Killing Floor (Jack Reacher, #1) in SSG: Spy/Spec-Ops Group

Feb 09, 2009 Danielle The Book Huntress rated it really liked it

Shelves: small-town-slice-of-life, part-of-a-series, favorite-or-autobuy-author, tough-as-nails-heroes, action-adventure, scary-sexy-cool-dangerous-hero, thriller-suspense, owned-copy, southern-setting, hero-i-loved

Are you having a bad day?
Do you need an Action Pick-You Up?
Do you sometimes wish that the bad guys would get exactly what they deserve?
Then I have a quick solution. Read a Jack Reacher novel!

Jack Reacher is the kind of guy who will kick some serious butt in the most brutal fashion, and it ain't pretty. I admit that I wince when I see someone die violently on tv and in movies. But I love action movies. Yeah, I know it makes no sense. Killing Floor is the kind of book that I would love to see as ...more

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Jun 12, 2013 Mike (the Paladin) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: skimmed, thriller

I tried reading some of the Jack Reacher books some years ago and don't have any clear idea of them except that I wasn't blown away and didn't follow up the series.

I still feel the same way really. I got interested in the story here right away. It's well set up and the lead in gets your mind involved. There are some odd things even there. It seems to me that jack with his background and experience (which a big deal is made of and plays heavily into the story) at the very beginning could have do I tried reading some of the Jack Reacher books some years ago and don't have any clear idea of them except that I wasn't blown away and didn't follow up the series.

I still feel the same way really. I got interested in the story here right away. It's well set up and the lead in gets your mind involved. There are some odd things even there. It seems to me that jack with his background and experience (which a big deal is made of and plays heavily into the story) at the very beginning could have done things that would have made things go a bit smoother. He seems to aggravate the situation before he does anything to start handling it...still not a big thing and I suppose it's supposed to be "character building".

Throughout the story I don't think that the Reacher story stayed "coherent" if you get my meaning. He's not a character who stays true to himself...at least not yet. His views tend to have a wide spread and I'm never sure where's he's coming from in the "ideological" realm. He moves from responsible to selfish and back. He's violent but then gets almost passive. He may settle in and explain this over the length of the series (as this is the first in the series)...so, maybe just my take.

The plot here is good (and we have the sub plot that sort of ties in) and it's also well written. I just think that there's more "book" here than there is plot. The book begins to drag and run on a bit.

Also there are a few gratuitous sex scenes that really add nothing to the novel (except of course for gratuitous sex which is sometimes a goal in itself and I suppose is a big draw for some readers...look what happened to Laurell K. Hamilton's books...and they seem to sell "a bunch").

I just (again) found the story beginning to drag (at least for me) and there was a feeling of "finally" when I got to the end. Don't know if I'll pick any more up or not... I don't plan to for now.

So, pretty good book with a descent story and a popular character that I think is just beginning to grow here. Not enthused don't hate it...a little "blah" for me.

Maybe you should see what you think. ...more

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Apr 16, 2020 Mark rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The Coronavirus "Shelter-in-Place," of course, limits my ability to access our library system, so I'm going back and rereading important books from my past...No, not the great classics, but books that have introduced fictional characters that have carried me through living the life...Unfortunately, I've given my daughter my paperback collection of John D. MacDonald, however, I might have one or two somewhere in the house, so I'll keep on looking..."Killing Floor" is the introduction to Jack Reac ...more

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