Showing posts with label LeeChild. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LeeChild. Show all posts

Wednesday, 14 January 2026

Exit Strategy - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 30

Exit Strategy
Jack Reacher Book 30
Lee Child
Andrew Child (Andrew Grant)
Bantam Books
Penguin Random House Canada
ISBN 9780593725849
eISBN 9780593725856
ASIN B0DTWYFBHC

Exit Strategy - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 30 UK Cover

A few years back I fell in love with the Reacher stories. I picked book 24 up for my dad for Christmas, read the back and got myself the eBook. I ended up reading one a week until I had read all the novels and published short stories. I have read some of the related series by other authors, and love the TV show. This one took me a while to get to, work and family life were both very busy and I knew if I started I would not want to put it down. I was correct in that assumption. But I am getting ahead of myself. 

This is the sicth novel in the series that is a collaborative effort from Lee and Andrew Child. A few years ago I read the first 24 Jack Reacher novels, and also the Jack Reacher short stories, novellas and crossovers. In fact, I had to make sure I read other books in between. After I read the first two that they co-wrote I read the 9 previously written by Andrew. And now I eagerly await the fall release of a new novel written by the two of them to continue the saga of Jack Reacher. Like the Epic of Gilgamesh, the story of Reacher is an epic tale that now spans decades. And Reacher has more adventure in most of the stories than some people have in a lifetime. And this sicth offering by the brothers has some interesting twists. Let us get back to this specific story.

The description of this offering in the Reacher series states:

“Jack Reacher will make three stops today. Not all of them were planned for.

First—a Baltimore coffee shop. A seat in the corner, facing the door. Black coffee, two refills, no messing around. A minor interruption from two of the customers, but nothing he can’t deal with swiftly. As he leaves, a young guy brushes against him in the doorway. Instinctively Reacher checks the pocket holding his cash and passport. There’s no problem. Nothing is missing.

Second—a store to buy a coat. Nothing fancy. Something he can ditch when he heads to warmer climates. Large enough to fit a man the size of a bank vault. As he pulls out his cash, he finds something new in his pocket. A handwritten note. A desperate plea for help.

Third—wherever this bend in the road takes him. Impressed by the guy’s technique and intrigued by the message, Reacher makes it his mission to find out more …”

Reacher’s plans that day were to replenish the coffee in his system, pick up a coat, catch a concert then a bus out of town. That is not the way things happened. And two very different plots both end up with Reacher as a key factor. Who knew Baltimore could play backdrop to such a mystery. This story is a little more mystery and far less head on action than some of the other stories. Reacher upsets a local crime boss and gets caught up in case of some people wanting to do the right thing but using the wrong methods. Reacher’s lizard brain is sparking and he can’t just walk away. It’s not his nature. Once something has Reacher’s attention he sees it through to the end. 

This story is book 30 and I believe it would fall in that order chronologically, based on the injury. I still prefer the UK covers to the North American ones.

This is a good story from the Child brothers. But it just feels like something was kind of missing. If it had been an action story about almost any other character I would have loved it, I just expect more from Reacher and the Child brothers. It is not my least favourite in the series, not even close. If you are a fan of Reacher either from the books or TV show give it a read. It was a good read for just after New Years. This is a good book in an entertaining series!              

Books by Lee Child:
Jack Reacher Books Publishing Order:
Killing Floor
Die Trying
Tripwire
The Visitor /Running Blind
Echo Burning
Without Fail
Persuader
The Enemy
One Shot
The Hard Way
Bad Luck and Trouble
Nothing to Lose
Gone Tomorrow
61 Hours
Worth Dying For
The Affair
A Wanted Man
Never Go Back
Personal
Make Me
Night School
The Midnight Line
Past Tense
Blue Moon
The Sentinel

Books by Andrew Grant:
…

David Trevellyan Series:
…

Detective Cooper Devereaux Series:
…

Paul McGrath Series:
…

Books Andrew Grant Contributed To:
In the Company of Sherlock Holmes
Murder and Mayhem in Muskego







The Secret - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 28 US Edition

The Secret - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 28 UK Edition

In Too Deep - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 29 - US Edition

In Too Deep - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 29 - UK Edition

Exit Strategy - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 30 UK Cover

Exit Strategy - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 30 US Cover
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Saturday, 6 December 2025

Reacher The Stories Behind the Stories - Lee Child

Reacher: The Stories Behind The Stories
ISBN 9781613167069
eISBN 9781613167076
ASIN B0DY2X84Z6

Reacher The Stories Behind the Stories - Lee Child

I read my first Reacher story in 2019, I had picked up the most recent as a gift for my dad, this time I read the back and thought it looked interesting, and picked up the eBook for myself. I read about a book or published short story a week until I was caught up, thought I jumped around a lot, picking titles at random. I have since stayed up to date on the series. I have also read the Hunt for Reacher Series by Diane Capri and also the Jack Reacher Experiment book 1 by Jude Hardin. I even have a tag on my blog for all Reacher Stories no matter the author. I really enjoy the character, and have loved almost all of the books. SO I was pretty excited to give this a read.

The description of this volume is:

“Lee Child tells the stories behind the stories from the bestselling Jack Reacher novels.

After making his debut in 1997’s The Killing Floor, Jack Reacher has quickly become one of the most popular—and most enduring—fictional heroes to emerge in the past half century. Now, his creator tells the stories behind the stories.

These are the origin tales of all of the Reacher novels written solely by Lee Child, chock full of colorful anecdotes and intriguing inspirations. One by one, they expand upon each novel and place it in the context not only of the author’s life, but of the world outside the books. And taken together, they chart the rise of an action icon, from 1999’s The Killing Floor to 2019’s Blue Moon. An afterword by crime fiction expert and bookseller Otto Penzler considers the importance of the character and novels in the canon of contemporary crime fiction.

In addition to the essays, this collection also includes an original Reacher short story—the first new Reacher appearance entirely written by Lee Child since 2019. Entertaining and enlightening, The Stories Behind the Stories is a must-read for fans of the Jack Reacher series and a capstone to any collection of this excellent author.”

This was an excellent volume to give a read. I really enjoyed working through it. I picked it up randomly over a few days and typically only read one or 2 of the pieces. We are informed a few times that these stories were originally written for a limited edition reprint of the books in custom hardcover matching editions. And each is signed by the author. I am glad those of us who could not afford those editions, or lay our hands on them get the change to read these stories that were written as introductions. 

Some of the stories are more fascinating than others, I enjoyed learning about the plots and how they came to be. About the naming of certain characters, especially those that were made available through auctions for charity. I especially enjoyed finding out about the source of Neagley’s character’s name:

“There’s an auction at each of our annual genre conventions, usually benefiting a literacy project in the locality, and an idea took hold in the late 1990s whereby instead of donating a signed first edition or other item of physical memorabilia, authors would offer the high bidder the chance to have his or her name in an upcoming book as a character. Accordingly I offered such a prize, and two women bid the lot up to dizzying heights, until I said both could be in the book. The other woman was Frances Neagley, then a nurse from San Francisco, now retired. Her character, Reacher’s old colleague from his army days—shadowy, mysterious, unexplained—seemed to work so well I brought her back in two later installments, which ran counter to my general decision to avoid soap-opera structures, with their repertory casts of supporting characters.”

And I found it odd someone would want a character with their wife’s name to ‘sleep with Reacher:

“The third auction was won by a guy named John Turner, and he nominated his wife’s name—Susan Turner—with the added wrinkle that he requested Susan should have sex with Jack Reacher. I wasn’t sure I would or could comply, but again subliminally, I started thinking of Susan Turner in a love-interest kind of way.”

Overall this was a fascinating read, and a volume I am certain Reacher fans will love. It might also be interesting for aspiring authors or even newer authors to see how Child’s has successfully written so many best sellers.

A great read one I can easily recommend.    

Books by Lee Child:
Jack Reacher Books Publishing Order:
Killing Floor
Die Trying
Tripwire
The Visitor /Running Blind
Echo Burning
Without Fail
Persuader
The Enemy
One Shot
The Hard Way
Bad Luck and Trouble
Nothing to Lose
Gone Tomorrow
61 Hours
Worth Dying For
The Affair
A Wanted Man
Never Go Back
Personal
Make Me
Night School
The Midnight Line
Past Tense
Blue Moon
The Sentinel
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Tuesday, 4 March 2025

Eleven Numbers - Lee Child

Eleven Numbers
Amazon Original Stories
ASIN B0DFMNV4Z3


Prior to reading this I had read all the Reacher novels and the Reacher novella’s and short stories. I picked up my first as a gift for my dad, read the back and ended up reading all that were in print in under a year. I was not exactly sure what I expected from this story, but having enjoyed most of Lee Child’s works in print it I figured it was worth a read. 

The description of this volume states:

“An American mathematician’s assignment in Russia spirals into a high-stakes maze of shifting loyalties and intrigue in a propulsive short thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child.

Nathan Tyler is an unassuming professor at a middling American university with a rather obscure specialty in mathematics—in short, a nobody from nowhere. So why is the White House calling? Summoned to Washington, DC, for a top-secret briefing, Nathan discovers that he’s the key to a massive foreign intelligence breakthrough. Reading between the lines of a cryptic series of equations, he could open a door straight into the heart of the Kremlin and change the global balance of power forever. All he has to do is get to a meeting with the renowned Russian mathematician who created it. But when Nathan crashes headlong into a dangerous new game, the odds against him suddenly look a lot steeper.”

This story is a very interesting premise. I did not see the two major twists  coming. A regular guy called to serve his country. But everything might not be as it appears. He soon realizes his best friend might be a Russian mathematician he has always looked up to, and maybe sees things better than he does. 

I am glad I read it is a very solid short novella, or long short story. Writing short form fiction is a very different art than writing novels and this is an excellent offering from Child’s pen. If you are a big fan of Child it is an interesting read to show off his skill in short form fiction. I can easily recommend this story for fans of Child’s works, fans of great short stories, or those into the espionage genre. A very intriguing read! 


Books by Lee Child:
Jack Reacher Books Publishing Order:
Killing Floor
Die Trying
Tripwire
The Visitor /Running Blind
Echo Burning
Without Fail
Persuader
The Enemy
One Shot
The Hard Way
Bad Luck and Trouble
Nothing to Lose
Gone Tomorrow
61 Hours
Worth Dying For
The Affair
A Wanted Man
Never Go Back
Personal
Make Me
Night School
The Midnight Line
Past Tense
Blue Moon
The Sentinel
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Wednesday, 8 January 2025

Safe Enough and Other Stories - Lee Child

Safe Enough and Other Stories
ISBN 97816131656
eISBN 9781613165713
ASIN B0CW1J3Y5G

Safe Enough and Other Stories - Lee Child - US Cover

Prior to reading this I had read all the Reacher novels and the Reacher novella’s and short stories. I picked up my first as a gift for my dad, read the back and ended up reading all that were in print in under a year. I was not exactly sure what I expected from this collection. I am just a fan of Child’s writings and wanted to give it a read. 

The description of this volume states:

“Pulse-pounding short stories from the author Michael Connelly calls "the best thriller writer in the world."

You know Jack Reacher. Now meet twenty more heroes and heavies from the brilliant mind of legendary crime author Lee Child.

A drug-dealing hit man feels that he must unburden his fears and guilt to a stranger in “Ten Keys.” A rookie cop in “Normal in Every Way” is assigned to the department’s file room, where he makes connections to historic dates that could lead to solving crimes. A methodical bodyguard quits his job when he’s outsmarted. A military mission is planned to perfection. A potential worker for the Manhattan Project is carefully surveilled by an FBI agent. A killer preys on other killers. Taken together, these stories are a riotous calamity of criminals and crime fighters; individually, they are expertly crafted, piercing tales that hit hard enough to leave a mark.

These twenty intriguing, thrilling, and rapid-fire fictions are intimate portraits of humanity at its best and worst, sure to please new and longtime fans of Child and to illuminate a side of the author’s work unknown to Reacher devotees. Featuring a colorful new introduction from the author, the collection stands as the first book written entirely by Child in four years.”

The stories in this collection are:

Foreword
The Bodyguard
The Greatest Trick of All
Ten Keys
Safe Enough
Normal in Every Way
The .50 Solution
Public Transportation
Me & Mr Rafferty
Section 7(a) (Operational)
Addicted to Sweetness
The Bone-Headed League
I Heard a Romantic Story
My First Drug Trial
Wet with Rain
The Truth about What Happened
Pierre, Lucien & Me
New Blank Document
Shorty and the Briefcase
Dying for a Cigarette
The Snake Eater by the Numbers

The biggest surprise for me was the number of stories that feel like they did not only have an antihero, but had a non-hero or even villain. Many do not have good resolutions and often sad endings. The writing is clean and crisp, that you would expect from Child. But overall I felt unfulfilled. I slowed down my reading often only reading a story a day and often missing days. It took a while to work through the volume.

Writing novels and short stories are very different skills. Child does a great job with both. But most of the stories in this collection just did not hit with me.

I am glad I read it. But I doubt I would ever pick it up again. Where I have debated going back and rereading the Reacher stories in Chronological order. If you are looking for Reacheresque stories you will not find them here. If you are a big fan of Child it is an interesting collection to show off his skill in short form fiction.    

Books by Lee Child:
Jack Reacher Books Publishing Order:
Killing Floor
Die Trying
Tripwire
The Visitor /Running Blind
Echo Burning
Without Fail
Persuader
The Enemy
One Shot
The Hard Way
Bad Luck and Trouble
Nothing to Lose
Gone Tomorrow
61 Hours
Worth Dying For
The Affair
A Wanted Man
Never Go Back
Personal
Make Me
Night School
The Midnight Line
Past Tense
Blue Moon
The Sentinel
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Wednesday, 4 December 2024

In Too Deep - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 29

In Too Deep
Jack Reacher Book 29
Lee Child
Andrew Child (Andrew Grant)
Delacorte Press
Penguin Random House Canada
ISBN 9780593725801
eISBN 9780593725818
ASIN B0CR2Z9KKD

In Too Deep - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 29 - UK Edition

A few years back I fell in love with the Reacher stories. I picked book 24 up for my dad for Christmas, read the back and got myself the eBook. I ended up reading one a week until I had read all the novels and published short stories. I have read some of the related series by other authors, and love the TB show. As hard as it was to put this down, I stayed up way, way too late to finish it, overall I was A little disappointed. But I am getting ahead of myself. 

This is the fifth novel in the series that is a collaborative effort from Lee and Andrew Child. A few years ago I read the first 24 Jack Reacher novels, and also the Jack Reacher short stories, novellas and crossovers. In fact, I had to make sure I read other books in between. After I read the first two that they co-wrote I read the 9 previously written by Andrew. And now I eagerly await the fall release of a new novel written by the two of them to continue the saga of Jack Reacher. Like the Epic of Gilgamesh, the story of Reacher is an epic tale that now spans decades. And Reacher has more adventure in most of the stories than some people have in a lifetime. And this fifth offering by the brothers has some interesting twists. Let us get back to this specific story.

The description of this offering in the Reacher series states:

“Reacher had no idea where he was. No idea how he had gotten there. But someone must have brought him. And shackled him. And whoever had done those things was going to rue the day. That was for damn sure.

Jack Reacher wakes up alone, in the dark, handcuffed to a makeshift bed. His right arm has suffered some major damage. His few possessions are gone. He has no memory of getting there.

The last thing Reacher can recall is the car he hitched a ride in getting run off the road. The driver was killed.

His captors assume Reacher was the driver’s accomplice and patch up his wounds as they plan to make him talk.

A plan that will backfire spectacularly ...”

Reacher wakes up. Reacher is bound. Reacher will make them all pay. And in his typical style the punishment is brutal, it is extreme and it is complete. At the time of the writing of this review Good reads has over 3600 ratings, 1552 are 5 Star and 1210 are 4. I give it a solid four stars. The problem is I figured out a lot in this story well in advance of events. Yes, Reacher is injured, and yes there is a romantic interest. There is some serious violence. 

This story is book 29 and I believe it would fall in that order chronologically, based on the injury. I still prefer the UK covers to the North American ones.

This is a good story from the Child brothers. But it just feels like something was missing. If it had been an action story about almost any other character I would have loved it, I just expect more from Reacher and the Child brothers. It is not my least favourite in the series, but it is close. If you are a fan of Reacher either from the books or TV show give it a read. And if you have never read a Reacher story I would start with something else. This is a good book in an entertaining series!          

Books by Lee Child:
Jack Reacher Books Publishing Order:
Killing Floor
Die Trying
Tripwire
The Visitor /Running Blind
Echo Burning
Without Fail
Persuader
The Enemy
One Shot
The Hard Way
Bad Luck and Trouble
Nothing to Lose
Gone Tomorrow
61 Hours
Worth Dying For
The Affair
A Wanted Man
Never Go Back
Personal
Make Me
Night School
The Midnight Line
Past Tense
Blue Moon
The Sentinel

Books by Andrew Grant:
…

David Trevellyan Series:
…

Detective Cooper Devereaux Series:
…

Paul McGrath Series:
…

Books Andrew Grant Contributed To:
In the Company of Sherlock Holmes
Murder and Mayhem in Muskego







The Secret - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 28 US Edition

The Secret - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 28 UK Edition

In Too Deep - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 29 - US Edition

In Too Deep - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 29 - UK Edition

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Saturday, 25 November 2023

The Secret - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 28

The Secret
Jack Reacher Book 28
Lee Child
Andrew Child (Andrew Grant)
Delacorte Press
Penguin Random House Canada
ISBN 9781984818584
eISBN 9781984818591
ASIN B0BRPZLG9G

The Secret - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 28 UK Edition

This is the fourth novel in the series that is a collaborative effort from Lee and Andrew Child. And the first they have written together that is set back when Jack is in the Military. A few years ago I read the first 24 Jack Reacher novels, and also the Jack Reacher short stories, novellas and crossovers. In fact, I had to make sure I read other books in between. After I read the first two that they co-wrote I read the 9 previously written by Andrew. And now I eagerly await the fall release of a new novel written by the two of them to continue the saga of Jack Reacher. Like the Epic of Gilgamesh, the story if Reacher is an epic tale that now spans decades. And Reacher has more adventure in most of the stories than some people have in a lifetime. And this fourth offering by the brothers Child is one of the best yet! 

It has been a long wait of almost a year for this volume to be released. Once I started reading this it was done in less than 24 hours. I stayed up a little too late to finish this story because I could just put it down. This story is a very well written suspense thriller! But let us get back to this specific story.

This story begins with Reacher busted back to captain and looking into a case about arms that had issues. But before the arrests are even finished, he is approached and told he has a new assignment and to be in Washington the next morning. This is not the first time we have encountered Reacher on a multi-agency task force. But something about this mission is off from the beginning. 

The description of this offering in the Reacher series states:

“A string of mysterious deaths. A long-classified mission. A young MP with nothing to lose.

1992. All across the United States respectable, upstanding citizens are showing up dead. These deaths could be accidents, and they don’t appear to be connected—until a fatal fall from a high-floor window attracts some unexpected attention.
 
That attention comes from the secretary of defense. All of a sudden he wants an interagency task force to investigate. And he wants Jack Reacher as the army’s representative. If Reacher gets a result, great. If not, he’s a convenient fall guy.
 
But office politics isn’t Reacher’s thing. Three questions quickly emerge: Who’s with him, who’s against him, and will the justice he dispenses be the official kind . . . or his own kind?”

This story has amore of a mystery element to it than some of the other Reacher novels. And I did figure it out before the reveal but not by much. It was interesting watching Reacher (Army) working with Amber Smith (FBI), Gary Walsh (Treasury Department), and Kent Neilsen (CIA) the team being coordinated and led by Christopher Baglin (DoD Department of Defense). Someone is knokcking off scientist from a project dating back to 1969, a project that seems to have had a project within a project, and hidden in a civilian facility. But the truth of what happened in 1969 and why is of importance, and there is someone out there working their way down a list to find out the clues to figure out what really happened. 

Once again we must never underestimate Reacher. Once he has set his mind to something he will figure it out, the consequences be damned. And this time he has some help from other agents on the way out at their respective agencies. 

This story is book 28 in the series but would be story number 7 in chronological order. As a side note I still prefer the UK covers to the North American ones.

This is another excellent volume from the Child brothers. And will leave readers desperate for the next instalment. If you are a fan of Reacher either from the books or TV show give it a read. And if you have never read a Reacher story it is as good a place to start as any. This is a great book in an always entertaining series!      

Books by Lee Child:
Jack Reacher Books Publishing Order:
Killing Floor
Die Trying
Tripwire
The Visitor /Running Blind
Echo Burning
Without Fail
Persuader
The Enemy
One Shot
The Hard Way
Bad Luck and Trouble
Nothing to Lose
Gone Tomorrow
61 Hours
Worth Dying For
The Affair
A Wanted Man
Never Go Back
Personal
Make Me
Night School
The Midnight Line
Past Tense
Blue Moon
The Sentinel
Jack Reacher's Rules
...

Reacher Short Stories and Novella’s:
No Middle Name – Complete Collected Short Stories
Stories in No Middle Name Collection:
Too Much Time
Second Son
Deep Down
Guy Walks into A Bar
James Penney’s New Identity
High Heat
Everyone Talks
Not A Drill
Small Wars
Maybe They Have A Tradition
No Room At The Motel
The Picture of the Lonely Diner

Other Short Stories:
The Fourth Man
The Christmas Scorpion
...
Faking a Murderer with Kathy Reichs
Cleaning the Gold with Karin Slaughter
Good and Valuable Consideration with Joseph Finder
Bat Out Of Hell 
...

Other Books by Lee Child
The Hero
Jack Reacher: A Mysterious Profile

Books by Andrew Grant:
…

David Trevellyan Series:
…

Detective Cooper Devereaux Series:
…

Paul McGrath Series:
…

Books Andrew Grant Contributed To:
In the Company of Sherlock Holmes
Murder and Mayhem in Muskego







The Secret - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 28 US Edition

The Secret - Lee Child and Andrew Child - Jack Reacher Book 28 UK Edition



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