I made progress on Brother Odd by Dean Koontz and also A Clergyman's Daughter by George Orwell this morning. The former is an entertaining tale and the latter just stupendous.
BTW Perry Mason which will start on HBO soon looks pretty good. We'll have to find it.
Now on to my ongoing look at the Spy / Thriller genre.
The Spy / Thriller Genre - Lee Child
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| Lee Child |
"Jack 'No Middle Name' Reacher, lone wolf, knight errant, ex military cop, lover of women, scourge of the wicked and righter of wrongs, is the most iconic hero for our age. This is the first time all Lee Child's shorter fiction featuring Jack Reacher has been collected into one volume.
A brand-new novella, Too Much Time, is included, as are those previously only published in eBook form: Second Son, James Penney's New Identity, Guy Walks Into a Bar, Deep Down, High Heat, Not a Drill and Small Wars. Added to these is every other Reacher short story that Child has written: Everyone Talks, Maybe They Have a Tradition, No Room at the Motel and The Picture of the Lonely Diner. Read together, these twelve stories shed new light on Reacher’s past, illuminating how he grew up and developed into the wandering avenger who has captured the imagination of millions around the world."
"A solid 3 and a half star thriller, an excellent introduction to Jack Reacher's world. Very entertaining, action-packed and interesting plot involving counterfeiters and a small town in Georgia. Reacher has come through on a whim during his travels to find out the story of a long-time dead blues singer. Instead he finds himself thrown into a complex at times scary situation that also involves his brother. Who to trust, how to resolve the situation and how to stay alive. Excellent stuff! (3.5 stars)"
"Running Blind is the 4th Jack Reacher thriller by Lee Child. Like the other Reacher stories I've read, it's definitely long, but like the others, as well, it is eminently readable, moving along at a nice pace.
There were things that irritated me about the story; how the FBI coerces Reacher into helping them, Reacher's negative attitude to helping them (both somewhat related of course). But it was an interesting case and I really liked Harper, his FBI partner; intelligent, attractive and a strong character.
A number of women, ex of the Army, have been murdered in strange circumstances (very strange). They were all involved in sexual harassment cases while in the military. FBI profilers feel it's someone 'like Reacher' and force him (almost blackmail) into helping them.
The killer leaves no clues and there are no signs of violence. The murders take place in all parts of the country. Reacher and Harper work as a team to try and find clues and try to catch the killer before anymore women die. Complicating the case is that Reacher knows one of the women as he investigated her rape case while he was an MP and he wants to keep her safe. Reacher must also decide if the wants to live a more settled life with his girl friend Jodie, introduced in the previous story.
It's a fast-paced story with a fair bit of action; nothing excessive mind you. I had an idea about the killer about half way through the story. I wasn't totally correct but had the gist of the solution. I can't say I was totally satisfied with the ending; it was a bit pat and seemed a bit of a throw away, but all in all it was still an entertaining story. Echo Burning is the next Reacher story. (3.5 stars)"
"A tense, fast-paced, at times threatening thriller. While it can be far-fetched at times, it still keeps you on the edge of your seat. The second Jack Reacher thriller, it continues Reacher's adventures very nicely. This time we find Reacher in Chicago, accidentally caught up in the kidnapping of a female FBI agent, Holly Johnson. They are taken to Montana and find themselves being held prisoner/ hostage by right wing extremists. While a small group of FBI and military try to find out where they are and how to save them, Reacher and Johnson try to survive amidst this group, who have other plots in mind. There were times when I felt a cold chill run down my spine as Jack found himself in some very tight tense situations. All in all, just what you want from a thriller."
"I've read 4 or 5 of the Jack Reacher thriller series now and Without Fail (Reacher #6) by Lee Child is one of the better ones so far. The story starts with Reacher in New Jersey, helping an old couple, both jazz musicians, get out of the clutches of an unscrupulous (mob-associated) club owner. He is approached by M.E. Froelich, a Secret Service agent and ex-girlfriend of Jack's older brother. Joe, also a Secret Service agent, was murdered years ago. Froelich is the head security chief for the new, incoming VP and she has received threats against him. She wants Reacher to test the Secret Service coverage and find weaknesses.
This begins a very tense, fast-paced thriller as the threats become more concrete, not just correspondence but displays the enemies capabilities. Reacher brings in an acquaintance from his military days, Neagley, to help him with both the tests and the follow-on investigation. She is a fantastic character, strong, smart and with issues of her own. (Maybe deserves her own series).
It's a long story but seems to flow quickly. We learn about Reacher's brother, their similarities and differences. The case is interesting as they try to ascertain who would want to assassinate the VP and also keep him safe. Reacher is a great character and I also liked Froelich.
It has an exciting climax with sufficient action to satisfy readers who like that and a satisfying ending. I've been enjoying the Reacher series very much and this has kept my interest up in continuing to follow his adventures. (4 stars)"
"Thumbing across the scorched Texas desert, Jack Reacher has nowhere to go and all the time in the world to get there. Cruising the same stretch of two-lane blacktop is Carmen Greer. For Reacher, the lift comes with a hitch. Carmen’s got a wild story to tell—all about her husband, her family secrets, and a hometown that’s purely gothic. She’s also got a plan. Reacher’s part of it. And before the sun sets, this ride could cost them both their lives."
"Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me.
And sure enough, ex—military investigator Jack Reacher is coming. He knows this shooter–a trained military sniper who never should have missed a shot. Reacher is certain something is not right–and soon the slam-dunk case explodes.
Now Reacher is teamed with a beautiful young defense lawyer, moving closer to the unseen enemy who is pulling the strings. Reacher knows that no two opponents are created equal. This one has come to the heartland from his own kind of hell. And Reacher knows that the only way to take him down is to match his ruthlessness and cunning–and then beat him shot for shot."
"'Why is this town called Mother’s Rest?' That’s all Reacher wants to know. But no one will tell him. It’s a tiny place hidden in a thousand square miles of wheat fields, with a railroad stop, and sullen and watchful people, and a worried woman named Michelle Chang, who mistakes him for someone else: her missing partner in a private investigation she thinks must have started small and then turned lethal.
Reacher has no particular place to go, and all the time in the world to get there, and there’s something about Chang . . . so he teams up with her and starts to ask around. He thinks: How bad can this thing be? But before long he’s plunged into a desperate race through LA, Chicago, Phoenix, and San Francisco, and through the hidden parts of the internet, up against thugs and assassins every step of the way—right back to where he started, in Mother’s Rest, where he must confront the worst nightmare he could imagine.
Walking away would have been easier. But as always, Reacher’s rule is: If you want me to stop, you’re going to have to make me."
"A fast-paced, action-packed thriller featuring Jack Reacher. I thought it would be too long, but even at 500+ pages, it was an easy, exciting read. Suspend disbelief somewhat and you'll enjoy thoroughly. Follow Reacher from his part-time job digging pools in the Florida Keys, to New York as he searches for the truth about a helicopter pilot who may or may not have died in the Vietnam War and at the same time follow the villain of the story as he tries to rush through various deals so he can escape the hunt that is on for him. Interesting characters and lots of excitement. 3.5 stars."
"A bus crashes in a savage snowstorm and lands Jack Reacher in the middle of a deadly confrontation. In nearby Bolton, South Dakota, one brave woman is standing up for justice in a small town threatened by sinister forces. If she’s going to live long enough to testify, she’ll need help. Because a killer is coming to Bolton, a coldly proficient assassin who never misses.
Reacher’s original plan was to keep on moving. But the next 61 hours will change everything. The secrets are deadlier and his enemies are stronger than he could have guessed—but so is the woman he’ll risk his life to save." (3 stars)
So there you go, some books for you to chew on. The complete listing of Child's books can be found at this link.
Enjoy your week. Here it's currently very windy and there is pollen everywhere.
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