Litsy

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Well that was way better than I thought it was going to be!
Clarifies a thesis I've been developing about my mystery/crime novel preferences: it's not simply that I prefer good/sympathetic detectives as main characters in this kind of book, it's that I need to be invested in the character, in their motives, even if they're not as warm and fuzzy; 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? an interesting character (not simply an over-stressed one with secrets), one that develops as the story progresses, is key to my enjoyment of a mystery plot. For me, the mystery is not as big a draw if I don't care about the people who want to solve it. Reacher has not just moments of doubt, but self-recrimination, he changes his mind about people, and even while giving a confidence-boosting speech, the reader is in his head while he 3d

Robotswithpersonality 3/? strategizes the need for an infallible front that doesn't reflect his state of mind. Might seem like a little thing, but especially considering the morally-grey aspect of killing foes and other illegal activities to get the job done, having Reacher be self-reflective, feel empathy, be a bit more down to earth than the classic anti-hero, becomes more important to making him feel like a character with his own well-considered code, rather than a 3d

Robotswithpersonality 4/? no-holds-barred maniac - like the Kliners. 😬
The number of times Child had Reacher do the smart thing in fighting a little dirty rather than devolve into an elaborate machismo-fueled duel when taking out bad guys while recognizing it as strategic rather than noble kind of win me over. You don't see it in action movies as much because it doesn't make the same Hollywood spectacle, but it feels like it might be (how would I know?!) more 3d

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? authentic.
Which doesn't mean the climax doesn't feel straight out of an action film in the best way possible. 😉
I can see why this gets lumped into the thriller category as much as the mystery/crime category, but I think the methodical manner in which Reacher approaches everything, even if it ends in a reveal or a fight, works better for me. It's not endless anguish and scandal, it's thinking things through and almost literally rolling with 3d

Robotswithpersonality 6/? the punches. I did see Baker's allegiances coming thanks to the fingerprinting mix-up, but it honestly just built the right level of suspense waiting for the Reacher and Finlay to get there, and there were definitely alot of discoveries I did NOT see coming. I would happily agree with anyone who wants to come for the plot on the number of coincidences that crop up, but overall I appreciated how tightly woven the hints and connections are in (edited) 3d

Robotswithpersonality 7/? in the mystery, how things were steadily revealed, so that it's not a bunch of shocks at the very end, but a gradual web that's unraveled, makes for a more enjoyable read.
I'm casting a suspicious side eye at the characterization of Morrison and the nameless fleet of Hispanic henchman. But I'm also appreciative of the representation that Finlay and the barber family existing as a fully-fleshed out characters presents. 3d

Robotswithpersonality 8/? I wish Roscoe had spent a bit more time as a woman with agency and back story before becoming lightning-fast love interest/damsel, but there were moments of her being the crime-solving partner, she does make her own decisions about her future, and while I was worried there for a bit, Child did not perform the egregious sin of fridging her, so I'm calling it a win. 3d

Robotswithpersonality 9/? There's something fan-service-y in how quick Roscoe becomes a welcoming, helpful, bedable partner to Reacher, but you could just as easily say there's something irredeemably escapist about the tendency towards violence as Reacher's primary mode of justice and crime prevention as well. It's a subgenre unto itself, and judging it on its own merits, I think it's quite well-written. 3d

Robotswithpersonality 10/? I kept finding myself caught on Child's way of describing sights or sounds, weather, music, just the right combo of adjectives sometimes, but having a certain phrase make me pause is one of my favourite things about reading, so despite the darker elements of this book, I had a good deal of fun. I should emphasize that my enjoyment is tied to how many 'good guys(?)' made it out alive. 3d

Robotswithpersonality 11/12 The stakes were high, and the bodies were dropping thick and fast there for a while, so it made a big difference seeing who made it out. Bonus: Learned some fascinating things about US currency (assuming they're factual and still up to date). 3d

Robotswithpersonality 12/12 Will definitely be continuing in the series. Sincerely hope my library doesn't have any more tv-tie-in covers. 🤦🏼‍♂️
⚠️ fatphobia, racism, gore, violence, discussion of SA 3d

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Robotswithpersonality

Killing Floor | Lee Child, Child

Adjectival awesomeness.

15 likes

Robotswithpersonality

Killing Floor | Lee Child, Child

Safe to say I'll never think about that phrase the same way again. Probably a lot of new parents already understood that nuance! 😅

14 likes

Robotswithpersonality

Killing Floor | Lee Child, Child

Points for sense-memory awakening: totally forgot, I love that smell. 😌

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CaitlinR

In Too Deep: Free eBook Sampler | Lee Child, Andrew Child

so-so

I don‘t know whether the story telling has changed, or whether my tastes have changed, but the latest Jack Reacher novel fell flat. Written by the senior Child and his younger brother, the novel follows the usual formula: Jack challenged by and besting bad guys, accompanied by, in this case, a comely female cop. The crimes are muddy, and although I finished the book, I wondered why.

I‘ve been a Reacher fan, so I‘ll try again, but reluctantly.

25 likes

CRR

In Too Deep: Free eBook Sampler | Lee Child, Andrew Child

pick

Newest in the Jack Reacher series. I thought it was a good one. The sequence of events was different than the typical sort in the series. The changes were in the same overall vein though. Storyline was good and interesting. I enjoyed it—now just need to wait a year for another one.!

27 likes