I'm a big fan of Jack Reacher, however not in this book.  This time around Jack feels tired and worn down.  Yes he is doing the right thing and helping others and fighting injustice even when he could easily walk away, and this is great, but it felt flat and done without any passion or interest.  Or at least that is how his actions and words came across to me.  Could this be because of the collaboration writing with Andrew Child?  

It took a very long time for me to get into this book, whereas usually I'm hooked very early on.  A good portion of this book is told from other characters and this didn't help me as my brain was working very hard trying to figure out why or how they could all be tied together.  One of the things I love about Jack Reacher is the way his brain works to solve problems.  With so many characters in play there just wasn't enough of Jack for me, and his problem solving skills felt very forced.  By the end of the book when all the players are in the same location fighting the same fight that was when I found my interest in the book and I couldn't read fast enough because I just wanted to know how it ended.  Which was abruptly and I was not a fan of this. 

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press for my digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.  I do look forward to future reads with Jack Reacher!

Jack Reacher appears almost super human in this 27th book in the series. After witnessing a murder that a lazy police Lieutenant writes off as a suicide, Reacher is on a new mission for justice. Child’s clever plotting had me clueless as to what the criminals were actually doing until well into the story. I received a digital advance copy of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for my Honest opinion of the book.

If I thought the last Reacher book was dull, man did I underestimate how boring the character and world could be without Lee's touch on it (and while his name's on the cover, this feels nothing like any of his books). 

Dull action, a running gag around concussing folks and leaving them in situations where they could die (not that Jack's ever been reluctant to kill, but if an enemy was incapacitated and not capable of following, he usually moved on, especially given the time constraints he usually has), a B-plot that both takes forever to connect with main story and does so in the least surprising or interesting way, and it just goes on and on. Glad I read it for free, but even then, was only worth my time as an indicator that the series is definitely not worth continuing with.

Jack Reacher witnesses a crime, though the death of a woman is ruled a suicide.  In true Reacher fashion, he brings it upon himself to track down those responsible.

I used to devour Jack Reacher books in one sitting, but the last few novels have been hard to finish.  No Plan B is mainly lifeless and dull, too formulaic to be interesting.  I have been a huge fan for many years, but if No Plan B is any indication of the trajectory of the series, I might put on the brakes.  

Reacher has "Spidey" sense, seeing issues where no one else does.  This usually leads the big man into trouble, though nothing he cannot handle.  I have always found the Reacher novels like a comfortable pair of shoes, easy to slip into and take a walk around.  Now, it seems like the shoes are wearing through and it is almost time to put them away for good.  For these reasons, I would hesitate to recommend No Plan B to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher.  The decision to read and review No Plan B was entirely my own.

"No Plan B" by Lee Child and Andrew Child is a high-stakes thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The story opens with a shocking murder in Gerrardsville, Colorado, and Jack Reacher is the only witness. He knows what really happened, and he won't rest until justice is served. As he delves deeper into the case, he realizes that the crimes are part of a larger, more sinister plot, involving an arsonist seeking revenge, a foster kid on the run, and a group of powerful people involved in a secret conspiracy.

With his signature style and unyielding determination, Jack Reacher is the perfect protagonist for this pulse-pounding adventure. He's smart, he's tough, and he's got a no-nonsense approach to justice. As he gets closer to the truth, the stakes get higher, and the tension builds to a fever pitch. Whether you're a long-time fan of the Jack Reacher series or a newcomer to the world of this iconic hero, you won't be able to put down this page-turner.

In No Plan B, Jack Reacher arrived in small town Colorado for a museum exhibition. The next morning, Reacher witnessed Angela St. Vrain pushed into the street toward oncoming traffic. She did not survive.

"Reacher was wired to move toward danger. To confront it. To defeat it, or die trying. It was baked into his DNA."

Reacher knew what he saw. So he quite naturally chased the person who had pushed Angela and who had also stolen her purse. And then the local police disregarded Reacher's witness statement in favor of another "highly respected" person who saw Angela's "suicide." As Reacher followed the clues, he became enmeshed in something much more complex than a single murder.

"The tragic tale of a wrongly convicted man. He wondered what it had to do with Angela. Which made him think of another tragic tale. One that was just beginning. For the little girl in the wallet photo. Angela's daughter. Who would now have to grow up without a mother."

While No Plan B is number 27 in the Reacher series, it's the third novel written by Andrew "Child" instead of Lee Child. I had two major criticisms with this installment. First, this felt like a body-snatch story. While the main character was named Jack Reacher, it didn't feel like the Reacher created by Lee Child. There was no display of the wit that used to make me chuckle in the earlier stories. And while Andrew Child went out of his way to repeat all of the Reacher-isms in his debut outing -- The Sentinel #25, I was hard pressed to believe that this was a Jack Reacher story. The only Reacher-like aspect apparent in book #27 was that he played the hero who swooped into town and who then quickly disappeared after he performed his heroics.

The second major fault I found with No Plan B was its storytelling style. I was bored with the first half of the book; that's about 175 pages. There was insufficient suspense to hold my attention. And yes, I expect suspense or enough action in a novel which is aimed at thriller fans. The writing also annoyed me because the author used periods to punctuate every thought -- for example
"Plus he had a wife at home. And a son. The kid was in his twenties now but he was still a liability. Financially speaking. [He] had all kinds of expenses to take care of. Cars. Food. Clothes. Medical bills."
Since there wasn't enough intrigue to pull me into the plot, I had plenty of time to be irked by the writing style.

If No Plan B had been written by a new-to-me author and with a protagonist not named Reacher, I would still have rated this 2.5 stars. To me, that's average or middling, but I would have rounded up to 3 stars. But since this is billed as a Jack Reacher story, I'm going to round down. The protagonist is an automaton wearing a Reacher disguise but Reacher's heart and soul are gone.

Thank you to the authors, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Quotations were from the published edition. This had been published on October 25, 2022.

No plan b is an excellent addition to the Reacher series! I am an avid fan and have read most of the books and I can honestly say they don’t disappoint. I find it amazing to see Reacher just walk into any random town in the US and somehow witness or run across a larger far reaching plot that involves corruption on some of the highest levels. And in grand Reacher style he relentlessly finds answers, takes names n rights the proverbial ship. I can’t get enough so well done and intriguing! I highly recommend the series.

As a long-time Jack Reacher fan, I wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, NO PLAN B (written primarily, I believe, by Andrew Child, as Lee Child has wanted to turn over the series to his brother) is just plain bad. It's full of cliched villains, superhero-style exploits, and rambling detours--and not in the usual, fun Lee Child way. I think I may have reached the end of my time with Jack.

This writing duo doesn’t miss a beat.   Jack reacher will forever be my OG boyfriend and love this series.   Keep writing and we will keep reading

Lee Child did it again! Another fascinating Jack Reacher storyline. This book was a great thriller that held my attention to the very last page. This book starts with a woman who was killed and it is labeled a accident but low and behold Reacher observed the death and noticed there was more to the story. We follow along as Reacher helps uncover who murdered this woman. Also, I like how Child's does not add all these unwanted characters to his stories and only includes a small cast.

Book #27 in the Jack Reacher series, and the third written by Andrew Child.  This book hearkens back to the Reacher of old.  One who will stop at nothing to expose the truth and bring justice to those deserving it.  Fans of Jack Reacher will enjoy this book.  It is stand alone and therefore easy for new readers to follow along and not be lost to the history of the character.

As a typical with a Lee Child book, this one was enjoyable. There characters were interesting; however, there seemed to be an unnecessary plot point. Not my favorite, but I'm guessing Andrew Child is trying to get the hang of writing with his father. Many thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for my opinion.

Lee Child with Andrew Child https://www.jackreacher.com/us/ are the authors of nearly 30 novels. No Plan B was published in 2022 and is the 27th novel in the Jack Reacher series. This is the 76th book I have completed in 2022.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this book/novel as R. This novel has three primary characters. The first and most important is former US Army MP Jack Reacher. Then there is arsonist Lew Emerson. He is looking for revenge for his dead son. Finally, there is the teen runaway, Jed Starmer. All find themselves in Gerrardsville, Colorado.

Reacher did not mean to get involved in anything. He was simply walking down the street when he saw the woman killed. He is attacked after chasing and catching the killer. After the death is ruled an accident, he is motivated to investigate.

He finds that a friend of the woman had also suffered a fatal accident. Reacher has stumbled on something more than just murder. There is a conspiracy in Gerrardsville, and it involves drugs and the local prison.

Reacher’s interest has been piqued. Try as the conspirators will to dissuade or kill him, Reacher charges forward. Along the way, he crosses paths with Emerson and Starmer.

I enjoyed the 9 hours I spent reading this 361-page thriller. I have read a few of the Jack Reacher novels and enjoyed them all! Those that I have read include Past Tense and Night School. The Reacher novels all have similar plain cover art. The chosen art for this novel complements the plot. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

I received an ARC copy of No Plan B via @NetGalley

Another lackluster Jack Reacher. I was really disappointed. The writing has really gone downhill. I'm always ready to suspend disbelief for action and fight scenes, and the Reacher books of the past had at least a hint of realism. Now I find myself rolling my eyes. What can't he do perfectly the first time out with no planning whatsoever? Plus, for this book I had slog through several chapters of filler before even getting a brief segment of the main character. Overall, not impressed with this one. Stick with the old stuff before Andrew started-writing.

I hadn't noticed that some one else was helping write the Reacher books, I kept trying to figure out why the books seemed different, now I know.  They aren't horrible, but they aren't the same Reacher books I have. known and loved.

This review was originally published on NetGalley.com. I was given an ebook freely by NetGalley and the book’s publisher in return for a voluntary and honest review. 

No Plan B
Book 27 in the Jack Reacher series
By Lee Child and Andrew Child

I’ve been reading Jack Reacher on and off for a good ten years. They’re fun, comfortable reads. You know what you’re getting when you pick one up. A thrill ride with Reacher as he punishes no good dirty rats picking on the small guy. He deals out justice without wasting our tax dollars. Sometimes he wins a lady’s heart if he’s got time between the fist fights and solving murders. 

This was my first time reading a Jack Reacher novel with co-author Andrew Child. The main story was everything I’ve come to expect in Reacher, an entertaining getaway. The two subplots were just ok. One dealing with a runaway was fine but the second one dealing with an arsonist looking for answers was purely filler. I personally would have preferred the story without either subplot but definitely not the arsonist. 

If you’re a fan you know what to suspect and won’t be disappointed with the main plot. If you’ve always wondered what the deal was or liked the TV show or movies start with an earlier book.

Another terrific episode in the life of Jack Reacher, the wandering hero!

Jack gets into trouble yet again, while trying to solve the murder he witnessed, when a woman was pushed into the path of a bus.

Lee Child continues to take us on a journey with Jack, a retired Army MP, who roams the country, helping others in trouble.
This book didn’t disappoint!  Reacher is my hero!

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy!

When Reacher sees a woman killed by a bus, he knows it's no accident. Although ruled a suicide, Jack Reacher saw her being pushed and saw a man take her purse. He sees something in her purse but doesn't understand what it is that he's seeing.  However, the men behind the death unsure of what Reacher saw can't take the risk.  So as Reacher begins tracking them down, they begin tracking him. The journey takes Reacher from Colorado to Mississippi picking up Hannah, who's ex who also died "accidently", for the ride.  Since the collaboration with his brother, Andrew Grant (Andrew Child), there seems to be more storytelling, less character insight and I do miss that. But I love the Reacher series, and always look forward to the next installment!

Lee and Andrew Child bat 0-3. It's a movie treatment not a proper Reacher story. Here Reacher seems a character in some comic book universe. Bam Pow Holy Jeepers Batman. I didn't finish this one and might not try the next.

*I recieved a free copy from #Netgalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. *

This is book 27 in the Jack Reacher series but also works well as a standalone.
Jack Reacher is walking down the street in Gerrardsville, Colorado minding his own business when he witnesses a woman being pushed in front of an oncoming bus.  The Medical Examiner rules suicide but Jack knows otherwise and is on a hunt to prove it.

Then there's Hannah, she lost her ex husband and is currently running for her life. They think she knows something.  If she does, exactly what DOES she know? 

Let's not forget young Jeb Steans. He's decided to run away from his foster home and foster mom, he takes the money that the state has been paying her for his care.  After all, she hasn't spent a dime on the poor kid.  He's hoping to meet his dad for the very first time and he needs it to get to Winson.

The relationship between Hannah and Sam is very unusual, but he was also her best friend. she's definitely a spitfire!  I felt really sad for Jeb and his badly planned adventure.  There was nonstop action and edge your seat excitement.  This book comes out in February 2023, be sure to pre-order your copy of #NoPlanB!