Lee Child provides some great background on Jack Reacher in this intriguing book. A definite must read of the year!

In the beginning of this book, Reacher leaves Maine, destination San Diego. Walking along a back road, Reacher came to a fork and took the road heading to Laconia, New Hampshire. He had never been to Laconia, but he knew a little about it. Reacher's late father had been born there. When he arrives in Laconia, Reacher sets off to find out where his father lived, maybe have a look at the old house if it is still standing. He meets dead end after dead end, but he searches on. But unbeknownst to Reacher, this little town has eyes that are watching his every move. And, of course, Reacher finds trouble wherever he drifts.

An alternate storyline unfolds slowly, building anticipation for what will come. This takes place at a remote motel and involves some pretty sinister people. The characters and setting are nicely done. The young couple in this storyline find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. They soon become part of a very dangerous game. Reacher catches up with them and the two plot lines converge around 75% into the book.

As always, Lee Child does an excellent job developing the characters and providing vivid descriptions. The quick, clipped dialogue keeps the pace flowing smoothly. This is a very enjoyable story. I don’t know how Lee Child does it, but somehow the Reacher series just keep getting better and better.

I would recommend this book to fans of mysteries and thrillers, and of course to fans of Jack Reacher. I received this as a free ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this arc.

I do adore Lee Child's Jack Reacher books. In Past Tense, he strays a bit from his usual formula. His ramblings take him into New Hampshire this time, not far from his father's childhood home and since he's not expected to be somewhere else and doesn't really have any solid plans other than heading south for the winter, he decides to wander down that pig trail and check out his father's hometown. But he runs into trouble finding it and has to do some research into the city records. Seems like a slower start than usual, but right off trouble manages to find him (of course it does....). Reacher's story takes a break and about 20 miles away Patty and Shorty's story picks up.... a nice young couple running away from Canada with a very heavy suitcase. It gets eerier and eerier for Patty and Shorty (what is in that suitcase??) They are obviously scheduled to be the next victims in the book but Reacher isn't even aware of them.

Bad guys keep getting in the way. Small town thugs and goons.... Rural thugs and goons..... Some imported thugs and goons.... And some really nasty rascals from all across the country. What fun. Remind me to stay away from New Hampshire.

Past Tense was a slower paced compared to most of the previous books. A little eerier, too. Reacher doesn't get a girl. He does finally gain a better picture of his father's family tree. The fists kept flying but they were more like appetizers. It took most of the book before the two stories became one. Patty and Shorty decided to fight back and finally they meet Reacher. Reacher finally connects with his father's remaining family. But he didn't get a girl. I don't think he changed clothes either. Patty and Shorty did save their very heavy suitcase.

A great read!

I enjoyed this addition to the Reacher series. In it, we have Reacher looking into his father's past and the town he (dad) grew up in. While that is occurring, Patty and Shorty, a Canadian couple, are traveling to NYC, when they develop car problems. They stumble across a motel way off the beaten path and immediately, something seems "off", but, as their vehicle won't start, they're effectively trapped. I found there story particularly disturbing, but would worry about anyone who didn't find it disturbing.

I kept waiting for the two story lines to connect, but they didn't until the much closer to the ending, however, it was worth waiting for.

This novel started slowly to me, but kept picking up steam as it continued moving along. This book is more of a gradually building story as opposed to the more constant fast action in some of the prior books. However, having said that, there is still plenty of violence and opportunities to "get retaliation first".

I enjoyed learning more about Reacher's family history. While this book is a bit different, it is well worth reading and should be at the top of every Reacher fan's TBR list. The author is on my must read authors' list.

Having read all previous Jack Reacher books I was looking forward to this one with great anticipation. But, arrived with disapointment. The story was slow to develop. The was no explanation why Reacher is in New England at the start of this adventure. The personality of Reacher seems to be changing as he gets older. In 'Past Tense' he has no hesitation in killing the bad guys where in the past he at least made the effort to teach them a lesson first. I hope this is just an aberation in the timeline of Jack Reacher by Lee Child.

At 1 minute past 3 in the morning, an unexplained sound awaken both Reacher and Patty.
This phenomena occurred to both of them over several days to Reacher in Laconia and to Patty in Ryantown. These unusual occurrences and answers to the reader’s other questions e.g. why there are no Reachers in the old US Laconia census and what is in Patty’s and Shorty’s suitcase that is so life changing and what is happening at their motel. Keeps one reading and wanting to get to the end of the book.

Having read all the Reacher books and many of them multiple times, it's always a thrill for me to dive into the newest one. Reacher is pushing 60 at this point and Child's writing style seems to be taking that into account, where we used to have a romantic involvement or two in each book we see that element of the stories fade into the background and in Past Tense we see that not at all. In past books Reacher and Det. Amos may have had a fling, but now Reacher seems to be the patronly St. Christopher type protector of weary travellers and the disabused. Much like Harry Bosch, another favorite of mine, age starts to play a role in the story, it has to right? But that certainly doesn't mean that the Reacher we've all come to know has completely changed, the body count is still fairly high and while Past Tense takes a while to really get rolling, the build up is a slow burn that left me fascinated and primed for the action. To take an element of Reacher's life (his father and ancestry) that we've only pieced together throughout the arc of the series and really put it under a microscope was something that I really enjoyed. This entry into the series is a worthy addition and I was glad to get a new "present day" story. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this title.

Past Tense by Lee Child is another interesting and exciting adventure story featuring Jack Reacher. This one seemed more personal since he was trying to find the town where his father lived. The stories rarely mention his parents and might refer to other family members or past friends. For the most part Reacher is a loner going from . town to town carrying very little and either walking or hitching a ride. I think I know him very well since I've read and enjoyed each book Lee Child has written. I hope someday to read a book that has flashbacks to his earlier years. Happy reading evreyone!

Lee Child just keeps on giving good books. Jack Reacher is my favorite character. He makes this series unputdownable.

Another hit by Lee Child! I did feel it started a little slow but definitely a great ending - everyone should read the Jack Reacher series!!

Jack Reacher is heading for warmer climes. Winter is coming and he would much rather spend winter in San Diego than Maine. He hits the road with his thumb out and decides to take a detour to Laconia NH, the supposed home of his family. Both of his parents are dead, but he remembers his father talking about Laconia; apparently his father was the foreman of a tin mill in Ryantown, which fell off the map during the Depression. Reacher, being Reacher, cannot stay away from a rich young man harassing a cocktail waitress outside his hotel at 3:00 AM and beats him to a pulp. Turns out the young man has Boston mob connections and the local PD is not happy about it, warning Reacher to leave town ASAP. Except Reacher wants to finish his trip into genealogy. Meanwhile, a trio of young men have kidnapped a young couple heading to New York from Canada. For a long time, the reader is held in suspense as to what will happen to these young people. But as Reacher explores his roots and the nefarious plans for the couple come to light, both story lines will collide in a deafening impact. The set-up was a little tedious, but once the action started, it was non-stop. An interesting look into Reacher's youth, with some explosive revelations.

Jack Reacher returns doing what he does best - walking around the country and seeing an injustice, he must act. Past Tense has two mysteries that ensure Reacher on his search for his father's past - a past that doesn't ring true. As always, Reacher remains calm and purposeful but determined to do what he needs to do - despite the risks and despite what he might find out about his father.

Love the Jack Reacher books! Lee Child always writes a compelling story. Literally lost sleep on this one, but it was so worth it.

Reacher (and his toothbrush) are heading to San Diego, but a side trip to Laconia, New Hampshire to research his family history turns out to be not quite what he expected. A fast-paced, total page-turner in this series. Highly recommend.