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Jack Reacher #17
A Wanted Man: (Jack Reacher 17) by Child, Lee on 30/08/2012 unknown edition
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2012)Når man er stor og tøff, og attpåtil har en brukket nese som er klistret sammen med gaffateip, er det ikke lett å få haik. Så når en bil endelig stopper og tar opp Jack Reacher, skjønner han raskt at noe er galt. I bilen sitter to menn og en kvinne, og snart blir de stoppet i en veisperring. Politiet leter etter en bil med tre passasjerer. Men i bilen er de nå fire. Kanskje var det en spesiell grunn til at han fikk sitte på? Dette er den syttende tittelen med Jack Reacher i hovedrollen.
Unknown Binding
First published August 30, 2012
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24052 people want to read
About the author
Lee Child
443 books34.4k followersLee Child was born October 29th, 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 director during British TV's "golden age." During his tenure his company made Brideshead Revisited, The Jewel in the Crown, Prime Suspect, and Cracker. But he was fired in 1995 at the age of 40 as a result of corporate restructuring. Always a voracious reader, he decided to see an opportunity where others might have seen a crisis and bought six dollars' worth of paper and pencils and sat down to write a book, Killing Floor, the first in the Jack Reacher series.
Killing Floor was an immediate success and launched the series which has grown in sales and impact with every new installment. The first Jack Reacher movie, based on the novel One Shot and starring Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike, was released in December 2012.
Lee has three homes—an apartment in Manhattan, a country house in the south of France, and whatever airplane cabin he happens to be in while traveling between the two. In the US he drives a supercharged Jaguar, which was built in Jaguar's Browns Lane plant, thirty yards from the hospital in which he was born.
Lee spends his spare time reading, listening to music, and watching the Yankees, Aston Villa, or Marseilles soccer. He is married with a grown-up daughter. He is tall and slim, despite an appalling diet and a refusal to exercise.
Killing Floor was an immediate success and launched the series which has grown in sales and impact with every new installment. The first Jack Reacher movie, based on the novel One Shot and starring Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike, was released in December 2012.
Lee has three homes—an apartment in Manhattan, a country house in the south of France, and whatever airplane cabin he happens to be in while traveling between the two. In the US he drives a supercharged Jaguar, which was built in Jaguar's Browns Lane plant, thirty yards from the hospital in which he was born.
Lee spends his spare time reading, listening to music, and watching the Yankees, Aston Villa, or Marseilles soccer. He is married with a grown-up daughter. He is tall and slim, despite an appalling diet and a refusal to exercise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,982 reviews
September 23, 2012
Not one of his best, but still satisfying for us Reacher fans. Cannot visualize pipsqueek Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher.
September 14, 2012
This book was so bad that it made me crabby to read it. I am such a fan of the Reacher series that I can't believe how awful and painful of a read this was. The story is painfully slow ... and boring. No exaggeration, Reacher is in a car on the world's most boring car ride for the first 30 chapters of the book. 30 chapters. 5 hours. That is how long the first 30 chapters are in audio book. 5 hours. 300 minutes. 18,000 seconds. In. a. car. Doing nothing.
Here is a conundrum. What is worse than reading the most boring Reacher book ever written? It is listening to the most boring Reacher story ever written while Reacher simultaneously has a broken nose throughout the book. You know, someone who would sound like this "my node id tuffy" instead of "my nose is stuffy". Imagine Reacher speaking with a tuffy node. For 14+ hours. 840 minutes. 50,400 seconds. A tuffy node. Just try talking aloud as if you had one, even for 1 minute. 60 seconds. Trust me, you will find the sound so annoying that you will take a vow of silence the next time you truly do have a tuffy node.
The story is boring, the characters (including my beloved Jack) are boring, and the unnecessary repetition of the most mundane detail make me question whether Lee Child is now paid by the number of words in a book rather than for any measure of quality.
I awaited the arrival of this book with barely a measure of patience. I started trying to purchase at 11PM CDT on Sep. 10 thinking it might be available since it was then Sep. 11 in EDT (FYI, it didn't work and I had to wait until after midnight, which I did). I believe I finalized my purchase via iTunes at about 12:08 a.m. I couldn't wait to get my Reacher on. Not only will I now never, ever pay for another Reacher book (though I might check it out from the library), but I am tempted to write Lee Child and ask for my money back. THAT is how awful I find this book.
I have read every Reacher book, many more than once, and many repurchased in audio so that I could get my Reacher fix while waiting for the next installment. I am willing to suspend reality in favor of a good read. I am even willing to read/listen to some less than stellar books for the sake of an overall decent or entertaining story. I found the last couple of installments to be a bit disappointing but still held out hope that "the next one would be better". Sadly, it seems that is simply not going to happen.
For any true Reacher fans, I suspect you will need to read it for yourself in order to believe just how bad it is. At least save yourself the wasted money and get it from the library. It's a real pisser to spend so much money on a beloved series only to end up with such a stinker of a story.
For anyone new to Reacher, run fast and far far away from #17 and in fact maybe just stop before you get to #15. I promise if you read this one first it is unlikely that you will want to read any of the others. I know I wouldn't.
Here is a conundrum. What is worse than reading the most boring Reacher book ever written? It is listening to the most boring Reacher story ever written while Reacher simultaneously has a broken nose throughout the book. You know, someone who would sound like this "my node id tuffy" instead of "my nose is stuffy". Imagine Reacher speaking with a tuffy node. For 14+ hours. 840 minutes. 50,400 seconds. A tuffy node. Just try talking aloud as if you had one, even for 1 minute. 60 seconds. Trust me, you will find the sound so annoying that you will take a vow of silence the next time you truly do have a tuffy node.
The story is boring, the characters (including my beloved Jack) are boring, and the unnecessary repetition of the most mundane detail make me question whether Lee Child is now paid by the number of words in a book rather than for any measure of quality.
I awaited the arrival of this book with barely a measure of patience. I started trying to purchase at 11PM CDT on Sep. 10 thinking it might be available since it was then Sep. 11 in EDT (FYI, it didn't work and I had to wait until after midnight, which I did). I believe I finalized my purchase via iTunes at about 12:08 a.m. I couldn't wait to get my Reacher on. Not only will I now never, ever pay for another Reacher book (though I might check it out from the library), but I am tempted to write Lee Child and ask for my money back. THAT is how awful I find this book.
I have read every Reacher book, many more than once, and many repurchased in audio so that I could get my Reacher fix while waiting for the next installment. I am willing to suspend reality in favor of a good read. I am even willing to read/listen to some less than stellar books for the sake of an overall decent or entertaining story. I found the last couple of installments to be a bit disappointing but still held out hope that "the next one would be better". Sadly, it seems that is simply not going to happen.
For any true Reacher fans, I suspect you will need to read it for yourself in order to believe just how bad it is. At least save yourself the wasted money and get it from the library. It's a real pisser to spend so much money on a beloved series only to end up with such a stinker of a story.
For anyone new to Reacher, run fast and far far away from #17 and in fact maybe just stop before you get to #15. I promise if you read this one first it is unlikely that you will want to read any of the others. I know I wouldn't.
January 5, 2013
Ok, I like Jack Reacher novels. They're formulaic, completely predictable, and the action scenes are fun, in a shoot-em-up kind of way. I do continue to have a slight problem with his juvenile taunting, which often deteriorates into "yo mamma" territory, but maybe that's just me.
What I really need to talk about is the upcoming movie "Jack Reacher" based on the first book One Shot. Tom Cruise is playing Jack Reacher! Nothing against Tom Cruise (as an actor) but seriously?
Here's a description of JR from this latest book: He was one of the largest men she had ever seen outside of the NFL. He was extremely tall, and extremely broad, and long-armed and long-legged. The lawn chair was regular size, but it looked tiny under him. It was bent and crushed out of shape. His knuckles were nearly touching the ground. His neck was thick and his hands were the size of dinner plates. Does that sound anything like Tom Cruise? He is not a big man. He's not even an average size man. I'm taller than him! I don't get it. Some authors don't go into a lot of detail about what their hero looks like, but Lee Child does. In every book. There is always something about how freakishly big he is. Tom Cruise is no Jack Reacher. I am very disappointed.o
What I really need to talk about is the upcoming movie "Jack Reacher" based on the first book One Shot. Tom Cruise is playing Jack Reacher! Nothing against Tom Cruise (as an actor) but seriously?
Here's a description of JR from this latest book: He was one of the largest men she had ever seen outside of the NFL. He was extremely tall, and extremely broad, and long-armed and long-legged. The lawn chair was regular size, but it looked tiny under him. It was bent and crushed out of shape. His knuckles were nearly touching the ground. His neck was thick and his hands were the size of dinner plates. Does that sound anything like Tom Cruise? He is not a big man. He's not even an average size man. I'm taller than him! I don't get it. Some authors don't go into a lot of detail about what their hero looks like, but Lee Child does. In every book. There is always something about how freakishly big he is. Tom Cruise is no Jack Reacher. I am very disappointed.o
October 2, 2021
Late one night in the middle of winter, Jack Reacher is standing by the road on an Interstate highway cloverleaf in the middle of nowhere, Nebraska. It's cold, there's very little traffic, and he's trying to hitch a ride that will get him to Chicago, from where he can make his way by bus or train to Virginia, which is his ultimate destination.
Catching a ride under these circumstances could be difficult in the best of times, but Reacher is a huge guy (much, much bigger than Tiny Tom Cruise), and he's sporting a recently broken nose that makes him look even more intimidating. Most reasonably normal travelers aren't going to take a chance on a guy who looks like this, especially at this time of night, and fifty-odd cars pass by without stopping. Finally, ninety-three minutes after Reacher first stuck out his thumb, a car finally stops.
The car is carrying two men and one woman who are wearing matching shirts and whom Reacher initially decides are on some sort of corporate team-building exercise. He accepts their offered ride and they speed off into the night. But as Reacher listens to them talk and watches their body language, he realizes that something is clearly off-norm here.
Meanwhile, back up the road, a man has been stabbed to death in an old pumping station by what would clearly appear to be a professional killer. Two men were seen leaving the scene and the local sheriff puts out an APB. Almost immediately, though, the FBI swoops onto the scene along with some other very secretive government types. Clearly, this is more than your average, run-of-the-mill homicide.
Thus begins another action-packed page turner from Lee Child. Reacher is on top of his game, broken nose or not, and there are two very interesting female characters along with an assortment of bad guys and government bureaucrats who, as we all know, should simply get the hell out of the way and let Reacher get the job done right.
I really enjoyed the first three-quarters of the book, but this is three stars for me, rather than four, because the last quarter of the book didn't measure up to the setup. I don't want to give anything away, and so I'll simply note that the payoff seemed a bit drawn out and even a little tedious.
One always has to suspend a great deal of disbelief when reading a book like this, and I have no problem doing so. But the end of the book seemed a little over the top even for a Reacher novel and not nearly as inventive or as interesting as the climaxes of most of the other books in this series. Still a fun read, but the first sixteen Reacher novels have perhaps set my expectations a bit too high for this one.
Catching a ride under these circumstances could be difficult in the best of times, but Reacher is a huge guy (much, much bigger than Tiny Tom Cruise), and he's sporting a recently broken nose that makes him look even more intimidating. Most reasonably normal travelers aren't going to take a chance on a guy who looks like this, especially at this time of night, and fifty-odd cars pass by without stopping. Finally, ninety-three minutes after Reacher first stuck out his thumb, a car finally stops.
The car is carrying two men and one woman who are wearing matching shirts and whom Reacher initially decides are on some sort of corporate team-building exercise. He accepts their offered ride and they speed off into the night. But as Reacher listens to them talk and watches their body language, he realizes that something is clearly off-norm here.
Meanwhile, back up the road, a man has been stabbed to death in an old pumping station by what would clearly appear to be a professional killer. Two men were seen leaving the scene and the local sheriff puts out an APB. Almost immediately, though, the FBI swoops onto the scene along with some other very secretive government types. Clearly, this is more than your average, run-of-the-mill homicide.
Thus begins another action-packed page turner from Lee Child. Reacher is on top of his game, broken nose or not, and there are two very interesting female characters along with an assortment of bad guys and government bureaucrats who, as we all know, should simply get the hell out of the way and let Reacher get the job done right.
I really enjoyed the first three-quarters of the book, but this is three stars for me, rather than four, because the last quarter of the book didn't measure up to the setup. I don't want to give anything away, and so I'll simply note that the payoff seemed a bit drawn out and even a little tedious.
One always has to suspend a great deal of disbelief when reading a book like this, and I have no problem doing so. But the end of the book seemed a little over the top even for a Reacher novel and not nearly as inventive or as interesting as the climaxes of most of the other books in this series. Still a fun read, but the first sixteen Reacher novels have perhaps set my expectations a bit too high for this one.
January 17, 2023
"I went to sleep in Shreveport -
woke up in Abeline -
wonderin' why the hell I'm wanted
at some town halfway in between."
-- lyrics to 'Wanted Man,' by Bob Dylan
The seventeenth Jack Reacher adventure A Wanted Man picks up scant hours after the conclusion of the similarly Midwestern-set Worth Dying For (the fifteenth book in the series, not counting the sixteenth The Affair as it was flashback tale to his final military assignment) and has our loner hero - still sporting a hideously fractured proboscis - hitchhiking a ride out of rural Nebraska. Of course, with Reacher being Reacher he is picked up by the worst possible vehicle on a desolate stretch of nighttime highway - the peculiar occupants include a possible domestic terrorist, a possible federal agent, and a possible hostage. Or maybe not - they could just simply be three self-described co-workers from a Chicago tech firm. Sort of amazingly, author Child kept my attention for the initial 100 or so pages with Reacher simply being a sedate passenger (or even taking a friendly turn at the steering wheel) in said vehicle as the situation becomes intriguingly and then horrifyingly clear - a dual narrative features an aging but sharp county sheriff and an ambitious FBI agent investigating a politically-sensitive murder. I see that a fair amount of others were underwhelmed by the early sections, but I enjoyed the slow-burn old-school suspense and murkiness of the mystery. If there was a part that didn't quite 'do it' for me it was the somewhat routine action movie climax.
woke up in Abeline -
wonderin' why the hell I'm wanted
at some town halfway in between."
-- lyrics to 'Wanted Man,' by Bob Dylan
The seventeenth Jack Reacher adventure A Wanted Man picks up scant hours after the conclusion of the similarly Midwestern-set Worth Dying For (the fifteenth book in the series, not counting the sixteenth The Affair as it was flashback tale to his final military assignment) and has our loner hero - still sporting a hideously fractured proboscis - hitchhiking a ride out of rural Nebraska. Of course, with Reacher being Reacher he is picked up by the worst possible vehicle on a desolate stretch of nighttime highway - the peculiar occupants include a possible domestic terrorist, a possible federal agent, and a possible hostage. Or maybe not - they could just simply be three self-described co-workers from a Chicago tech firm. Sort of amazingly, author Child kept my attention for the initial 100 or so pages with Reacher simply being a sedate passenger (or even taking a friendly turn at the steering wheel) in said vehicle as the situation becomes intriguingly and then horrifyingly clear - a dual narrative features an aging but sharp county sheriff and an ambitious FBI agent investigating a politically-sensitive murder. I see that a fair amount of others were underwhelmed by the early sections, but I enjoyed the slow-burn old-school suspense and murkiness of the mystery. If there was a part that didn't quite 'do it' for me it was the somewhat routine action movie climax.
January 1, 2024
A good, fun, action-oriented read -- in other words, your typical Jack Reacher novel.
The novel opens with Reacher hitchhiking in Nebraska, trying to get to Virginia, sporting a broken nose --- how exactly he got it is never explicitly clear. When picked up by what appears to be 3 corporate types, this seemingly minor act sets off a gripping and interesting chain of events, involving a murder, fugitives from justice; a major FBI investigation; and an operation involving some very bad guys. Things are not always what they seem, and that makes the story all the more fun to read.
Definitely, a must for Jack Reacher novel fans, as well as for those enjoying the action novel genre -- one need not have read previous Jack Reacher novels in order to enjoy this book. An entertaining book to read.
The novel opens with Reacher hitchhiking in Nebraska, trying to get to Virginia, sporting a broken nose --- how exactly he got it is never explicitly clear. When picked up by what appears to be 3 corporate types, this seemingly minor act sets off a gripping and interesting chain of events, involving a murder, fugitives from justice; a major FBI investigation; and an operation involving some very bad guys. Things are not always what they seem, and that makes the story all the more fun to read.
Definitely, a must for Jack Reacher novel fans, as well as for those enjoying the action novel genre -- one need not have read previous Jack Reacher novels in order to enjoy this book. An entertaining book to read.
November 20, 2012
I really did not want to read the reviews for this book. So I waited a long time before finally adding it to my "read" list and then looking to see how many stars it got. I was right to wait, because as I predicted the 3 star reviews are starting to get on my nerves. Maybe there's just no pleasing people anymore. I had the greatest time reading this book. 5 stars all the way from me. I didn't hate Worth Dying For, but I could understand why some readers didn't like it; it wasn't one of the best Reacher books. But this one felt like it made up for that one and more. Even as a stand alone book this was great. The publisher description says, "no one is what they seem," and "readers will be gasping," etc. That's usually just bs, but in this case it's actually true. The plot is full of twists and turns -- no, really! -- and I actually did gasp, I think more than once. I laughed a lot, too. The great thing about Reacher is his ironic humor. People complain about numbers and statistics quotes. Part of the charm of the series is knowing how Reacher thinks, why he can pull off stuff that you or I can't. He's ex-military but his brain works just like it did when he was still in the army. If he didn't think like that people would complain about his super powers. I'm surprised but not surprised by the negative reviews. And disappointed in the 3 star reviews. A couple of these reviews referred to other people's reviews as a reason for their own 3 star reviews! Come on, people. This is fiction. It's a thriller. It's not the Bible. Can't a book just be fun to read? And that's not a concession to the negative reviews - not only is this book fun but it's written well, the plot is excellent, the characters are well-crafted yada yada yada. All that good critique of literature stuff. Bottom line, if you like the Reacher series, this one is excellent and you won't be disappointed. If you're new to Reacher, I recommend it. I think 61 Hours is my favorite Reacher novel, but this one is definitely in the top 5.
February 19, 2025
Not a lot of action but this was a riveting, tension filled mystery. For the first part it’s mainly Reacher and three other individuals driving in a car but Child ratchets up the unease, wariness, and fear until you can’t help but keep reading to find out what is going to happen next. Of course by the end we get Reacher in full Reacher mode doing what he does best, destroying bad guys.
Will he ever get to Virginia?
Will he ever get to Virginia?
July 29, 2023
2,5 e cel mai puțin interesant volum din serie și un pic cam netealistă.
November 3, 2012
On the positive side, it's a Reacher book.
On the negative side, it's not the same Reacher I have grown to enjoy reading.
First, it starts where Worth Dying For ended. The problem with that is there was a prequel in between and I have very little recollection of the plot of WDF, which itself was a continuation of 61 Hours. Needless to say, I had no idea how Reacher's nose became broken by the guy with the shotgun. Then comes the endless thoughts of Reacher during the car trip. A lot of it comes together later in the book, but jeez, it was boring reading. It was almost like Child was padding the word count with information that may or may not prove useful later. Example: Page 15 “There were plenty of buses in Chicago. Plenty of morning departures. South through Illinois, east through Kentucky, and then Virginia was right there." Okay, normal thought for a hitchhiker just told the car was going to Chicago. But then on page 36 is the exact same thought, in the exact same wording.
With the switching back and forth between characters, Reacher, the FBI agent, the sheriff, the thought came to me that maybe Child wasn't the sole author of this and he shared the project with his brother, also an author. As I said, it was just a thought.
Bottom line: Although it was a Reacher novel, I was happier when I turned the last page than I was while reading the novel. That is not a good thing. I much prefer to end a novel feeling like I had a good time and can't wait until we once again can share a couple of days, instead of 'jeez, I'm glad that visit is over'.
On the negative side, it's not the same Reacher I have grown to enjoy reading.
First, it starts where Worth Dying For ended. The problem with that is there was a prequel in between and I have very little recollection of the plot of WDF, which itself was a continuation of 61 Hours. Needless to say, I had no idea how Reacher's nose became broken by the guy with the shotgun. Then comes the endless thoughts of Reacher during the car trip. A lot of it comes together later in the book, but jeez, it was boring reading. It was almost like Child was padding the word count with information that may or may not prove useful later. Example: Page 15 “There were plenty of buses in Chicago. Plenty of morning departures. South through Illinois, east through Kentucky, and then Virginia was right there." Okay, normal thought for a hitchhiker just told the car was going to Chicago. But then on page 36 is the exact same thought, in the exact same wording.
With the switching back and forth between characters, Reacher, the FBI agent, the sheriff, the thought came to me that maybe Child wasn't the sole author of this and he shared the project with his brother, also an author. As I said, it was just a thought.
Bottom line: Although it was a Reacher novel, I was happier when I turned the last page than I was while reading the novel. That is not a good thing. I much prefer to end a novel feeling like I had a good time and can't wait until we once again can share a couple of days, instead of 'jeez, I'm glad that visit is over'.
April 6, 2013
If a six-foot-five, two-hundred and fifty pound hobo with a busted nose manages to hitch a ride with strangers at night you can probably make a safe bet that something is amiss. Turns out there is more to his new traveling companions than meets the eye and Jack Reacher finds himself on a car ride through the midwest that's as thrilling as…well, a car ride through the midwest.
I'm a fan of the Reacher series. While these novels might not be masterpieces of the genre, they are fun and reliable. You pretty much know what you're going to get. Actually, they make me happy. The way a pizza makes me happy. Or a cheeseburger and fries. This one did not make me happy. This was a pizza with pineapple on it. A cheeseburger and fries left to harden in its own fat. I'll still eat it, but it's a little sad.
I don't know if Child is getting tired of writing for Reacher or what, but he was clearly not in good form this time. I honestly think that Child's writing at times approaches the sublime in its clunkiness. He's not trying to be literary. His prose is as subtle as walking into a door, but it is appropriate for the stories he tells and I find his disdain for pretense refreshing. But this time I think Lee Child was phoning it in.
Sure, we get the usual Reacherisms. We get the usual taciturnity, the geeky obsession with trivia and numbers, the smart mouth to the bad guys and the requisite ultraviolent retribution at the end. Reacher goes shopping for new clothes at the dollar store like in every other book. He sees injustice, like in every other book, and a mystery and to sate his curiosity takes extreme and unauthorized measures to set things right. This book has the required elements. But ultimately it was soulless. It was checking the box. Going through the motions. Most of the dialogue was basically reacher thinking aloud with others about what might be going on. And driving. A lot of driving. Here and there, back and forth. Check on this, check on that, drive drive drive.
The conclusion was appropriately violent with Reacher taking on the enemy against all odds, but so what? By the time it got to that point I just wanted to end it already.
Really, I don't know what Child was thinking. Maybe he thought he could coast a little, what with a movie coming out and Tom Cruise playing Jack Reacher. I can't blame Child for letting Tom Cruise play Reacher. If Cruise is in a movie it for sure is going to get made. The road to hell is paved with movies that were sold but never made. So in that sense Child's decision is as practical as his prose and probably a good one.
But still (and this makes no logical sense) I can't help but feel that if Dolph Lundgren was playing Jack Reacher this novel may have been better. Lundgren is physically perfect for the role. He's actually not a bad actor, but he's not as popular as Cruise. I get the feeling that if this were the case then maybe Child would not have set the "Cruise" control on this novel. Maybe he would have felt more of a hunger to make this Reacher novel, you know, kinda good.
But, Reacher and Mr. Child, I have not given up on you. I know they cannot all be gems. I am understanding. Considering the countless hours of mindless escapist enjoyment you have provided me I am still, indeed, in your debt. I am still a "Reacher Creature."
But don't let it happen again. Reacher spoke of a motto in one of the books: Never forgive. Never forget.
Just sayin'.
I'm a fan of the Reacher series. While these novels might not be masterpieces of the genre, they are fun and reliable. You pretty much know what you're going to get. Actually, they make me happy. The way a pizza makes me happy. Or a cheeseburger and fries. This one did not make me happy. This was a pizza with pineapple on it. A cheeseburger and fries left to harden in its own fat. I'll still eat it, but it's a little sad.
I don't know if Child is getting tired of writing for Reacher or what, but he was clearly not in good form this time. I honestly think that Child's writing at times approaches the sublime in its clunkiness. He's not trying to be literary. His prose is as subtle as walking into a door, but it is appropriate for the stories he tells and I find his disdain for pretense refreshing. But this time I think Lee Child was phoning it in.
Sure, we get the usual Reacherisms. We get the usual taciturnity, the geeky obsession with trivia and numbers, the smart mouth to the bad guys and the requisite ultraviolent retribution at the end. Reacher goes shopping for new clothes at the dollar store like in every other book. He sees injustice, like in every other book, and a mystery and to sate his curiosity takes extreme and unauthorized measures to set things right. This book has the required elements. But ultimately it was soulless. It was checking the box. Going through the motions. Most of the dialogue was basically reacher thinking aloud with others about what might be going on. And driving. A lot of driving. Here and there, back and forth. Check on this, check on that, drive drive drive.
The conclusion was appropriately violent with Reacher taking on the enemy against all odds, but so what? By the time it got to that point I just wanted to end it already.
Really, I don't know what Child was thinking. Maybe he thought he could coast a little, what with a movie coming out and Tom Cruise playing Jack Reacher. I can't blame Child for letting Tom Cruise play Reacher. If Cruise is in a movie it for sure is going to get made. The road to hell is paved with movies that were sold but never made. So in that sense Child's decision is as practical as his prose and probably a good one.
But still (and this makes no logical sense) I can't help but feel that if Dolph Lundgren was playing Jack Reacher this novel may have been better. Lundgren is physically perfect for the role. He's actually not a bad actor, but he's not as popular as Cruise. I get the feeling that if this were the case then maybe Child would not have set the "Cruise" control on this novel. Maybe he would have felt more of a hunger to make this Reacher novel, you know, kinda good.
But, Reacher and Mr. Child, I have not given up on you. I know they cannot all be gems. I am understanding. Considering the countless hours of mindless escapist enjoyment you have provided me I am still, indeed, in your debt. I am still a "Reacher Creature."
But don't let it happen again. Reacher spoke of a motto in one of the books: Never forgive. Never forget.
Just sayin'.
March 24, 2024
An interesting conceit to start with to try something different - Reacher stuck in a car trying to figure out what is going on - which then develops into the familiar story that keeps Reacher compelling and entertaining - bad guys, guns, action, female sidekick(s) and a final showdown. The writing style is the same as always, short sentences, straightforward prose, propelling momentum. Child deserves credit for managing to keep this long running series entertaining. A comfortable, easy read.
January 19, 2014
Love all the Jack Reacher novels. Always fun and plenty of action.
June 1, 2023
Book 17 in the Jack Reacher series and at this point there's nothing more to say in these reviews than I love this series and Jack and its always a five star from me :)
July 24, 2025
Hitchhiking is always a bad decision. That's the take-away from Lee Child's seventeenth book in the Jack Reacher series, "A Wanted Man".
As always, Child builds up great suspense and tension slowly, revealing only enough details so as to entice the readers on. He does this brilliantly, and "A Wanted Man" is no exception. It's a solid action/adventure thriller.
My only gripe with the book is probably a petty one, and one that doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. Indeed, it's not a huge deal at all, and it's a complaint I have with many detective/wandering hero series.
My gripe is this: I get that Reacher is the type that never, technically, goes looking for trouble. He's always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Trouble just falls in his lap sometimes. But therein lies the problem. How is it that everywhere Reacher goes, something happens of major import, usually involving national security?
It's almost getting ridiculous, at this point in the series, that all Reacher has to do to get involved in an international terrorist scheme is put his thumb out on an empty Nebraska freeway. Seriously.
Of course, maybe that's the subtle joke that Child is making about Reacher. For seventeen books now, Reacher has been hitching a ride into ridiculous adventures that he honestly would have rather done without. Reacher is, I'm beginning to realize, one of the biggest schlemiels in the action/adventure genre.
Just once, I think it would be nice for Child to give Reacher a break. Give him something less stressful, maybe a slapstick comedy involving a wise-cracking old jewelry thief who's making mischief at an independent living facility in Long Island, or an "after-school special" type of story involving a rowdy teenage girl who is beginning to experiment with drugs and Reacher has to step in to teach her a vital lesson about sobriety while helping to reunite her with her estranged family, or, hey, even better, throw Reacher in a nutty little romantic comedy where he goes undercover in a beer bottling plant to thwart some mob guys and inadvertently falls in love with the cute, shy plant boss, who also happens to be the mob boss's daughter.
I'm guessing, though, that the success of the series is due to the fact that Child hasn't done any of that. Reacher fans expect him to knock heads and kick a lot of ass. To be fair, Reacher is exceptionally good at it, so it's par for the course that Reacher will just go on, accidentally finding himself in more ridiculous adventures…
But I'm still kind of hoping for that silly rom-com...
As always, Child builds up great suspense and tension slowly, revealing only enough details so as to entice the readers on. He does this brilliantly, and "A Wanted Man" is no exception. It's a solid action/adventure thriller.
My only gripe with the book is probably a petty one, and one that doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. Indeed, it's not a huge deal at all, and it's a complaint I have with many detective/wandering hero series.
My gripe is this: I get that Reacher is the type that never, technically, goes looking for trouble. He's always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Trouble just falls in his lap sometimes. But therein lies the problem. How is it that everywhere Reacher goes, something happens of major import, usually involving national security?
It's almost getting ridiculous, at this point in the series, that all Reacher has to do to get involved in an international terrorist scheme is put his thumb out on an empty Nebraska freeway. Seriously.
Of course, maybe that's the subtle joke that Child is making about Reacher. For seventeen books now, Reacher has been hitching a ride into ridiculous adventures that he honestly would have rather done without. Reacher is, I'm beginning to realize, one of the biggest schlemiels in the action/adventure genre.
Just once, I think it would be nice for Child to give Reacher a break. Give him something less stressful, maybe a slapstick comedy involving a wise-cracking old jewelry thief who's making mischief at an independent living facility in Long Island, or an "after-school special" type of story involving a rowdy teenage girl who is beginning to experiment with drugs and Reacher has to step in to teach her a vital lesson about sobriety while helping to reunite her with her estranged family, or, hey, even better, throw Reacher in a nutty little romantic comedy where he goes undercover in a beer bottling plant to thwart some mob guys and inadvertently falls in love with the cute, shy plant boss, who also happens to be the mob boss's daughter.
I'm guessing, though, that the success of the series is due to the fact that Child hasn't done any of that. Reacher fans expect him to knock heads and kick a lot of ass. To be fair, Reacher is exceptionally good at it, so it's par for the course that Reacher will just go on, accidentally finding himself in more ridiculous adventures…
But I'm still kind of hoping for that silly rom-com...
September 2, 2012
Just finished. Worst Reacher book ever. Why ? 1. He throws his first punch on page 327. 2. Has Lee Child accepted payment from McDonalds for product placement ? (count the number of times he mentions it in this book. Compare it to all his other books combined) 3. He throws his second punch on page 376.. 4. 51 pages later the book ends with plot holes that I won't go into in case you still want to read it. I'm sorry Lee but if you're mellowing with age and looking after your retirement income then stop writing the books and just leave it to Tom Cruise to ruin the rest for us.
I know a lack of violence is not a sign of a bad book, but it was like reading a bad detective novel with a predictably theatrical ending. Poorly crafted. Lazy ending. Not consistent with the author's earlier style. Cynically I might say this was ideally written for Cruise to be able to fill the role in a future movie as the first priority, possibly leading to more dollars heading the author's way .. after McDonalds seemingly has boosted his coffers as well.
Insipid at best.
I know a lack of violence is not a sign of a bad book, but it was like reading a bad detective novel with a predictably theatrical ending. Poorly crafted. Lazy ending. Not consistent with the author's earlier style. Cynically I might say this was ideally written for Cruise to be able to fill the role in a future movie as the first priority, possibly leading to more dollars heading the author's way .. after McDonalds seemingly has boosted his coffers as well.
Insipid at best.
May 26, 2021
The insurmountable & unstoppable Jack Reacher, the “x-military” officer & drifter has a new project in his life.
Story has nice flow & low complexity. Reacher is hitch-hiking out of Nebraska, picked-up for a ride with 3 people, Donald McQueen (driving), Alan King (always talking) & Karen Delfuenso (quiet).
Forced to stop by Julia Sorenson(FBI) & Sheriff Goodman at a roadblock to find a missing/dead Cocktail waitress, Karen.
At the next gas station, Reacher goes to buy coffee, alerts police, Donald McQueen shots, Reacher flees/saves Karen. Others see car burning & think it’s Karen, it’s Alan King. Reacher finds Karen’s really FBI & not dead.
McQueen claims his terrorist group has nuclear waste water in trailers. Reacher, Sorenson & Karen approach the bunkers. Sorenson is killed. Karen & Reacher are the hero’s & kill the gang.
McQueen’s terrorist threat was a “hoax” using empty trailers - holding no nuclear waste.
And then as always - Reacher’s resourceful, stops anyone, as he walks down the quiet road for his next stop...
Story has nice flow & low complexity. Reacher is hitch-hiking out of Nebraska, picked-up for a ride with 3 people, Donald McQueen (driving), Alan King (always talking) & Karen Delfuenso (quiet).
Forced to stop by Julia Sorenson(FBI) & Sheriff Goodman at a roadblock to find a missing/dead Cocktail waitress, Karen.
At the next gas station, Reacher goes to buy coffee, alerts police, Donald McQueen shots, Reacher flees/saves Karen. Others see car burning & think it’s Karen, it’s Alan King. Reacher finds Karen’s really FBI & not dead.
McQueen claims his terrorist group has nuclear waste water in trailers. Reacher, Sorenson & Karen approach the bunkers. Sorenson is killed. Karen & Reacher are the hero’s & kill the gang.
McQueen’s terrorist threat was a “hoax” using empty trailers - holding no nuclear waste.
And then as always - Reacher’s resourceful, stops anyone, as he walks down the quiet road for his next stop...
March 12, 2017
5 Stars
Reacher is as badass as ever! especially with his broken nose.
A Wanted Man had so many twists and turns it was hard to know what was real, who was actually who they said they were and what was the bad guys actual motive. It kept me guessing until I devoured the last page.
Sorenson, Delfuenso and McQueen were all interesting side characters.
Overall brilliant action packed with more plot twists than an enigma wrapped up in a conundrum inside a puzzle
Reacher is as badass as ever! especially with his broken nose.
A Wanted Man had so many twists and turns it was hard to know what was real, who was actually who they said they were and what was the bad guys actual motive. It kept me guessing until I devoured the last page.
Sorenson, Delfuenso and McQueen were all interesting side characters.
Overall brilliant action packed with more plot twists than an enigma wrapped up in a conundrum inside a puzzle
November 22, 2012
This book felt sloppy and tired. Certainly the weakest in the series. Not enough cool fights, not enough female action. Just a quickie.
February 6, 2013
Simply delicious. Jack Reacher doing what he does best. Despite a choice to live a simple life of traveling with no possessions or personal involvements, this ex-military policeman finds himself getting drawn into the plight of strangers in trouble, solves a mystery in a slow inexorable fashion from the most limited clues, and gets forced into a situation where extreme, righteous violence gets unleashed to resolve the problem. Though it sounds like a boring formula (similar to the 70’s TV series “Kung Fu” with David Carradine) , Childs plays it out like a jazz master.
Here Reacher is hitchhiking through Nebraska and gets picked up by two men and a woman, claiming to be software salesmen on the way to Chicago. From tiny clues in conversation and actions, Reacher figures out that there is a hidden agenda. The reader has access early on the mind of an old sheriff and an ambitious female FBI agent working on a murder at an old water pumping station on the prairie near the town where Reacher is picked up. The reader’s curiosity is also stimulated early on by the interest in the case by counter-terrorist agents and by the State Department.
As usual, Child uses short declarative sentences with almost no adjectives, making the language disappear and leaving you with a stream of concrete perceptions, dialogue, and problem solving thoughts. Reacher’s pragmatic, skeptical approach to all he encounters makes him an “everyman” you can identify with. Just a thoughtful guy who honors a good cup of coffee as a sacred pleasure. His skills at reading people and making inferences cast the illusion that you could do so as well if you tried. But when backed into a corner, his ability to take immediate effective action brings his special military capabilities into play. And when really pressed, he can become a one-man army. But without the Bruce Willis-style “Die Hard” macho and humor. Just a matter-of-fact killing machine with a good heart underneath. Got to love the guy. Why else would I still be satisfied with completing this the 17th in the series.
Here Reacher is hitchhiking through Nebraska and gets picked up by two men and a woman, claiming to be software salesmen on the way to Chicago. From tiny clues in conversation and actions, Reacher figures out that there is a hidden agenda. The reader has access early on the mind of an old sheriff and an ambitious female FBI agent working on a murder at an old water pumping station on the prairie near the town where Reacher is picked up. The reader’s curiosity is also stimulated early on by the interest in the case by counter-terrorist agents and by the State Department.
As usual, Child uses short declarative sentences with almost no adjectives, making the language disappear and leaving you with a stream of concrete perceptions, dialogue, and problem solving thoughts. Reacher’s pragmatic, skeptical approach to all he encounters makes him an “everyman” you can identify with. Just a thoughtful guy who honors a good cup of coffee as a sacred pleasure. His skills at reading people and making inferences cast the illusion that you could do so as well if you tried. But when backed into a corner, his ability to take immediate effective action brings his special military capabilities into play. And when really pressed, he can become a one-man army. But without the Bruce Willis-style “Die Hard” macho and humor. Just a matter-of-fact killing machine with a good heart underneath. Got to love the guy. Why else would I still be satisfied with completing this the 17th in the series.
January 4, 2020
Book 17 in the Jack Reacher series published 2012.
The start of this book was very promising; the tension that slowly builds up at the beginning was like waiting for a thunder storm to hit. All you can do is wait for the storm to arrive.
Unfortunately the storm never arrives. There were a few disappointing drops of rain that just fizzled out to nothing.
As usual Jack is thumbing a lift, heading, like the rest of his life, nowhere. A car stops; three people give him a good look over and decide to offer him a lift. It doesn’t take Jack long to figure out that all is not as it should be in this car. The two men seem friendly enough but the solitary woman is quiet and withdrawn. After what can only be described as a ridiculous eye batting morse code interval between Jack and the woman, Jack comes to understand that the woman is in the car under duress. Why is still not clear but Jack is about to find out and God help the bad guys. The problem for Jack is, who is or are the bad guys and what are they up to.
Up to this point the story holds up but from here on in it's all down hill. It all becomes just a tad boring, dare I say. There’s a fare bit of reference to mathematical equations which to my mind was pointless, just page filling and talking of page filling at 523 pages it was too long.
As per usual Jack is about to put his life on the line for people he wouldn’t know from a bar of soap. But that’s just Jack, what a nice guy.
I, like millions of others, am a big Jack Reacher fan but if this was the first book in the series I doubt I would have read the rest.
To be fare, this is not such a bad read but by the standards of the previous books it was a let down.
Good enough for 3 stars.
The start of this book was very promising; the tension that slowly builds up at the beginning was like waiting for a thunder storm to hit. All you can do is wait for the storm to arrive.
Unfortunately the storm never arrives. There were a few disappointing drops of rain that just fizzled out to nothing.
As usual Jack is thumbing a lift, heading, like the rest of his life, nowhere. A car stops; three people give him a good look over and decide to offer him a lift. It doesn’t take Jack long to figure out that all is not as it should be in this car. The two men seem friendly enough but the solitary woman is quiet and withdrawn. After what can only be described as a ridiculous eye batting morse code interval between Jack and the woman, Jack comes to understand that the woman is in the car under duress. Why is still not clear but Jack is about to find out and God help the bad guys. The problem for Jack is, who is or are the bad guys and what are they up to.
Up to this point the story holds up but from here on in it's all down hill. It all becomes just a tad boring, dare I say. There’s a fare bit of reference to mathematical equations which to my mind was pointless, just page filling and talking of page filling at 523 pages it was too long.
As per usual Jack is about to put his life on the line for people he wouldn’t know from a bar of soap. But that’s just Jack, what a nice guy.
I, like millions of others, am a big Jack Reacher fan but if this was the first book in the series I doubt I would have read the rest.
To be fare, this is not such a bad read but by the standards of the previous books it was a let down.
Good enough for 3 stars.
April 12, 2025
~ 1-85 %
~ 86-99 %
~ 86-99 %
March 10, 2013
I don't understand the bad reviews for A Wanted Man. I enjoyed the "boring" parts - found them atmospheric and suspenseful. This latest installment may have lacked the usual amount of action, but it still had that Reacher-Is-The-Man magic. I must agree with another reviewer though - Child didn't segue between the previous novel and this one correctly. I mean, didn't he get a broken nose in that bunker? And now he had nothing to do with what happened in the bunker? Did I miss something? That's okay though. The worst moments reading Reacher are better than the best moments working, right?
May 11, 2018
Another enjoyable adventure with Jack Reacher. He just cannot seem to make it to Virginia without continually getting caught up in some kind of drama in the arse end of nowhere... I enjoyed this story a lot (though haven’t really disliked any of these books so far) and it held my interest throughout. The ending was great and as Reacher has now finally made it to Virginia I’m excited to see what awaits him on his arrival.
June 28, 2019
Jack Reacher (Reacher) can't even hitch a ride without getting involved in trouble.
Yeah, he's at it again. Big guy who can't leave anyone in trouble alone.
Yeah, he's at it again. Big guy who can't leave anyone in trouble alone.
April 22, 2015
Seventeenth in the Jack Reacher suspense series. Reacher is thumbing a ride out of the disaster of
Worth Dying For
.
My Take
It's am improvement over 61 Hours and Worth Dying For , and yet it lacks the tension and depth of earlier Child-Reacher installments. It's a bit depressing as well when even Reacher starts referring to himself as "old". Sigh.
This was fun to read as Reacher figures out who these three people are in the car he's hitched a ride in. How he determines what's a lie and what's not. Sorenson could be a match for him in terms of figuring things out, but she is not a match for countering his logic, and she ends up following along. But, then, we knew how that was going to go.
Child is certainly tricky in keeping us in suspense as to what happens to the witness, the little girl, Karen...talk about shades of post-9/11 and those overreaching laws that trample all over our rights. The FBI wants to arrest Reacher no matter what.
It's certainly a good lesson in not assuming anything, as well as why I never want a corporate/government job!
Okay, really odd. Reacher never gets laid in this one. He's sure thinking about it, doing a little feeling around, but...nada, zip, zilch. Poor baby.
There are some loose ends: Goodman figures they took Lucy out on foot, but we never learn how that occurred or if he was even right; then there's Lester3 whose identity we never learn; and, just why Washington is so concerned about Kansas City's propensity for killing people off.
The Story
A dead guy in an abandoned pump house gets the police, FBI, CIA, and the State Department all 'het up with blockades and search parties. Leave it to Reacher to thumb his way right into the middle of it all.
The Characters
Jack Reacher is bashed and somewhat broken after events in Worth Dying For, and all he wants to do is get to Virginia. An ex-MP, he's huge at 6-foot-5 with "hands the size of dinner plates". Not necessarily someone you'd feel comfortable picking up on the side of the road.
County Sheriff Victor Goodman lives up to his name. He's good, experienced, and smart. So why he appointed Puller as his chief deputy, I'll never know.
Special Agent Julia Sorenson is highly qualified, highly experienced, and highly regarded. Until she meets rebel-with-a-cause Jack Reacher. Special Agent-in-Charge Stony Perry is Sorenson's boss and a real jerk, more interested in how he looks than in truth or justice. The following are Special Agents with counterterrorism out of Kansas City: Robert Dawson and Andrew Mitchell come to look over Sorenson's shoulder and Bale and Trapattoni handle the hotel duties. Lester Lester Lester, Jr. is with the State Department. And gots him a real imaginative daddy…!
Karen Delfuenso is a cocktail waitress at Missy Smith's, who just wanted to go home to her little girl, Lucy. Paula is the neighbor's little girl and Lucy's friend.
Alan King and Don McQueen seem to be partners with Delfuenso. Rather overbearing ones. Peter James King is Alan's younger brother.
The Cover
The cover is RED with touches of yellow and white. A long, empty, open road disappearing into the distance in Nebraska.
The title is true enough as Reacher is A Wanted Man.
My Take
It's am improvement over 61 Hours and Worth Dying For , and yet it lacks the tension and depth of earlier Child-Reacher installments. It's a bit depressing as well when even Reacher starts referring to himself as "old". Sigh.
This was fun to read as Reacher figures out who these three people are in the car he's hitched a ride in. How he determines what's a lie and what's not. Sorenson could be a match for him in terms of figuring things out, but she is not a match for countering his logic, and she ends up following along. But, then, we knew how that was going to go.
Child is certainly tricky in keeping us in suspense as to what happens to the witness, the little girl, Karen...talk about shades of post-9/11 and those overreaching laws that trample all over our rights. The FBI wants to arrest Reacher no matter what.
It's certainly a good lesson in not assuming anything, as well as why I never want a corporate/government job!
Okay, really odd. Reacher never gets laid in this one. He's sure thinking about it, doing a little feeling around, but...nada, zip, zilch. Poor baby.
There are some loose ends: Goodman figures they took Lucy out on foot, but we never learn how that occurred or if he was even right; then there's Lester3 whose identity we never learn; and, just why Washington is so concerned about Kansas City's propensity for killing people off.
The Story
A dead guy in an abandoned pump house gets the police, FBI, CIA, and the State Department all 'het up with blockades and search parties. Leave it to Reacher to thumb his way right into the middle of it all.
The Characters
Jack Reacher is bashed and somewhat broken after events in Worth Dying For, and all he wants to do is get to Virginia. An ex-MP, he's huge at 6-foot-5 with "hands the size of dinner plates". Not necessarily someone you'd feel comfortable picking up on the side of the road.
County Sheriff Victor Goodman lives up to his name. He's good, experienced, and smart. So why he appointed Puller as his chief deputy, I'll never know.
Special Agent Julia Sorenson is highly qualified, highly experienced, and highly regarded. Until she meets rebel-with-a-cause Jack Reacher. Special Agent-in-Charge Stony Perry is Sorenson's boss and a real jerk, more interested in how he looks than in truth or justice. The following are Special Agents with counterterrorism out of Kansas City: Robert Dawson and Andrew Mitchell come to look over Sorenson's shoulder and Bale and Trapattoni handle the hotel duties. Lester Lester Lester, Jr. is with the State Department. And gots him a real imaginative daddy…!
Karen Delfuenso is a cocktail waitress at Missy Smith's, who just wanted to go home to her little girl, Lucy. Paula is the neighbor's little girl and Lucy's friend.
Alan King and Don McQueen seem to be partners with Delfuenso. Rather overbearing ones. Peter James King is Alan's younger brother.
The Cover
The cover is RED with touches of yellow and white. A long, empty, open road disappearing into the distance in Nebraska.
The title is true enough as Reacher is A Wanted Man.
October 15, 2012
The first book in my original kindle from years back is a Jack Reacher novel and I have long been a fan. But looking at the polarity of reviews on this one, I almost passed but felt I owed it a read. The criticisms are just - the book has long boring stretches, the number games get old real fast, and it is repetitive in places. (Are there really that many folks that know the area code, population, size in square miles and ranking in GDP of most major metro areas?) The story gets a bit convoluted in places and it did not seem the ending jelled properly, but there are the moments that Reacher is known for that made it worth reading, so I'm, coming down in the middle with a 3 star rating.
July 3, 2022
I'm addicted to Dick Hill (Narrator) and in this book, he does the Jack Reacher busted nose voice throughout the book, hilarious. The storyline is classic Reacher style; Reacher stumbles into the bad guys while on his way to Virginia from Nebraska.
June 17, 2024
I see a lot of reviewers complaining that A Wanted Man is slow, boring, and every other adjective possible that would fit under those headings. This is fiction, and any true Reacher fan will be able to appreciate most of this book for the great piece of fiction that it is. The truth is that the latest Reacher book is actually just a continuation of previous ones. Both in terms of plot and writing style.
Lee Child has realized that Reacher is aging, and it just isn’t realistic for him to be engaged in constant slug fests with the enemies. Even though he may be a physical freak, aging takes its toll on everyone. The bigger they are the harder they’ll fall, etc. Instead we get to see a side of Reacher explored that has always been overshadowed by his incredible fighting skills; his intelligence. Reacher has always been described as extremely street smart if nothing else, but in A Wanted Man we see it goes beyond that and we get an insight into the way his mind works. More so then in any of the previous books.
Look, I understand that some people read these books for the machismo that they inspire and the fact that Reacher is plain and simple a bad ass. But, Child has shown before that he likes to at least acknowledge that life realisms such as aging exists and to expect him to continue on as if Reacher was 29 30 is unrealistic. The fact that it has taken this long for the process to become noticeable is stretching it as is. If you want some pure action, no thinking required book then go pick up any other book that vaguely resembles the Reacher series. Odds are that all realism will be thrown out the door and you can have your non-aging hero and we’ll all be happy.
Now, this is not to say that the book is perfect. It isn’t by a long shot, but for a transition book it was pretty well done. Lee Child took a shot in the dark by drastically altering the style of his books, and one should give him credit where credit is due for pulling it off as well as he did.
: Warning, Spoilers Ahead:
Still, it was a solid book overall and a transition that I think was needed. My biggest problem though is that I’m still not sure how long Child can keep older Reacher going in a fun manner. I hope he will start writing more about his army days. This will allow him to put more action in it, though I certainly hope he will keep showing some insights like he does in this book. Overall I would say A Wanted Man is a solid 4/5.
Lee Child has realized that Reacher is aging, and it just isn’t realistic for him to be engaged in constant slug fests with the enemies. Even though he may be a physical freak, aging takes its toll on everyone. The bigger they are the harder they’ll fall, etc. Instead we get to see a side of Reacher explored that has always been overshadowed by his incredible fighting skills; his intelligence. Reacher has always been described as extremely street smart if nothing else, but in A Wanted Man we see it goes beyond that and we get an insight into the way his mind works. More so then in any of the previous books.
Look, I understand that some people read these books for the machismo that they inspire and the fact that Reacher is plain and simple a bad ass. But, Child has shown before that he likes to at least acknowledge that life realisms such as aging exists and to expect him to continue on as if Reacher was 29 30 is unrealistic. The fact that it has taken this long for the process to become noticeable is stretching it as is. If you want some pure action, no thinking required book then go pick up any other book that vaguely resembles the Reacher series. Odds are that all realism will be thrown out the door and you can have your non-aging hero and we’ll all be happy.
Now, this is not to say that the book is perfect. It isn’t by a long shot, but for a transition book it was pretty well done. Lee Child took a shot in the dark by drastically altering the style of his books, and one should give him credit where credit is due for pulling it off as well as he did.
: Warning, Spoilers Ahead:
Still, it was a solid book overall and a transition that I think was needed. My biggest problem though is that I’m still not sure how long Child can keep older Reacher going in a fun manner. I hope he will start writing more about his army days. This will allow him to put more action in it, though I certainly hope he will keep showing some insights like he does in this book. Overall I would say A Wanted Man is a solid 4/5.
May 24, 2018
3.5 stars
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book. Thank you.
First 3/4 of the book is great ride, but with the usual occasional lapses into excessive detail; Child's worst flaw. I was wary about starting this book due to the blurb, and some unenthusiastic reviews here. However, the plot is clever with unexpected twists and turns, and so many liars! Almost everyone! But that only makes the ride more fun.
Unfortunately, for the last 1/4 of the book you need a four-wheel-drive land cruiser just to get through all the outrageous plot holes. We ventured into the land of "silly". Sighs. Ah well. The climax scenes are a bit technical and overwritten, with one surprise.
This would have been 4.5 stars if not for the silly plotting at the end.
-
Some fun quotes and my usual smattering of pictures:
The single most startling line in the book:
Reacher said, ‘Can you do Google Maps?’
Lots of Crown Vics in this book!
Full size image
Did you ever notice how many "pink-faced men" are in Reacher books? A lot!
The name on the ID was Lester L. Lester, Jr. The photograph showed the guy’s face below neatly combed hair and above a neatly rolled button-down collar...
Mitchell asked, ‘Is your middle name Lester too?’
The man called Lester looked at him. He said, ‘As a matter of fact it is.’
‘Outstanding,’ Mitchell said.
McQueen's gun, Smith & Wesson 2213
Full size image
Reacher and Sorenson talk about him taking bad guys' money etc
'Federal agencies seize property all the time, right? You find coke in some guy’s glove box, it’s goodbye BMW. Same with houses and boats.’
‘That’s different. That stuff reduces our expenditures. It spares the taxpayer.’
‘Likewise,’ Reacher said. ‘I’d be on food stamps otherwise.’
Quintessential Reacher:
They gave themselves three minutes to prepare. Reacher didn’t need them. He hadn’t unpacked. His toothbrush was still in his pocket. He was good to go.
Glock 19, a smaller version of the Glock 17, suitable for smaller hands
Full size image
Bad guys' Colt Sub-machine guns
Full size image
Notes:
10.0% "Good pacing as usual, but also excessive detail as usual. Lots of skimming."
20.0% "... why does Child excessively repeat the obvious? Answer: to pad out the book length for a higher selling price. It's a double insult, really"
35.0% "... this is 2011 and they're all still using paper maps."
40.0% ".... one of the best things about Child's books are the smart, strong female characters. Every book. Kudos Mr. Child."
64.0% "... this is really fun and clever. Some great mild humour. Fast paced and complex."
75.0% ".... Warning: You need a four-wheel-drive land cruiser just to drive through all the outrageous plot holes in this. We've ventured into the land of "silly" now."
76.0% "... omg actual use of smartphones."
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book. Thank you.
First 3/4 of the book is great ride, but with the usual occasional lapses into excessive detail; Child's worst flaw. I was wary about starting this book due to the blurb, and some unenthusiastic reviews here. However, the plot is clever with unexpected twists and turns, and so many liars! Almost everyone! But that only makes the ride more fun.
Unfortunately, for the last 1/4 of the book you need a four-wheel-drive land cruiser just to get through all the outrageous plot holes. We ventured into the land of "silly". Sighs. Ah well. The climax scenes are a bit technical and overwritten, with one surprise.
This would have been 4.5 stars if not for the silly plotting at the end.
-
Some fun quotes and my usual smattering of pictures:
The single most startling line in the book:
Reacher said, ‘Can you do Google Maps?’
Lots of Crown Vics in this book!
Full size image
Did you ever notice how many "pink-faced men" are in Reacher books? A lot!
The name on the ID was Lester L. Lester, Jr. The photograph showed the guy’s face below neatly combed hair and above a neatly rolled button-down collar...
Mitchell asked, ‘Is your middle name Lester too?’
The man called Lester looked at him. He said, ‘As a matter of fact it is.’
‘Outstanding,’ Mitchell said.
McQueen's gun, Smith & Wesson 2213
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Reacher and Sorenson talk about him taking bad guys' money etc
'Federal agencies seize property all the time, right? You find coke in some guy’s glove box, it’s goodbye BMW. Same with houses and boats.’
‘That’s different. That stuff reduces our expenditures. It spares the taxpayer.’
‘Likewise,’ Reacher said. ‘I’d be on food stamps otherwise.’
Quintessential Reacher:
They gave themselves three minutes to prepare. Reacher didn’t need them. He hadn’t unpacked. His toothbrush was still in his pocket. He was good to go.
Glock 19, a smaller version of the Glock 17, suitable for smaller hands
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Bad guys' Colt Sub-machine guns
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Notes:
10.0% "Good pacing as usual, but also excessive detail as usual. Lots of skimming."
20.0% "... why does Child excessively repeat the obvious? Answer: to pad out the book length for a higher selling price. It's a double insult, really"
35.0% "... this is 2011 and they're all still using paper maps."
40.0% ".... one of the best things about Child's books are the smart, strong female characters. Every book. Kudos Mr. Child."
64.0% "... this is really fun and clever. Some great mild humour. Fast paced and complex."
75.0% ".... Warning: You need a four-wheel-drive land cruiser just to drive through all the outrageous plot holes in this. We've ventured into the land of "silly" now."
76.0% "... omg actual use of smartphones."
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