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Jack Reacher #21
Night School
It’s 1996, and Reacher is still in the army. In the morning they give him a medal, and in the afternoon they send him back to school. That night he’s off the grid. Out of sight, out of mind.
Two other men are in the classroom—an FBI agent and a CIA analyst. Each is a first-rate operator, each is fresh off a big win, and each is wondering what the hell they are doing there.
Then they find out: A Jihadist sleeper cell in Hamburg, Germany, has received an unexpected visitor—a Saudi courier, seeking safe haven while waiting to rendezvous with persons unknown. A CIA asset, undercover inside the cell, has overheard the courier whisper a chilling message: “The American wants a hundred million dollars.”
For what? And who from? Reacher and his two new friends are told to find the American. Reacher recruits the best soldier he has ever worked with: Sergeant Frances Neagley. Their mission heats up in more ways than one, while always keeping their eyes on the prize: If they don’t get their man, the world will suffer an epic act of terrorism.
From Langley to Hamburg, Jalalabad to Kiev, Night School moves like a bullet through a treacherous landscape of double crosses, faked identities, and new and terrible enemies, as Reacher maneuvers inside the game and outside the law.
Listening Length: 13 hours and 7 minutes
Two other men are in the classroom—an FBI agent and a CIA analyst. Each is a first-rate operator, each is fresh off a big win, and each is wondering what the hell they are doing there.
Then they find out: A Jihadist sleeper cell in Hamburg, Germany, has received an unexpected visitor—a Saudi courier, seeking safe haven while waiting to rendezvous with persons unknown. A CIA asset, undercover inside the cell, has overheard the courier whisper a chilling message: “The American wants a hundred million dollars.”
For what? And who from? Reacher and his two new friends are told to find the American. Reacher recruits the best soldier he has ever worked with: Sergeant Frances Neagley. Their mission heats up in more ways than one, while always keeping their eyes on the prize: If they don’t get their man, the world will suffer an epic act of terrorism.
From Langley to Hamburg, Jalalabad to Kiev, Night School moves like a bullet through a treacherous landscape of double crosses, faked identities, and new and terrible enemies, as Reacher maneuvers inside the game and outside the law.
Listening Length: 13 hours and 7 minutes
Audio CD
First published November 7, 2016
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About the author
Lee Child
449 books33.9k 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 - 29 of 4,714 reviews
November 29, 2016
The twenty-first entry in the Jack Reacher series is another flashback to an adventure that occurred while Reacher was still in the army. The year is 1996; Reacher is only thirty-five years old, and he's fresh off a very successful mission for which he has been awarded a medal. But immediately after the ceremony, he's issued new orders to attend a night school course--hardly the reward he was expecting after a job well done. He's now effectively off the rest of the Army's radar, at least for the time being.
Reacher arrives at the facility where the course is supposed to take place only to find two other "students," one from the CIA and the other from the FBI. They too have just come off successful missions and are wondering why they've been consigned to a duty like this. But the three are soon joined by a pair of very senior government officials who explain that they are not actually going back to school. Rather, they've been delegated to work on a very secret mission of extreme urgency.
All anyone seems to know at the moment is that a group of jihadists, with a cell in Hamburg, Germany, has offered to spent one hundred million dollars for something that an American proposes to sell to them. No one has any idea who the American is or what he could possibly have that would be worth that much money. But whatever it might be, if the jihadists want it that badly, the exchange has to be very bad news for the United States and probably for the rest of the western world as well.
Reacher will recruit his old compatriot, Sergeant Frances Neagley, to work with the team and Reacher and Neagley will spend most of their time in Hamburg, attempting to unravel the mysteries surrounding this transaction. Unlike most of the Reacher novels, Reacher is obviously now back in uniform. He's part of a huge institution and, while fans of the series are used to watching Reacher act as a solitary individual, basically making up his own rules as he goes along, here he is compelled to work as a member of a team. Naturally, though, he will do so in a style that is uniquely his own and that will still enable him to beat the crap out of a lot of bad guys along the way.
This is an okay book, but it's not among the better ones in the series. In part this is because of the constraints that the plot places upon Reacher and also because the book has a tendency to bog down in places as Reacher, Neagley and the rest of the team race around Hamburg pursuing a lot of leads that will prove fruitless before they finally get on the right track. Fans of the series will certainly want to read it, but more casual fans of crime fiction who just occasionally check in on Jack Reacher might want to look for one of the other books in the series.
Reacher arrives at the facility where the course is supposed to take place only to find two other "students," one from the CIA and the other from the FBI. They too have just come off successful missions and are wondering why they've been consigned to a duty like this. But the three are soon joined by a pair of very senior government officials who explain that they are not actually going back to school. Rather, they've been delegated to work on a very secret mission of extreme urgency.
All anyone seems to know at the moment is that a group of jihadists, with a cell in Hamburg, Germany, has offered to spent one hundred million dollars for something that an American proposes to sell to them. No one has any idea who the American is or what he could possibly have that would be worth that much money. But whatever it might be, if the jihadists want it that badly, the exchange has to be very bad news for the United States and probably for the rest of the western world as well.
Reacher will recruit his old compatriot, Sergeant Frances Neagley, to work with the team and Reacher and Neagley will spend most of their time in Hamburg, attempting to unravel the mysteries surrounding this transaction. Unlike most of the Reacher novels, Reacher is obviously now back in uniform. He's part of a huge institution and, while fans of the series are used to watching Reacher act as a solitary individual, basically making up his own rules as he goes along, here he is compelled to work as a member of a team. Naturally, though, he will do so in a style that is uniquely his own and that will still enable him to beat the crap out of a lot of bad guys along the way.
This is an okay book, but it's not among the better ones in the series. In part this is because of the constraints that the plot places upon Reacher and also because the book has a tendency to bog down in places as Reacher, Neagley and the rest of the team race around Hamburg pursuing a lot of leads that will prove fruitless before they finally get on the right track. Fans of the series will certainly want to read it, but more casual fans of crime fiction who just occasionally check in on Jack Reacher might want to look for one of the other books in the series.
December 7, 2016
I'll say 3.75 stars, rounded up...
In penning another of his 'flashback' Reacher novels, Child stirs the pot and leaves series fans divided. Taking the story back to 1997, Reacher still works for the Military Police and is summoned to attend some additional training in the form of an evening class. The course outline is vague and Reacher is sworn to secrecy, but he has nothing to lose, showing up to a classroom where representatives of the CIA and FBI await him. The class is a cover to instil inter-agency cooperation on a pending threat that has come out of Germany. A collection of Muslims from various countries, on both sides of the Shia-Shi'ite divide, are living together and talking about a vague event. An Iranian double agent is reporting that the group has been dealing with an American who is willing to sell them something for upwards of $100 million. With no idea as to who the mystery American might be or what he has to offer for such a large sum of money, Reacher is sent to the region to investigate. While liaising with German officials, Reacher learns that the American might be part of the US Military, based on some information that witnesses have garnered. However, others offer information that leads Reacher to wonder if this could be one of the handful of men who went AWOL over the past while. Working on this premise, Reacher uses his systematic thinking that has made him so popular in twenty previous novels and loosely connects the American and the larger plot to events from the Cold War era. The item worth so much could be something that might ignite a new and highly dangerous war, though Reacher is determined not to let that happen. As Reacher races to locate the perpetrator, he must flex his muscle and seduce yet another woman, keys to the recipe of any Jack Reacher thriller, while also ensuring that there is some degree of finality, knowing full well that the world does not end in 1997. What could Reacher have discovered in the years leading up to America's supposed 'War on Terror'? An interesting throwback novel that has some fans bemoaning the end of Lee Child's success as a bestselling author while others applaud this ingenious spin.
It was just the other day that I was discussing the idea of long book series with a protagonist that has an 'active' (read: fighting) tendency. How long can a series go on before the body gives out and it becomes somewhat unbelievable. Scot Harvath and Mitch Rapp seem to be able to do it, though the likes of Jason Bourne may have to hang up his shoes soon (this is likely because of an inferior author guiding him through adventures now). When it comes to Jack Reacher, the same might be said, though Lee Child has taken an interesting spin on things, by penning throwback or 'flashback' novels to help the series grow while not taxing the protagonist any further from where he ended during the last present-based novel. Many series fans don't like this, as Reacher is best known for his renegade and vigilante behaviour, which is lost when he still dons the Army uniform. That said, he remains crisp and uses his analytical mind to decipher the most obscure clues. In this novel, the younger Reacher is his sarcastic self, surrounded by an always-new (and somewhat unique) collection of supporting characters. Pulling time-sensitive plots, Child is able to discuss Muslim terrorism in its kernel stage, before it was used by every thriller writer and flogged to the point of becoming less than intriguing. I will agree, somewhat, that the law-abiding Reacher, one serving his country, is not as exciting as the current incarnation of this character, though this novel way by no means a waste. As with any Reacher novel, there has to be that lovely lady that Reacher is able to seduce and a group of men who are begging to have the snot beaten out of them by the calm protagonist. Child is always happy to offer social commentary pulling on various aspects of America's ongoing need to be involved in wars of all types and the apparent disregard for technological protection from one era to another. If I were to say anything else, I might spill the proverbial beans, so I will encourage readers to give this novel a change and look at the silver lining; Lee Child has not signed off on letting Tom Cruise ruin a handful of other Jack Reacher stories in the years to come.
Kudos, Mr. Child for this refreshing look at the early Jack Reacher, before the chip on his shoulder became the cross he had to bear.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
In penning another of his 'flashback' Reacher novels, Child stirs the pot and leaves series fans divided. Taking the story back to 1997, Reacher still works for the Military Police and is summoned to attend some additional training in the form of an evening class. The course outline is vague and Reacher is sworn to secrecy, but he has nothing to lose, showing up to a classroom where representatives of the CIA and FBI await him. The class is a cover to instil inter-agency cooperation on a pending threat that has come out of Germany. A collection of Muslims from various countries, on both sides of the Shia-Shi'ite divide, are living together and talking about a vague event. An Iranian double agent is reporting that the group has been dealing with an American who is willing to sell them something for upwards of $100 million. With no idea as to who the mystery American might be or what he has to offer for such a large sum of money, Reacher is sent to the region to investigate. While liaising with German officials, Reacher learns that the American might be part of the US Military, based on some information that witnesses have garnered. However, others offer information that leads Reacher to wonder if this could be one of the handful of men who went AWOL over the past while. Working on this premise, Reacher uses his systematic thinking that has made him so popular in twenty previous novels and loosely connects the American and the larger plot to events from the Cold War era. The item worth so much could be something that might ignite a new and highly dangerous war, though Reacher is determined not to let that happen. As Reacher races to locate the perpetrator, he must flex his muscle and seduce yet another woman, keys to the recipe of any Jack Reacher thriller, while also ensuring that there is some degree of finality, knowing full well that the world does not end in 1997. What could Reacher have discovered in the years leading up to America's supposed 'War on Terror'? An interesting throwback novel that has some fans bemoaning the end of Lee Child's success as a bestselling author while others applaud this ingenious spin.
It was just the other day that I was discussing the idea of long book series with a protagonist that has an 'active' (read: fighting) tendency. How long can a series go on before the body gives out and it becomes somewhat unbelievable. Scot Harvath and Mitch Rapp seem to be able to do it, though the likes of Jason Bourne may have to hang up his shoes soon (this is likely because of an inferior author guiding him through adventures now). When it comes to Jack Reacher, the same might be said, though Lee Child has taken an interesting spin on things, by penning throwback or 'flashback' novels to help the series grow while not taxing the protagonist any further from where he ended during the last present-based novel. Many series fans don't like this, as Reacher is best known for his renegade and vigilante behaviour, which is lost when he still dons the Army uniform. That said, he remains crisp and uses his analytical mind to decipher the most obscure clues. In this novel, the younger Reacher is his sarcastic self, surrounded by an always-new (and somewhat unique) collection of supporting characters. Pulling time-sensitive plots, Child is able to discuss Muslim terrorism in its kernel stage, before it was used by every thriller writer and flogged to the point of becoming less than intriguing. I will agree, somewhat, that the law-abiding Reacher, one serving his country, is not as exciting as the current incarnation of this character, though this novel way by no means a waste. As with any Reacher novel, there has to be that lovely lady that Reacher is able to seduce and a group of men who are begging to have the snot beaten out of them by the calm protagonist. Child is always happy to offer social commentary pulling on various aspects of America's ongoing need to be involved in wars of all types and the apparent disregard for technological protection from one era to another. If I were to say anything else, I might spill the proverbial beans, so I will encourage readers to give this novel a change and look at the silver lining; Lee Child has not signed off on letting Tom Cruise ruin a handful of other Jack Reacher stories in the years to come.
Kudos, Mr. Child for this refreshing look at the early Jack Reacher, before the chip on his shoulder became the cross he had to bear.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
November 13, 2016
Lee Child sure writes great books. And Jack Reacher is a great character. I'm a big fan. Although I've read these books in publication order, I'm not sure it's necessary.
With this book, Child goes back to 1996, three years after a bomb went off in the parking garage below a very tall building in New York City. Reacher is Major Reacher, an MP in the U.S. Army. He and two other men from other U.S. government agencies are sent to Night School. I love that Child can write about various periods of Reacher's life, and not be chronologically correct.
No spoilers here. A clandestine someone just learned that The American is asking 100 million U.S. dollars for something. That's the spark, but who's involved and what's for sale that's worth that price? Thus starts the cat-and-mouse game to figure it out.
My husband and son are big into military history, especially World War II, and this book gave me an opportunity to discuss that with them and to question them. My son even Googled and showed me pictures. I love that Child took an actual "thing" and wrapped a fictional story around it. Well, I'm assuming it was mostly fictional.
In one previous book, I thought Child used too many short, choppy sentences. In this one, he got it right. It's like fast thinking or understanding who you're talking with without them saying very many words. It helps pick up the pace. At times, there is humorous dialogue and other times Child writes a humorous observation. I love that, and I have to read it to my husband because I've laughed out loud.
I’m sure all Reacher Creatures will like this one!
With this book, Child goes back to 1996, three years after a bomb went off in the parking garage below a very tall building in New York City. Reacher is Major Reacher, an MP in the U.S. Army. He and two other men from other U.S. government agencies are sent to Night School. I love that Child can write about various periods of Reacher's life, and not be chronologically correct.
No spoilers here. A clandestine someone just learned that The American is asking 100 million U.S. dollars for something. That's the spark, but who's involved and what's for sale that's worth that price? Thus starts the cat-and-mouse game to figure it out.
My husband and son are big into military history, especially World War II, and this book gave me an opportunity to discuss that with them and to question them. My son even Googled and showed me pictures. I love that Child took an actual "thing" and wrapped a fictional story around it. Well, I'm assuming it was mostly fictional.
In one previous book, I thought Child used too many short, choppy sentences. In this one, he got it right. It's like fast thinking or understanding who you're talking with without them saying very many words. It helps pick up the pace. At times, there is humorous dialogue and other times Child writes a humorous observation. I love that, and I have to read it to my husband because I've laughed out loud.
I’m sure all Reacher Creatures will like this one!
December 4, 2016
In this prequel, set in the mid nineties, Reacher is still in the Army. He’s a major in the military police and has been drafted into an emergency task force. Intelligence services in Europe have heard something: ‘The American wants a hundred million dollars’. Nobody knows who The American is or what could cost such an exorbitant price, but it’s assumed to be bad news, very bad news.
For fans of this series there will be few surprises in the set-up, the cast is small enough to allow readers to become familiar with all the significant players, the geographic area is well defined and all the standard Reacher traits are on display. We see the story unfold, in the course of a few days, from the point of view of the chasers and the chased. And it’s an interesting enough story with a degree of mystery held back until close to the end. That’s all the good news.
The not so good news is that it’s a bit slow, a bit plodding. The whole thing lacks the raw tension of the best books in this series. I also found the dénouement itself be be rather anticlimactic. Finally, I listened to this book on audio, read by the normally reliable Jeff Harding, and felt that his portrayal of Reacher (his lines read in a slow, flat monotone) somehow contrived to draw all life out of the character. Having listened to a couple of books from this series I’m now firmly of the opinion that they are better left to the printed page.
There’s also a strange element here I haven’t noticed before, in that Child displays a penchant for describing something that didn’t happen and he did this quite frequently. I lost count of the times he stated ‘Reacher said nothing’ and some other characters also said nothing. Also a phone didn’t ring. I’m not sure what this was meant to add but in the end I just found it quite irritating.
All in all, I think it’s pretty average fare. It may just be because I’ve been tiring of the format for some time but I was actually quite glad when this one drew to a close. Will I be back? Well I’m afraid the jury’s out on that one.
For fans of this series there will be few surprises in the set-up, the cast is small enough to allow readers to become familiar with all the significant players, the geographic area is well defined and all the standard Reacher traits are on display. We see the story unfold, in the course of a few days, from the point of view of the chasers and the chased. And it’s an interesting enough story with a degree of mystery held back until close to the end. That’s all the good news.
The not so good news is that it’s a bit slow, a bit plodding. The whole thing lacks the raw tension of the best books in this series. I also found the dénouement itself be be rather anticlimactic. Finally, I listened to this book on audio, read by the normally reliable Jeff Harding, and felt that his portrayal of Reacher (his lines read in a slow, flat monotone) somehow contrived to draw all life out of the character. Having listened to a couple of books from this series I’m now firmly of the opinion that they are better left to the printed page.
There’s also a strange element here I haven’t noticed before, in that Child displays a penchant for describing something that didn’t happen and he did this quite frequently. I lost count of the times he stated ‘Reacher said nothing’ and some other characters also said nothing. Also a phone didn’t ring. I’m not sure what this was meant to add but in the end I just found it quite irritating.
All in all, I think it’s pretty average fare. It may just be because I’ve been tiring of the format for some time but I was actually quite glad when this one drew to a close. Will I be back? Well I’m afraid the jury’s out on that one.
Read
July 14, 2016I've been following Lee Child's books from the start, and they are always enjoyable, as well as being competent, readable and well-crafted; but recently I've started to feel as if this particular goldmine has been mostly exhausted. I totally see what the author has been trying to do in the past two or three books- to create different scenarios - but I'm not sure the best way of doing this is to go back into Reacher's past. A man is the sum of his life's experience, and the younger Reacher seems suspiciously identical to the post-Army Reacher: still as laconic, as cool, as vaguely insubordinate, as irresistible to women as ever. He ticks all the boxes, of course, and many readers will like that. But I would have liked to see a different, less self-assured Reacher: something to indicate how he has changed since those earlier Army days. Instead I found myself forgetting for long periods of time that this was an Army story. The re-introduction of Neagley was a welcome addition: but as for the new love interest, she seemed so insubstantial as to be almost a caricature. Not the author's fault, I suspect - this is now too strong a franchise for him to venture too far from the formula - but I'd love to see what Lee Child could achieve if separated from Reacher. A book about Neagley? I'd read that. And yes, perhaps it's time...
November 14, 2016
DNF at 77%
I know! 77% is too late to give up, but I had to. I couldn't care to read anymore. It wasn't interesting a bit. The reason I got to 77% was because, Lee Child's writing is very smooth with short and clear sentences, the dialogues are sometimes witty, the descriptions are sometimes interesting, but this particular book had nothing else.
Let me first start first with why you shouldn't read this book:
1. No clear stakes: Well, the conflict is as good as the villain, and in this story, believe me, the biggest villain is circumstance, bureaucracy and conflict of national interests. In a different kind of book these obstacles may be valid, even interesting, but not in Jack Reacher story. As repeated readers know, he need people or group of people to outwit and out-punch, here there are none. Also, we don't know much about main antagonist's plan to hate him with all the fury, I mean, he does bad things but it's within the acceptable limit of bad guys. In other words he isn't shockingly evil, not someone who must receive Jack Reacher's 'one punch' of death instead of regular punishment.
2. Page filler description of mundane: I hate it when there's too much of it. We don't need to know every step of Reacher doing breakfast, it's not an flowchart or an operation manual. I believe it was done to compensate for lack of story and fill the required number of pages.
3. Forced Sex Scene: I know, I thought this can only happen in B-Movies, but nope, Lee Child wants to make sure that the protagonist get some ;) I also noticed that Lee Child took his sweet time describing the act, which is new because earlier he was like 'they did it'. Now it's like one and half page of softcore erotica(He doesn't go full explicit like say Sidney Sheldon)
4. Arrogantly oversmart This may be just me, but while I like intelligent characters, Jack Reacher is predictably oversmart i.e you know he will figure out things by himself while everyone else will act like dumbfucks doing what they are told. At no point of time it feels like Reacher is wrong or struggling to get the right idea. And on top of that his confidence seems more like arrogance than something supported by logic.
5. Chest thumping nationalism I have the feeling that this book was written with American(USA) readers in mind as there are many instances of American rubbing in Germany's defeat in WW and belittling them . I am neither from Germany nor USA but I still feel it wasn't on comfortable side of nationalism.
Now, if you have read this much, I'll tell you why you should read this book:
You are a Jack Reacher fan, love quick and easy time killers. That's all.
In summary, it isn't a difficult book to read. It's just not interesting enough with weak conflict and page filler non-story related stuff. As a Jack Reacher fan, you may skip this one and try his next.
I know! 77% is too late to give up, but I had to. I couldn't care to read anymore. It wasn't interesting a bit. The reason I got to 77% was because, Lee Child's writing is very smooth with short and clear sentences, the dialogues are sometimes witty, the descriptions are sometimes interesting, but this particular book had nothing else.
Let me first start first with why you shouldn't read this book:
1. No clear stakes: Well, the conflict is as good as the villain, and in this story, believe me, the biggest villain is circumstance, bureaucracy and conflict of national interests. In a different kind of book these obstacles may be valid, even interesting, but not in Jack Reacher story. As repeated readers know, he need people or group of people to outwit and out-punch, here there are none. Also, we don't know much about main antagonist's plan to hate him with all the fury, I mean, he does bad things but it's within the acceptable limit of bad guys. In other words he isn't shockingly evil, not someone who must receive Jack Reacher's 'one punch' of death instead of regular punishment.
2. Page filler description of mundane: I hate it when there's too much of it. We don't need to know every step of Reacher doing breakfast, it's not an flowchart or an operation manual. I believe it was done to compensate for lack of story and fill the required number of pages.
3. Forced Sex Scene: I know, I thought this can only happen in B-Movies, but nope, Lee Child wants to make sure that the protagonist get some ;) I also noticed that Lee Child took his sweet time describing the act, which is new because earlier he was like 'they did it'. Now it's like one and half page of softcore erotica(He doesn't go full explicit like say Sidney Sheldon)
4. Arrogantly oversmart This may be just me, but while I like intelligent characters, Jack Reacher is predictably oversmart i.e you know he will figure out things by himself while everyone else will act like dumbfucks doing what they are told. At no point of time it feels like Reacher is wrong or struggling to get the right idea. And on top of that his confidence seems more like arrogance than something supported by logic.
5. Chest thumping nationalism I have the feeling that this book was written with American(USA) readers in mind as there are many instances of American rubbing in Germany's defeat in WW and belittling them . I am neither from Germany nor USA but I still feel it wasn't on comfortable side of nationalism.
Now, if you have read this much, I'll tell you why you should read this book:
You are a Jack Reacher fan, love quick and easy time killers. That's all.
In summary, it isn't a difficult book to read. It's just not interesting enough with weak conflict and page filler non-story related stuff. As a Jack Reacher fan, you may skip this one and try his next.
November 25, 2016
3.5★s
After receiving a medal in the morning, Major Jack Reacher along with two others, FBI and CIA, were buried deeply in a highly secure establishment they called Night School. But it wasn’t a school. 1996 and the hierarchy had heard something big was going down. The message that had been overheard; “the American wants a hundred million dollars” was chilling – they needed to discover what could possibly have enough value to warrant that figure…
Sergeant Frances Neagley joined the team, and before long she and Reacher were in Hamburg trying to track clues. One step forward, two steps back – their frustration was mounting. Could they find the messenger? Or would they find the American first? Mistakes were made – what would be the outcome?
Night School by Lee Child didn’t feel to me to be in the same league as previous Reacher novels. The pace seemed slow, and I wasn’t riveted – in fact I didn’t have any problem putting it down. The sentences were short and choppy and there was a lot of repetition. I think maybe it was too military for me and a long way from where the author usually bases his Reacher novels. But I’ll still be reading the next Reacher novel, and I still recommend this one to fans of the thriller genre (and Jack Reacher of course!)
After receiving a medal in the morning, Major Jack Reacher along with two others, FBI and CIA, were buried deeply in a highly secure establishment they called Night School. But it wasn’t a school. 1996 and the hierarchy had heard something big was going down. The message that had been overheard; “the American wants a hundred million dollars” was chilling – they needed to discover what could possibly have enough value to warrant that figure…
Sergeant Frances Neagley joined the team, and before long she and Reacher were in Hamburg trying to track clues. One step forward, two steps back – their frustration was mounting. Could they find the messenger? Or would they find the American first? Mistakes were made – what would be the outcome?
Night School by Lee Child didn’t feel to me to be in the same league as previous Reacher novels. The pace seemed slow, and I wasn’t riveted – in fact I didn’t have any problem putting it down. The sentences were short and choppy and there was a lot of repetition. I think maybe it was too military for me and a long way from where the author usually bases his Reacher novels. But I’ll still be reading the next Reacher novel, and I still recommend this one to fans of the thriller genre (and Jack Reacher of course!)
January 3, 2017
Something different from the norm for this series as Lee Child takes Reacher back into his past and back into uniform. I liked it especially as we see a different side of Jack as well - more brain and a bit less brawn than usual!
Of course he still single handedly takes on half a dozen men at a time and comes out not even breathing heavily. Where would we be if he could not do that? However he also has to spend a lot of time planning, strategizing and outguessing the enemy and he does it well.
Nice too to spend time again with the younger Jack Reacher. He seemed to be in a very good place at 35, calm, confident and with a good support base of close friends to call on. Of course he also scores a relationship with a beautiful woman which ends as usual with the book.
Not as action packed or fast paced as his usual novels but still very readable and a refreshing change:)
Of course he still single handedly takes on half a dozen men at a time and comes out not even breathing heavily. Where would we be if he could not do that? However he also has to spend a lot of time planning, strategizing and outguessing the enemy and he does it well.
Nice too to spend time again with the younger Jack Reacher. He seemed to be in a very good place at 35, calm, confident and with a good support base of close friends to call on. Of course he also scores a relationship with a beautiful woman which ends as usual with the book.
Not as action packed or fast paced as his usual novels but still very readable and a refreshing change:)
February 14, 2018
My rating: 4.4/5
Night School has everything that you would expect from a Jack Reacher novel. It was fun and fast. It was stylish and.... simple(?) who knows?!
But It was really good. I actually liked this one better than most of the other Jack reacher novels. This one has more simple story but at the same time it's entertaining. I started it and after some pages.. that's it. The novel ended. Blimey!
Night School has everything that you would expect from a Jack Reacher novel. It was fun and fast. It was stylish and.... simple(?) who knows?!
But It was really good. I actually liked this one better than most of the other Jack reacher novels. This one has more simple story but at the same time it's entertaining. I started it and after some pages.. that's it. The novel ended. Blimey!
September 7, 2024
I will never think of Davy Crockett in the same light again.
Confused right now, chronologically I'm following the number sequence, but we have Reacher in the 90's while still serving. He's working in Germany in search of some dangerous stuff, 100 million dollars has come up on the radar as being received by an unknown American operative.
He's fresh off a successful mission, has been summonsed to a classroom to attend a class, with two similarly highly skilled operatives. One from the FBI, and the other CIA. Not what any of them were expecting.
Neagley is here (isn't she great) and the other female agent, Sinclair, which Reacher naturally has a dalliance with, observes that Neagley is wildly attracted to him. He did not have much to say when faced with this.
Some parts were bogged down in details that were not all that exciting, I found myself mostly enjoying Reacher working out who this mysterious American was. His analytical mind was at the fore as always, and having Neagley and Orozco back in the fold was great too.
I realise now this is a kind of flashback, to maintain the excitement in a long series. My rating would be 3.5-4, I didn't love it as much as others.
Jeff Harding narrator is absolutely the gun as always, this time capturing German and middle eastern accents beautifully. There's so much terrorism and cultural references here, I wonder if some are offended, I'm not. But I will mention there are references to sex with animals. I did not expect that!
I listened to this via the BorrowBox app and my public library as always. Fab service.
Confused right now, chronologically I'm following the number sequence, but we have Reacher in the 90's while still serving. He's working in Germany in search of some dangerous stuff, 100 million dollars has come up on the radar as being received by an unknown American operative.
He's fresh off a successful mission, has been summonsed to a classroom to attend a class, with two similarly highly skilled operatives. One from the FBI, and the other CIA. Not what any of them were expecting.
Neagley is here (isn't she great) and the other female agent, Sinclair, which Reacher naturally has a dalliance with, observes that Neagley is wildly attracted to him. He did not have much to say when faced with this.
Some parts were bogged down in details that were not all that exciting, I found myself mostly enjoying Reacher working out who this mysterious American was. His analytical mind was at the fore as always, and having Neagley and Orozco back in the fold was great too.
I realise now this is a kind of flashback, to maintain the excitement in a long series. My rating would be 3.5-4, I didn't love it as much as others.
Jeff Harding narrator is absolutely the gun as always, this time capturing German and middle eastern accents beautifully. There's so much terrorism and cultural references here, I wonder if some are offended, I'm not. But I will mention there are references to sex with animals. I did not expect that!
I listened to this via the BorrowBox app and my public library as always. Fab service.
January 12, 2020
This story starts with lots of baseball metaphors and justifiably strikes out. This is one of the most tortuous, xenophobic, clumsy, 3rd Reich inspiring, unappealing Jack Reacher stories I've come across. Could it be that Lee Child has lost it? Based on some of the past readings, it seems the answer is yes. 1 of 10 stars!
February 2, 2021
Book 21 in the Jack Reacher series published 2016.
4 entertaining stars
What can you say? ‘this is Jack Reacher’ what you see is what you get.
Much to my surprise this was not the continuing saga of the worlds most introverted bass ass/nice guy. This is yet another prequel concerning Jack’s life as a MP in the US army.
Not that that was a problem it’s still Jack Reacher and its still bloody good entertainment.
The story starts with three men, all from law enforcement, but all from very different fields of endeavor. They thought that they were going to night school to learn interdepartmental knowledge sharing. But the real agenda was to save the world from an unknown catastrophic event. The powers that be knew something major was about to happen but what and when was not clear. This is where our night school students enter the story. These three men had to find out the what and the when and once that information was found make sure, what ever it was, didn’t happen.
Jack and his partner in crime, Sgt Neagley, are sent off to Hamburg, where, it seems, all the bad stuff was happening. As our Jack is a bit of a magnate for trouble it doesn’t take him long before he has to teach a few Neo Nazis German youths a lesson in respect, just to give the reader that feeling of familiarity.
But this is not a story of all brawn and no brain. On this occasion Jack has to bring his analytical game to the fore, which made for a nice change.
The burning question is ‘does the world survive this cataclysm’?
Well the answer to that dear reader you will find in the book.
A thoroughly entertaining read.
4 entertaining stars
What can you say? ‘this is Jack Reacher’ what you see is what you get.
Much to my surprise this was not the continuing saga of the worlds most introverted bass ass/nice guy. This is yet another prequel concerning Jack’s life as a MP in the US army.
Not that that was a problem it’s still Jack Reacher and its still bloody good entertainment.
The story starts with three men, all from law enforcement, but all from very different fields of endeavor. They thought that they were going to night school to learn interdepartmental knowledge sharing. But the real agenda was to save the world from an unknown catastrophic event. The powers that be knew something major was about to happen but what and when was not clear. This is where our night school students enter the story. These three men had to find out the what and the when and once that information was found make sure, what ever it was, didn’t happen.
Jack and his partner in crime, Sgt Neagley, are sent off to Hamburg, where, it seems, all the bad stuff was happening. As our Jack is a bit of a magnate for trouble it doesn’t take him long before he has to teach a few Neo Nazis German youths a lesson in respect, just to give the reader that feeling of familiarity.
But this is not a story of all brawn and no brain. On this occasion Jack has to bring his analytical game to the fore, which made for a nice change.
The burning question is ‘does the world survive this cataclysm’?
Well the answer to that dear reader you will find in the book.
A thoroughly entertaining read.
August 8, 2016
For his 20th book, Lee Child takes us back to 1996 when Reacher was a major in the U.S. Army. After receiving a medal, Reacher is hustled off to a "training school" which translates into being lost in the system. There is a suspected crisis and the National Security County (NCS) is forming a team of the Army, FBI and CIA to combat it. This is pre- Internet days when about 10% of the population used it. It is amazing how we were able to function.
Reacher brings his sergeant and flies to Hamburg to assess the potential danger. He's just not good at sitting in a situation room discussing the problem to death. He wants the action. As they start to unwind the problem, they discover it's a bigger deal than they ever thought. He joins force with the German Chief of Detectives. Griezman, and starts untangling a very ugly problem. There is a strong right wing German group and Arabs and a planted confidential informant.
As the story breezes along , the pages go faster and faster as you just have to discover what's going to happen next. It's really one of the most entertaining Reacher books I have read in awhile. I love the scene where Reacher and his female sergeant take on a gang of Neo-Nazis. When the story is retold, the victims say Reacher had a back-up of 12 men.
So what didn't I like? This book depended so much on coincidences and things falling in Reacher's lap. Reacher was supposedly making educated guesses but really? There was just too much of things working out miraculously. The other is that I think Child wrote this with an eye to making a movie. It really sounded so much more like a movie script than a book. It puts my teeth on edge as I am still upset with Tom Cruise playing 6'5" 250 pound Reacher. Really?
Reacher brings his sergeant and flies to Hamburg to assess the potential danger. He's just not good at sitting in a situation room discussing the problem to death. He wants the action. As they start to unwind the problem, they discover it's a bigger deal than they ever thought. He joins force with the German Chief of Detectives. Griezman, and starts untangling a very ugly problem. There is a strong right wing German group and Arabs and a planted confidential informant.
As the story breezes along , the pages go faster and faster as you just have to discover what's going to happen next. It's really one of the most entertaining Reacher books I have read in awhile. I love the scene where Reacher and his female sergeant take on a gang of Neo-Nazis. When the story is retold, the victims say Reacher had a back-up of 12 men.
So what didn't I like? This book depended so much on coincidences and things falling in Reacher's lap. Reacher was supposedly making educated guesses but really? There was just too much of things working out miraculously. The other is that I think Child wrote this with an eye to making a movie. It really sounded so much more like a movie script than a book. It puts my teeth on edge as I am still upset with Tom Cruise playing 6'5" 250 pound Reacher. Really?
July 1, 2018
*3.5 stars. I needed a break from some pretty heavy reading and a new Jack Reacher story was just the ticket. The twenty-first book in the series takes the reader back to 1996. Jack has just been given a medal by the US Army for a job well done and is told that his next assignment will be to return to school for a course entitled 'Impact of Recent Forensic Innovation on Inter-Agency Cooperation.' Of course that is a smoke screen for an important top-secret mission involving the National Security Council, CIA and FBI...and fate of the world as we know it.
The men are told that there is a jihadist sleeper cell group operating in Hamburg, Germany, consisting of four men in their twenties--three Saudis and one Iranian--whose mission has been to embed themselves in the West and await instructions. The Iranian is a double agent and has alerted his American handler that they have had a visitor, a messenger who had come to rendezvous with an American, to receive an opening gambit in a sale. When the messenger returns to their apartment, he is excited by the message he has received and spills the beans--the American wants $100 million dollars for the item he wishes to sell.
It is the job of this elite team the NSC has put together, including Reacher and side-kick Neagley, to figure out who is this person and what is he selling? And of course try to stop him.
This thriller is an interesting police procedural with the usual Reacher story formula--beating up gangs of attackers nearly single-handedly, sleeping with the one beautiful woman involved in the case, using his remarkable instincts to pull a rabbit out his hat as far as clues go. Plenty of twists and turns keep the plot moving along nicely and delivers a satisfying ending.
Interesting quote from the ultimate 'bad guy' (considering the current political climate in America and Europe): "They want their country back. I'll make sure they get the country they deserve. Strong again. With purity of purpose. All pulling together in the same direction. No more dead wood. No more outside interference. Nothing of that kind will be tolerated. Germany will be for Germans."
My husband's usual review of these kinds of books is simple: "It was good! The good guys win; the bad guys lose." And so it goes...
The men are told that there is a jihadist sleeper cell group operating in Hamburg, Germany, consisting of four men in their twenties--three Saudis and one Iranian--whose mission has been to embed themselves in the West and await instructions. The Iranian is a double agent and has alerted his American handler that they have had a visitor, a messenger who had come to rendezvous with an American, to receive an opening gambit in a sale. When the messenger returns to their apartment, he is excited by the message he has received and spills the beans--the American wants $100 million dollars for the item he wishes to sell.
It is the job of this elite team the NSC has put together, including Reacher and side-kick Neagley, to figure out who is this person and what is he selling? And of course try to stop him.
This thriller is an interesting police procedural with the usual Reacher story formula--beating up gangs of attackers nearly single-handedly, sleeping with the one beautiful woman involved in the case, using his remarkable instincts to pull a rabbit out his hat as far as clues go. Plenty of twists and turns keep the plot moving along nicely and delivers a satisfying ending.
Interesting quote from the ultimate 'bad guy' (considering the current political climate in America and Europe): "They want their country back. I'll make sure they get the country they deserve. Strong again. With purity of purpose. All pulling together in the same direction. No more dead wood. No more outside interference. Nothing of that kind will be tolerated. Germany will be for Germans."
My husband's usual review of these kinds of books is simple: "It was good! The good guys win; the bad guys lose." And so it goes...
November 18, 2016
Night School is certainly one of the weakest and most poorly plotted of the usually enjoyable Jack Reacher series. Set in 1996, with most of the action taking place in Hamburg, it is a mediocre overseas police procedural with Reacher heading a small, secret team trying to track down an American who is about to be paid $100 million for something. The plot is full of implausibilities The book is marred by Child's unfamiliarity with the spy terrain: there are tons of implausible interagency things, a way too helpful CIA station chief, poorly rendered German (the intended "Yellow Farm" is given as the ungrammatical "Gelb Bauernhof"--exactly what looking up "yellow" and "farm" in a dictionary and sticking the words together would give you, innocent of any knowledge of German grammar, in particular adjectival endings--even Google translate does a little better job [though still ungrammatical]), and other infelicities: a German bartender in a neo-Nazi bar would pick up a phone to rat out the leader of the neo-Nazi movement to an American who gave him a few extra bucks the last couple of months? Ridiculous. Finally, like many monolingual spy writers, Child's foreign characters miraculously speak flawless idiomatic English, including cops. As good as educated Germans' English is, it's not this perfect. Also, someone please hire an editor who knows American English and can correct for Child's occasional British English: Reacher sometimes says things that sound fine in British English, but strike the American ear as not quite native, e.g., "I'd like to say we've got all day, but I'm not sure about that. Maybe we haven't." (p. 291, where an American would probably prefer "Maybe we don't.")
This one is a definite pass, sadly. Bring back the US-based, non-police-procedural, loner crime-solver and all-around tough guy intervener Reacher, and leave this hackeneyed, Army-embedded, saluting, out-of-his-element-in-a-foreign-land Reacher for the wannabe spy-thriller writers.
This one is a definite pass, sadly. Bring back the US-based, non-police-procedural, loner crime-solver and all-around tough guy intervener Reacher, and leave this hackeneyed, Army-embedded, saluting, out-of-his-element-in-a-foreign-land Reacher for the wannabe spy-thriller writers.
December 2, 2023
"Are you serious?" -- Manuel Orozco, U.S. Army 110th M.P. Special Investigations Unit
"As lung cancer." -- Jack Reacher, not f***king around
Child's Night School is one of those occasional diversions in the long-running Jack Reacher series, featuring the protagonist during his hitch in the U.S. Army - specifically, back in 1996 during his final year as a major in the military police - instead of his usual nationwide a-wanderin' beneath the clear blue sky. So immediately the storyline is a period piece - it's pre-9/11 and features a distinct lack of large-scale usages of cell-phones or the Internet (golly, remember THOSE days?) - and a realization sets in that the plot is basically just an extended chase or cat-and-mouse game, with Reacher and a handful of federal government operatives investigating probable terrorism activity in Germany involving an AWOL U.S. soldier and a wire transfer of $100 million. The 'MacGuffin' of the narrative is ultimately predictable - ever hear of the term 'empty quiver'? - but the slow-burn aspect of the investigation is handled well. However, there's a distinct lack of action and/or suspense (over 400 pages and Reacher is only in danger maybe twice) and the book's chosen title is blandly horrible.
"As lung cancer." -- Jack Reacher, not f***king around
Child's Night School is one of those occasional diversions in the long-running Jack Reacher series, featuring the protagonist during his hitch in the U.S. Army - specifically, back in 1996 during his final year as a major in the military police - instead of his usual nationwide a-wanderin' beneath the clear blue sky. So immediately the storyline is a period piece - it's pre-9/11 and features a distinct lack of large-scale usages of cell-phones or the Internet (golly, remember THOSE days?) - and a realization sets in that the plot is basically just an extended chase or cat-and-mouse game, with Reacher and a handful of federal government operatives investigating probable terrorism activity in Germany involving an AWOL U.S. soldier and a wire transfer of $100 million. The 'MacGuffin' of the narrative is ultimately predictable - ever hear of the term 'empty quiver'? - but the slow-burn aspect of the investigation is handled well. However, there's a distinct lack of action and/or suspense (over 400 pages and Reacher is only in danger maybe twice) and the book's chosen title is blandly horrible.
December 8, 2016
Jack Reacher is undeniably one of my top 5 fictional heroes (which is why I'm so unhappy about the movie casting, but I digress). Night School gives us a look into one of Reacher's Army service adventures, and is as awesome a book as always.
October 7, 2024
История за Джак Ричър, развиваща се през 1996 година в Германия.
Той е все така безупречен, любимец на жените и кошмар за лошите от всякакъв вид и калибър.
Нивото на писане на Чайлд е постоянно и вече очаквам следващите приключения на един от любимите ми съвременни супергерои. Все пак, това е най-слабата книга от поредицата за сега.
Той е все така безупречен, любимец на жените и кошмар за лошите от всякакъв вид и калибър.
Нивото на писане на Чайлд е постоянно и вече очаквам следващите приключения на един от любимите ми съвременни супергерои. Все пак, това е най-слабата книга от поредицата за сега.
![Profile Image for Terence M - [Quot libros, quam breve tempus!].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1712357414i%2F6658001._UY200_CR4%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
January 18, 2020
Audiobook - 11:12 Hours - Narrator: Jeff Harding
Re-listen - First heard in late 2016 and rated it 1Star dnf. (See original review below).
My second listening was on 18 January 2020. My rating is 3.0 of 5.0 Stars - "I Liked It"
"Night School" was definitely better than a "1Star dnf" rating, but not one of Reacher's best. It was still a bit of a struggle for me as I found the plot, storyline and dialogue all somewhat uninteresting and confusing, particularly in the first 50% to 65% of the audiobook.
Narration by Jeff Harding was very good with greater vocal clarity than the venerable Dick Hill. I persevered and in the end "Night School" was enjoyable enough and worth the re-listen.
This second listening was initiated by my GR friend Matt Pechey's challenge to my three consecutive "1Star, dnf" reviews of Jack Reacher novels #19, #20 and #21, all of which I listened to a second time, giving "4Star" ratings to #19 & #20, and this "3Star" rating to #21.
Thank you for the gentle nudges, Matt!
My first listening was on 25 November 2016. My rating was 1.0 of 5.0 Stars - I Did Not Like It
Dreadful book! I had hoped that after "Make Me", which was a dnf for me, Lee Child might have redeemed himself with "Night School", but no way. I have read every Reacher book, excluding the novellas, most of them several times over the past almost 20 years or whatever, except for the last two or three which were DNF's for me. My hopes centred around the fact that the negative comments for Make Me might have kick started Lee into producing a fully readable Reacher novel, plus the fact that Night School was written about the time Reacher was still in the Army which I thought was a positive factor but I simply could not finish it because I got so bored with the go-no-where dialogue and the lack of any identifiably exciting plot. I guessed that there was to be some major terrorism plus WMD involvement but I had to DNF before the story reached a point where I was still involved. Most disappointing.
Re-listen - First heard in late 2016 and rated it 1Star dnf. (See original review below).
My second listening was on 18 January 2020. My rating is 3.0 of 5.0 Stars - "I Liked It"
"Night School" was definitely better than a "1Star dnf" rating, but not one of Reacher's best. It was still a bit of a struggle for me as I found the plot, storyline and dialogue all somewhat uninteresting and confusing, particularly in the first 50% to 65% of the audiobook.
Narration by Jeff Harding was very good with greater vocal clarity than the venerable Dick Hill. I persevered and in the end "Night School" was enjoyable enough and worth the re-listen.
This second listening was initiated by my GR friend Matt Pechey's challenge to my three consecutive "1Star, dnf" reviews of Jack Reacher novels #19, #20 and #21, all of which I listened to a second time, giving "4Star" ratings to #19 & #20, and this "3Star" rating to #21.
Thank you for the gentle nudges, Matt!
My first listening was on 25 November 2016. My rating was 1.0 of 5.0 Stars - I Did Not Like It
Dreadful book! I had hoped that after "Make Me", which was a dnf for me, Lee Child might have redeemed himself with "Night School", but no way. I have read every Reacher book, excluding the novellas, most of them several times over the past almost 20 years or whatever, except for the last two or three which were DNF's for me. My hopes centred around the fact that the negative comments for Make Me might have kick started Lee into producing a fully readable Reacher novel, plus the fact that Night School was written about the time Reacher was still in the Army which I thought was a positive factor but I simply could not finish it because I got so bored with the go-no-where dialogue and the lack of any identifiably exciting plot. I guessed that there was to be some major terrorism plus WMD involvement but I had to DNF before the story reached a point where I was still involved. Most disappointing.
April 5, 2024
Book twenty-one in the Jack Reacher series, and I always rate these novels five stars. It saddens me to give this one a three.
I found this one a bore, which is very unusual as it's set when Jack was in active military service, and these ones are my favorites, but the actual storyline didn't grab me.
It was all desk work, no action. A snooze fest.
We all now know that Lee Child had itchy feet with this series. I wouldn't be surprised if this book was being drafted while he was deciding whether to hand over to Andrew Child or to finish it up.
Not up to the usual standard at all.
Three stars.
I found this one a bore, which is very unusual as it's set when Jack was in active military service, and these ones are my favorites, but the actual storyline didn't grab me.
It was all desk work, no action. A snooze fest.
We all now know that Lee Child had itchy feet with this series. I wouldn't be surprised if this book was being drafted while he was deciding whether to hand over to Andrew Child or to finish it up.
Not up to the usual standard at all.
Three stars.
June 25, 2016
Got an advanced copy from Goodreads Giveaways. Wow! This is a great one, definitely in my top five of Reacher novels. Reacher is in the Army. A major in the MPs in 1996. He's sent to "school", but, being that it's Reacher, nothing is as ordinary as it seems. From there the action continues to build, as do the stakes. Like I said, I've read all the Reacher books and this is one of the best.
Really glad I got a copy early, but now I have to wait even longer until the next one!
Really glad I got a copy early, but now I have to wait even longer until the next one!
February 28, 2017
The 21st book in the Jack Reacher series is a step back in time. It is 1996 and Reacher is still in the Army. The story opens with his being awarded the Legion of Merit. Immediately following the ceremony he is given new orders. Ostensibly he is being sent to school. With two other students. One is with the CIA and the other is with the FBI. Each fresh off a big win. Shortly after arriving at "school" they learn the real mission. There is a Jihadist sleeper cell in Hamburg, Germany with an undercover agent for the CIA who has overheard something that needs to be investigated. The message? “The American wants a hundred million dollars.”. What is he selling? And who is buying? Reacher recruits Sergeant Frances Neagley to assist in the mission to find the American and the answers to these questions. This is before 9/11 but terrorism is not unknown. There was the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 and in 1983 the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut. Whatever this is about for a hundred million dollars it has to be big.
A Jack Reacher story is usually an enjoyable story. Some are better than others. This one I think is somewhere in the middle. It is not the best one in the series but it is certainly not the worse of the lot. There are the usual fights where Reacher is facing multiple opponents simultaneously and comes out victorious. 3 - 1, 6 - 1, it doesn't matter. Reacher never loses. In this story at any rate he can thank Neagley. She is an interesting character and I'm thinking might be an interesting lead character. If you are to believe Lee Child Neo-Nazism and anti-American sentiment is alive. I don't recall seeing this myself when I was stationed in Germany. Overall this was a fun read. Good guys vs bad guys. Can they stop the terror plot? I don't think there is any surprises here. Not with Jack Reacher assigned to the mission.
A Jack Reacher story is usually an enjoyable story. Some are better than others. This one I think is somewhere in the middle. It is not the best one in the series but it is certainly not the worse of the lot. There are the usual fights where Reacher is facing multiple opponents simultaneously and comes out victorious. 3 - 1, 6 - 1, it doesn't matter. Reacher never loses. In this story at any rate he can thank Neagley. She is an interesting character and I'm thinking might be an interesting lead character. If you are to believe Lee Child Neo-Nazism and anti-American sentiment is alive. I don't recall seeing this myself when I was stationed in Germany. Overall this was a fun read. Good guys vs bad guys. Can they stop the terror plot? I don't think there is any surprises here. Not with Jack Reacher assigned to the mission.
November 19, 2016
This is book 21 of the Jack Reacher series. In this book, Lee Child has Reacher step back in time to 1996; Reacher is still in the Army. Major Reacher has just received the Legion of Honor Medal. He earned this for action in the Balkans.
Reacher is sent to Germany to Night School, which is a tiny interagency group of American operatives. Reacher represents the Army Military Police; there is an F. B. I. agent and a CIA operative also in the group. They have been watching a Saudi Cell in Hamburg. They know an American who is AWOL from the Army is trying to sell the Saudis $100 million worth of something. They have to find out what it is and stop the transaction. Reacher is teamed up with Sgt. Frances Neagley again. Over the years Neagley appears off and on in books of the series.
The book is well written. Child was a T.V. screenwriter and has a way of moving the action and keeping the reader’s attention. Child has made a major change in Reacher for this book. He is working as part of a team, whereas, the civilian Reacher is a solitary wanderer. This should not be too much of a surprise as the military is all about team work and Reacher was a career officer.
The story is about spies, terrorism and counter-terrorism; all of this is in the age before nine-eleven. We get to see a different side of Reacher: one who analyzes data, make critical decisions, deploys resources and supervises staff. Of course, he is also still great at hand to hand combat. Child has had another book where Reacher is back in the Army. It does add some more depth to the Reacher character.
Dick Hill does an excellent job narrating the story. Hill is a multi-award winning audiobook narrators and is one of the few who has won the Golden Voice Award.
Reacher is sent to Germany to Night School, which is a tiny interagency group of American operatives. Reacher represents the Army Military Police; there is an F. B. I. agent and a CIA operative also in the group. They have been watching a Saudi Cell in Hamburg. They know an American who is AWOL from the Army is trying to sell the Saudis $100 million worth of something. They have to find out what it is and stop the transaction. Reacher is teamed up with Sgt. Frances Neagley again. Over the years Neagley appears off and on in books of the series.
The book is well written. Child was a T.V. screenwriter and has a way of moving the action and keeping the reader’s attention. Child has made a major change in Reacher for this book. He is working as part of a team, whereas, the civilian Reacher is a solitary wanderer. This should not be too much of a surprise as the military is all about team work and Reacher was a career officer.
The story is about spies, terrorism and counter-terrorism; all of this is in the age before nine-eleven. We get to see a different side of Reacher: one who analyzes data, make critical decisions, deploys resources and supervises staff. Of course, he is also still great at hand to hand combat. Child has had another book where Reacher is back in the Army. It does add some more depth to the Reacher character.
Dick Hill does an excellent job narrating the story. Hill is a multi-award winning audiobook narrators and is one of the few who has won the Golden Voice Award.
March 10, 2023
There are two different ways to deal with Mr. Child's novels.
If you are scrupulous and grumpy, there are quite a few illogical and far too convenient facts. Speaking about this book:
- there is no school and there is no night, so the title is out of place
- sending messengers thousands of miles for only a few words is neither the fastest nor the safest way for a deal
- the killing from Kiew is such a stupid fact, as you have the person in your own country and nobody will know about the murder
- the messenger's first visit to the secret house is illogical, the second visit is the dumbest possible move
- General Helmsworth is a too far convenient character, fifty years after the event
- Griezman, as a chief in Hamburg's police, has too few people under his orders
and the list could flow...
But whatever you are a fan of Child's writing style or not, you can not help but notice that his poorest products are at least as good as the best ones from another author (let's say David Baldacci...), so four stars is quite a deserved mark.
If you are scrupulous and grumpy, there are quite a few illogical and far too convenient facts. Speaking about this book:
- there is no school and there is no night, so the title is out of place
- sending messengers thousands of miles for only a few words is neither the fastest nor the safest way for a deal
- the killing from Kiew is such a stupid fact, as you have the person in your own country and nobody will know about the murder
- the messenger's first visit to the secret house is illogical, the second visit is the dumbest possible move
- General Helmsworth is a too far convenient character, fifty years after the event
- Griezman, as a chief in Hamburg's police, has too few people under his orders
and the list could flow...
But whatever you are a fan of Child's writing style or not, you can not help but notice that his poorest products are at least as good as the best ones from another author (let's say David Baldacci...), so four stars is quite a deserved mark.
October 6, 2016
For the fans of the Jack Reacher novels (Of which I am big one), the latest story takes place in 1996 when Reacher is still in the army. Wasn’t sure how I would feel about that, but turns out it is as good as those that take place in the present. Reacher is sent to school, but in reality he and two others (one from the FBI and the other CIA) are really part of a secret mission to find out what US property or Intel is being sold for millions of dollars. With some assistance, Reacher figures out that whatever is happening is happening in Germany. Another fast-paced, nerve-wracking, suspenseful story from Lee Child. He continues to thrill this reader!
November 16, 2016
Did Lee Child even write this? Seriously. Reacher was dramatically different in this book compared to previous books.
November 23, 2016
Lesson learned...
After reading and reviewing Make Me by Lee Child, I had promised myself it would be the last Reacher novel I would read. When I heard about Night School and the story being about Reacher when he was still in the Army, I decided to give it a try. Surely it would be different. Unfortunately, I should have kept my promise.
This book definitely qualifies as Child’s worse to date. There may be one as bad coming in the future, but this reviewer will not be reading it.
Child wrote this at a second-grade level. Short sentences, minimum description, and repetition. If you eliminate the repetitive prose, this would be a novella. It reads almost as bad as, “See Dick run, see Jane run too”. Maybe he was just honoring his pen name, Child.
Child also moves the reader from one scene to the next by ending with a date or time, then starting the next section with the date or time in the next location. This is fine once or twice, but is overdone to the point of absurdity.
Night School has all the elements of the formula used in previous Reacher novels. Reacher fights four guys, then later eight guys. He makes love to one of the central characters. He is able to figure things out more quickly than those around him. And of course he bucks authority.
There are too many plot holes to mention here but the worst was the idea that the government could lose track of ten items that become the central part of the book. I won’t spoil it by saying what they are but just know by the time you get to that part the bad writing has already spoiled it.
If I were reviewing this for lazy, bad writing it would get five stars, but since that is not the criteria, it gets one star, and that is being kind.
After reading and reviewing Make Me by Lee Child, I had promised myself it would be the last Reacher novel I would read. When I heard about Night School and the story being about Reacher when he was still in the Army, I decided to give it a try. Surely it would be different. Unfortunately, I should have kept my promise.
This book definitely qualifies as Child’s worse to date. There may be one as bad coming in the future, but this reviewer will not be reading it.
Child wrote this at a second-grade level. Short sentences, minimum description, and repetition. If you eliminate the repetitive prose, this would be a novella. It reads almost as bad as, “See Dick run, see Jane run too”. Maybe he was just honoring his pen name, Child.
Child also moves the reader from one scene to the next by ending with a date or time, then starting the next section with the date or time in the next location. This is fine once or twice, but is overdone to the point of absurdity.
Night School has all the elements of the formula used in previous Reacher novels. Reacher fights four guys, then later eight guys. He makes love to one of the central characters. He is able to figure things out more quickly than those around him. And of course he bucks authority.
There are too many plot holes to mention here but the worst was the idea that the government could lose track of ten items that become the central part of the book. I won’t spoil it by saying what they are but just know by the time you get to that part the bad writing has already spoiled it.
If I were reviewing this for lazy, bad writing it would get five stars, but since that is not the criteria, it gets one star, and that is being kind.
November 21, 2016
Jack Reacher stories are always interesting because Reacher is always Reacher. The book takes Reacher back to 1996 while he was still in the Army. Interesting plot but I have read a couple of books with this type of plot so I rated a little lower because of the lack of originality.
June 20, 2020
This is the 21st book in the Jack Reacher series by author Lee Child. The Jack Reacher series is somewhat a 'guilty pleasure' of mine, I normally enjoy Detective Thrillers but there is something about this series that I can't resist now and then. This book was pretty much what I have come to expect from Lee Child, lots of action and adventure but I felt it was a little below the normal standard.
The book goes back to 1995 when Jack Reacher was aged 35 and being given the Legion of Merit for the second time. At this time in Germany an American soldier has gone Awol and asking for $100 million for an unknown item. Reacher is on the hunt to find the soldier and avoid a major act of terrorism.
Jack Reacher is a great character and you know what you get with these novels but although I enjoyed the read I didn't feel it was his strongest novel.
The book goes back to 1995 when Jack Reacher was aged 35 and being given the Legion of Merit for the second time. At this time in Germany an American soldier has gone Awol and asking for $100 million for an unknown item. Reacher is on the hunt to find the soldier and avoid a major act of terrorism.
Jack Reacher is a great character and you know what you get with these novels but although I enjoyed the read I didn't feel it was his strongest novel.
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