Jack Reacher - any good?

Author
Discussion

andrewcliffe

962 posts

224 months

Monday 10th January 2022
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Still able to churn them out. No Plan B expected October this year.

marcosgt

11,021 posts

176 months

Tuesday 11th January 2022
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I just read 'Nothing To Lose" and quite enjoyed it, but I'd been finding the quality had been declining, generally, up until I read that one, which was an earlier book I'd missed. I'd actually had quite a long break from Reachers before that.

I've got the latest ones from Blue Moon forward sitting in my bookcase, ready to read, but two are 'With Andrew Childs', so I'm a bit skeptical - Luckily, I'm picking these up for £1.50 or even £1 in local charity shops, so I'm not losing much if they're not much cop.

M

Stan the Bat

8,920 posts

212 months

Tuesday 11th January 2022
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Just noticed that the TV series is starting next month on Amazon Prime.

andrewcliffe

962 posts

224 months

Tuesday 11th January 2022
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The current format of Reacher arriving in a small town and finding bad guys, a good diner, a beautiful female police officer and someone in danger is running a bit thin. I think they should go back into history again and look at a younger Reacher, possible explore his military career a bit more and team up with some of the other 110th MPs again.

Not sure exactly when the most recent ones are set as a date isn't given but there plenty of swiping and dabbing on mobile phones, so probably last 10 years. Reacher is 62 years old this year...

FiF

44,086 posts

251 months

Wednesday 12th January 2022
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andrewcliffe said:
The current format of Reacher arriving in a small town and finding bad guys, a good diner, a beautiful female police officer and someone in danger is running a bit thin. I think they should go back into history again and look at a younger Reacher, possible explore his military career a bit more and team up with some of the other 110th MPs again.

Not sure exactly when the most recent ones are set as a date isn't given but there plenty of swiping and dabbing on mobile phones, so probably last 10 years. Reacher is 62 years old this year...
The revise the format suggestion is a good one.

FiF

44,086 posts

251 months

Friday 4th February 2022
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Anyone watching the Amazon Prime TV show yet?

Following the plot of Killing Floor fairly closely, with little pieces of time shiftinserted to fill out Reacher's early back story.

Not exactly Emmy material but then the books weren't award winning material in the first place. Good effort so far, and an early 1000 yard stare scene for good measure.

Brain out stuff but of course it does fit the above described plot line, stranger into town, bad things happening, good looking female cop, renta-thugs given thorough hammering and so on.

Fitz666

638 posts

142 months

Friday 4th February 2022
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FiF said:
Anyone watching the Amazon Prime TV show yet?

Following the plot of Killing Floor fairly closely, with little pieces of time shiftinserted to fill out Reacher's early back story.

Not exactly Emmy material but then the books weren't award winning material in the first place. Good effort so far, and an early 1000 yard stare scene for good measure.

Brain out stuff but of course it does fit the above described plot line, stranger into town, bad things happening, good looking female cop, renta-thugs given thorough hammering and so on.
Watching it just now. Massive fan of the books and this is really quite good. Far better than the Cruise effort.

Animal

5,249 posts

268 months

Sunday 6th February 2022
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FiF said:
Anyone watching the Amazon Prime TV show yet?

Following the plot of Killing Floor fairly closely, with little pieces of time shift inserted to fill out Reacher's early back story.

Not exactly Emmy material but then the books weren't award winning material in the first place. Good effort so far, and an early 1000 yard stare scene for good measure.

Brain out stuff but of course it does fit the above described plot line, stranger into town, bad things happening, good looking female cop, renta-thugs given thorough hammering and so on.
Thought it was pretty good. Alan Ritchson makes a much more convincing Jack Reacher than Tom Cruise!

Zetec-S

5,874 posts

93 months

Thursday 10th February 2022
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andrewcliffe said:
The current format of Reacher arriving in a small town and finding bad guys, a good diner, a beautiful female police officer and someone in danger is running a bit thin. I think they should go back into history again and look at a younger Reacher, possible explore his military career a bit more and team up with some of the other 110th MPs again.

Not sure exactly when the most recent ones are set as a date isn't given but there plenty of swiping and dabbing on mobile phones, so probably last 10 years. Reacher is 62 years old this year...
Going back in time would be a good way to revitalise the series. Either that or a spinoff series with Neagley as the main character.

anonymous-user

54 months

Thursday 10th February 2022
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I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought Ritchson was perfect.

I know they’ve commissioned another series, no idea which book that will be, but it will be very difficult to keep it going. The books eventually ran out of steam from being too formulaic and this will only go that way, but faster probably unless they pull a big rabbit out of the hat.

He’s a great character is Reacher and, as posted above, a look into his past could be a great idea.

Jenny Tailor

1,727 posts

37 months

Thursday 28th April 2022
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Animal said:
Thought it was pretty good. Alan Ritchson makes a much more convincing Jack Reacher than Tom Cruise!


This - just this.

Laurel Green

30,779 posts

232 months

Thursday 28th April 2022
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Jenny Tailor said:
This - just this.
Indeed! hehe

Stan the Bat

8,920 posts

212 months

Thursday 28th April 2022
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The new guy is not a very good actor though.

hairykrishna

13,166 posts

203 months

Thursday 28th April 2022
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With one series per book there's plenty to go at. While most of them are near identical there's enough that aren't to keep it going.

AlmostUseful

3,282 posts

200 months

Friday 29th April 2022
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I really enjoyed the series, it was a bit odd having Thad from BMS going from complete goofball to super serious Reacher but it was still very enjoyable.

I haven’t read the new book though. I started reading the Reacher books in about 2005/6 on the recommendation of a friend who lent me die trying, I quickly bought all the books that had been written at that time and looked forward to every new autumn release but I think they’ve slowly declined. I haven’t even read the Lee Child biography yet.

Is the latest book worth reading?

anonymous-user

54 months

Friday 29th April 2022
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Stan the Bat said:
The new guy is not a very good actor though.
I think he acts exactly as the role requires.

Nimby

4,591 posts

150 months

Friday 29th April 2022
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AlmostUseful said:
...Is the latest book worth reading?
I'm 3/4 through "Better Off Dead". Its an improvement over the last two which isn't saying much. Its reminiscent of "Tripwire" so far.

hairykrishna

13,166 posts

203 months

Friday 29th April 2022
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AlmostUseful said:
I
Is the latest book worth reading?
I thought it was terrible compared to some of the early ones.

droopsnoot

11,939 posts

242 months

Friday 29th April 2022
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I enjoyed "Better off dead", apart from some of the writing style which didn't detract for me. It's a bit familiar - quiet town near the border with something weird going on. But some of that is why I enjoy them in the first place.

hairykrishna

13,166 posts

203 months

Friday 29th April 2022
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Nimby said:
I'm 3/4 through "Better Off Dead". Its an improvement over the last two which isn't saying much. Its reminiscent of "Tripwire" so far.
It's certainly better than Blue Moon, but as you say, that's not much of an endorsement.