Customer Reviews

The Affair: A Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher)

5 star:		(149)
4 star:		(64)
3 star:		(49)
2 star:		(26)
1 star:		(27)

 

 

If you're a fan of the Jack Reacher series, you already know that Lee Child is currently the undisputed master of the unputdownable thriller. When it comes to narrative momentum and expertly wrought tension, his only rival is the late, great Dick Francis.

However, the last two Reachers - though good - left me a bit cold because I was getting tired of the "Reacher stumbles into small-town corruption" formula. Fortunately, THE AFFAIR flashes back to his army career, where he faces his true arch-nemesis, the military bureaucracy, and we learn why he decided to drop out and become a toothbrush-packing drifter. Even though the novel is mainly set in yet another bleak small town, I'm happy to report that Reacher is back to form. This latest adventure delivers the expected page-turning excitement, plus a few other bonuses:

* Both the beginning and the end are better than usual. Child tends to be too abrupt for my taste. Here he takes the time to set the scene at the Pentagon and ease past the climax in a very satisfying way.

* The love interest, the ex-marine sheriff Elizabeth Deveraux, is Child's most entertaining female character so far. She's not just there to be Reacher's girl. She has an extra dimension and is important to the story.

* The "midnight special" train that roars past Carter Crossing every night is an ingenious device Child uses to ratchet up the suspense, provide a menacing undercurrent, and structure the complicated action in a clear way. It's the most impressive example yet of Child's narrative skill. Plus, choo-choos are just plain cool.

A new reader to the series may find the staccato rhythm of the sentences a bit off-putting at first, and Reacher's tough-guy terseness here and there verging on self-parody. But they're essential ingredients in Child's hugely enjoyable, impressively consistent franchise. Overall, I rank THE AFFAIR with the best of the series, up there with PERSUADER, ONE SHOT, and THE ENEMY.

I loved this book! As a rule, I will read anything that Lee Child writes, anything that Lee Child recommends, and anything that Lee Child might even use as a coaster- he's just that good. This book is probably my favorite of his (It's just SO hard to pick one). Lee introduces us to Jack Reacher when he was still an MP. Reacher is sent on a mission to help find a murderer in a small town, and potentially cover up any army scandal. Lee, as always fills the book with visually pleasing descriptions, strong character development, and helps us see into Reacher's oh so interesting past. I read this in one sitting- a tough task as a working mom of 5- but it can be done!

I'm a great fan of the Jack Reacher character and series and was left in two minds as to whether this does justice to them. On the one hand, from a character development point of view, I think that THE AFFAIR is excellent and is a natural extension showing us a younger slightly less experienced and more fallible Reacher. The writing is fantastic and as usual I was hooked from the first page to the last as we follow Reacher assigned to a case by the Military Police. The description is spot on and the pace frantic, even though there is are less violent parts than some of the earlier books in the series. He is teamed up with a beautiful local Sheriff and the inevitable happens as they carry out the investigation which proves to have wide-reaching implications.

On the other hand, there are some serious flaws to the storyline itself. One is Reacher's reason for leaving the Army and the other is the rather dubious conclusion to the book. The Sheriff is just too gorgeous and the gratuitous sex scenes are over-done and unnecessary. I would have preferred to see a deeper reason for Jack leaving the Army, disagreeing with Black Ops or cruelty to prisoners of war, that sort of thing.

If the storyline was as developed as the character then this would definitely be a great thriller. As it is THE AFFAIR is good, but for me far from the best in what remains a gripping series.

For Reacher fans, this flashback novel on Reacher's last days in the Army is historically interesting because it fills gaps in his resume. It provides a different reason for why he left the Army than given in earlier novels. It also shows how Reacher's "no suitcase, will travel" ethos got started. Unfortunately, the novel is marred by excessive violence than exceeds the violence of any previous Reacher book and the aftermath is simply not credible. It's been a long series and Childs has done a good job in keeping the quality level up, but we may look at this novel as the beginning of a marked decline in the series. However, having said that, even a mediocre Reacher is still a good read. But you would not want to recommend this book to your friends for their first Reacher novel.

With a Few Good Men-esque setting and the depth and breadth of the excellent Chaos and Kingdom, the latest Child novel (a prequel to the original Reacher thriller) is an intense way to kick off the career of the 13-year-old series based on this protagonist.

The story starts back in 1997 in Mississippi--down the road from a major army base where Reacher is an MP. When a woman's throat is cut behind a local bar, the case goes no where. The beautiful sheriff, who's also a former Marine, isn't getting anywhere in the investigation. Can Reacher make any progress against local police or the obstructive Pentagon officials?

What follows is a expertly-paced mystery novel with an appropriate amount of action so as not to dull your senses and great dialog (this is something I think Child is getting very good at). "The Affair" is written in first person, so Child is aloud a lot of liberty in framing the story through the eyes of the protagonist and he does it well.

While Child maintains his signature formula, it in no way detracts from the story and there are some unique aspects of this book that I haven't read in any other thriller. You'll love it if you're a Reacher fan or if you just enjoy a well-crafted tale.

Fans of Lee Child/Jack Reacher will love this book, and new readers couldn't have a better place to start. I first discovered Jack Reacher late in the series with 61 Hours, and I liked it so much I went back and read every book in order (the publisher helpfully numbers them on Kindle so you don't have to guess). As a West Point grad and former Army Ranger, I'm impressed with Lee Child's insights into the military and his character development. As a reader, I'm always impressed with his smooth writing style and fast paced stories.

The Affair is a finely woven story full of intrigue, set in a small town outside of a remote Mississippi Army post. Reacher is sent into town undercover to keep tabs on a murder investigation, and quickly meets the gorgeous chief of police. This is familiar to Lee Child fans, but once again, he pulls it off flawlessly. It's also the second Jack Reacher novel written in first person, and reminded me of Brian Haig's protagonist Sean Drummond- also an Army major sent in to investigate various crimes- although Reacher is less of a smart-ass and much more likely to bang heads and break legs along the way. (If you're a Lee Child fan and haven't read Brian Haig, you should!).

Throughout the book, Lee Child does a fantastic job keeping the suspense going. Several times when it seems everything is almost wrapped up, Reacher keeps pulling at threads until another revelation appears. It's not as action packed as some Reacher novels, but it's definitely one of the best.

Having read every other Reacher novel, I was also very impressed with the way the author casually intertwines elements that fit in later books. For example, Reacher tries calling his brother, who is on assignment in Georgia- which folds neatly into the plot of The Killing Floor (book #1 in the series). He also obliquely introduces Leon Garber and Francis Neagley, characters who are prominent in later books.

If you're already a Lee Child/Jack Reacher fan, you'll love this book. If you haven't read Lee Child yet, The Affair is a perfect place to start. Just be prepared to get hooked!

Best because Child wanted to show that he was still master of his own character - a lot of writers are swept away by their own creation - and so he set out to do REACHER:ORIGINS. And succeeded. And produced a flashback story that is 100% proof Reacher, steadfast, action packed, and with (the usual) shattering ending. The worst because the entire exercise was meaningful only to the writer himself, and the rest of us would have been just as happy (nay, happy-er) with a new novel. And then there are the flaws. Reacher as Antihero works best when he has another character, or characters, to contrast against. Nothing here. Instead we have a female character who in spite of Childs best efforts is never fully drawn and never quite comes alive. And finally there is the cynicism. Wow. Somehow in this odd tale Reacher kills 4 (count em, 4) people without breaking a sweat or even being asked to explain his actions. In a novel that already lacks a moral core, this is unsettling.

I love Jack Reacher so much and I feel like Lee Child has just sold him out for money. It is so offensive that Child sold the screen rights to Tom Cruise so he could play Reacher. It didn't seem to matter that Reacher is a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier just to name two obvious reasons he's so obviously miscast. And now it seems like Child is writing the book to support Cruise's portrayal. He usually mentions Reacher size frequently but in this book it's just so casually mentioned that it's hardly noticable. Also, I think the sex tied to the trains is written for a movie in mind. It seems like more of a script than the usual Reacher book.
I would have loved this book about Reacher's beginning but it just didn't live up to its potential. I don't think his dismissal from the service was very realistic. The death scene at the Pentagon seemed contrived to me as was the cover-up.
I just feel let down. I have read and enjoyed this series for so long and I feel so betrayed.

is

I love, love all the Reacher novels - have read them all - although not in order. However with each novel - you discover just a bit more about Reacher's character and enjoy each adventure Lee Child takes you on. However, the latest offering is very - ahhh - I am on a contract so will try and think of something new.

There was too much verbose language around Reacher walking around the town and more sex scenes - which normally add a nice spice to the novels - but here they became kind of boring. Also the general "bad guy" story just didn't really exist here - even right at the end.

Usually after finishing a Reacher novel - often in one or two sittings I am left wanting more immediately - but the Affair left me a little cold. I will read the next one - but perhaps with not quite so much anticipation!

I've read every Jack Reacher book in the series. Child has created a memorable character, but I think he's rushing too fast to crank out the next one without giving his books as much thought as before. Here you have the common "Reacher beating up a gang" episode, but c'mon, can even Reacher walk into the Pentagon, create a major crime and get away with it?

Hey Lee Child, how about something a little more down-to-earth and believable next time.