One Shot (Jack Reacher, No. 9)

by Lee Child

2006

Status

Checked out

Publication

Dell (2006), 496 pages

Description

Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER â?˘ NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE â?˘ THE BLOCKBUSTER JACK REACHER SERIES THAT INSPIRED THE STREAMING SERIES REACHER â??Pure, escapist gold . . . Mr. Childâ??s tough talk and thoughtful plotting make an ingenious combination.â?ťâ??The New York Times Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me. And sure enough, exâ??military investigator Jack Reacher is coming. He knows this shooterâ??a trained military sniper who never should have missed a shot. Reacher is certain something is not rightâ??and soon the slam-dunk case explodes. Now Reacher is teamed with a beautiful young defense lawyer, moving closer to the unseen enemy who is pulling the strings. Reacher knows that no two opponents are created equal. This one has come to the heartland from his own kind of hell. And Reacher knows that the only way to take him down is to match his ruthlessness and cunningâ??an… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member reading_fox
Jack's chance encounter with a Norweigan dancer leads to him spending the night in a hotel room and hence hearing on TV that James Barr has been arrested for randomly killing 5 people in a small midwest town. Reacher knows James from long ago, when he managed not to be drummed out of the army for a
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similar crime, and Jack promised him if he was ever found again, Reacher would make him wish he hadn't.

Reacher's arrival in town is of welcome news ot the defense for before he was rendered unconcious Reacher was the only word he uttered. Reacher meanwhile is surprised at the attention and puzzled by just one or two minor anomalies in what looks to be the most water tight prosecution case he's seen. Unsurprisingly violence and mayhem follows with some intreguing mysteries neatly wrapped up.

It's not really belivable but the plot is well detailed and as a suspension of disbelief thriller no-body really does it better than Lee Child. great fun and hard to believe that after 9 books the tension is still as good as it was in the first.
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LibraryThing member Jenners26
2 words that describe the book―Action Thriller

3 setting where the book took place or characters I met

* Setting: Indianapolis, Indiana, present day

* Jack Reacher―stud and former military investigator―is getting to intimately know a dancer from a cruise ship in South Beach, Miami when he
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catches a CNN report about a sniper shooting in Indianapolis. Six shots fired, and five left dead. The reported gunman? James Barr. The name is familiar to Reacher―so much so that he immediately makes his way to Indianapolis (via bus … Reacher lives off the grid and doesn’t have a car). Once there, he presents himself to the District Attorney―and is startled to find out the defense team has already been looking for him. It seems that, before lapsing into a coma brought on by a prison fight, Barr asked for Reacher by name. Puzzled by this request because Reacher has not come on friendly terms, Reacher makes his way to the defense attorney’s office.

* Helen Rodin is James Barr’s lawyer―hired by his sister Rosemary who adamantly denies that her brother could not have been the shooter. Despite what appears to be a slam-dunk case against Barr, Rodin reluctantly agrees to help Rosemary defend Barr―despite the mountains of incriminating evidence against him. After all, a newly minted lawyer can’t be too choosy about her cases. Oh … and one other thing: the DA that is prosecuting Barr happens to be Helen’s father. When Reacher appears in her office, they begin examining the evidence and find some things that don’t quite add up.

4 things I liked or disliked about the book

* I’m always up for a good thriller so when Sandy at You’ve GOTTA Read This! recently extolled the virtues of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series, I thought I’d give a try. I wasn’t disappointed. The book moves along at a face pace, and reading it was like going to see an action movie. And goody for me … there are 15 Jack Reacher books out there for the picking. (One Shot happened to be the 9th book, but Sandy said it was OK to read them out of order.)

* If you like a little hubba hubba in your action heroes, then Jack Reacher is your man. He’s quite the ladies man, with at least two hook-ups in this book and one implied. For a clue as to why he’s such a stud, here is the description provided on the Lee Child/Jack Reacher web site. (Note: It is worth going over there to check out the photos of both Child and Reacher in the site header. Lee Child is pretty good-looking, and there is a nice little shot of “Reacher” walking down a road in jeans and with his abs showing. Just saying!)

Measurements: 6’5″, 220-250 lbs., 50″ chest
Hair: Dirty-blond
Eyes: Ice blue
Clothing: 3XLT coat, 95 cm. pants’ inseam

* It cracked me up to have an action hero who gets to the action via Greyhound Bus and who has to walk everywhere. Although this is my first Reacher book, it is implied the Reacher doesn’t have a home base and can’t be tracked down unless he wants you to find him. I’m sure this is explained in one of the books, but it made for a bit of a chuckle from me as he was forever taking these epic walks to get places.

* As with most books of this type, it is best not to think too hard about the plot and to just go with it. Of course everything is stacked against our hero. Of course there are evil forces at work that need to be uncovered and unmasked. Of course this is a bit of mystery as to who exactly is working for the bad guys. I thought the plot was pretty decent as far as these books go, and there were some exciting action sequences. But if you’re looking for something more than just escapist action, you’re not going to find it here.

5 stars or less for my rating:

I’m giving the book 3.5 stars. Would I read another Jack Reacher book again? Yes indeed. Do I think this is a book I’m going to remember in two months? Not a chance! But that isn’t the point of these types of books, is it? If you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller with lots of action and a studly hero, this book would be an excellent choice. It is the quintessential “airplane” book and a good one to read between heavier books. And, if you have a reluctant male reader in your home, he might like this too.
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LibraryThing member amf0001
When I first met Jack Reacher, 10 or so books ago, his isolation and idosyncracies made sense. But now he is a man unchanged by time or circumstance. Having met with people who love or wish to connect with him, he still walks alone, off the grid, aimless (and how does he have the cash to pay for
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all those clothes and cheap hotel rooms? He never seems to work for pay either) I enjoy the mythological aspects of him, but as a real person he is diminished. After all, who wants to be with a person who never learns or changes?
This conspiracy over a sniper killing in the midwest was adequate though wholly predictable. Lee Child is a fluent writer, so you're not worried there, and I bought it for the long flight to Sydney, and knew it would be sufficiently engrossing, but I wish Jack would grow a bit... I guess an airplane book is the perfect description for this - engrossing enough but easy to put away once you arrive where you're meant to be...
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LibraryThing member bibliobbe
Jack Reacher is back in this thriller that, despite its predictability, is an entertaining way to spend a few idle hours. In this story, a lone gunman kills half a dozen innocent business people as they leave a building at the end of the day. By simple detective work, the case is solved in about
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the time it took to commit the murders. Enter Jack Reacher, the former military policeman, who recognises a set-up when everyone else sees an open and shut case. As you might expect, it proves to be an inside job (I wait for the day when the baddy turns out to be someone not in law enforcement). Despite that, I found it difficult to put down, even though I knew it was silly. A better class of thriller, then.
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LibraryThing member edwardsgt
Another gripping Jack Reacher novel, this time he finds himself in Indiana asked to defend an Army acquaintance who was accused of a similar crime in Kuwait City fourteen years ago, but did he do it and if so why did he call Jack Reacher? The plot hurries along including local corruption and
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Russian emigres, so fast the holes aren't really noticeable. Enjoyable escapism.
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LibraryThing member missmath144
Good mystery. Great reader for these characters.
LibraryThing member nbmars
Lee Child books are crime/suspense/thrillers, some of which feature Jack Reacher, “hero, loner, soldier.” Short, clipped sentences describe plots that are not too gory, occasionally a bit obvious, but engaging enough to keep one burning the midnight oil to turn the pages.

“One Shot” is
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number 9 in the Jack Reacher series, who in this “episode” is an ex-military investigator who roams the country, staying off the radar, and living from day to day. He happens to see on a news broadcast that an old enemy, James Barr, is facing murder charges for an apparent random urban “massacre” by a “lone, crazed sniper” and he makes his way to Indiana to make sure Barr pays for the crime.

But before James Barr was beaten into a coma by prison inmates, Barr said to his appointed legal counsel: “Get Jack Reacher for me.” It turns out Barr, for some reason, thinks Reacher holds the key to his exoneration. Reacher arrives, various attractive women hit on him, and he goes to work finding out the truth.

This particular link in the Jack Reacher chain is predictable but you still are compelled to keep reading. This book is not an unreasonable choice for an airplane or beach book.
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LibraryThing member Zare
Psychotic sniper goes on a killing spree in Indiana City. He kills five people going home after work and soon James Barr, former army sniper, is arrested – case looks bulletproof and all evidence points to Barr. It seems that only Barr’s sister believes he is innocent.

Jack Reacher accidentally
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reads about the massacre and when he learns about Barr he decides to immediately go to Indiana City – but reasons behind his arrival are not what everybody is expecting.

Good thriller – but keep in mind that writing is somewhat …. weird, some sentences have been repeated over and over in such a manner like author just had to fill in 300+ pages. Otherwise it is a good thriller with interesting plot and storyline.

Recommended.
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LibraryThing member crazybatcow
Another great installment of butt-kicking. A smidge of sex (no out-of-place falling in "love") a ton of butt-kicking, and no politics - what more can you ask for?

Sure, you'll have to suspend disbelief to accept the story's premise, but... who cares? Jack whirls in, straightens out all the bad guys
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(a.k.a kills them), then whirls back out again. Very satisfying.
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LibraryThing member Reacherfan
If you've read the Reacher books before, then you know what to expect, and One Shot delivers. On a personal note, not only is this my favorite Reacher book, but my favorite book of all time.

A man, who was a sniper in the Army, back in the day seems that he just isn't ready to give up the life a
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sniper. He sets up in a parking garage and picks off six people. When the police find the guy and arrest him, he doesn't say anything at first. Then after a while he says three words, "Find Jack Reacher." That's it. The problem is that Reacher is the last guy he should want to see. It seems that he's done this before in the Army, and Reacher was the guy to nab him. Reacher told him that if he ever did anything like that again, he'd find him, then kill him. When Reacher finds out what this guy did, he plans to fulfill his promise. Reacher starts to investigate on what happened, then he realizes that all isn't as it seems. It's up to Reacher to get to the truth at what happened at the parking garage, and if you know Reacher, then you know nothing or nobody will get in his way. That's all I really want to say about the plot.

This is a fantastic read! This has so many plot twists and turns, the reader will be hooked to the final scene, and will be left for wanting more. If you haven't read this, then treat yourself to One Shot. I can promise you won't be sorry! I know I wasn't.
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LibraryThing member sruszala
Good plane reading; completely not plausible but fun nevertheless!
LibraryThing member mahallett
i listened to this and had trouble following it, having to lesson to discs two or 3 times. don't think it was worth so much attention. still don't know why the murders happened--municipal corruption or something and russians. didn't really like the reader.
LibraryThing member emlzcole
Another great Jack Reacher book that makes for a great, and quick, read while on vacation.
LibraryThing member crookesy
Enjoyable chewing gum formthe mind if you like action hero thrillers.
LibraryThing member GTTexas
As usual there are more twists and turns in the plot than in a sixties dance, and it quickly becomes another Reacher tale that you just can't put down until it's finished.

Excellent
LibraryThing member JoeyGuilfoyle
This book is really good. I liked how it opened with most of the action and how all the mysteries were answered later. I've read a lot of the other books that Lee Child wrote and this is one of my favorite. I recommend this book to anyone who likes action and mystery all in one book.
LibraryThing member mikedraper
A gunman kills five people and sets up former Marine, James Barr, for the killings.

When questioned, Barr refuses to talk to police. Then he tells his attorney, to get Jack Reacher.

Reacher arrives but knows that Barr did kill a number of people during his time in the Marines. Even though the people
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in Kuwait City may have deserved their fate, Reacher feels that Barr is a killer and should be jailed.

The defense attorney, Helen Rodin, is up against her father as the prosecutor. Her father has a high conviction rate and tells his daughter not to take the case.

Helen decides to defend Barr anyway and convinces Reacher to look at the evidence. When he does, he feels that it's too good to be true. Then, he begins to disect each part of the evidence to see if it's valid.

Reacher is still somewhat adverse to helping Helen but when he leaves her office, someone tries to set him up for a beating. Reacher turns the table on his attackers and becomes more interested in helping Helen defend Barr.

Reacher shows again that he's the one person who can be counted on when there seems to be no hope. His military training as a homicide investigator makes him more analytical and his kills with weapons and his size gives him the tools he needs to overcome his adversaries.

This is a well plotted novel. Lee Child has the ability to make the person that Reacher hs helping look sympathetic and Reacher is the savior. Parts of the story were somewhat predictable but the suspense was there and it kept me turning the pages to see how Reacher could overcome an almost impossible situation.
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LibraryThing member MaryWJ
another good Reacher book! Interesting storyline about a man from Reacher's past in the military, and a mass murder that may not be what it appears.
LibraryThing member techeditor
If you aren't familiar with Lee Child's books, as I wasn't, you should know that his stories involve Jack Reacher, a former army officer who went to Westpoint, a big man who now, apparently, doesn't own a home, a car, a cell phone, anything. Heck, he even buys clothes, wears them until they're
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dirty, then gets rid of them. He's a hard man to find, and he travels light.

But Jack Reacher is our hero.

In ONE SHOT Reacher comes to Indiana when he learns that a former soldier he knew in the army is accused of the mass murder of five people there who were leaving a DMV building. He finds out that all is not as simple as that, though, and he stays longer than he intended. (By the way, he wears the same $45 pants and shirt throughout the book.)

I had always avoided Lee Child's books just because I assumed they were cheap fiction, the kind I see dozens of at used book sales. So ONE SHOT was my first because I was curious and because I got the book for free.

Now I think I'll buy more. I enjoyed ONE SHOT. It's not literature, but it's a fine, well-written thriller. I'll be picking up his novels when I see them in the future.
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LibraryThing member porchsitter55
This Jack Reacher novel is one of Lee Child's best ~ yet all of his books with this great character are top-notch thrillers. Jack Reacher, an ex-military cop, now a drifter with a dark side, somehow manages to walk into trouble wherever he goes. This time a man he knows from 14 years ago, who has
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murdered before, is accused of randomly shooting five people as they are leaving work on a Friday afternoon.

But could there possibly be another person responsible for this seemingly cut-and-dried case? Despite all the evidence that is piling up, building a strong case against James Barr, Jack Reacher begins to investigate and piece the puzzle together, with the help of a lawyer, a journalist, an ex-Marine, and several others who seek the truth.

I found this book to be so riveting, I could not put it down and finished it in record time. I highly recommend this (and any) of the Jack Reacher novels ~ Lee Child is superb! A smooth read, a suspenseful plot, murder, romance, thrills and chills.....this one has it all!
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LibraryThing member claude_lambert
This books starts with the random shooting of five people in the street. The attack is very well described, the kind of scene that you remember from a book. The work of a sniper? Yes, the police gets a suspect within hours, but the man - a vet who might have post traumatic stress disorder- says he
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is innocent against all proofs: his car, his gun. He calls for Lee Child's hero, Jack Reacher. Here is where the book becomes extremely good. You expect that Reacher is his friend and will prove that he is innocent. In fact, Reacher is not his friend, far from it. There are well developed characters like the sister of the accused, a TV journalist, a young lawyer. An excellent thriller.
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LibraryThing member dmendel
I started this because everyone was recommending Lee Child to me and they are going to make a movie out of this one... I'm hooked!
LibraryThing member TGPistole
My wife has been raving about Lee Child for some time. I finally decided to give him a try. Excellent read. Now I am sorry I took all of the other Child books we had to our local swap shop. Fortunately I found another on a recent visit so I am set, at least for a while.
LibraryThing member jlouise77
Another great Jack Reacher book! I love this character and these books. This is the third one that I read right in a row and all of them are great reads. Again, I couldnt put the book down and got through it in less than a week, even though I am pretty busy! The one thing I love about the character
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the most is that he is ruthless. He isnt one of those silly guys who wants to leave everyone alive and turn them into the police, he just takes care of business!! Great books!
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LibraryThing member Kathy89
This is my third Jack Reacher book and wanted to read this one because they are making a movie out of this one. Unfortunately, Tom Cruise is playing a 6'5" Reacher so I'm not sure it will work. There's a mass shooting from a parking garage overlooking a plaza and the police have arrested a man
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who's only words are "Get Jack Reacher." Reacher happens to see the news story on CNN not realizing that the police are looking for him and heads to the DA to tell him about the man's history in the military. He intended to help the prosecution but it doesn't turn out the way he expected.
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Awards

Audie Award (Finalist — 2006)
Macavity Award (Nominee — Novel — 2006)

Original language

English

Original publication date

2005-06-14

Physical description

496 p.; 4.17 inches

ISBN

9780440241027

Barcode

1601178
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