far as I can recall) anything to do with the Thomas Block novel of the same name.
Edited by droopsnoot on Thursday 8th November 12:26
Trevatanus said:
Lee Child on Radio 2 just now basically saying he thought Tom Cruise was not the right person to play Reacher. Future Reacher visual output will be via Netflix / Amazon output, and he wants an unknown to play him. Someone like Lawrence Delallio in terms of appearance.
Good.Just read the latest Jack Reacher book 'Past Tense' - I won't give too much of the plot away for those who haven't read it, but it was a disappointment. The novel had been built-up as a real back story on Reacher and his father. I read an early teaser before the book was released and it seemed to promise much.
Unfortunately after a promising start, it descends into formulaic easy brain fodder Reacher 101. I think Child has moments of brilliance with his 'hard boiled' narrative style describing objects, towns etc in his novels, but whether he is lazy, running out of ideas, or scared to mess with a commercially successful formula, he resists the urge to stretch Reacher beyond a semi-Marvel comic superhero into someone more three dimensional, and also lose some of the quasi homoeroticism he seems to indulge in when describing Reacher.
That being said, I did finish the book and as compelling pulp action it (as usual) works very well.
Anyone else got any thoughts on this latest book?
Unfortunately after a promising start, it descends into formulaic easy brain fodder Reacher 101. I think Child has moments of brilliance with his 'hard boiled' narrative style describing objects, towns etc in his novels, but whether he is lazy, running out of ideas, or scared to mess with a commercially successful formula, he resists the urge to stretch Reacher beyond a semi-Marvel comic superhero into someone more three dimensional, and also lose some of the quasi homoeroticism he seems to indulge in when describing Reacher.
That being said, I did finish the book and as compelling pulp action it (as usual) works very well.
Anyone else got any thoughts on this latest book?
Blue One said:
Just read the latest Jack Reacher book 'Past Tense' - I won't give too much of the plot away for those who haven't read it, but it was a disappointment. The novel had been built-up as a real back story on Reacher and his father. I read an early teaser before the book was released and it seemed to promise much.
Unfortunately after a promising start, it descends into formulaic easy brain fodder Reacher 101. I think Child has moments of brilliance with his 'hard boiled' narrative style describing objects, towns etc in his novels, but whether he is lazy, running out of ideas, or scared to mess with a commercially successful formula, he resists the urge to stretch Reacher beyond a semi-Marvel comic superhero into someone more three dimensional, and also lose some of the quasi homoeroticism he seems to indulge in when describing Reacher.
That being said, I did finish the book and as compelling pulp action it (as usual) works very well.
Anyone else got any thoughts on this latest book?
The two plot thing was a bit new. Was not that impressed by this book... if I’m paying £10 to read a formulaic book, I’d like him to not go too far off formula.. it felt that he is running out of ideas for reacher so needed a different story line to pad out the words..Unfortunately after a promising start, it descends into formulaic easy brain fodder Reacher 101. I think Child has moments of brilliance with his 'hard boiled' narrative style describing objects, towns etc in his novels, but whether he is lazy, running out of ideas, or scared to mess with a commercially successful formula, he resists the urge to stretch Reacher beyond a semi-Marvel comic superhero into someone more three dimensional, and also lose some of the quasi homoeroticism he seems to indulge in when describing Reacher.
That being said, I did finish the book and as compelling pulp action it (as usual) works very well.
Anyone else got any thoughts on this latest book?
I actually quite liked the two narratives. Personally I really wish that he'd write a non-Reacher book or go dramatically off formula. The last couple of books feel a bit like he wanted to write something a bit different but couldn't quite bring himself to jump in completely.
He's a very talented writer I think. It's easy to dismiss them as formulaic pulp but they're very well done.
He's a very talented writer I think. It's easy to dismiss them as formulaic pulp but they're very well done.
hairykrishna said:
I actually quite liked the two narratives. Personally I really wish that he'd write a non-Reacher book or go dramatically off formula. The last couple of books feel a bit like he wanted to write something a bit different but couldn't quite bring himself to jump in completely.
He's a very talented writer I think. It's easy to dismiss them as formulaic pulp but they're very well done.
I quite enjoyed this one but, was far more interested in the motel narrative than the family history. I much preferred this one to the last, which was too much of a departure from the usual Reacher style for me.He's a very talented writer I think. It's easy to dismiss them as formulaic pulp but they're very well done.
As recommended in the other books thread, this was very readable indeed in the ex-SAS turned superhero genre. The second book has just been released although they can do one at the current price.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Once-Pilgrim-breathtaking...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Once-Pilgrim-breathtaking...
NDA, you still around? I seem to read similar books to what you like. (Although I also like the Jim Butcher, Dresden series)
If you dont mind going back a few decades to a lot older authors, although still good action I can recommend a few more:
Alastair Maclean: War stories and spy/hero type stories
Esp good that Ive read are: Night without End, Fear is the Key, Puppet on a Chain, When Eight Bells toll plus some war ones: Guns of Navarone, HMS Ulysses, Where Eagles dare.
Similar era and type of book are Desmond Bagley, 10 or so of his around to read.
Also still sort of going although mostly with other writers now, but his early stuff was pretty good is Wilbur Smith. I steered clear afte rhe started doing pharoah stuff and with another author stuff. The early ones like When The Lion feeds, Sound of Thunder, Eye of the Tiger, Hungry as the Sea, Elephant song and plenty more, are pretty good.
Ian Rankin althuogh mostly detective with Rebus are pretty good and they're more recent, 90's onward.
If you dont mind going back a few decades to a lot older authors, although still good action I can recommend a few more:
Alastair Maclean: War stories and spy/hero type stories
Esp good that Ive read are: Night without End, Fear is the Key, Puppet on a Chain, When Eight Bells toll plus some war ones: Guns of Navarone, HMS Ulysses, Where Eagles dare.
Similar era and type of book are Desmond Bagley, 10 or so of his around to read.
Also still sort of going although mostly with other writers now, but his early stuff was pretty good is Wilbur Smith. I steered clear afte rhe started doing pharoah stuff and with another author stuff. The early ones like When The Lion feeds, Sound of Thunder, Eye of the Tiger, Hungry as the Sea, Elephant song and plenty more, are pretty good.
Ian Rankin althuogh mostly detective with Rebus are pretty good and they're more recent, 90's onward.
CopperBolt said:
NDA, you still around? I seem to read similar books to what you like. (Although I also like the Jim Butcher, Dresden series)
If you dont mind going back a few decades to a lot older authors, although still good action I can recommend a few more:
Alastair Maclean: War stories and spy/hero type stories
Esp good that Ive read are: Night without End, Fear is the Key, Puppet on a Chain, When Eight Bells toll plus some war ones: Guns of Navarone, HMS Ulysses, Where Eagles dare.
Similar era and type of book are Desmond Bagley, 10 or so of his around to read.
Also still sort of going although mostly with other writers now, but his early stuff was pretty good is Wilbur Smith. I steered clear afte rhe started doing pharoah stuff and with another author stuff. The early ones like When The Lion feeds, Sound of Thunder, Eye of the Tiger, Hungry as the Sea, Elephant song and plenty more, are pretty good.
Ian Rankin althuogh mostly detective with Rebus are pretty good and they're more recent, 90's onward.
Yes indeed I am - and still reading!If you dont mind going back a few decades to a lot older authors, although still good action I can recommend a few more:
Alastair Maclean: War stories and spy/hero type stories
Esp good that Ive read are: Night without End, Fear is the Key, Puppet on a Chain, When Eight Bells toll plus some war ones: Guns of Navarone, HMS Ulysses, Where Eagles dare.
Similar era and type of book are Desmond Bagley, 10 or so of his around to read.
Also still sort of going although mostly with other writers now, but his early stuff was pretty good is Wilbur Smith. I steered clear afte rhe started doing pharoah stuff and with another author stuff. The early ones like When The Lion feeds, Sound of Thunder, Eye of the Tiger, Hungry as the Sea, Elephant song and plenty more, are pretty good.
Ian Rankin althuogh mostly detective with Rebus are pretty good and they're more recent, 90's onward.
I am currently reading a series called 'A John Crowner Mystery'... by Bernard Knight. They're quite good actually - set in 12th Century Devon, the main character is John de Wolfe a Norman coroner - which was newly created function back then. Good stories and well written.
I have read all the Rebus.
I do check in to this thread when I've run out of ideas - so will definitely check out some of your suggestions. I have pretty much stopped watching television as it's absolute rubbish most of the time, so I do read a lot.
Lee Child got a cbe
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48545983
Lee Child
Occupation: Author of the Jack Reacher series
Honour: CBE for services to literature
Quote: "Someone read my books and enjoyed them enough to put my name forward for this great honour, which in itself is all a writer could ask for."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48545983
Lee Child
Occupation: Author of the Jack Reacher series
Honour: CBE for services to literature
Quote: "Someone read my books and enjoyed them enough to put my name forward for this great honour, which in itself is all a writer could ask for."
I recently came across this author.
http://www.cjbox.net/
His Joe Pickett books will definitely please any Reacher readers.
http://www.cjbox.net/
His Joe Pickett books will definitely please any Reacher readers.
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