Status
Checked out
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Random House Audio (2007), Edition: Unabridged
Description
When a man is killed by being thrown from a helicopter high over the California desert, Jack Reacher discovers that someone is targeting his old friends and teammates and he launches a personal campaign to end the conspiracy.
User reviews
LibraryThing member xavierp
Number 11 and the latest in the Jack Reacher series, this book takes a small departure from the norm and puts Reacher at the head of his old Special Investigations Unit again, when they reform to investigate the deaths of part of their old team.
In some ways, this story is a natural progression in
Additionally, Reacher is part of a team in this book - not just leading it, but an equal part. This is not the Reacher we have grown to know. Our Reacher is a loner, a maverick, a leader, an outsider. This Reacher is democratic and allows himself to be lead. He’s also unsure of himself, which is understandable since he’s catching up with friends who appear to have more than he does. But it’s just not right. We’re used to Reacher being Batman without the uniform, not this, this, mortal.
This one was a lot slower to get started than the previous novels and, as mentioned above, was a fair bit different than the rest of the series. Read it if you, like me, are a fan and want to know what else happens to Reacher, but don’t use it as a way into the series.
Additionally, my copy had a Reacher short story: James Penney’s New Identity at the back of it. Well told short story, but not canon. Lee Child has made it very clear that the one country Reacher has never really visited or worked in is the Unite States. And yet here we have a short story with Reacher working in and travelling around the US. It may seem like nit-picking, but this is the sort of thing you notice.
In some ways, this story is a natural progression in
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the series - Reacher is meeting up with his old friends and has seen that they have all settled down and joined the rest of the world with mortgages, pensions, families and the like. Of the team, he is the only one who has not settled down, the only one with no fixed address. He realises that he is older and not the man he used to be. But that, in my opinion, is where the book falls down. In the previous ten books we have a picture of Reacher as invincible and absolutely confident in his abilities. He fears no one and is sure that he will prevail. And in this book we have Reacher admitting that he’s slower and less than he was.Additionally, Reacher is part of a team in this book - not just leading it, but an equal part. This is not the Reacher we have grown to know. Our Reacher is a loner, a maverick, a leader, an outsider. This Reacher is democratic and allows himself to be lead. He’s also unsure of himself, which is understandable since he’s catching up with friends who appear to have more than he does. But it’s just not right. We’re used to Reacher being Batman without the uniform, not this, this, mortal.
This one was a lot slower to get started than the previous novels and, as mentioned above, was a fair bit different than the rest of the series. Read it if you, like me, are a fan and want to know what else happens to Reacher, but don’t use it as a way into the series.
Additionally, my copy had a Reacher short story: James Penney’s New Identity at the back of it. Well told short story, but not canon. Lee Child has made it very clear that the one country Reacher has never really visited or worked in is the Unite States. And yet here we have a short story with Reacher working in and travelling around the US. It may seem like nit-picking, but this is the sort of thing you notice.
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LibraryThing member PortiaLong
As a thriller - fine plot, fine tactics, fine guns, fine action. Had to subtract a 1/2 star for shameless charity plug for...PETA!!!?! Seriously?..."There was stuff from an organization called People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Swan had been a contributor. Big money. Therefore a
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worthwhile cause, Reacher guessed. Swan was nobody's fool."...I have to say it haunted me the entire book. I kept looking for other asinine, random, ill-considered ploys -- to be fair I didn't find a lot (or maybe they pandered to my own particular biases). But STILL - you publish a book that a ba-jillion people read and you waste your endorsement on PETA?!? Show Less
LibraryThing member abbottthomas
This is the first of Lee Child's books I have read; I picked it up in a charity shop. It is a good, fast, easy read, an airport buy with nothing much to hold you up between the beginning and the end. The beginning, with some bad guys cutting a swathe through Reacher's old unit sounded like a
The book was published in 2007 but it appears that Jack is immune to any tracing by ATM use, let alone CCTV or number plate recognition.
The messages are that killing people who've done you wrong is fine and that the way to get money for your own use is to take it from criminals: I would have hoped for something less cynical from ex-law enforcers.
The bad guys are unbelievably inept. I don't want to spoil the story so, reader, wait and see.
This is hardly literature but has great pace. The characters are at least two and a half dimensional. I wouldn't be unhappy to have it on a flight to LA, but I can think of better travelling companions.
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Schwarzenegger movie but I was disappointed when Reacher nutted a solitary pawn broker for guns and bought a few pay-as-you-go mobiles to equip his team - Arnie would have been much more impressive - and noisy.The book was published in 2007 but it appears that Jack is immune to any tracing by ATM use, let alone CCTV or number plate recognition.
The messages are that killing people who've done you wrong is fine and that the way to get money for your own use is to take it from criminals: I would have hoped for something less cynical from ex-law enforcers.
The bad guys are unbelievably inept. I don't want to spoil the story so, reader, wait and see.
This is hardly literature but has great pace. The characters are at least two and a half dimensional. I wouldn't be unhappy to have it on a flight to LA, but I can think of better travelling companions.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
Jack Reacher, a former military policeman “back in the day” gets a message from the past through his ATM account: his former colleague, Frances Neagley, is looking for him. How does he know this? There is a deposit of one thousand and thirty dollars in his account: 1030.00. It takes him a
There were eight of these colleagues with whom he worked “back in the day” (a phrase repeated more than once too often): Tony Swan, Jorge Sanchez, Calvin Franz, Frances Neagley, Stanley Lowrey, Manuel Orozco, David O’Donnell, and Karla Dixon. Now someone seems to be picking them off, and Jack and Frances, and the others that remain set out to find out why.
Reacher is more dishelved than the typical thriller hero but the two women meet the usual thriller requirements of smart, beautiful, and sexy. The motto of their group is “same as ever: We investigate, we prepare, we execute. We find them, we take them down, and then we piss on their ancestors’ graves.”
There are plenty of suspenseful moments in the book, even though the “bad guys” are evident from the beginning, the clues are transparent, some of the coincidences are absurd, and the groups’ expertise at multiplying, deriving cube roots, and analyzing fractions on the spot seems more than unrealistic. It’s not the best of thrillers, nor the worst; but good enough for a rainy day or an airplane trip with waits and connections.
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moment to decide that it’s not a prime number, not a square root, not a cube root, and so on, until he settles on the simple message “10-30” which is military code for urgent assistance needed. There is a lot of idiot-savant-type showing off of obscure math ability first, a talent not only repeated throughout the book but shared by his military colleagues as well! There were eight of these colleagues with whom he worked “back in the day” (a phrase repeated more than once too often): Tony Swan, Jorge Sanchez, Calvin Franz, Frances Neagley, Stanley Lowrey, Manuel Orozco, David O’Donnell, and Karla Dixon. Now someone seems to be picking them off, and Jack and Frances, and the others that remain set out to find out why.
Reacher is more dishelved than the typical thriller hero but the two women meet the usual thriller requirements of smart, beautiful, and sexy. The motto of their group is “same as ever: We investigate, we prepare, we execute. We find them, we take them down, and then we piss on their ancestors’ graves.”
There are plenty of suspenseful moments in the book, even though the “bad guys” are evident from the beginning, the clues are transparent, some of the coincidences are absurd, and the groups’ expertise at multiplying, deriving cube roots, and analyzing fractions on the spot seems more than unrealistic. It’s not the best of thrillers, nor the worst; but good enough for a rainy day or an airplane trip with waits and connections.
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LibraryThing member TerryWeyna
It's a rite of spring: a new Jack Reacher thriller from the pen of Lee Child. That means I can spend a day completely lost to the joys of a violent yet strangely lovable anti-hero. This year's adventure features a reunion of army buddies, a terrible threat and a very high body count. No scruples,
Bad Luck and Trouble opens with a scene of horrifying violence against one of Reacher's former brothers-in-arms. As a result of this event, Reacher receives a message -- an oddity in itself, given that all he owns are the clothes on his back, a travel toothbrush, an ATM card and a passport. With no fixed address or telephone number, he's a hard guy to get ahold of. But he didn't train his personnel for nothing, and between Frances Neagley's detective work and his own, they are able to meet up in a city far from Reacher's wanderings and miles away from Neagley's home without ever exchanging a phone call or email. In a similar fashion, if a tad less mysterious and difficult, two others show up in short order. But the remaining three of the Army team of special investigators -- those who did the most difficult, bloody and behind-the-scenes work military police can do -- have disappeared.
The team votes to work together to find their comrades, with Reacher as their leader. And then the book is off like a hound after a rabbit, dealing out plot point after plot point, leaving the reader short on oxygen -- and short on sleep, at least until the last page is turned. One thing is certain: you do not mess with the special investigators.
Reacher is more violent and even oddly greedy this time around, increasing the "anti" quotient of his "anti-hero" persona. He has no qualms about murder, much less robbery. He constantly compares himself to the other special investigators, all of whom seem to be happy in their fairly conventional lives with houses, wives, children and actual jobs with actual wages. The reader does the same: how much longer Reacher will be able to perform the type of manual labor to which he customarily resorts to pay for his motel rooms? He's got to be in his early 40s by now, and digging ditches can't be as much fun as it used to be. It makes me eager to see how this experience will affect Reacher, which means I'm already looking forward to next year's thriller by Lee Child.
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morals, values, commandments or second thoughts are on display here, save one: loyalty to one's fellows.Bad Luck and Trouble opens with a scene of horrifying violence against one of Reacher's former brothers-in-arms. As a result of this event, Reacher receives a message -- an oddity in itself, given that all he owns are the clothes on his back, a travel toothbrush, an ATM card and a passport. With no fixed address or telephone number, he's a hard guy to get ahold of. But he didn't train his personnel for nothing, and between Frances Neagley's detective work and his own, they are able to meet up in a city far from Reacher's wanderings and miles away from Neagley's home without ever exchanging a phone call or email. In a similar fashion, if a tad less mysterious and difficult, two others show up in short order. But the remaining three of the Army team of special investigators -- those who did the most difficult, bloody and behind-the-scenes work military police can do -- have disappeared.
The team votes to work together to find their comrades, with Reacher as their leader. And then the book is off like a hound after a rabbit, dealing out plot point after plot point, leaving the reader short on oxygen -- and short on sleep, at least until the last page is turned. One thing is certain: you do not mess with the special investigators.
Reacher is more violent and even oddly greedy this time around, increasing the "anti" quotient of his "anti-hero" persona. He has no qualms about murder, much less robbery. He constantly compares himself to the other special investigators, all of whom seem to be happy in their fairly conventional lives with houses, wives, children and actual jobs with actual wages. The reader does the same: how much longer Reacher will be able to perform the type of manual labor to which he customarily resorts to pay for his motel rooms? He's got to be in his early 40s by now, and digging ditches can't be as much fun as it used to be. It makes me eager to see how this experience will affect Reacher, which means I'm already looking forward to next year's thriller by Lee Child.
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LibraryThing member blueslibrarian
The latest Jack Reacher thriller finds him being urgently contacted by an old army buddy. Someone is killing members of Reacher's old unit and he must discover why. Along the way, he discovers a shadowy conspiracy linked to a dirty defense contractor and a terrorist plot with terrifying
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consequences. Child writes very well in an unpretentious way that keeps the pace of the story moving briskly. He has done considerable research into American military and popular culture and it pays off with a well layered story. Fans of action thrillers will be very happy with this fast moving narrative. Show Less
LibraryThing member phoenixcomet
Lee Child consistently writes a great suspense tale featuring ex-army special investigator Jack Reacher. His writing is crisp, clear and can put a person on edge. A very fast read.
LibraryThing member oldbookswine
Once again Jack Reacher must fight the bad to achieve peace. This time his old military police unit members ask for help. Stolen military equipment plays a part as Jack and his team search for the killers.
LibraryThing member MSWallack
Yet another strong entry in the Reacher series. It was a lot of fun seeing Reacher interacting with some of this former Army colleagues, especially the character making a return appearance (following Without Fail). Similarly, it was interesting to hear Reacher's thoughts on two other characters
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long after they were each briefly introduced in The Enemy. The main gripe that I have about Bad Luck and Trouble is actually expressed by Reacher himself. (Spoiler alert) He wonders how the bad guys were able to over power their victims (and wonders how he would have fared in their position). Unfortunately, Child never tells us exactly how the bad guys were able to accomplish that. Show Less
LibraryThing member bks4maggie
This is the first book I read in this series - and I was HOOKED! Good pace, likeable main character, and the reader for the audio version is fantastic!
LibraryThing member youthfulzombie
This isn’t the best Reacher novel but it also certainly isn’t the worst. Jack Reacher kicks ass again, but this time with a group of Army buddies, which gives fans a whole new view of Reacher as he works with and interacts with more people in this novel than he has in the past 3 or 4 put
True Reacher style:
Dixon’s room was the same. Empty, but trashed.
And Neagley’s.
And Reacher’s own. His folding toothbrush was on the floor, stepped on and crushed.
“Bastards,” he said.
....
“You made a will?” she asked.
“No point,” Reacher said. “Now they broke my toothbrush I don’t own anything.”
“How does that feel?”
“Bad. I liked that toothbrush. It’s been with me a long time.”
How can you not love this guy?
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together. True Reacher style:
Dixon’s room was the same. Empty, but trashed.
And Neagley’s.
And Reacher’s own. His folding toothbrush was on the floor, stepped on and crushed.
“Bastards,” he said.
....
“You made a will?” she asked.
“No point,” Reacher said. “Now they broke my toothbrush I don’t own anything.”
“How does that feel?”
“Bad. I liked that toothbrush. It’s been with me a long time.”
How can you not love this guy?
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LibraryThing member reading_fox
Jack Reacher reveals a previously supressed talent for numbers. It's been mentioned once or twice in a few of the other books, but in this one there are all sorts of clues in the numbers chosen. It starts when he finds his account has had an unexpected deposit of $1030, MP slang for in need of
Not the best in the series although still pretty good. The plot was fairly simple with only one real surprise which was disappointing. This did allow room for the personal interactions between the squad memebers which was good. Shame Neagley's life remains a secret. Maybe she'll reappear again with mroe details. There is also some unusual introspection from Jack - He's a drifter still, and he looks at the fufilled lives of his squadmates and wonders if he has made the most of his potential... and of course they are all aging. Do they still have what it takes when the chips are down?
Surprisingly fast read, the tension is high all the way through, gripping and enjoyable, but ultimately pure junk food.
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assistance. Jack quickly hooks up with the untouchable and awesome Neagley, and finds out that half of his old super unit are Missing In Action. Cue the instinctive violence from Jack. ALl he has to do is work out who has them, where they are, why they are missing and how on earth 4 of the toughest people he's ever met can go missing. Fortunetly the local police seem to be co-operative.Not the best in the series although still pretty good. The plot was fairly simple with only one real surprise which was disappointing. This did allow room for the personal interactions between the squad memebers which was good. Shame Neagley's life remains a secret. Maybe she'll reappear again with mroe details. There is also some unusual introspection from Jack - He's a drifter still, and he looks at the fufilled lives of his squadmates and wonders if he has made the most of his potential... and of course they are all aging. Do they still have what it takes when the chips are down?
Surprisingly fast read, the tension is high all the way through, gripping and enjoyable, but ultimately pure junk food.
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LibraryThing member gercmbyrne
oh my god.
dreadful, so dreadful it's almost mesmerizing. Complete tosh.
dreadful, so dreadful it's almost mesmerizing. Complete tosh.
LibraryThing member jouni
Another Jack Reacher thriller, these just keep getting better and better! This time Jack has a kind of reunion and is thinking about his life and choices. Quite an unnormal twist in your standard escapism books - and quite refreshing! The rest of the storyline is also nicely different and almost
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believable. There were some obligatory moves, which had to be done, but not too many. Definitely looking forward to the next book, also considering getting the beginning of the series, too. Show Less
LibraryThing member edwardsgt
Up to Lee Child's usual high standards of plotting and suspense. This time Reacher is called upon after a former Army Special Investigations buddy is found dead in the desert. Soon more bodies show up and the motto "Don't mess with Special Investigations" is beginning to sound hollow. Can Reacher
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get to the bottom of it and avenge his buddy - you bet! Show Less
LibraryThing member missmath144
Another good Jack Reacher story read by Dick Hill. He reunites with several of his Special Investigators to discover who were the murderers of other members of their Special Investigators team. After all, there motto was, "You don't mess with the Special Investigators."
LibraryThing member Heptonj
An excellent book although I didn't think it was one of his best Reacher novels.
Jack Reacher is back in action with three of his ex-army buddies chasing down the group who threw four members of their old unit out of a helicopter at 3000 feet. As can be expected sparks fly but not quite as strongly
However, all in all a great read and please keep them coming Mr. Child.
Jack Reacher is back in action with three of his ex-army buddies chasing down the group who threw four members of their old unit out of a helicopter at 3000 feet. As can be expected sparks fly but not quite as strongly
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as we're used to. Strange to find that the legendary MP unit is not invincible.However, all in all a great read and please keep them coming Mr. Child.
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LibraryThing member halta
second in lee child series...Reacher a bad-ass mofo...scared of no one or nothing...could be outnumbered....old war cronies send cryptic S.O.S.....group unites to find out why a few of them were killed....Defense contractor selling illegal arms....i'm sure it goes on today--just no real life Jack
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Reacher to rescue us Show Less
LibraryThing member SusanB55
Nice Reacher story; less gratuitous violence than usual and characters other than Reacher get some space.
LibraryThing member crazybatcow
I thought this was the least enjoyable Reacher novel yet. Too many "new" characters (Reacher's old buds but new to the reader)... sillier than usual plot, too much talking and running around from place to place and not nearly enough butt-kicking.
The biggest drawback was all the airtime given to
Not much foul language, not much sex, not much investigating since the story wasn't a big mystery, other than trying to physically locate the bad guys. Anyway, I'll finish the series 'cause this one little blip isn't the end of the Reacher Saga.
The biggest drawback was all the airtime given to
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Reacher's old buds - they didn't really add much to the story because all the decisions and planning ended up being done by Reacher anyway. Would have been fine to have one other (i.e. the one Reacher is to have sex with) to help him.Not much foul language, not much sex, not much investigating since the story wasn't a big mystery, other than trying to physically locate the bad guys. Anyway, I'll finish the series 'cause this one little blip isn't the end of the Reacher Saga.
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LibraryThing member loveseabooks
A few new surprises for Reacher Lovers
I have read a number of the Jack Reacher books and I believe that "Bad Luck and Trouble" is the best. I won't go into detail about the book there are many already, except one tid-bit surprise: Reacher is no longer in Miami, now he is stirring things up in
Mr. Child is one of my favorite authors. In some ways I wish that there was not such a long gap between his novels, but I can appreciate his high standards, so his literary works are worth the wait and the readers time and money. Highly recommend.
I have read a number of the Jack Reacher books and I believe that "Bad Luck and Trouble" is the best. I won't go into detail about the book there are many already, except one tid-bit surprise: Reacher is no longer in Miami, now he is stirring things up in
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Portland, and Neagley with all her skills and resources returns. The plot is exciting and the story will keep you turning pages. The characters are well developed and the ending was super. When you read the book I think that you will be surprised at Child's clever conclusion. Mr. Child is one of my favorite authors. In some ways I wish that there was not such a long gap between his novels, but I can appreciate his high standards, so his literary works are worth the wait and the readers time and money. Highly recommend.
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LibraryThing member cameling
This was a non-stop adventure with Jack Reacher as he and part of his old team get together to investigate the killer of the other members of their team. A gripping tale of friends bound by fierce loyalty and a standing motto that 'you do not mess with the special investigators'.
LibraryThing member BookWallah
Didn’t like this book as well as the last. Reacher’s ol’ army buddies show up, but the chemistry didn’t. Plot a bit too slow paced and lethargic. No spoiler as it happens in opening chapter, the murder by helicopter was a bit hard to swallow. The thrill is gone, not recommended.
LibraryThing member biblioeater32
That Lee Child can really tell a good story in a good way. I really like this book.
LibraryThing member judithrs
Bad Luck and Trouble. Lee Child. 2008. This is the third or fourth Jack Reacher novel we’ve read and the last one that Jim encouraged me to read. He thought it was the best one so far, and I agree with him. Reacher gets a cryptic messages from one of the members of is former secret military unit.
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Some one or some group is brutally murdering all the members of the unit. Reacher gathers the remaining members to identify and destroy the people who have killed their friends Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Anthony Award (Nominee — Novel — 2008)
British Book Award (Shortlist — 2008)
Lovey Award (Thriller — 2008)
Theakstons Old Peculier Prize (Shortlist — 2009)
Gumshoe Award (Nominee — Thriller — 2008)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2007-04-02
ISBN
0739357263 / 9780739357262