Personal: A Jack Reacher Novel

Ya know, I got hooked on Lee Childs' Jack Reacher series sorta by accident. I am not unhappy, in fact, quite the inverse. Unlike Cussler and to some extent Fleming and his "off-spring", Childs is not formulaic with Reacher's exploits. There are certain givens...Reacher is teamed with someone, usually a woman either from his past or who reminds him of his past. He sleeps with her (more about this later) and he just beats the holy bejesus out of someone(s) along the line. Another item--Childs' plotting is precise and has a sufficient level of twists to keep one intrigued for the book...and the wrap-ups are delicious. Preliminaries over... In PERSONAL, Childs treats us to another round of Reacher Recall. Called back to service by a former--well, the relationship--I always thought his rabbi was somebody else. Seems not so. Seems there were at least two other folks. And he owed one of them..big time. Reacher is off om another trip to Britain and Reacher, along with a CIA analyst (shades of Condor) become enmeshed with MI5 (or MI6--things are very fluid), the Russians, the Israelis and seemingly about everyone else in a game of who is trying to off the leaders at the G8 Economic Summit. And the sniper(s) include a Reacher nemesis. Childs always does right by his readers in every way...as a hobby writer, I very much appreciate his effort to get the little stuff right...weaponry, vehicles, locale (I live in NYC and the last time Reacher was in England, he started out in NYC...and Childs got it right..). If you wanted this review to give away all the bits and pieces so you don't have to buy the book..sorry. Go buy it. Great read..good pacing, Great characters well-drawn. I will give you this. There are some very subtle and very direct ties between this book and at least three other Reacher novels that I can think of off hand. One question I do want to answer...could someone who has never read a Reacher novel pick this one up and really enjoy it. My opinion..yes. There are sufficient clues about Reacher's life before...and there is sufficient incentive to start reading the entire series. Sorta like the Harry Potter books. You can read one without the others, but the fun is following the line of the story arc. Oh, darn near forgot--he does NOT sleep with the CIA operative...or anyone, for that matter...although I think Childs is setting us up for a meet between Reacher and....never you mind...

The new Lee Child novel, Personal, begins with Jack in Seattle, where he sees a notice in an Army newspaper, asking him to contact a senior officer with whom he worked in the past. The friend is calling in a marker, asking Jack to conduct an operation for a still-more-senior officer who has MI6, the CIA, et al. on speed-dial. A sniper has attempted to kill the French president and with an impending meeting of the G8 in London the most likely candidates for the role of super sniper are at large. One is Russian, one is English, one American. The latter (arrested earlier by Jack Reacher) has completed a 15-year prison sentence and has, presumably, been preparing over the last year to get back to doing what he does best. Since all of the three countries will be searching for ‘its’ sniper and since MI5 and the Met will be on the alert (and since the sniper or snipers will be protected by one of several possible, local criminal organizations), London is going to be very crowded. Jack will be aided in his investigation by a sweet, attractive, twenty-something working for the state department named (oddly) Casey Nice. So what are the attractive features of the novel? There are two in particular. First, Jack is going international, with lengthy scenes in both Paris and London. Second, he is going to attempt to rival Stephen Hunter’s Bob Lee Swagger in his knowledge of sniper rifles, ballistics, windage and the other technical details involved in attempting to assassinate an individual with a .50 calibre weapon at a distance of some 1600 yards. Child handles the international settings very well and gives Stephen Hunter a run for his money in detailing the technical realities of the sniper’s task. Why only 4 stars? The cerebral, analytic, intensely-observant Reacher (now being called ‘Sherlock Homeless’) combines with the physical Reacher to very good effect but in my humble opinion the plot is not as strong as one might wish. The overall story is fine; the settings are nicely realized and the characters are well-developed. However, as the plot arcs stretch out we feel that the ending is going to involve one or more reversals. It is not that the ending is fully telegraphed, but that we increasingly come to expect something different than what we are being led to anticipate. I do not want to be more explicit and spoil the ending. I did enjoy the book and felt that the ending was satisfying. It simply lacked the crescendo that I had hoped for. Readers of the series will still embrace the book and first-time readers will see why Lee Child is among the world’s best thriller writers.

Personal is another solid effort by Lee Child in keeping the Reacher Series alive and relevant. The author puts the reader right in the mix of the action where the decisions are made according to the terms of the situation dealt to Reacher. The plan is ‘no plan’ and it puts the supporting cast off balance and adds to the story. As Reacher says, “The plan only lasts until the first punch is thrown” placing a premium on quick wit and adapting to the dynamic environment. At times you fully expect that the series star may not make it to the end of the book and you begin to wonder what all of the remaining pages are for. You know Reacher will have the last word; at least you think you do, but you don’t know how it will be served up. That makes it interesting and the reason I turn to Lee Child to provide my entertainment. The author has a good sense of when to include copious amounts of detail and when to allow the reader to use their own interpretation of how the gaps should be filled in. Other writers are not so adept often putting in details that contradict my imagery and leaving me hanging when I need the details. It is an art that few can master once, let alone for twenty plus thrillers. I thought that having an antagonist in Joey Green that towered over Reacher was an interesting departure for Child and he provided some interesting details about the scale of the giant’s house which I felt was also a departure from what he had done in the past. Every follower of the Jack Reacher series will have their favorite which is the benchmark for all other books by the author and this one while not his best effort is a worthy read. I put it down several times because I was reading three other books at the same time but is a five of five in my list of recommendations.

Lee Child can weave an interesting tale about Jack Reacher but may drive readers who are familiar with proper sentence structure and use of punctuation to the brink. I know that’s the case for me. I purchased the entire Jack Reacher series of books after seeing the first season of the series. I never would have read so many of his books if I hadn’t already paid for them. I have often wondered why, with all the money that Lee Child must have brought in from his writing, he can’t seem to afford a staff who will proofread and correct the many mistakes throughout his books. Same goes for his publisher. I held onto hope with each successive book that he might learn something about writing and make his books easier to read. I hoped, with the addition of his brother on the last couple, that the books would improve but seemed to get only worse. Sometimes, 2 whole pages of back-and-forth banter are written with nothing to occasionally let you know who is speaking, so multiple readings may be needed at times to sort it out. I think almost all, if not all, of the pages have sentences with commas where none are needed, periods where commas are needed, clauses used as sentences, and a new paragraph starting from a clause that belongs in the previous sentence of the preceding paragraph. As I said, hard to read if you understand basic sentence structure. There are often times where I wish Lee had done one iota of research to get facts right. I refer to passages in the stories where it was apparent that Lee Child had no experience or knowledge; I guess, more or less, the writing is off the top of his head. Some problems are: 1: He thinks the flashing emergency lights of vehicles in the western states are the same as in much of the New England states (blue on fire trucks and red on police). 2: He didn’t know what the average shoe size in America is actually 10 ½ (stating it as 9) 3: He thinks a large man like Jack Reacher would have what Lee evidently thinks of as a large foot size of 11, instead of something closer to 14 or 15 (I am 6’1” and wear a 13.) I assume Lee has a small foot. 4: Lee has never been near a fast-moving train, thinking there is violent ground movement when the train is even over a mile away and hurricane force winds near one traveling 60 mph. 5: He seems to think that all gas stations and quick marts sell khaki pants and various shirts, packs of socks, and underwear. 6: Jack Reacher can knock anyone unconscious and very often dead with one punch. I can remember only a couple times when it took two. 7: He thinks face bones will “shatter” from a Jack Reacher punch and can knock out a gorilla or even an elephant. Jack also never has injuries to his hand or elbow from such amazing blows. 8: Jack Reacher’s hands are said to be as large as a dinner plate and his fists as large as Thanksgiving turkeys…really? Yes, his books are hard to read for these and other reasons caused by lack of oversight by his publisher and lack of staff. Please, I hope never to find out he has a staff that lets this stuff through. Good storyteller, other than the lack of research on details and no idea as to sentence/paragraph structure.. Rating would be five for the story. Won't buy future books

Number 19 in the Jack Reacher canon, Personal opens with our vertically blessed loner, the ex military policeman, responding to an ad left in an army newspaper and which only he knows is a call for help from his former boss. Tasked with hunting down a sniper who authorities believe is going to attempt to assassinate world leaders at forthcoming summit, Reacher is back on the job. Having already tried to eliminate the French President, there are only a handful of assassins around the world gifted enough to have tried and failed – and one of them is an ex US soldier Reacher once arrested and who has a serious beef with the former army cop, hence making this mission very personal. The clock is ticking… With an attractive female side-kick thrust upon him (this is a Reacher novel after all), Reacher is sent to Paris then London to try and track down and put a stop to the assassin and what could be a world-changing, catastrophic event (killing a series of leaders). With limited information and aid from sources whose motives are often uncertain, Reacher finds himself embroiled in a turf war with some seriously tough and ruthless guys – one of whom is so big, he’s able to kick sand in Reacher’s face if he so chooses. Yet, the closer Reacher gets to discovering the sniper’s whereabouts, the more danger in which he places himself and his young assistant. In typical fashion, those who employed him in the first place want solutions, not problems, so our protagonist is on his own. There’s no doubt that Child writes a page-turner but, if you are a regular fan of the series, then there is a great deal of repetition to wade through. But it’s not only in matters concerning Reacher and which make him tougher than and different from your average Joe – the fact the only baggage he carries is a toothbrush and his eschewing of a diverse wardrobe. In this novel, some of the dialogue is repeated, to the point, it felt like the book needed another quick edit. Also, some of the plot points jarred a little. Having said that, when the tension starts to build and the “bad guys” emerge from the shadows to converge on their target, it’s hard to put the book down. So, while this is not Lee at his best, it’s far from his worst and the end, though you might see it coming, is still gratifying. A great holiday or aeroplane read and you cannot ask for much more than that.

On Amazon. Pretty good and interesting plot which moved quickly. Hooked from the start and sped thru this one. On to the next!

After reading a few of the reviews, one has to remember...a review is merely one person's opinion. With that said, my "review" is that Personal was one of the better Jack Reacher novels! Since reading book 1 of the Reacher series in March I have not been able to put these books down. I have read every novel since...and I am feeling lost without another one to read! Jack Reacher is a brilliant fictional character as he mirrors my military career, therefore making this series very relatable. In Personal, Lee Child gives his usual vivid descriptions of settings, actions and thoughts through the eyes of Jack Reacher. In many of the reviews I read how readers thought this was too much, that things got too descriptive and bored the reader. Not me! I think the analization that Reacher views are what makes this series so unique. From the vivid descriptions of the buildings and streets to the mathematical analysis of where to punch/kick a threat and how much force should be needed to the accurate forensical layout of how many feet per second a specific bullet travels...is, to me, always amazing! It puts the reader into the shoes of the character, and for an author to be able to do that is what writing is all about. Personal has a new plot with characters that come from Reacher's past military days and some new characters that Reacher meets along his travels. And if you've read the previous books you will see a bigger picture being painted...and almost an excitment for future books to come. (I just have this notion that the next few books will have a lot of these characters coming together for something big!) Again, just my opinion (review) but Personal is a must-read for any Jack Reacher fans. The reader is able to see how Child has "grown" in his writing and continues to create an excellent series! Can't wait for book 20!

PERSONAL has pretty much everything that Lee Child fans expect from a new Reacher novel. A shadowy figure from his days as an MP is trying to track Reacher down, there’s a jackpot of a situation uniquely suited for Reacher’s skills, but everyone has an agenda, nothing is really what it seems, and Reacher is going to crack a few skulls while using his deductive powers to sort out what’s really going on. As a fan of the series, it’s great. The problem is Child’s most recent writing feels like it has been geared toward the audience he knows already exists, rather than trying to expand and gain new audience members. It’s a luxury he can afford with his hugely popular series, but at times it’s an approach that limits the series to what it’s always been rather than giving it opportunities to grow and expand. In the end I don’t suppose it matters. Child is a brilliant writer and Reacher is the best ongoing character in thriller/action fiction today. In PERSONAL, I enjoyed seeing Reacher back in Europe. Paris and London are great settings for this series. Child’s writing is always crisp and the dialogue is smart and witty. Along with the head butt you know he’s going to deliver somewhere along the way, Reacher always delivers a few verbal jabs to the bad guy as well. This time he promises, “It’s you and me now … this thing won’t have a happy ending.” And it’s Reacher, so yeah, you believe him. A couple things about the book that I didn’t care for: the part of the storyline that has Reacher worried about his 28-year-old female CIA sidekick named Nice just distracted me from the action; also, Reacher is chasing a sniper, but the number of engagements between Reacher and the sniper are very limited and short, whereas the majority of the action is Reacher banging heads with English and Serbian gangs in London. It’s still a satisfying book, especially for readers who are already fans of the series.

Another EXCELLENT book with the usual twists and turns. I love Reacher and also the way he calculates what's going to happen - when and why! He's not afraid of anything. Difficult to put down and get some chores done!!! I've read so many and grab whatever I can!!!

Bei einer Reihe von inzwischen 19 Bänden müssen der Schauplatz und die kriminelle Handlung zwangsläufig variieren, sonst wird es langweilig. Child führt den Leser zudem häufig in die Vergangenheit von Jack Reacher zurück, was bisher immer zu einem besseren Verständnis der Figur geführt hat. Auch diesmal wird er von der Army in Anspruch genommen, und zwar um einen Attentatsversuch in Frankreich aufzuklären: auf den französischen Präsidenten wird aus großer Entfernung geschossen, und nur ein neuartiges Sicherheitsglas verhindert einen Treffer. Da in Europa kurzfristig mehrere internationale Treffen anstehen, fürchten die beteiligten Militär- und Geheimdienste das Schlimmste. Für einen solchen Schuss kommen nur sehr wenige Männer in Betracht. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit ist groß, dass der Schütze ein vor 16 Jahren von Reacher weggesperrter Sniper ist, der inzwischen wieder auf freiem Fuß ist und Reachers Foto als Zielscheibe benutzt. Es kommen aber auch noch einige andere Täter aus anderen Ländern in Betracht, so dass eine international besetzte Expertengruppe sich an die Arbeit macht, darunter auch Reacher. Der englische Kollege gibt Reacher aufgrund seiner Lebensgewohnheiten auch einen neuen Namen: Sherlock Homeless. Während die Gruppe sich noch in Paris mit dem Tatort und den Möglichkeiten vertraut macht, wird ein Mitglied der Gruppe erschossen - aus einer noch größeren Entfernung. Kurz darauf reduziert sich der Kreis der möglichen Täter. Von nun an nimmt die inzwischen nach London verlagerte Handlung rasant Fahrt auf, auch wenn die strategischen Überlegungen Reachers dabei großen Raum einnehmen. Die Ich-Form der Erzählung und die genauen Situationsbeschreibungen geben dem Leser mehr als einmal das Gefühl, mitten im Geschehen zu stehen und an den Überlegungen teilzuhaben. Wie häufig bei Child sind die Dinge und manchmal auch die Personen nicht immer das was sie zu sein scheinen, und so ergibt sich auch diesmal bei der Lösung eine Überraschung, die sich im Nachhinein gesehen allerdings sehr diskret angedeutet hat. Obwohl Reacher eine junge CIA-Agentin beigeordnet ist, gestalten sich die zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen strikt sachlich, Reacher nimmt gegenüber der sehr viel jüngeren Agentin eine fast väterliche Rolle ein. Etwas anderes hätte in diesem Zusammenhang aber auch nicht gepasst. Nicht jede Thriller-Handlung muss eine Liebesgeschichte enthalten. Alles in allem eine sehr spannende, stimmige Geschichte, die unmöglich aus der Hand zu legen ist. Unbedingt lesen!

Absolutely formulaic Jack Reacher, brutal, gripping, technically detailed, thoroughly enjoyable. What can I add, waiting with baited breath for the next one.

Great novel

Bellissimo, il solito Jack Reacher appassionante. Inizi a leggerlo e non molli il libro fino alla fine e con questo ne ho letti 19!!!