Jack Reacher books - any good?

They are brilliant books. Very addictive. I have read about 10 in a row now. In my head, although he isn't an actor, I picture Lawrence Dallaglio, the ex rugby union player. I think his size and build are perfect. Although saying that, I have watched the film and wasn't as bothered by Tom Cruise as I thought I would be

I loved them but didn't finish the last one, they are getting very repetitive.
Love, love, love Harlan though.

I just finished the 1st Jack Reacher book. It was a good "beach read" - light, easy to read, a fun suspense.

It's written in 1st person singular, in very short sentences and with a 150-word vocabulary so makes Jack sound like a bit of an idiot, though

You cant go wrong with the Jack Reacher books IMO. They aren't heavy going so a good holiday read (although I need 2 books for a week away if im taking a Jack Reacher as you cannot put it down and will read very quickly, get someone else to remind you to re-apply sun cream!). I would read in order as there are references to previous books in the later ones which either may not make sense or may spoil the earlier ones if read after, but its not essential to have read all of the previous books if you happen to pick up one in the middle of the series as a one-off, they are all stand-alone books. Id also recommend reading a different book in between JR books otherwise they will seem a bit samey.

Any Jack Reacher fan worth their salt was annoyed at the film and especially the choice of actor. Although I think Tom Cruise played it well, it is in no way a true reflection of the character that Ian Child portrays in the books. I imagine JR to be a cross between Hunter from Gladiators (i know, weird) in terms of size, and looking a bit like Channing Tatum.

OP :

1. Read them all
2. Read them in order
3. Forget all about any link to Teeny-Tom
4. Enjoy the next few weeks while you read them.

AnonYonimousBird - he will be your slave forever!

He'll love them:) my favourite is " the hard way" but they are all good and quite addictive.

Don't be put off by Tom cruise and I notice the books have been released with pics of Tom on the cover. This would put anyone off- maybe you could cover them with nice paper instead:)

I prefer the earlier novels to be honest. I used to buy each book as soon as it came out but have found the last couple a bit disappointing. They seem to have lots of descriptive page filling rather than the story lines from the earlier books

Agree about Tom Cruise. Refused to watch the film. Also thought they would have been better with Killing Floor or a more action packed book to make into the first film

Not an actor but in my head he's Martin Johnson (ex England rugby player) In terms of size, build and looks

Out of interest which actor do you imagine Reacher to look like?

Liam Neeson is pretty much how he looks in my head. The film Taken was very Jack Reacher in style I thought.

I read the first one and then the last one and now I am desperate for the August release one which sounds fantastic and different. I think anymore would be overload, like Harlan Coben ( who I love but have to space out)

I've read all of them now, some are definitely better than others, although I did swear I wouldn't buy any more when Lee Child sold out to Tom Cruise. Seriously, how the fuck did he give the ok for that casting!

Worth dying for probably my favourite out of them all

I love them. You could also try David Baldacci, I'm working my way through him at the mo. I find them a bit slow to start, then impossible to put down.

Far better than the rubbishy film

Fab! I got my first one at Heathrow. They are easy reading

I love them but never read them one after the other as they are very similar. I love Jack's thinking skills and logic. It's probably a load of old rubbish but it sounds brilliant to me! Fantastic body as well Each book I read I get slightly bored near the end where the final showdown is related in laborious detail so I skip that and get to the part where he's won the battle and all the bad people are dead and the good people who are still alive (there are always a couple of casualties) are returned to normality and he gets back on the road again.

Definitely light reading though.

I read a good book which seems similar called covenant by dean crawford... might be more similar to dan brown anyway i thoughtvit was good :)

I read half the first one and got bored clearly i'm in the minority though. When i'm through with my current SK obsession may revisit.

I've just finished the fourth (The Visitor). The first three were absolutely brilliant. I just couldn't put them down.

This last one not so good I think. Could be a need a break for a while though.

Really though they are very good. Some things you have to suspend your belief for ie Jack never seems to change his clothes or own anything other than a toothbrush. Secondly that he honed his superpower skills in the military police. Bit unlikely, but hey who cares...!? He's such a hero .

My dh never reads books until we go on holiday then 0n day 7 when he's run out of magazines and old papers he starts moaning about wishing he'd brought a book. This year I have a copy of The Killing Floor hidden away for him and I think he'll love it.

I enjoyed reading them but thought it a bit far fetched that an army veteran drifter would be given such a free reign in a town to solve a crime.

A guilty pleasure, like eating your kids Easter eggs in my opinion (not the most amazing quality but satisfying).