jordanwhelan's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
sophiewilliams's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting concept. Figured out the twist ahead of time which always makes me feel smug!
ld153's review against another edition
4.0
This book started where the previous one left off, with Reacher in New York with his girlfriend. In typical Reacher style he solves a problem without consulting the proper authorities, not knowing that the FBI have him under surveillance. The FBI then blackmail him into helpi g them solve the murders of ex-army women being killed one by one... there is no evidence... no apparent motive... no physical evidence on how the women were even killed...
Very intriguing book.
Very intriguing book.
marjolein85's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
rhganci's review against another edition
4.0
The Reacher books just keep getting better. What strikes me most about the books, now that I'm about a fifth of the way through the whole series, is how different each of them is from the others. We've had small-town rackets, crazy militias, Vietnam-era cold cases, and now, a bizarre serial killer mystery crossed with the bad blood of inter-governmental agencies working with each other. And a pretty solid argument against home ownership, if I'm being totally honest.
What doesn't change is the quality of the novel. The consistency of the manner in which Lee Child builds the character of Jack Reacher from novel to novel is the sort of consistency that not only builds a fan base, but also allows for the stories to communicate about different issues of interest to Lee Child. Because we like Reacher so much, we come to care about, and learn about, those issues as well. Running Blind seems to be interested in the ways in which people circumvent bureaucracy, tell lies (though I suppose all the Reacher books are interested in this), and use systems of doing things against themselves to pursue a personal agenda. Reacher gets trapped in between local police, New York City racketeers, the FBI, the Air Force, the Army, his girlfriend, and his own yard. The suspense to catch the killer gets intensified by all of the red tape, and as the killer continues to strike, Reacher's reflections on his own life circumstances give rise to the intense build-up to a resolution that contains a few really satisfying shockers for the reader.
At this point, there's not reason to doubt each Jack Reacher book will bring more justice, more logical reasoning, more intense situations that seem to have no apparent solution, and more great tales. It's hard to imagine wanting to read something other than Lee Child's Jack Reacher books right now, as entertaining and engaging as they are. By the time I'm done with them, it will have been too soon.
What doesn't change is the quality of the novel. The consistency of the manner in which Lee Child builds the character of Jack Reacher from novel to novel is the sort of consistency that not only builds a fan base, but also allows for the stories to communicate about different issues of interest to Lee Child. Because we like Reacher so much, we come to care about, and learn about, those issues as well. Running Blind seems to be interested in the ways in which people circumvent bureaucracy, tell lies (though I suppose all the Reacher books are interested in this), and use systems of doing things against themselves to pursue a personal agenda. Reacher gets trapped in between local police, New York City racketeers, the FBI, the Air Force, the Army, his girlfriend, and his own yard. The suspense to catch the killer gets intensified by all of the red tape, and as the killer continues to strike, Reacher's reflections on his own life circumstances give rise to the intense build-up to a resolution that contains a few really satisfying shockers for the reader.
At this point, there's not reason to doubt each Jack Reacher book will bring more justice, more logical reasoning, more intense situations that seem to have no apparent solution, and more great tales. It's hard to imagine wanting to read something other than Lee Child's Jack Reacher books right now, as entertaining and engaging as they are. By the time I'm done with them, it will have been too soon.
kingfan30's review
3.0
I’ve read two Reacher books before this but from much later in the series, so was interested to see what an earlier book would be like. I can’t say I was hugely impressed. The story line was interesting in that these strong women were being killed without the murderer leaving a trace. However the reason they got Reacher involved was a bit weird in my view and I guessed how it was being done quite early, just not the who. The ending was also a little weird for me too, but that said, it was a pretty quick read and didn’t require a huge amount of brain power in these very odd times.
sammy_'s review against another edition
3.0
Continuing to work my way through the Jack Reacher audiobooks in order to make cleaning bearable, I find myself once again torn between giving it one star for logic and five stars for, well, actually making cleaning bearable.
In this instalment, Jack Reacher is recruited(ish) by the FBI to help them catch an ex-solider who is travelling round the US drowning female veterans in camouflage paint (yes really).
In this instalment, Jack Reacher is recruited(ish) by the FBI to help them catch an ex-solider who is travelling round the US drowning female veterans in camouflage paint (yes really).
Spoiler
Early on in the book when one of the main FBI agent characters was described as dowdy, I thought flippantly "well she must be up to no good." And she did it! Yes, the only woman in the book that Jack Reacher wasn't attracted to was naturally the murderer. Also, she made the victims kill themselves... via hypnotism. Welcome to the world of Jack Reacher.kb_09's review against another edition
3.0
I like reading the Jack Reacher novels as they're fairly easy reads, but this one felt too dragged out compared to his others.