Haven't finished. Felt this was formulaic Jack Reacher. As prolific as Lee Child is, it is difficult to come up with new ideas. Still, it is a satisfying read, though like many Reacher plots, a bit removed from reality. But Jack Reacher fans know all that from the beginning..You can't argue with syccess.

A good Reacher novel. Not the best in my opinion but it does offer us a little more insight into his background. And the side story is gets involved in (which he always seems to do) was pretty good.
All in all, a satisfactory read.

Lee Child continues to surprise readers with his latest Jack Reacher adventure. The pace of the story is fast and action packed, and Reacher is at his best when faced against impossible odds.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review . This is my first Lee Child book and I enjoyed the story very much. It was a little slow and not as filled with action as I’ve heard his books are. The characters were interesting.

An amazing read. Mr. Child has brought Jack Reacher a long way and the character gets stronger. A very gifted story teller who keeps your attention from the start to the finish.

I love the Jack Reacher series. This one was especially interesting because of the family mysteries he encounters, though it was a little slow at the very beginning. If you've liked the other Reacher books, I think you'll enjoy this one too.

On his travels, Jack Reacher finds himself a choice of two roads to choose. One will take him to Laconia, NH, which is his father’s birthplace. He takes that road curious to find out more about his dad. He finds it difficult to find out anything about his dad. One night a guy is fighting with a gal and he intervenes. He ends up beating the guy in front of his friends. He is going to do his best to get even with Reacher. Does he? While this is happening a couple stops at a small motel for the night as their car is about to “die.” The couple is discovering how weird their motel is. When they discover that they are going to be participants in a game, they aren’t happy about it. Why? What kind of game is it? Reacher becomes involved with the couple’s game and helps. What is the Game? How does Reacher help?

A novel that That seemed to be going to an early end with Reacher. So initially I was disappointed but the author surprised me which made me very happy! It’s a novel with twists and turns that were a complete surprise to me. I recommend reading it as I know you will enjoy the story.

Past tense is a SUPER AWESOME story. I do know that some of Lee’s past books have lost some “flair”, but don’t you worry, past tense has brought his “flair” back. In past tense....we learn some really good info on family. You’ll certainly want to read this and you will not regret. Loved past tense and I’m very confident that everyone will feel that sane once you read this book. Enjoy! :)

I love the Jack Reacher books and I was not disappointed with the newest installment! I enjoyed the little bit of insight into Reacher's past and the twists this book took. I highly recommend this book if you are a Lee Child/Jack Reacher fan!

Jack Reacher has been to a lot of places in his life, but has never seen the New Hampshire town where, according to his father, his family is from. In fact, Reacher has no curiosity about Laconia, but when he finds himself unexpectedly stranded at a remote crossroad that offers Laconia as an option, he decides that a delay of a day on a trip with no deadlines might be worth his time.
At the same time that Reacher is making his decision, a Canadian couple, bound for New York with a trunk full of treasure they hope to sell for a fortune, breaks down (the junker of a Honda being one reason for needing the fortune) about thirty miles from where Reacher stands. Lucky for them, they think, that the barely visible sign almost hidden by the deep woods, reads “Motel.”
It’s the next morning when both Reacher and the Canadian couple are surprised by what they find: at the city clerk's office, Reacher is told that no one with that surname has ever lived in Laconia, leading him to question whether there are secrets about his family that his father had hidden, and, at the Motel, the couple learns that whatever is going on there, it probably doesn't involve shelter for travelers.
As Reacher works to unravel the mystery of his family history, and the Canadian couple discovers that not only are they trapped, but that they have stumbled into something sinister, their lives become intertwined and it's up to Reacher to make sure they all get out alive.

Lee Child has done it again! Jack Reacher is back and better than ever. This one really caught my interest right away and held it throughout the book. Very interesting premise and well-written. I love imagining Reacher doing everything he does, from fighting to thinking to simply strolling along the side of the road.

What do you do when you are on a cross country journey and the name of a town you are passing through tickles your memory? Well if your Jack Reacher you stop and find out more about your Dad and the town he grew up in.

This is probably one of the few Reacher books that follow's two story lines. One of Jack Reacher and the other of two young Canadians. It was interesting how the stories wove together and to learn a bit more about Jack Reacher's family and how they became who they were. Some great twists.

Jack Reacher, America’s beloved loner, is back in Past Tense, the 23rd novel in the series by bestselling British author Lee Child. Jack is hitchhiking to California, but sees a sign pointing to a town that he remembers his father was from. Because he is in no hurry, he decides to stop and check it out. When he checks in with the recorder’s office, he is told that no one by the name of Reacher is shown to have ever lived there; Reacher is puzzled, and when he looks into it, opens a can of worms. At the same time, a young couple traveling from Canada has car trouble and ends up at a motel in the same town. The motel management is nice to the couple, at first, but something strange is going on, and the couple is unable to leave.

Jack Reacher fans already know this character, and Child has developed him into an icon. Reacher is so different from most characters in thrillers, and that’s part of the appeal. Reacher gets himself into trouble almost everywhere through no fault of his own, except for the fact that he is there, and often risks his life to save strangers. He is truly one of the most unique characters in modern fiction. Readers know he is ex-military, over 6 feet tall, and in almost perfect physical shape, which makes him appealing to the ladies and difficult to deal with to the men who know he can take them down.

In Past Tense, Reacher does learn some things about his past, his father, and his father’s home town, but those things are not what he expects. Reacher does happen on the young couple, and what happens there is bizarre and unique, even for Reacher.

As always, this Reacher novel is highly recommended. Fans will be on the edges of their seats and new readers will wonder why they haven’t read Lee Child’s novels previously.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

I'm no Lee Child authority since I've only read a handful of the 23 Jack Reacher novels, but if this isn't one of his best then I surely better get busy. Past Tense has two interesting story strands. It's inevitable that they intertwine in some way, but the result is not obvious. One strand builds suspense to a fever pitch, an homage to Richard Mattheson for whom the book is dedicated. Reacher brings the strands together. So we've got a better than good plot, a decent supporting cast and dialogue involving Reacher that is blunt but erudite, informed and intense and unbelievably funny in many cases. Jack is simply a great character, somewhat unbelievable but always unshakeable and entertaining aS HECK.. I'm giving this 4.5 stars.

What I don’t understand is why I have waited so long to pick up a book by Lee Child. Once again I am late to the party, but fortunately, I did not miss out on all the fun. “Past Tense” is the most recent installment in the Jack Reacher series. Jack has decided to leave Maine and head for San Diego but his ride only gets him to New Hampshire. When he finds himself close to the small town where his father grew up he decides to make a detour and check it out. It pretty quickly becomes apparent that his presence in town has stirred up quite a big hornet’s nest. The cops want him out of town but Jack is determined to get answers to his questions.

I knew I was going to like Jack Reacher from the moment I met him. He’s a bit of a misfit but he lives according to his own rules and is not easily persuaded once he sets his mind to something. Jack is a big guy and very intimidating if he’s not on your side in a fight. He’s the kind of guy that I would love to know. I also found the companion characters in this story to be a really great mix, my favorite would have to be the Rev. He’s a very quirky character (and you know I love quirky), at times afraid of his own shadow but always there when you need him. I really enjoyed the pacing of the story ranging from somewhat calm to bracing action, from coffee shop conversation to raging infernos. This story just hit all of the elements I love. A bit of history, some genealogy, really bad guys up to no good, thrills, mystery and action. Definitely a home run and a series that is going on my TBR.

This was about the 10th Reacher book that I’ve read, so I certainly know what to expect from him. The books are quite formulaic and you either buy into the formula or you don’t. He’s the loner who arrives at a new town and happens upon some trouble, resulting in his brutally beating a few people and crushing some bones. There was a pretty high body count in this book, which alternated between the Reacher story, as he researched his father’s background, and a second story about Shorty and Patty, a young Canadian couple who become trapped in a creepy motel. I found it slightly off putting that Patty’s internal voice and the manner in which she analyzed situations sounded exactly like Reacher’s, but no one reads these books for the great character development. The two storylines don’t come together until the end of the book. The motel plot was definitely more suspenseful and interesting. The book entertained me and I’ll continue to read the series selectively. There is absolutely no reason to read all of the books or to read them in order. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

My husband recently discovered the Jack Reacher books, so I requested this one when it came up on NetGalley. Of course he decided he needed a break from the series. I have only read the first few in the series but did not remember them being this tedious. The first 100 pages felt like the same few sentences repeated ad naseum. Sure some places Mr. Child changed the wording a bit but it was the same phrase. Then the book took another 200 pages to finally get to the point of the story! I think the only reason I kept reading was because I really wanted to know what was in Shorty and Patty's suitcase. The bulk of the actual story took place in the final 100 pages. And it was a good story! A little predictable, but good. So the question is: are you willing to get through 300 pages to read 100 really good pages? Probably depends on how much of a Jack Reacher fan you are or how much you want to know what is in that suitcase!

I'm a longtime Jack Reacher fan, so this latest Lee Child novel was a treat. Many of the earlier novels give small glimpses of Jack Reacher's family life and history; Past Tense takes us to Laconia, New Hampshire where Stan Reacher had grown up. Reacher has wondered why their family never returned for visits, never met any of Stan's family. So, Reacher decides to spend a little time and find his father's old home.

Instead of a quick visit, Reacher can't find records of his family in the area. It takes several visits to the Registry of Deeds, tax records, etc. before Reacher slowly gets an idea of where Stan grew up. But the research leads to more questions than answers and Reacher finds himself stepping in to save more than one bullied person. And once Reacher interferes with a bully, he finds that the bully isn't willing to let things drop. So, as Reacher becomes the target of local tough guys, he decides to find answers to his family's past. One thing leads to another...and Lee Child delivers another fast paced, action-packed, Jack Reacher thriller and reveals more about Reacher's family.

It was so much fun to visit Jack Reacher again. In this adventure he searches for his ties to the past, which I found particularly intriguing. This book found me guessing until close to the end. At the same time Jack is delving into his father’s past, a young couple from Canada finds themselves stranded at a “motel” owned by one of Jack’s relatives. The stories eventually merge and Jack finds himself involved in the couples’ dilemma. I have read all of the books in the Jack Reacher series because they are well-written, fast-paced and gripping. This was one of the best he has written. I was fortunate to receive an eArc of this book from #NetGalley. However, I liked the book so much that I purchase a copy for my husband to read. (He doesn’t do ebooks), I had a hard time not telling him what was going to happen, but we had a good discussion when he finished reading.

In the latest installment we find Jack Reacher about to walk across the country. He is in a small coastal town in Maine deciding on his route to California. Thumb out he scores a ride to Boston but as in all things Man makes plans and God laughs. HIs ride has to turn around and Reacher is left to play another of life’s games - which fork in the road to take. He has history down one path and it is an obvious choice - Laconia, New Hampshire. Reacher is a precise guy who mentally measures his arm reach, the angle and trajectory of a punch. A former Army MP he has difficulty walking away from trouble especially when it isn’t his trouble. Needless to say that trouble shadows him around many corners.

At the same point in time Patricia Marie Sundstrom, a twenty-five year old Canadian sawmill worker and her boyfriend Shorty Fleck, a potato farmer are trying to get to New York City to sell something. The car is overheating, they are hungry and thirsty and need a bathroom. The best chance of finding what they need is up ahead in Laconia, New Hampshire. Shorty is the kind of guy who puts things off and doesn’t delve too deep below the surface. Patty has the mental acuity to analyze a situation that is too bizarre to contemplate.

Told as parallel stories Reacher is trying to find out about his father and the paternal part of the family while Patty and Shorty are just trying to get their car fixed and get to NYC to sell whatever is in their suitcase. Is that something illicit? Read on - it is the only way you are going to find out.

Both parts of the book held my attention but when the storyline went perpendicular and crossed everything gets crazy and hold your breath and OMG. There are well fleshed out ancillary characters and irreverent humor in the dialog.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing House - Ballantine for a copy