I was both lucky and unlucky today. Unlucky because I've been battling a hip injury that needs time to rest so it doesn't howl at me whenever I move around. Lucky because I could give my undivided attention (something that never happens) to reading another novel starring Jack Reacher, one of my all-time favorite characters. Man was I pumped! I put some pillows under my legs, cozied up to a large ice pack, and began Lee Child's most recent story about Jack Reacher, a large and athletic man, retired from the Military Police, hitching his way across the country with only the clothes on his back and a toothbrush in his pocket. He has his health, he has his freedom, and all the time in the world to do what he wants.So I started reading and quickly got back into Lee Child's comfortable writing rhythm, enjoying his taught dialogue, his sparse but complete descriptions, and his sly intrigue and iconic humor. Everything went as expected for the first 70 pages or so until I got a whiff of something familiar. A faint clue floated through my brain and I thought "oh oh", but I dismissed it and read on. Then another turn of a phrase put me back on the same thought. One clue can stand alone unless it is confirmed by another one. I'm not one to believe in coincidences. Now I was worried.Here I am in the first one-third of the story and I know what the main plot is. For the second time this year I am reading a story by a well known author who is riffing off another author's previously written story. I'm not saying that this was done intentionally. Far from it. No one can keep track of every story written and released and there aren't an infinite number of story lines in this universe. However I follow certain authors because of their writing abilities and their creative story lines. I want their plot line to be surprising and unexpected, not a spin on something I've read before that was written by someone else.So I personally am disappointed in this novel. I am not including any spoilers in this review because chances are that most of you have never been exposed to this particular plot, and I expect that you will enjoy this story just as well as others written by Lee Child. He is as charming as always, entertaining and interesting, as comfortable as an old shoe -- but this shoe has a hole in it. Gosh darn it all to heck!

The quintessential Jack Reacher book. The retired MP understands the law, how to use it, and how to work with law enforcement. The author, Lee Child, knows how to spin the story to make it suspenseful and thrilling to the very end. If you're a Jack Reacher fan especially, you are going to love this book, it wont let you down.

I'm always eager to read Lee Child's latest. Here the locale seems more restricted than other Child narratives. There is 'action', but it almost seems cursory. I don't 'follow' Reacher for 'deep philopshical' thought, but his observations about people are often on target, his descriptions are apt, but 'Past Tense' already seems a bit worn.The 'action' is predictable; the situation(s) time worn.

I thought this was an excellent addition to the series. The parallel plots, of a young Canadian couple whose car is on its last legs, and Reacher, who checking out his father's home town, were good. The merge was a little clunky, but acceptable. The characters were (mostly) well written and I would love to see some of them again in future books. There weren't any unrealistic "oh, come on!" moments that I have come across in some of the others in the series. This certainly kept my interest and I will be recommending it to several friends.

I have been a big fan of almost all the reacher books ( I remember at least one other clunker) but this one seemed to be a bunch of scenes you would expect to find Reacher in loosely strung together to make a book for sale. Maybe its time for Jack to retire.