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Tripwire (Jack Reacher #3)

4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 · rating details · 21,609 ratings · 1,002 reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
The third Jack Reacher adventure finds the ex-military policeman living in Key West, digging pools by day and working as a bouncer by night. After three months in the islands, Reacher is settling in to his relaxed lifestyle and thinking of staying for good. But his idyll is interrupted when he is approached twice in one day for information on...more The Barnes & Noble Review
The third Jack Reacher adventure finds the ex-military policeman living in Key West, digging pools by day and working as a bouncer by night. After three months in the islands, Reacher is settling in to his relaxed lifestyle and thinking of staying for good. But his idyll is interrupted when he is approached twice in one day for information on one Jack Reacher, first by an amiable private investigator named Costello, then by a pair of hulking thugs hot on Costello's trail. Reacher sidesteps their questions by denying his identity, but is drawn into matters after Costello is found dead, the victim of a savage beating apparently administered by the two thugs.

Anxious to know what inspired this violence, Reacher tracks the detective to New York, where he discovers Costello was hired by a "Mrs. Jacob." Visiting Mrs. Jacob's home, a surprised Reacher is pleased to learn Mrs. Jacob is actually the former Jodie Garber, daughter of the recently deceased General Garber, Reacher's mentor and commanding officer when he worked with the military police. Jodie informs Reacher that her father was trying to contact him to request his assistance in uncovering the truth about a Vietnam-era MIA.

Reacher agrees to finish the job Garber started, bringing him into direct conflict with the men who killed Costello and with their boss, "Hook" Hobie, a horribly scarred master criminal who is only hours away from making the biggest score of his life. Hobie has a dark past, the details of which will upset his current operation should they come to light. Reacher's investigations put him on acollisioncourse with the sadistic Hobie, who, as his nickname implies, sports a metal hook on his right hand. Both Reacher and Hobie pursue their agendas, inching ever closer to their inevitable conflict at book's end, a bloody battle that leaves only one of them standing.

In reviews of previous Reacher books, Child was often criticized for relying too heavily on coincidence. Perhaps reacting to those comments, Child is more deliberate here beneath the carnage and breakneck pace lies a carefully constructed, believable plot. But in the final analysis, it's not plot that recommends this novel. Rather, it's Child's cinematic approach to action scenes Tripwire contains several brilliant sequences, each stunning in its profound violence and skillful execution. Child's approach to suspense is similar to Alfred Hitchcock's although the audience thinks it knows what's coming, Child still manages to confound expectations.

In the hands of a lesser writer, this story could have easily spun out of control, lapsing into self-parody. Child, however, takes great pains to balance larger-than-life characters like Reacher and Hobie with a convincing supporting cast, using them to ground the novel in reality. He is also careful to show other sides of Reacher, who, with his impressive physical stature and penchant for violence, evokes such legendary fictional tough guys as Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer and Richard Stark's Parker. Yes, Reacher can take out a roomful of gunmen without breaking a sweat, but he's easily flustered by the woman he loves. A cool, competent, insightful investigator, he blanches at the very concept of home ownership. These small touches humanize Reacher, adding to his credibility.

Fans new to the Jack Reacher saga are to be envied after finishing Tripwire, they can pick up its two predecessors, the multiple award-winning KILLING FLOOR and the equally well-received DIE TRYING. Those of us who have already read these thrillers will simply have to be patient and wait for the next installment. Hank Wagner

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Paperback, 432 pages

Published July 1st 2000 by Jove (first published January 1st 1999)

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Jun 19, 2010 Adam rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-adventure, crime-fiction, fiction, military-fiction, mystery

This isn't a review, because I just started reading this book, but I couldn't help sharing my irritation.

I like Lee Child's storytelling skills, and Jack Reacher is a fun character to read about.

Unfortunately, his prose is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Most irritating of all, it's not irredeemably bad, it just needs a good editor. Who is Lee Child's editor? Does he even have one?

For instance:

"Are you Jack Reacher?" the guy asked for the third time.
Reacher set his bottle on the table and shoo...more

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Dec 06, 2008 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: male-author, mystery

In Tripwire, the third book in Lee Child's Jack Reacher series, Reacher is in Key West digging swimming pools - with a shovel. The job is suiting him just fine until a New York City private detective comes looking for Reacher on behalf of a woman named Mrs. Jacob. The fact that he's never heard of Mrs. Jacob is bothersome enough, but when the private investigator ends up dead, Reacher has to find out why.

When Reacher travels to New York City he discovers that Mrs. Jacob is actually Jody Garber,...more In Tripwire, the third book in Lee Child's Jack Reacher series, Reacher is in Key West digging swimming pools - with a shovel. The job is suiting him just fine until a New York City private detective comes looking for Reacher on behalf of a woman named Mrs. Jacob. The fact that he's never heard of Mrs. Jacob is bothersome enough, but when the private investigator ends up dead, Reacher has to find out why.

When Reacher travels to New York City he discovers that Mrs. Jacob is actually Jody Garber, the daughter of Reacher's former army commander, Leon Garber. Leon had been investigating an M.I.A. situation from Vietnam for an elderly couple whose son never returned. He wasn't going to be able to see the investigation through and asked his daughter to track down his old subordinate, Jack Reacher. But when Reacher finally arrives in New York, Leon's died and Reacher has very little information to work from, but he starts investigating nonetheless.

I know that I'm in the minority when I say I would never qualify as a "Reacher Creature." The whole Superman persona just does absolutely nothing for me. And for as much time as he spends wandering in obscure places, how is he so in tuned to urban drug and gun dealers? Yet, still I continue to listen to the audiobooks for this series. Maybe I get some kind of perverse pleasure from rolling my eyes and heaving exaggerated sighs. But, more likely, I enjoy the plots. This one I saw the outcome from a mile away, and the reason I saw it coming was in part because there were strong similarities to Die Trying, the second Reacher novel. In an effort to avoid a blatant spoiler, I'll not share those similarities, though.

I was excited when Reacher made a trip to CILHI in this novel. I'd have been even more so if he'd gone to see my friend Tom, but no such luck. Instead we learn what a pro Reacher is with forensic science as well as everything else.

While I'm not a big fan of Reacher, I thought Child did one stupendous job on the antagonists in this book. I wanted the scenes with Hobie and his sidekick to hurry and be over because I found them horrifying. Their utter egocentricity was downright scary. The desensitization and complete lack of empathy were extreme but effective. The two of them gave new meaning to the word "psychotic." I must tell myself that this is FICTION so I can sleep at night. God willing I'll never cross paths with anyone as terrifying as these two!

All the Reacher books I've read so far have been audiobook versions, so technically I've "listened" so far. As with the other two (I believe) this is a Brillance audiobook and it was read by Dick Hill. I think he does a tremendous job for Reacher. In my imagination, Reacher will never have a voice other than that of Dick Hill. However, he does this annoying thing with the role of the woman who is head over heels for Reacher. She always has this sound that is kind of like, "oh my, whatever will I do Reacher?" She doesn't actually say that, but it sounds like that's what she's thinking all the time. I really hope that isn't what Child is imagining for these roles. I don't think it is because otherwise he wouldn't make them intelligent, educated women capable of thinking and doing for themselves.

So, despite the fact that I'm not Reacher's biggest fan, I'll more than likely listen to another book when I have a lull in the audiobook schedule. (less)

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Mar 28, 2012 CL rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-thriller, favourites, read-in-2012

Another fabulous Jack Reacher book. I especially loved the Reacher/Jodie relationship in this.

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Feb 04, 2012 James rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, 4-stars, read-in-2012, read-in-teenties, to-check, jack-reacher, reviewed

The best Reacher in the series so far, by a fairly long shot. Reacher is drifting (poorly as he's actually holding down two jobs) in the Florida Keys when he's tracked down by a Private Investigator. Denying that he's the main the man is searching for, he turns up dead pretty quickly. Suddenly Reacher (it's always Reacher, apparently, never Jack) decides he needs to track the killers down and get to the bottom of the whole affair - he feels a level of responsibility for the man's death. Before w...more The best Reacher in the series so far, by a fairly long shot. Reacher is drifting (poorly as he's actually holding down two jobs) in the Florida Keys when he's tracked down by a Private Investigator. Denying that he's the main the man is searching for, he turns up dead pretty quickly. Suddenly Reacher (it's always Reacher, apparently, never Jack) decides he needs to track the killers down and get to the bottom of the whole affair - he feels a level of responsibility for the man's death. Before we know it we're jetting all over the country, hunting down bad guys, hooking up with good girls and generally saving the day...

Obviously, it's a Jack Reacher novel, so some suspension of disbelief is a must. But, it is a relief to see the mystical coincidences that plagued the first two books noted by their absence. The back story is much more believable, the reasons for Jack being just in the right place and time as well (beyond the initial 360 degree turn from not being interested to needing to avenge the death of the investigator) and the carry-over character of General Garber from the previous novel provides a nice piece of continuity. The secondary characters all seem a little more rounded this time as well - Marilyn Stone being a classic example (although do we need to be continually reminded of the fact that she's not wearing any underwear?). Hopefully these improvements bode well for the rest of the series.

Flies in the ointment however (and some spoilers), the 360 degree start and Marilyn's dress/underwear situation aside – how do Jack and Jodie go from fifteen years of unrequited love to an obviously doomed relationship (she's a lawyer and he's a drifter - is that even a real job?) without Jodie asking herself any half-way serious questions about her own state of mind? No loose ends are really tied up at all - what was Tony's relationship with Hobie (he's surprisingly loyal if there isn't one)? And what happens to Marilyn and Chester Stone? Does she ever wear underwear again?(less)

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Dec 17, 2012 Linda Alexander rated it 5 of 5 stars

Child's book 'Tripwire' is an absolutely amazing read!! It seems each of his Jack Reacher novels is so unique all by itself; every time I read one, I think it can't get any better, and yet it does. Contrary to opinions by others about some of his books, I've loved every single one of them. I have nearly completed reading all that he's written, and that makes me sad because 'Reacher' is my hero.
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Jan 28, 2009 Meghan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 06, 2013 Aaron Carlberg rated it 3 of 5 stars

I know, I Know, I am about to incur the untold wrath of many a Jack Reacher fanboys...but I thought the movie was better. I don't think I have ever said that about a book, but the movie seemed to not drag as long or as much (I am pretty sure I am just going to paste this review for all 3 of the Jack Reacher books I just read).

I saw the movie over Christmas and thought, "that might be a fun read." I have now read the first three in the Jack Reacher series and firmly believe that they should all b...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Al rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reacher's anonymity in Florida is shattered by an investigator who's come looking for him. But hours after his arrival, the stranger is murdered. Retracing the PI's trail back to New York, Reacher's compelled to find out who was looking for him and why. He never expected the reasons to be so personal-and twisted.

Amazon.com Review

Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher is lying low in Key West, digging up swimming pools by hand. He is not at all pleased when a private detective starts asking questi

...more

Amazon.com Review

Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher is lying low in Key West, digging up swimming pools by hand. He is not at all pleased when a private detective starts asking questions about him. But when the detective, Costello, turns up dead with his fingertips sliced off, Reacher realizes it is time to move on.

As in Lee Child's two previous thrillers, Die Trying and Killing Floor, Reacher is soon up to his neck in lethal trouble, this time involving a vicious Wall Street manipulator, a mysterious woman (of course), and the livelihood of a whole community. Even the fate of soldiers missing in action in Vietnam is stirred into the brew.

But this is not a book by one of the new breed of U.S. thriller writers. Child prides himself on his ability, as an Englishman, to write American thrillers that are utterly convincing in milieu and toughness of action, without a trace of English sensibility. Tripwire is no exception. Every bit as lean and compulsive as its predecessors, it also builds on the freshest aspect of those books: Reacher may be a tough, epic hero, but he always remains human and vulnerable. --Barry Forshaw

From Publishers Weekly

Jack Reacher, the hulking ex-soldier readers will remember from Child's first two thrillers, Die Trying and Killing Floor, can kill with his bare hands, and sports chest muscles thick enough to stop bullets. He's actually a dynamo of a character, wily in an innocent sort of way, and the anchor to one of the best new series in thriller fiction. Here, Reacher is incognito, living the life of a drifter and digging swimming pools in Key West. When a PI from New York comes looking for him, and shortly afterwards turns up dead with his fingertips sliced off, Reacher flies north and discovers that the instigator of the search is Leon Garber, his former army commanding officer. But Garber has died the day before Reacher arrives. As Reacher finds out from Jodie Jacob, Garner's beautiful attorney daughter, Garber was helping an elderly couple to locate their son, who supposedly died in a helicopter crash during the Vietnam War. The military won't confirm the death, however, or even classify the soldier as missing in action. Pursuing the search together, Reacher and Jacob narrowly escape murder attempts by a pair of dark-suited thugs who work for an evil corporate loan shark named "Hook" Hobie, who has a hideously disfigured face and a metal hook for a right hand. Hobie is harboring a terrible secret linking him to the couple's vanished son, and he'll kill anyone who tries to discover his diabolical past. A showdown between the two men is inevitable, and when it happens, it's a beautAalmost as good as Child's skillfully laid surprise ending and the crisp and original dialogue throughout. Reacher is a complex, contemplative brute whose aversion to social and material entanglements entail very peculiar habits and ideas. He never cleans his clothes, preferring to buy new ones (going to a dry cleaner implies a commitment to return); and he's spellbinding whether kicking in doors or just kicking around a thought in his brain. Literary Guild featured alternate; feature film rights for Killing Floor and the character of Jack Reacher optioned by Mark Johnson/Polygram; rights to Jack Reacher series sold to 18 countries. (July)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Jan 30, 2013 Dennis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jack Reacher Review: Tripwire (My favorite)

Book Title: Tripwire

Reviewer: Dennis

Series: Jack Reacher (Book 3)

Publisher: Berkley Trade
Publication Date: July 5 2005

Synopsis: A private detective ends up dead. Hours before, the detective was looking for Jack Reacher. He meets with Jack Reacher but Reacher lies and claims he doesn't know any "Jack Reacher". He investigates the suspicious death of the detective and finds that his old CO's daughter had hired the detective. They follow up on her father'...more

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Jan 25, 2013 John rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reacher, Reacher, he's our man! If he can't do it, NO ONE CAN! Move over James Bond and all you other wannabe heroes, old Reacher is the real deal, and he's got your back.

Having spent an inordinate amount of my reading years going back and forth between fluff fiction, non-fiction, thrillers, and history, it was a pleasure to stumble upon Lee Child's "Tripwire." I probably never would have found this series if it were not for all the television hype about the Tom Cruise screen version of Child's...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Jordan Steinhoff rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

I enjoyed the first 2 JR books and was hoping for more of the same here.

I got it but it felt lacking.

Seemed like Child spent a lot of time going out of his way with misdirection at every turn, even to the point of having some inner monologue with Jack starting to doubt his own skills, to the point that there was so much misdirection it was obvious that what he was trying to steer both the reader and JR away from was, in fact, the obvious answer.

A lot of this books seemed to be Jack going one way...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Brent Goldstein rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm reading the Reacher series in order from 1 to whatever and this is my third. Loved #1. Liked #2. Not happy with #3. On the positive side, I read it pretty quickly and was just interested enough in the story that I didn't quit and throw it back on the shelf. That being said, this story was a pale comparison to the first two.

I have several criticisms of this book, some major and some minor. On the minor side, the prose was suspect, redundant and often lazy. As some other reviewers have pointe...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Ben rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is lowest common denominator writing. A ridiculously simple book which more or less failed to provoke any real tension or thrill. I would have given it one star were it not for a reasonably entertaining plot which, while highly predictable and devoid of any real intrigue, was fast-paced enough to ensure that the read does not feel laboured. Don't expect any of the arresting plot twists that good thrillers use to smack you around the face to leave wide-eyed and thinking "where did that come...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jack Reacher itinerant investigator and problem solver, has taken up residence in a broken down hotel in Florida for 3 months and he has been digging swimming pools and worked nights at a strip joint as a bouncer. He keeps his name to himself and bothers no one -- he is quietly drinking his water between work sessions when an older gentleman comes in looking for him. He asks the bartender and even speaks to Jack but Jack pretends not to know who this Reacher character is ... later at the strip j...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Bertrand Brasil rated it 5 of 5 stars

Aventura, suspense e um final imprevisível. Essa é a mistura apresentada por Lee Child no seu novo lançamento no Brasil: Alerta Final. Terceiro título com o protagonista Jack Reacher, ex-policial do exército, o livro figurou na lista de mais vendidos do New York Times por várias semanas. O autor é hoje um dos três autores de livro policial mais vendido no mundo.

Mais uma vez, Child acerta ao exibir seu jeito único de escrever: claro, direto e duro. Assim como Jack Reacher. Sem entrelinhas e sem e...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Alain Burrese rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

After reading the two newest Jack Reacher novels, "61 Hours" and "Worth Dying For," at the beginning of this year, I went back to read one of Lee Child's earlier novels that I hadn't read yet. (I came into the series in the middle, and am slowly working the earlier books into my reading list) "Tripwire" by Lee Child is the third in the series about former Army MP, turned drifter, Jack Reacher, and it's definitely a fun and suspenseful ride.

The book begins with Reacher in Key West, but quickly mo...more After reading the two newest Jack Reacher novels, "61 Hours" and "Worth Dying For," at the beginning of this year, I went back to read one of Lee Child's earlier novels that I hadn't read yet. (I came into the series in the middle, and am slowly working the earlier books into my reading list) "Tripwire" by Lee Child is the third in the series about former Army MP, turned drifter, Jack Reacher, and it's definitely a fun and suspenseful ride.

The book begins with Reacher in Key West, but quickly moves North with much of the story taking place in New York. This is an earlier Reacher tale, published in 1999, so it is always sort of funny reading things about New York that reference the World Trade Centers, but besides that, the New York setting is fitting for the adventure that follows, and an adventure it is. The book is full of action as Reacher investigates a missing in action Vietnam helicopter pilot and certain events that are related to that disappearance years ago.

The villain is cruel and tough and presents a formidable adversary for the hero Reacher, and the characters designed to assist the plot along work very well. For me, the entire story worked, and I enjoyed reading it all the way from cover to cover. The twist at the end came as a surprise, and I hadn't figured that coming, but it worked well to conclude the story. There were a couple places that could have been explained a bit more, such as some of the villain's connections, and what happened to the other victims that were being manipulated by the villains. A couple characters were woven into the story quite well, but then we never got to see what happened to them at the conclusion. There are also a few areas that will most likely be picked up in the next book, and I'm looking forward to reading it to see where Child takes different characters and situations to get Reacher to where I know he is going since I've read some of the later books.

I find the Jack Reacher series by Child to be fun, entertaining, thrillers. They are quick reads with a cool tough guy action hero. You don't want to analyze them too deep, just enjoy the ride, and I did enjoy this one, and look forward to reading the next ones in the series that I have yet to read.
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Jul 02, 2012 Harry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: detective-mystery, favorites

I'm going to add the same review for all of the Reacher series, so if you've read this one, you've read 'em all. If you feel a certain affinity for the lone hero, a man of principle, of unwavering knowledge and assent as to his own actions, than Jack Reacher's your kinda guy.

Lee Child has created an unforgettable and unique character in his creation of Jack Reacher. Jack seems to implicitly understand that he is a unique animal/human running around on this planet and that in spite of social con...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Kathy Davie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: suspense

Third in the Jack Reacher suspense series revolving around a retired military policeman, checking out the country and fixing wrongs. The action starts in Key West, Florida.

My Take
I do love Child's writing. He grabs me and pulls me immediately into the story. The story's basic concept may be a bit of a cliché, but Child has a lovely way of twisting it into something so much more interesting, especially with a character who understands fear and tucks it away as we get to observe from inside Reache...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-thriller

What I like about the Jack Reacher series is that the women are portrayed as strong individuals who dont need a man to rescue them. This is made more rewarding when invariably Jack gets many opportunities to shine despite this. The love interest is believable and the back story a lovely touch, however we know jack is a wandering nomad and any longterm relationship is unlikeable whether they survive or not!

Trip Wire sees jack digging pools by hand in the sunny Keys, lots of detail here about the...more

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Dec 17, 2011 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jack Reacher is working in the Florida Keys when a private detective comes looking for him, gets killed and then Jack ends up in New York unraveling a mystery.
I've come to expect the formula of these books and have no problem with them because I find the books entertaining. What I don't like is that every character, regardless of where they come form or their background, uses "right" and "ok" all the time, in the same fashion. I accepted in the first book that it was just the way Jack spoke. Tha...more

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Dec 16, 2011 Dawn rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My expectations for this type of a book are different than for some others. Given that, the book was fine, and about what you’d expect. However, having read the previous two books in the Jack Reacher series, I was a little disappointed in this one.

I go into a book like this willing to overlook some inconsistencies and irregularities, but even in that context, there were a few crucial plot points that I just couldn’t accept. First, I just don’t see that Hobie would ever have let Sheryl go to the...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Jane Stewart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspense-thriller

Fun escape. Tough, smart, macho man. You need to suspend disbelief a little.

STORY BRIEF:
A private detective comes to Florida looking for Reacher. He is killed by two thugs who are also looking for Reacher. Reacher goes to New York to find out who wanted him and why. He learns his close friend Garber wanted his help to find out what happened to a missing soldier in Vietnam. Garber recently died. His daughter Jody helps Reacher with this. A vicious one-armed man is torturing and killing people, mo...more Fun escape. Tough, smart, macho man. You need to suspend disbelief a little.

STORY BRIEF:
A private detective comes to Florida looking for Reacher. He is killed by two thugs who are also looking for Reacher. Reacher goes to New York to find out who wanted him and why. He learns his close friend Garber wanted his help to find out what happened to a missing soldier in Vietnam. Garber recently died. His daughter Jody helps Reacher with this. A vicious one-armed man is torturing and killing people, mostly for money.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is book 3 in the series. So far I find them entertaining. I finish one and want to do the next. The main thought I had after reading this, which was kind of a problem was: Reacher is smarter than I am, so I’m not supposed to think of things that he hasn’t thought of. For a good part of the story, I was thinking X was a possible answer, but Reacher never once considered X. I was disappointed that he didn’t consider that. It was out of character.

I had one other problem. Heroine does something stupid which gets her in the hands of the bad guy. But because most of the book was entertaining, I’m not going to complain too loudly.

This didn’t have as much of the Die Hard/Rambo feeling as the first two books. This one is more about investigating and solving the mystery. But there are a few fun tough macho guy scenes which are my favorite parts. The ending was good, but I would have liked more suffering, squirming, or something for the bad guy.

THE SERIES:
Although not required, I’d recommend reading book 1 first “Killing Floor.” I liked it better, gave it 4 ½ stars.

NARRATOR:
The narrator Dick Hill was very good.

DATA:
Unabridged audiobook reading time: 14 hrs and 42 mins. Swearing language: I don’t recall any, but maybe moderate. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: three told not shown. Setting: 1999 mostly New York City, with various other U.S. locations. Book copyright: 1999. Genre: mystery suspense thriller. Ending: Good.
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Nov 01, 2011 Wesley rated it 5 of 5 stars

The best one yet. Now this can go 1 of 2 ways, or the more common now-a-days 3rd direction. 1. Lee Child's books in this series keep getting better and better and being I'm late to the show I already know there a bunch to go. So obviously success has been had but is it the right kind. Could be they beat a dead horse to death, and then killed it again by putting out more books. 2. The good kind, as in the books are awesome through and through and more got written. Then there is the 3rd option whi...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Amy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Where do I start? This book was so bad! The Reacher series just keeps getting worse and worse. I realize that Child's audience is probabaly a larger % of males than females, but come on! Reacher is such a shallow guy. It's really disappointing. What makes him so appealing is that he's always saves the day. He's who you want on your side when you're in trouble.

But when Reacher says he loves Jodie. He's a wanderer that doesn't like to be 'tied down'. He hooks up with a different woman in all his a...more

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Sep 28, 2011 Barbara Stricker rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2000-till-now, mystery-thrillers

'He had read stuff the NYPD's medical people were putting about concerning diet and exercise.' That quoted sentence is not preceded with a comment about an NYPD journal, missive, or any other piece of writing. If it had been, I would find the sentence more palatable, but I would still think it was a poorly worded idea. As it was, it was preceded with a comment about how the police officer had decided to become a healthier person.

'....were putting about....'. What a poorly constructed sentence....more

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May 02, 2011 Dlora rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure-action

This Jack Reacher was set only a few years after Reacher has gotten out of the military and he is still deciding just what he is going to do with his life. I wasn't as enthralled with this story even though it is a very good action thriller. I think perhaps it is because there wasn't as much of Reacher and too much of the bad guy, Hook Hobie. I was enjoyed the Vietnam connection, and I particularly liked one of the minor characters, Marilyn. Greg told me I would like her and he was right. Marily...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-thriller, hardboiled, mystery, new-york-times-best-seller, own-it, read-in-2011, reviewed, series, signed-edition, thriller, vietnam

Lee Child does a professional job in the plotting of this thriller.

Jack Reacher finds that a woman is looking for him and he gets to her home just as friends were paying their last respects to the woman's father, Gen. Gerber. The General had died recently and was a father figure to Reacher.

Reacher is able to save the general's daughter, Jodie from two men who were sent to kill her. Jodie is an attorney in New York.

In New York, Hook Hobie is behind the attempted murder. He's also in the process...more

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Jul 06, 2010 Jerry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Suspenseful Reacher thriller with horrible villain !

Child's third Jack Reacher novel, featuring our ex-MP investigator hero who likes to travel around anonymously, serves up more of the action-packed intrigue we have come to expect from the first two entries in this fine series. Reacher is digging pools in Key West, with a part-time strip-club bouncer job, when a New York PI comes looking for him. Refusing to reveal his identity, Reacher is soon sorry when the man turns up dead a few hours later...more

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Feb 16, 2010 Russell rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller-and-suspense

Plot Summary: Jack Reacher is a former military policeman living “off the grid” in the Florida Keys. Digging swimming pools by day and bouncing at a local strip club by night, Reacher’s reclusive lifestyle is interrupted when a private investigator named Costello comes looking for him and is soon after discovered beaten to death with his fingertips removed. Feeling responsible, Reacher flies to New York City to track down Costello’s employer whom he discovers was his recently deceased mentor, Le...more

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Jan 30, 2010 Tony rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lee Child- Tripwire (Jove Books 2009) 4.5 Stars

Jack Reacher is continuing to wander the United States, enjoying being just a part of the crowd. Out of nowhere comes a private detective asking around for a Jack Reacher and suddenly Jack Reacher is being sought by a couple of thugs who killed the private detective. Now Reacher needs to find out just where the detective came from and why the man’s client wants him. The answer will shock him and send him spiralling into a dangerous mystery that will...more Lee Child- Tripwire (Jove Books 2009) 4.5 Stars

Jack Reacher is continuing to wander the United States, enjoying being just a part of the crowd. Out of nowhere comes a private detective asking around for a Jack Reacher and suddenly Jack Reacher is being sought by a couple of thugs who killed the private detective. Now Reacher needs to find out just where the detective came from and why the man’s client wants him. The answer will shock him and send him spiralling into a dangerous mystery that will reunite him with many old acquaintances from his past. Danger lurks around every corner, will Reacher be tough enough to find the answers and survive?

Once again I find myself impressed by Child’s writing skill. His Reacher series never fails to impress. Tripwire is no different, it takes hold of your attention from the beginning and does not let go. Your mind must work fast in order to keep up with all the information Reacher must dig up and process. Everything does not always add up to what Reacher figures it should leading to some great twists and unexpected turns of events. I enjoyed how this novel deepened Reacher’s character as we found out more of his past as an army MP. We get to see some of his old acquaintances and even a role model/teacher. We even learn a little more about his family life growing up. I love the action that we get to see in the book, reading about Reacher’s incredible skill from years of MP self-defence training creates some great movie scenes in my head. This novel took Reacher all over the world and took the reader even more places, which was fun. The villain was creepy and odd, his desperation led to some wicked actions, adding to the suspense. Tripwire is a nail-biter. Of course there were a few scenes that I may have done differently, but that happens in every work of fiction does it not?

I recommend Tripwire to any Child fans, or anyone looking for a good thriller/mystery with lots of great action.

For more of my book reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/
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About Lee Child

Lee Child was born in 1954 in Coventry, England, but spent his formative years in the nearby city of Birmingham. By coincidence he won a scholarship to the same high school that JRR Tolkien had attended. He went to law school in Sheffield, England, and after part-time work in the theater he joined Granada Television in Manchester for what turned out to be an eighteen-year career as a presentation...more

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Tripwire (Jack Reacher #3)

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