Book Reviews and More: Past Tense - Lee Child

Past Tense
Jack Reacher Book 23
Lee Child
Random House Canada
ISBN 9780399593512
eISBN 9780399593529
ASIN B079R2H6M9

I will admit I am a little late to the Jack Reacher game. I have seen the two movies, and head both pros and cons of the casting from family and friends. When the book Past Tense showed up in a to be reviewed pile figured I would give it a try. Needless to say, I have a lot of reading ahead of me. I loved the novel so much that within two days of reading it I had already read the short story collection ‘No Middle Name’. Now my only decision is to go back and read them in the order they were published, jump around based on titles, or read them in chronological order.

I really enjoyed this book. I mean the writing needs to be pretty good for there to be 23 books published in the series and another announced. Plus, two have already been made into films that have done fairly well at the box office. What I was not prepared for was how much I would enjoy the writing. Over the last few years the majority of my reading has been non-fiction. And reading this novel was like jumping back 20 years when I read many of the ‘Spencer for Hire’ novels by Robert B. Parker. The book also reminded me in some ways of ‘Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer’, or even the original ‘Equalizer’ tv series. Reading this book took me back in time. And I will absolutely be reading more of the Reacher Novels.

My father and another gentleman that I really respect have been fans of the Reacher novels for years now. But I just had not got around to reading one. Now I have added the rest of the series to my to be read pile. That is how much I enjoyed this one. Reacher is big and strong, but he is also smart. In fact his smarts get him out of more trouble than his fists, but he can use the fists if he needs to. In this adventure Jack Reacher is making his way south as the weather is about to turn. He finds he is tracking to the town his father grew up in. So, he decides to head that way and see if he can find where his father grew up. But soon as life appears to often do it gets complicated. Reacher makes the choice to protect a woman, and soon some heavy hitters are out to get him. But in a tangent to this a young Canadian couple is in more danger than they can ever imagine and soon Reacher must decide if he is going to follow the back of his mind of the front.

If you have read other Reacher novels I am sure you will enjoy this one. And if you have not what not give it a try. This is a great read, and I look forward to reading more in the Jack Reacher series!

Books by Lee Child:
Jack Reacher Books Publishing Order:
Killing Floor
Die Trying
Tripwire
The Visitor /Running Blind
Echo Burning
Without Fail
Persuader
The Enemy
One Shot
The Hard Way
Bad Luck and Trouble
Nothing to Lose
Gone Tomorrow
61 Hours
Worth Dying For
The Affair
A Wanted Man
Never go Back
Personal
Make Me
Night School
The Midnight Line
Past Tense
Blue Moon
The Sentinel

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