#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Family secrets come back to haunt Jack Reacher in this electrifying thriller from “a superb craftsman of suspense” (Entertainment Weekly). Jack Reacher hits the pavement and sticks out his thumb. He plans to follow the sun on an epic trip across America, from Maine to California. He doesn’t get far. On a country road deep in the New England woods, he sees a sign to … the New England woods, he sees a sign to a place he has never been: the town where his father was born. He thinks, What’s one extra day? He takes the detour.
At the same moment, in the same isolated area, a car breaks down. Two young Canadians had been on their way to New York City to sell a treasure. Now they’re stranded at a lonely motel in the middle of nowhere. The owners seem almost too friendly. It’s a strange place, but it’s all there is.
The next morning, in the city clerk’s office, Reacher asks about the old family home. He’s told no one named Reacher ever lived in town. He’s always known his father left and never returned, but now Reacher wonders, Was he ever there in the first place?
As Reacher explores his father’s life, and as the Canadians face lethal dangers, strands of different stories begin to merge. Then Reacher makes a shocking discovery: The present can be tough, but the past can be tense . . . and deadly.
Don’t miss a sneak peek of Lee Child’s novel Blue Moon in the back of the book.
Praise for Past Tense
“Child is one writer who should never be taken for granted.”—The New York Times Book Review
“[Lee Child] shows no signs of slowing down. . . . Reacher is a man for whom the phrase moral compass was invented: His code determines his direction. . . . You need Jack Reacher.”—The Atlantic
“Superb . . . Child neatly interweaves multiple narratives, ratchets up the suspense (the reveal of the motel plot is delicious), and delivers a powerful, satisfying denouement. Fans will enjoy learning more of this enduring character’s roots, and Child’s spare prose continues to set a very high bar.”—Publishers Weekly (boxed and starred review)
“Another first-class entry in a series that continues to set the gold standard for aspiring thriller authors.”—Booklist (starred review)
“With his usual flair for succinctness and eye for detail, Child creates another rollicking Reacher road trip that will please fans and newcomers alike.”—Library Journal (starred review)
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Can’t beat a Jack Reacher thriller. He’s always in trouble but one step ahead of his pursuers. Strong, invincible, resourceful and for the underdog, that’s Reacher. A terrific hero. Never a dull moment.
I am so hooked on Lee Child’s writing that any of his books are worth my money and my time! This one is wonderful! Plus, Jack Reacher reminds me of my brother, in looks, (not Tom Cruise) the way the books describe him. And my brother was an Army vet who wanted to right all wrongs!
What a page-turner! I finished it in less than 36 hours. Highly recommend!
Its Reacher. Nothing more need be said.
Go-to thriller master Lee Child’s latest hits all the right buttons. Anti-hero, Jack Reacher, finds himself within spitting distance of the town where his father grew up but then left in a hurry. Reacher’s research into his dad’s past plays out like deja vu as it parallels his father’s mysterious departure.
Neatly woven into the plot is the misadventure of a Canadian couple who soon regret stopping at a nearby motor hotel that would give the motel in Hitchcock’s Psycho a run for its money. Small towns in the middle of nowhere are perfect for Reacher to do what he does best: take down some bad guys and avenge the rest of us.
You can hear my interview with Lee about PAST TENSE on my AUTHOR PROVOCATEUR podcast:
Podbean: http://bit.ly/APLeeChildPB
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2QmImFJ
SoundCloud: http://bit.ly/APLeeChildPastTenseSC
This book is a total stand alone. I have watched the two movies and read at least one other of the earlier books and I was not lost at all.
This story has two parts and I kept waiting for the set of characters to interact. It takes a while because of the build up and it’s worth it.
Reacher is trying to find out about his past and what he finds surprises him. He realizes something is off, but he isn’t sure what.
The other part of the story is about a couple who get stranded at a motel. There is also something wrong here and it keeps you guessing as to what might happen and what is going on. The books are more gritty than the movies and I really like that. I need to go back and read some of the other Jack Reacher stories.
I enjoyed reading this book and it kept me up until 2am trying to finish it so I could see what happens. I would totally recommend reading this book.
I couldn’t put this down. Child returned to form with his latest Jack Reacher installment – plenty of mystery and suspense without a lot of graphic violence. Just a really great read.
I’ve just finished my 23rd Jack Reacher novel. As is the usual case, Lee Child has hit the ball out of the park. Jack continues his vagabond lifestyle only this time he gets sidetracked with an old family issue. This is two entirely different stories running parallel both building and finally coming together.
Kudos to Mr. Child for coming up with another entertaining storyline. Afterall, Reacher has gone everywhere and done everything and met everyone!
This book was gifted to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Unique and inventive!! Great story!
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Being that I’m coming in fresh on a long running series, I had a little bit to learn about Jack Reacher. What I have gathered here is that he is one person you do not want on the wrong side of you.
With a history of military and military police, Jack finds himself in a predicament as he begins his journey from Maine to San Diego. I love his theoretical mind and how he’s able to think his way out of problems and issues. Almost like foreseeing the future.
I also love that he’s not a young kid trying to figure things out. He’s middle-aged and has a few miles behind him. A big guy; smart, yet soft spoken in many ways. A very likable guy.
This thriller starts off in an placid way. We get bits and pieces of multiple story lines stemming from the fact that Jack stumbled upon an area where he knew his family lived 75 years ago. But the research showed that to be untrue. His father and grandfather were not found in the census records.
That starts a journey that takes the story in multiple directions and intertwining throughout the other story lines throughout the book. With each page you turn, you can just feel notching up, the key up in the story; knowing that something is going to happen but not sure what.
In a few places I got a sense of what could be happening. And then in other areas I was confused. I had no idea what the author was thinking. Then a shocking revelation that brought the story to a new height.
I have to say I love the way this author writes his story. Short, concise sentences along with small sections within longer chapters make the story interesting and flow easily. You get the sense of urgency and trepidation; that heightened interest within the thrill of the story.
Past Tense is loaded with chills and thrills, action, twists, inventive plots, and a shocking revelation that might make you sick to your stomach. And it is so worth the read! I was captured with Child’s ability to write with huge impact and attention to minute detail.
While I was a virgin in the Lee Child collection of the Jack Reacher series, I can let you know right now this is not my last book by this author. Past Tense was everything I hoped for in a fabulous thriller and so much more! Looking forward to my Reacher series journey!
Jack Reacher is one of the best characters in modern fiction, and Lee Child’s dialogue is some of the best in the game. This latest Reacher is fast-paced with all the things you’d expect and have come to love. Long live Jack Reacher!
There’s a rhythm to Lee Child’s writing that draws you in like a siren. Past Tense as much as any. After more than 20 books Child gets the right to open with a slow burn, and this helps ratchet up the tension. We learn a little about Reacher’s past, his father’s family, which fills in some backstory for the Reacher fans, but this story works on another level, with the sense of localized claustrophobia that was a highlight of earlier books like Echo Burning and Worth Dying For. Another hit for Mr. Child.
Oh, my goodness! Returning to a Lee Child book is like revisiting a cherished old friend! I didn’t realize how much I had missed my super hero, Jack Reacher. There are two stories playing, both of which center around a ghost town in New Hampshire, where a Reacher family once resided. You find yourself on pins and needles, waiting for the two plots to come together, and when they do, it’s DYNAMITE!
Jack (no middle initial) Reacher is bigger than life. A real hero. I anxiously await his next adventure. Start with the first book in the series. You will not be disappointed!
Past Tense was another thrilling Jack Reacher ride! Great book, kept me engrossed and on the edge of my seat in anticipation of what was going to happen next. I highly recommend this book!
After meeting the great man himself in Auckland last month, I finally got round to reading the book he signed for me. In true Jack Reacher style, it was a great ride – wild, violent, fast and furious. Loved the intertwined stories, and the memorable characters. Recommended as a great holiday read.
I love Jack Reacher and read every new Reacher novel immediately. Some are better than others, but I always read them. This, however, was one of the very good ones!
This book lived up to the expectations of every Jack Reacher book I’ve read.
In this book, Jack decides to hitchhike from the east coast to San Diego. Needless to say when he finds himself in the neighborhood of where his father said he was raised, Jack takes a side trip. Complications arise and discoveries are made while a second plot is in the works.
Being a mathematician, the way Jack Reacher’s mind calculates and comes to conclusions truly enthralls me.
Now I’m eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
Jack Reacher is “a force to be reckoned with”. He moves along at a steady pace until he doesn’t. I have to admit this is my first Reacher novel, have seen the movies of course, but I enjoyed the read much more than the movies. He seems to have a bit of insight as to problems and trouble (hind brain), just shows up at the right time to handle said problem(s). This was an interesting read and at the beginning, I didn’t think I would enjoy this journey, but surprisingly, did. The path is a bit twisted, the outcome…well, let’s just say, “satisfying”. Good read with a bite.
By now we all know what to expect from a Jack Reacher novel. Although these are technically “thrillers”, we know from the past twenty or thirty books that its not going to be a globe-trotting adventure of espionage and international intrigue, there will be no sprawling, spectacular set pieces with cataclysmic explosions and massive terrorist strikes. There are no single, eveil-minded villains bent on taking over the world with their evil plots, if only our hero can save the world in time. No, Jack Reacher novels are much simpler than all that. More personal. More focused. The action and drama is at eye level. You can reach out and touch it.
And that’s a good thing. While Jack Reacher himself still possesses some rather unlikely superpowers, such as always knowing the time of day, down to the second, without a watch, somehow the character winds up being more believable because of these smaller, more personal, more localized problems he keeps finding himself caught up in. While the result typically doesn’t leave you out of breath at the end, or send you on an emotional roller coaster, or really suprise you much in any way, it still fits like a favorite pair of old boots, that just feel right every time you pull them on. A Jack Reacher story is like that.
Past Tense lives up to what we’ve come to expect. The pace is a bit drawn out, but that gives us a chance to sit back and soak in the scenery before its gone. Once again, Reacher has drifted into some lonely, out of the way town, and somehow gotten himself mixed up in whatever local fueds and intrigue are already happening there. That part we knew was coming. But, like with most of these books, we once again learn a little bit more about Reacher’s past. Where his people came from. And that helps explain him, a little bit more. Of course, along the way there are plots and subplots to run through, characters to introduce, procedures to follow, leads to chase down, discoveries to make. And of course people to beat up. And nobody does that better than Jack Reacher.
All the while there is a simultaneous plot happening nearby, seemingly unrelated. Lee Child unfolds this story slowly as well, feeding us only tidbits at a time as the plight of a young Canadian couple slowly turns into a nightmare in the American countryside. These stories eventually come together, of course, but its a long ride getting there. Some readers might complain, but I enjoyed it.
A note on the narration. I had come to love Dick Hill’s narration of Jack Reacher novels, and was disappointed when I had heard he would no longer be reading them. I came into this audiobook with cautious optimism, hoping that Scott Brick wouldn’t disappoint. At first it took me a while to adjust to the different cadence and style, but I ended up liking it very much, and am looking forward to his performances in future Jack Reacher stories.
This is a typical Reacher novel, with all the things you love about him. He is the most cerebral, while being the most physical man you have ever met in real life or otherwise. The story in this one is good, relates to his history, establishes his family a little better. The other characters in this one are likable, believable, give him impetus to find out what is going on in the little town where his father once lived. As usual he stumbles into a terrible threat, to him, and others, and nothing changes about his successful extraction of himself and others from a hairy circumstance. He is Reacher after all, and he will not die, not until he is too old to accomplish the things which have yet to come in Lee Child’s fertile mind. An excellent read.