5 stars

Jack Reacher decides that he is going from Maine to California – walking, hitching, however. But he doesn’t get too far. He sees a sign for Laconia, New Hampshire and recalls that it is where his father was from. His dad never went back to Laconia, but Reacher would like to see the house where he lived. After an exhaustive search through country records, Reacher finally finds in the police reports a mention of his father Stan. He learns from the clerk that a lot of people lived outside Laconia and searches the entire county. There he finds his grandparents and Stan. But someone makes a phone call and tells the listener that Reacher is looking up old records.

At the same time, Patty and Shorty are making a trip in their beat up old Honda from Canada to New York City to sell a treasure. The reader doesn’t get to learn what the treasure consists of, but it is heavy. The car doesn’t make it; it is overheating and making a clunking noise under the hood. They coast into a motel with no other cars there. How odd. They meet Mark who fiddles under to hood and now it won’t even turn over. They are given a room that was refurbished and bed down for the night – Mark promising all along that he will call the mechanic in the morning as the phones are out just then.

Something wakes Patty in the night. She begins to get suspicious when the door to their room won’t open. It opens easily in the morning. At the same time, the reader gets a view behind the scenes. They are being held for some reason by the four male owners of the motel.

Reacher sets out walking the eight or so miles to a place called Ryanville. It is the little wide spot in the road where his father grew up. There, he runs into trouble with an apple grower. He is asked by the police to leave town and not come back. Of course he comes back, for he has plans for the next day.

Meanwhile, back at the motel, things are escalating. Patty and Shorty’s captors’ stories get weirder. There are too many inconsistencies for Patty is nothing if not pretty smart. When Reacher makes a visit to the motel, he also notices something not quite right. He sneaks back that night.

Then the story gets more paced and it literally explodes into action and drama with nail biting tension thrown in. The ending of the book is soft and nostalgic. At least I thought so.

The bad guys in this book were really bad: conniving, manipulative and more than a little goal oriented – their own goals of course. Jack Reacher was himself. That is to say always ready. His motto is “hope for the best, plan for the worst.” It works beautifully for him. I absolutely love his character. This book is remarkably well written and plotted as are all of Lee Child’s novels. He has a way with words and describing situations that are way beyond good. It’s excellent. There were a couple of places in the novel that I questioned, “Could that really happen that way?” But they were relatively minor and I have a tendency to question almost everything.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine/Delacorte Press for forwarding to me a copy of this absolutely riveting book for me to read, enjoy and review.

What Reacher fan doesn't look forward to the next installment in this series? I await each one, but sadly this one is very different from previous books and didn't quite hit the usual mark of excellence for me. Reacher is wandering again, this time from Maine towards SanDiego when he decides to make a brief detour to Laconia NH to do a little family history sleuthing in his dad's hometown. Jack is Jack, so he doesn't stay out of trouble for long and soon finds himself trying to evade a "hit" on his life. In a parallel plot line, a young couple from Canada, Shorty and Patty are making their way from Canada to NYC with a mysterious and have suitcase, in a beat up Honda. As the Honda is nearing a breakdown they find a room in a backwoods motel and the plot heats up from there.

Both plot lines continue in parallel with no intersection until the final ten chapters of the book. The intersection seems artificial given the weak connection that brings them together. The story development is slower than normal for a Reacher plot and it just feels like the author was reaching this time to get a book out. Here's hoping that when Jack reaches SanDiego there's a more intersting story waiting for him there.

Visiting his father's birthplace in New Hampshire, Reacher arrives just as some *really nefarious* stuff is happening and involves himself in some violent genealogy, including the step by step fight descriptions we expect in a Reacher book (those apple picking locals, even the one with some high school wrestling experience, sure play their cards wrong).

It’s so refreshing to have our Jack Reacher, the 6’4”, 240# former MP in this novel instead of a 5’3” actor trying to carry out all the real Reacher is called upon to do as he pursues the right and protects those who can’t protect themselves. In this story, Reacher travels to (what he believes is) his ancestral home in search of some closure. As usual trouble finds him as bullies and kidnappers rear their ugly heads. And as usual, the strong, quiet protagonist deals with the troublemakers decisively. A good addition to the Reacher legend.

“Past Tense”, the latest Lee Child effort in the Jack Reacher series, falls a bit short of previous successes. Jack is his usual analytical, perceptive and tough guy self as he visits his father’s childhood town in New Hampshire. However, there slightly less energy, zip or suspense when compared to earlier books even though the basic story lines hold true. If PAST TENSE is one’s first Jack Reacher read this may not be noticeable. But for a veteran like myself this book is slightly slow moving.

I loved this book. It’s been a while since I’ve read a Jack Reacher book, but one of the beauties of this series is that each one works well as a standalone. Even if it’s your first Reacher book, you’ll find yourself completely intrigued by the mystery of his past here.

Readers should note that the book isn’t particularly action packed. Action does happen, but it takes a while. Instead you have two puzzles that demand to be solved. One the puzzle of Reacher and his past. The other the puzzles of two characters stuck in a remote location. I will admit that the puzzle of our two stuck characters was immediately obvious to me, but I read a lot and it’s one of my favorite plot devices. As a result, even though I knew what was going on there, I was just thrilled.

Child really is a master of characterization and it stands out here. Every character we meet is nuanced and fascinating.

This one kept me reading and I simple didn’t want it to end!

I NEVER grow tired of Jack Reacher He has become iconic to me. This time, Jack is looking into the mystery of his own past, but in true Reacher fashion he finds more than he's bargaining for and helps a Canadian couple who have fallen into a deadly situation. I really liked the way this was two stories told independently, yet overlapping to one final showdown. Another great read from Lee Child!

Full review to be published online in late November.

PAST TENSE is very different for a Reacher book. It had the kind of plot twists that the readder would find in a Harlan Coben thriller and not the linear plot progression one expects from a Reacher book. Reacher hits his late father’s hometown on a whim to try to learn about his past. This story intertwines with one about a young couple who unintentionally wind up at a remote motel in the woods. The two plots alternate, but don’t come together until late in the book.

I would have enjoyed the storyline about the young couple more if it hadn’t turned out to be such an improbable premise. It was creepy waiting to find out what the purpose was; but once the reader knows for sure the anticipation is gone. At that point the enjoyment takes a pretty big dip, and doesn’t go back up until the climactic scenes of the book. It didn’t help that I had recently read a thriller with a similar plot.

It is left for the Reacher part of the book to sustain the load, and it had a rather laconic pace. I will say that Lee Child gave a bit of a surprise twist to the young lovers predicament. They turned out to be quite resourceful. Oh, and Reacher finds out more about his family’s past than he ever bargained for.

PAST TENSE is a good read; but I have to say I’ve never read a Reacher book like this. There is little of the expected action and head-banging, and it’s slower paced and more introspective. Honestly, if I found out later that Lee Child had a ghost writer for this book I wouldn’t be the least surprised. It’s that far off the track of the usual Reacher book.

Lee Child hits a home run with another Jack Reacher novel. Jack takes a detour to explore his roots in this adventure. Story meanders through a sleepy town, that suddenly heats up with arrival of Jack. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Jack at his best here.

Past Tense – Lee Child

I was fortunate to receive this novel from Netgalley.com as an Advance Reader Copy, in exchange for an objective review.

I have never read a Reacher book that I didn’t like, and this awesome new adventure is no exception!

Jack Reacher is presently in Maine, and it looking to head to southern California for the winter, via hitchhiking or whatever means he comes across. As he accepts a ride from a nice individual heading to Boston, he notices a sign along the way for Laconia, New Hampshire. Family lore says his father was from there, and Jack decides to head that way to see what he can learn about his little known paternal family.

Meanwhile, Shorty Fleck and Patty Sundstrom have left their hometown in Canada and are on the road to Florida in search of an idyllic life on the beach. Their old Honda is over-heating and they stop at a small out of the way hotel in Laconia, New Hampshire. The proprietors are welcoming, and the two are given a newly refurbished room. But the next morning, their car won’t start, and the phones are dead. There’s no cell service. And then strange things start to happen…

As with every novel by Lee Child, I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN! The Jack Reacher character just drags me in every time. Part wandering vagabond, part old military cop, and part ruthless avenging angel for the greater good, Reacher is unique, intriguing, and just plain awesome. A must-read for Reacher fans everywhere, and a fabulous first introduction to readers who haven’t yet met Jack!

When I first discovered Lee Child's Jack Reacher series in 2005, I "binge" read all his books until I was caught up and then eagerly awaited each new novel. I faithfully followed Reacher, but at some point wondered if Child was going to be able to keep the series interesting with Reacher traveling along until he encountered trouble, or trouble found him. Child succeeded in keeping the future intriguing by looking back to the past. Past Tense isn't just the story of Reacher earlier in his life, but present Reacher facing his roots. Don't they say that when in doubt regarding a fork in the road, go left. It should be so surprise that Reacher goes right, towards Laconia NH, the town where his father was born. He just wants to see where his the house where his father lived, and perhaps find a relative to two. Patty and Shorty are traveling to NY City from Canada when car trouble causes them to stop about 20 miles outside of Laconia. They're lucky enough to find a motel in the middle of nowhere, but soon they are suspicious of how lucky they actually were. Simultaneous plots coming at you from two sides of the story building up suspense until they collide. More than ever in Past Tense, Child was able to describe the scene through Reacher's eyes that allowed me to feel like I was standing there along side of him. And learning more about where Reacher came from just helps grow the character in my mind. Past Tense is another must read in the Jack Reacher series.

Love this latest Jack Reacher book from Lee Childs! Past Tense by Lee Childs has Jack traveling to the town where his father grew up but things may not be what they seemed to be. If your looking for Jack to kick some butt.....he does! if your looking for characters you can root for to get out of sticky situations....you got them! if your looking for your next great read that you can't put down....You found it right here with Past Tense! ! Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for allowing me to read this ARC book and give my own personal opinion. I would highly recommend this book for a great unputdownable read!

First and foremost, my thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of PAST TENSE. Mr. Child has written another suspenseful Reacher installment!

Per his writing style, the build up is slow and methodical, yet there is enough action (in a side plot) to pique the reader’s curiosity and tickle the spidey-sense, which builds up the suspense from the beginning! The reader can guess where this storyline is headed early on, but the slow and steady build up is way too lengthy due to picayune details.

Reacher comes into play in a secondary story line, which is quite unique and interesting, involving his heritage via his father’s backstory. There are a few surprises as he makes new discoveries about his family’s past generations. (Thus the title PAST TENSE) . Reacher’s familial quest is well developed, intriguing, and cleverly executed.

The two divergent storylines converge in trademark Reacher style: heart-stopping, thrilling, and with explosive deadly force. My one regret is that Reacher style does not culminate until 75% through the book. His character stays true to form: help the helpless, cut through the red tape and bureaucracy, say good-bye and move on. I will be looking forward to his next adventure somewhere in between his present locale of New Hampshire and his San Diego destination! He always seems to find trouble, or vice versa!

Reacher sets out across country and makes a little stop at his father's hometown to do a bit of ancestral research. Before you know it, he has found more mystery than he bargained for. Soon character after character is caught up in Reacher’s perilous journey. In typical Reacher style, the conflicts lead to twists and the rescues involve electrifying action. As the pages fan through your finger tips, you’ll have to agree that returning to your past puts a whole new meaning in the term PAST TENSE.

I complained last time about the find, fight, and fornicate routine that "Jack" had fallen into. Who knew he reads short reviews. Welcome to a great storyline ALTHOUGH the "Ryantown" thread length was maddening at times this is a change in the Reacher venue. I thought the Boston piece was left kind of incomplete but this is BY FAR one of the BEST JR novels in a long, long time fro a literary construction review. The typical JR fighting scenes are okay of course they have NEVER risen to the book "Killing Floor" where the fighting scenes were4 so well written you had to duck!

This book will extend the JR life; great writing Mr. Child.

Reacher decides that as long as he is passing through New Hampshire, he might as well look at where his father grew up in Lanconia. As Reacher will do, he beats up a sexual predator and now he's got people gunning for him. In the spot which Reacher is hoping to get to, a young couple from Canada stop at a motel because their car breaks down. It becomes clear they will be the prey in a version of THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME.

The two stories don't cross each other until well into the book, and that's a problem. Helping people is what Reacher does, and it takes too much time for him to get to that point. However, once there, the body count rises quickly.

If you like Jack Reacher, you will like the novel. However, if you are new to the series, this is not the book to begin with.

Lee Child can always be counted on to give his readers what they want. They want Reacher getting himself into, and out of, situations. And kicking some ass. "Past Tense" takes us Reacher's dad's hometown of Lanonia (or was it?). Another terrific entry in this much loved series.

Jack Reacher has apparently been thrilling readers for twenty years. No one told me. Although this is only my second Reacher novel (and its number 23 with a bullet), count me in as a fan. Reacher is an ex-MP who has taken to wandering the country, heading here and there for the barest of reasons. Well, he likes a puzzle and is curiouser than any ten cats. Along the way, Reacher always seems to stumble into trouble. Here, he returns to his father's hometown and decides to see his dad's old haunts. Meanwhile, a couple of Canadians head south on an adventure of their own, one perhaps that could have been better planned and in a car that certainly could have been better maintained. Their adventures could not have put them in a more bizarre and offbeat predicament. Of course, eventually their paths will cross.

I found this to be an enjoyable and compelling read, although don't open it up expecting a lightning paced thriller. It's pace is more thoughtful and confident, if not laconic. What makes it work is the even pace, the narrative voice,and natural curiosity.

Full disclosure.....I have read every Jack Reacher novel.
I understand there is a certain pattern to how a reacher novel reads.
You know what? I don't care that there is a formula the author follows from book to book. Lee Child has added more dimensions to the trouble Jack Reacher finds in this novel and I would have to say it is the best of them all.
Major Reacher, a retired Army Major , travels primarily by foot from one town to the next, never putting down roots. He has a very keen sense of what justice and fairness should be and has the size to encourage unruly individuals to toe the line in that regard. Mr. Reacher finds trouble, or trouble finds him often because he is not afraid to help those who need helping.
In this latest novel, Mr.Reacher finds trouble only because he is looking into his past. Family history on his fathers side. Purely because he saw the name of the town that his father was reportedly from while he was traveling.
If you like a good read, this is one to try.

4.5 stars, actually.

Honestly, I'm not at all sure how much I'd like Jack Reacher if I met him in person because he doesn't pull any punches, but I'm certain I'd want him on my side in a fight for the same reason. And in this, the 23rd book in the series, he gets plenty of opportunity to practice his considerable skill.

The story begins as Reacher walks and hitchhikes near a remote and tiny town in New Hampshire on his way to wherever else the wind (or more accurately, any driver who gives him a lift) takes him. When he recalls his late father Stan saying he grew up in the town, though, Reacher decides to pay a visit to the family homestead - if he can find it, that is.

Concurrently, Shorty and Patty, a pair of grifters from Canada - on their way to New York with a get-rich-quick plan in tow - have car trouble. Just as the old jalopy is ready to blow, they spot a sign pointing to a motel in a heavily wooded area of (you guessed it), New Hampshire. Yep, there's a halfway decent room available - but very soon, it becomes obvious that this isn't your average Motel 6. In fact, they may have happened upon their very worst nightmare.

Chapters follow the progress as Reacher tries to find what appears to be nonexistent evidence of his father's old home and the couple try to find their way out of the mess they're in. As expected, the two storylines end up converging - but not before plenty of action takes place in both. Early on, Reacher gets on the bad side of a bad seed and his wealthy father; although the local police are for the most part on Reacher's side - after all, he's been both an Army guy and a fellow cop - they don't want Trouble with a capital T that rhymes with P that stands for Problem. Just go on your way, they tell Reacher, hoping he'll heed their advice.

He'd love to, but he's got problems of his own (not the least of which is getting on the bad side of the folks he runs into when he finally locates the family town). Besides that, other local and otherwise innocent folks are finding themselves in potential danger simply because they helped Reacher; how can he possibly turn his back on them and hike away?

And so it goes, with excitement and action building all the way from town to the woods and back to an explosive end. If I have an issue, it's that I have a hard time believing in coincidences - meaning things that happen at precisely the time they should to make the story work. Life usually doesn't follow that kind of pattern - but then again, it's Reacher's life, not mine. In the end I'm happy, and I'll be looking forward to the next installment as usual. Meantime, I'm thanking the publisher (via NetGalley) for the opportunity to read an advance review copy of this one.