- Author
- Lee Child
- ARRSE Rating
- 4 Mushroom Heads
The new Jack Reacher thriller. Now you either like or dislike the Reacher books by Lee Child; I for one am in the definite “Like” camp. A new book is brought out each year now and the latest version is Make Me which takes Reacher deep into the heart of rural mid-West USA.
This book gives a darker side to Reacher and the world he lives in while retaining the essentials of loner who is travelling light. Travelling by train, as use of public transport is another way of hiding himself in the most populated Country in North America, he approaches probably the most isolated town in the American mid-West with the strange name “Mothers Rest”; this intrigues Reacher and he decides to get off and find out why it is so named. The town is populated by some very strange people who don’t seem to welcome strangers.
The Reacher books are very formulaic so are easy to follow and this one is no different, however it is difficult to describe without giving the plot and denouement away. He arrives in town, meets a beautiful woman and starts an affair with her. She is investigating the disappearance of her colleague, a private detective, and Reacher decides to help. There are very strange goings on in the town which seem to be centred on a farm owned by the richest family in the area. They are very secretive and appear to own the town and its small population. The missing PI had been looking for people who had disappeared and who had connections to an underground e-community based on the internet. This was not an open community and people had to know where to look and how to be invited in; but then they were disappearing with no outcry from relatives or friends.
Travelling from Mothers Rest to the local city to speak to a writer also investigating this leads to the potential reason for these peoples’ disappearance which takes Reacher back to Mothers Rest and the mysterious farm. As ever there is plenty of violence as the locals try to ‘persuade’ Reacher to leave. After a few broken bones and hurt pride he is left alone, but the family Boss still wants him dead as he is getting too close to the truth.
The ending to this book is a bit more gruesome that Child’s usual fare and is a shocking discovery, leading to more violence and mayhem as Reacher exacts his revenge and sense of justice.
Child has maintained the aura of the Reacher character with him never carrying any clean clothes, just buying new ones when a change is needed; his size and strength are very much emphasised (not sure if that is something to do with the stature of the actor now playing the character on the big screen!) and the fact that Reacher is a loner who does not need the rest of the world – but does not mind shacking up with the local beauty when needs must.
I enjoyed this book and I feel that Child has brought the character back closer to where he started out but with obvious changes which the years bring. Not so much is mentioned of his military police side of his life and again, no explanation is made about where he gets his money and, as he has no bank account, credit or bank cards, how he accesses this money; all part of the mysterious persona which makes up the character of Jack Reacher.
If you like good crime thriller books then go for it; a good story, chilling ending and well written. If you are already a Reacher fan then add this one to your list, you will enjoy it.
4 Mr Mushroomheads from me.
This book gives a darker side to Reacher and the world he lives in while retaining the essentials of loner who is travelling light. Travelling by train, as use of public transport is another way of hiding himself in the most populated Country in North America, he approaches probably the most isolated town in the American mid-West with the strange name “Mothers Rest”; this intrigues Reacher and he decides to get off and find out why it is so named. The town is populated by some very strange people who don’t seem to welcome strangers.
The Reacher books are very formulaic so are easy to follow and this one is no different, however it is difficult to describe without giving the plot and denouement away. He arrives in town, meets a beautiful woman and starts an affair with her. She is investigating the disappearance of her colleague, a private detective, and Reacher decides to help. There are very strange goings on in the town which seem to be centred on a farm owned by the richest family in the area. They are very secretive and appear to own the town and its small population. The missing PI had been looking for people who had disappeared and who had connections to an underground e-community based on the internet. This was not an open community and people had to know where to look and how to be invited in; but then they were disappearing with no outcry from relatives or friends.
Travelling from Mothers Rest to the local city to speak to a writer also investigating this leads to the potential reason for these peoples’ disappearance which takes Reacher back to Mothers Rest and the mysterious farm. As ever there is plenty of violence as the locals try to ‘persuade’ Reacher to leave. After a few broken bones and hurt pride he is left alone, but the family Boss still wants him dead as he is getting too close to the truth.
The ending to this book is a bit more gruesome that Child’s usual fare and is a shocking discovery, leading to more violence and mayhem as Reacher exacts his revenge and sense of justice.
Child has maintained the aura of the Reacher character with him never carrying any clean clothes, just buying new ones when a change is needed; his size and strength are very much emphasised (not sure if that is something to do with the stature of the actor now playing the character on the big screen!) and the fact that Reacher is a loner who does not need the rest of the world – but does not mind shacking up with the local beauty when needs must.
I enjoyed this book and I feel that Child has brought the character back closer to where he started out but with obvious changes which the years bring. Not so much is mentioned of his military police side of his life and again, no explanation is made about where he gets his money and, as he has no bank account, credit or bank cards, how he accesses this money; all part of the mysterious persona which makes up the character of Jack Reacher.
If you like good crime thriller books then go for it; a good story, chilling ending and well written. If you are already a Reacher fan then add this one to your list, you will enjoy it.
4 Mr Mushroomheads from me.
