The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion
Historical Group Reads
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Aug/Sept 2010: The Killing Floor - Lee Child
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Oh, you lucky people. I think this is still my favorite of the series, in part because it was such fun watching a new type of character unfold, one who constantly surprised me. Don't know if I will re-read, but I will certainly keep up with this thread and chime in with an "uh-huh" or two!
I listened to this one a few years ago, so I'll be missing another group read with you all. :( Maybe next month's pick will be one I haven't read.
Carol/Bonadie wrote: "Oh, you lucky people. I think this is still my favorite of the series, in part because it was such fun watching a new type of character unfold, one who constantly surprised me. Don't know if I wi..."** WARNING, MILD SPOILER FOR MIDDLE OF BOOK **
Yep, same here. I fell in love with it during the prison scene. I thought "Oh yeah, this is going to be a really good book." I also liked that it was written in first person. Some of Lee's books after that were in third person.
Yes, Dorie, exactly!! (re: mild spoiler)
I read this a few months ago and enjoyed it very much. I am working on the series in order.
Didn't have the chance to vote, so I'm looking forward to a surprise reading. Your reactions are promising!
I'm a few chapters in .... a wee bit different to what I normally read .... maybe I'm getting soft with a few too many cozies lately (my last read was a Miss Marple) ..... but I am finding it quite gripping ...
Anxiously waiting for my copy to be available at the library. I am not a good waiter.
This was my suggestion so I am sooo excited to be reading it with ya'll!
I just started it (don't know the series at all), liking it so far!
Patricia wrote: "I just started it (don't know the series at all), liking it so far!"I don't know anything about the series, either. But I've heard amazing things about it and he's one of those authors who Karin Slaughter (whom I love) is always compared to.
I'm in the minority here. I'm not a Reacher fan. The Killing Floor was good enough but not so good that I've ever bothered to pick up another book by Lee Child.
This book grabbed me from the opening line, and I've been a Lee Child fan ever since. I read this book some time ago and unfortunately, I don't have it here with me in Montana. So I won't be able to re-read it and participate in the discussion in any significant way, but I think it's a very good choice--an excellent introduction to a great series.
I've looked everywhere for Book Club Discussion topics for this book and have come up empty. So if you have any topics/questions about this book you'd like to discuss, feel free to throw them out there and see what sticks.Just be sure to mark spoilers, thanks!
*** SPOILER ALERT ****I'm halfway through ....
Okay .... there must be something the narrator is not telling us .... it can't just be a coincidence he turns up in the same place as his brother !
It doesn't strike me as a "untrustworthy narrator" kind of a book though!
***might be a spoiler, for someone not really very far into the book***Someone else made this point, but I think Reacher is so different from the average detective hero that you don't have any idea what he's going to do next. I don't anyway. I'm not sure I'm buying that MP's are super fighters, super survivors, and also this analytical when falsely accused (I assume) and subject to dastardly attacks from thugs with no apparent motivation. On the other hand, I totally see why he's wandering around looking for a dead jazz player.
I'm only 22% percent in, so he's still trying to survive the weekend.
**SPOILER**I've finished it ... I enjoyed it ... stayed up late to finish it ....
...the main plot I could believe and thought was quite thrilling and fast-paced ....but the already mentioned coincidence ... the fact that he did not suspect one of the really bad guys ... and the romantic relationship ... really left me far from convinced ...
I'm still going to check out some more Jack Reacher stories though ...
I've enjoyed the whole Jack Reacher series. I am currently reading 61 Hours and just re-listened to The Killing Floor for this months group. When I first read the Killing Floor, I immediately fell in love with Jack Reacher's character. He reminded me a little of Paul Brenner from Nelson DeMille's "Up Country" and "The General's Daughter". The story was filled with plenty of twists and turns and moved at a good pace. It was definitely one of those books that I had a hard time putting down. The only thing that I found a little hard to swallow was that this man "Jack" who's wandering around the United States without a real purpose or overall direction, ends up arriving in the same town as his brother whom he hadn't seen in seven years. A brother who has been killed just hours before Jack arrived in Margrave. That was a little bit of a stretch for me. Overall, a great book. I will and have recommended it to anyone looking for a fast-paced action novel.
This was a great book full of suspense and intrigue. It took me a while to get into it, because I'm not a big fan of books written in the first person. But once I got through the first chapter I was glad I decided to stick with it. It had great pacing, but in the middle I was starting to get impatient - Child seems to ramble needlessly. But hang in there because what may seem like rambling, will later come back and bite you. Then you will find yourself - like me - slapping yourself on the forehead and saying "Ohhhhh! I get it now!"
The last 100 pages make it all worth the wait. I found myself buried deep and having to remind myself to blink!
Original story and plot, interesting characters, heart stopping and rewarding, funny and sexy, stomach cringing goose bumps popping hell of ride. A 5 star for me!
I felt like I was in Margrave. Child painted an excellent picture of the town and the people in it (especially the older barber, Ha). Excellent book if you can get by the major unlikely coincidence in the plot.
I am coming into this book having read the Relic books, with Pendergrast. I am hoping this is just as good!
Mod
I loved this book. I loved the Jack Reacher character, who is very unique. I agree that the big coincidence is far fetched. But I like Reachers' hard edged, black or white, fierce morality and no-nonsense approach to life. He certainly doesn't share my moral compass, but it has a purity in it as well. No gray areas of morality for him, only black and white, no excuses, like it or lump it. And I was actually surprised at the end. I was expecting the unknown bad guy they were looking for to be someone else entirely.
I ended up liking this one more than I thought I would when I started it. Reacher initially struck me as almost too cold. I don't need my protagonists cuddly by any means but at first he was too far the other way for me. Although the coincidence with his brother was far fetched his reaction to his brother's death, and the things he learned about his brother's life, served to humanize Reacher for me. That made it easier for me to see where he was coming with the retribution at the end. As others have said, it's not necessarily my moral compass but when viewed through Reacher's eyes you could see that it made sense to him. Also, I just have to say that Lee Child can certainly write an action scene. A lot of times I have difficulty following actions scenes and basically skim to the end to see the outcome. Child makes it exciting, easy to follow and keep track of the participants. Even when it was making me a little squeamish to do so.
FYI- This book was $27.95 at audible.com and only $9.95 at itunes! I was waiting to buy this one so now I am quite looking forward to my commute! It's long too, about 14 hours.
Finally finished it! I must say I struggled with this one. It wasn't bad, I gave it a 3 but I don't think I will read the rest of the series. It was well written but I just couldn't get into Reacher. Although I do like dark series, like the Davenport ones from John Sandford, I just could not feel for the main character.
Having joined the group late I haven't had a chance to pick this one up yet, but will try tomorrow. I read the Relic series and really like Lincoln Child. Reading the reviews here it will be interesting to see if I like this series as well.
I really enjoyed this book, Reacher was a hard ass and sometimes I didn't like him very much. It was a good story with plenty of twists and turns. There is one scene in the book that just made me cringe . . . when the Morison's were murdered, and they made her eat his . . . Disgusting!
Do you think they were chewy?
Connie wrote: "I really enjoyed this book, Reacher was a hard ass and sometimes I didn't like him very much. It was a good story with plenty of twists and turns. There is one scene in the book that just made ..."
Oh god, no. I am listening to this book right now as I work. I was already cringing when it was describing the fight scene in the prison restroom. Oh man, do I want to go on?
oh sure, he is not descriptive about that part, it was my own mind that took me there :-)
Mod
Super ew!!
It was pretty gory, but not too graphic, fortunately. An awful lot of blood was spilled, which was one of the things that I found pretty slim about the plot. (view spoiler) Otherwise a pretty engaging book in the genre.
I'm reading Persuader now, which is a little different, but I'm sure it will start getting intense soon.
I started by reading the last two books of the series first before getting to the first book so it was quite interesting getting back to the beginning of Jack's travels. For me, the book had it all; gore, action, romantic interest (although that wasn't the book's strong point!) and was just a gripping read.
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Killing Floor (other topics)Persuader (other topics)
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