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Lee Child/Jack Reacher

I picked up the new Grisham, Connelly and Child books this past month. These are 3 authors who come out with a novel every year and like clockwork I've bought each of them (same with CJ Box, but his new books tend to come out in the spring). The Grisham was preachy as usual, but still a good read. Love Harry Bosch so even with his new female sidekick who isn't a favorite, it was still a good read. But I'm done with Child/Jack Reacher. It has just become too ridiculous. No spoilers here, because I quit after 280 (of 340+) pages. Any other Child/Reacher fans? The 2 books prior to this were tortuous to get through, but I soldiered on and bought the 2019 book and I just can't take anymore of the nonsense.
 
I've been a Reacher fan since the first movie. I had to find out why Tom Cruise was wrong for the part. I found out. I've read about a dozen books. I've enjoyed most of them, some of them are akin to a Travis McGee story (which is even better IMO). I haven't read chronologically, so I can't say which era is better, but some are a bit ridiculous. I am not necessarily repulsed by ridiculous, I still read Doc Savage and Shadow stories, and those can sometimes be both ridiculous and poorly written.
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
Never read any but maybe one day I’d like to. Is it just over the top with stunts no human would ever be able to do?
 
I stopped reading Jack Reacher books a couple of years ago. It got to the point that after so many books they were just too predictable. Except when they were too ridiculous.
 
I am a big fan of Bosch. I also like the Matthew Scudder series.

The Reacher novels do get a bit over the top after a while. I can't imagine traveling around the country with only the clothes on your back and a toothbrush. So, since this is B&B, the question: Does Jack have a beard since the only thing he packs is his toothbrush? Perhaps he is rebelling against the shaving requirements when he was in the military.
 

garyg

B&B membership has its percs
I pick up Child's audiobooks with Reacher sometimes for white noise at the gym, since audiobooks are a scarce commodity at least in my library's system.. I agree they've gone downhill, but that isn't unique to Child among the other modern formula writers who churn out books "written with" Joey Baggadonuts or some other ghost. I just took the new Grisham back to the library this morning, better than some of his more recent efforts and at least he's ostensibly writing his own stuff .. I have a hold placed on the new Bosch novel, but it hasn't shown up yet for me ..

But to the OP, yeah, Reacher passed his limits a while ago
 
You had to suspend belief when reading a Reacher novel and that was fine in the earlier works that got me hooked on the series. The bad *** loner coming into town and kicking butt was what made it fun. But the last 2 books were hard to finish(boring?) and the latest is just over the top. As I said, I couldn't finish the book but a short synopsis is: Reacher wanders into a midwest city in the midst of an Albanian v. Ukrainian gang war. We are told throughout that a new "police commissioner" is coming to town so apparently until the commissioner arrives there is zero police presence in the city, thus allowing for daily multiple killings (most committed by Reacher), cars and buildings exploding, and other general chaos without a scent of police activity. Reacher meets a waitress and two dope smoking musicians who immediately become his sidekicks in killing and mayhem and darn good at it for such amateurs! I'm not a book reviewer so pardon my attempt, but this was just the most ridiculous thing I've ever read.
Oh well, Joe Pickett is back in March!
 
You had to suspend belief when reading a Reacher novel and that was fine in the earlier works that got me hooked on the series. The bad *** loner coming into town and kicking butt was what made it fun. But the last 2 books were hard to finish(boring?) and the latest is just over the top. As I said, I couldn't finish the book but a short synopsis is: Reacher wanders into a midwest city in the midst of an Albanian v. Ukrainian gang war. We are told throughout that a new "police commissioner" is coming to town so apparently until the commissioner arrives there is zero police presence in the city, thus allowing for daily multiple killings (most committed by Reacher), cars and buildings exploding, and other general chaos without a scent of police activity. Reacher meets a waitress and two dope smoking musicians who immediately become his sidekicks in killing and mayhem and darn good at it for such amateurs! I'm not a book reviewer so pardon my attempt, but this was just the most ridiculous thing I've ever read.
Oh well, Joe Pickett is back in March!
Boy, that sounds like a lot of the Reacher stories.
 
I've been a Reacher fan since the first movie. I had to find out why Tom Cruise was wrong for the part. I found out. I've read about a dozen books. I've enjoyed most of them, some of them are akin to a Travis McGee story (which is even better IMO). I haven't read chronologically, so I can't say which era is better, but some are a bit ridiculous. I am not necessarily repulsed by ridiculous, I still read Doc Savage and Shadow stories, and those can sometimes be both ridiculous and poorly written.
That's sacrilege, there is only one John D. McDonald and Travis McGee. Connelly's Harry Bosch and Box's Joe Pickett are at least in the neighborhood. Child's Reacher was always just harmless fun, but the last 2 were downright boring and this latest is rock bottom.
 
I think ANY ongoing series of novels risks becoming formulaic over time. The Reacher novels are no exception, and neither are Grisham's despite individual protagonists for each one. The only one who seemed to escape the trap was Tom Clancy with the original series of Ryan books (I bailed after The Bear and the Dragon). Once Clancy became a corporation, the novels suffered, imo.
 
I read the first 3 books, before it was announced that some 5'6" actor I hate, who can't act, would play the 6'5" Reacher. That killed the character for me. I never read another book.
 
That's sacrilege, there is only one John D. McDonald and Travis McGee. Connelly's Harry Bosch and Box's Joe Pickett are at least in the neighborhood. Child's Reacher was always just harmless fun, but the last 2 were downright boring and this latest is rock bottom.
Quite agree, nothing compares to life aboard the Busted Flush. But there are elements in some Reacher stories that are "McDonaldesque?" for lack of a better word.
 

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
I think ANY ongoing series of novels risks becoming formulaic over time. The Reacher novels are no exception, and neither are Grisham's despite individual protagonists for each one. The only one who seemed to escape the trap was Tom Clancy with the original series of Ryan books (I bailed after The Bear and the Dragon). Once Clancy became a corporation, the novels suffered, imo.
Yep- The Bear and the Dragon didn’t even seem to be written by him. I can’t say exactly why I feel that way
 
Big Reacher fan here, but I agree, lately his books don't seem to have the same fun factor they did before. This most recent one was the most outlandish of them all, though I read, and mostly enjoyed, it. I tend to read fiction mostly while walking at a good pace on the treadmill at our local YMCA, and what I really want is something that will keep me entertained enough to keep my mind off the electronic hills of the treadmill. If that means I need to suspend disbelief for a while, I'm OK with that.

I've picked up a couple of new authors that I'm enjoying, Nick Petrie and Jack Carr. Anyone else reading them?
 
Jack Reacher is really one-dimensional or seems like he has a form of high functioning autism. If you want to try something where the character seems more human, check out the “Will Robbie” series by David Baldacci. His “Memory Man” series is also excellent.
 
Yep- The Bear and the Dragon didn’t even seem to be written by him. I can’t say exactly why I feel that way

Who knows? Maybe he had "help". As stated, this was the time he was expanding his empire, what with the video games and what not.

When I was an adolescent, I read all 100+ Executioner novels, and also the Destroyer (His name was Remo, and he was . . . began the second chapter of EVERY Remo Williams book. Who remembers crap like that?). They were all written by committee.
 
I thought I responded to this thread earlier. I bought both the new Reacher and the new Bosch books immediately after they came out on Audible and listened to them right away. I liked both, but I could not tell you anything much about what happened in the Reacher book. Same old stuff, but I like it. I think the "romantic" sections have greatly improved over the years. The actions sections always satisfy, to me. Bu there is nothing very different.

Re Bosch, I pretty much like everything Michael Connelly has done with the character and surrounding characters over the years. Continues to be my favorite.
 
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