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Available
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Series
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Collection
Publication
Delacorte Press (2019), 368 pages
Description
Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �?� THE BLOCKBUSTER JACK REACHER SERIES THAT INSPIRED TWO MAJOR MOTION PICTURES AND THE STREAMING SERIES REACHER �??Jack Reacher is today�??s James Bond, a thriller hero we can�??t get enough of.�?��??Ken Follett �??This is a random universe,�?� Reacher says. �??Once in a blue moon things turn out just right.�?� This isn�??t one of those times. Reacher is on a Greyhound bus, minding his own business, with no particular place to go, and all the time in the world to get there. Then he steps off the bus to help an old man who is obviously just a victim waiting to happen. But you know what they say about good deeds. Now Reacher wants to make it right. An elderly couple have made a few well-meaning mistakes, and now they owe big money to some very bad people. One brazen move leads to another, and suddenly Reacher finds himself a wanted man in the middle of a brutal turf war between rival Ukrainian and Albanian gangs. Reacher has to stay one step ahead of the loan sharks, the thugs, and the assassins. He teams up with a fed-up waitress who knows a little more than she�??s letting on, and sets out to take down the powerful and make the greedy pay. It�??s a long shot. The odds are against him. But Reacher believes in a certain kind of justice . . . the kind that comes along once in a blue moon. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF T… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member chasidar
I received an ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline.
I always anticipate the release of a new Reacher book but Blue Moon was disappointing.
I think this was Lee Child's worst Reacher book. Not that Reacher's exploits are ever that realistic or feasible, but this outing felt far-fetched even for
When an elderly couple gets caught up in a gang war between the Ukranian and Albanian mobs, Jack Reacher steps in and the body count starts to rise.
Talented writer that he is, Lee Child couldn't make this book seem plausible.
I always anticipate the release of a new Reacher book but Blue Moon was disappointing.
I think this was Lee Child's worst Reacher book. Not that Reacher's exploits are ever that realistic or feasible, but this outing felt far-fetched even for
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Reacher. When an elderly couple gets caught up in a gang war between the Ukranian and Albanian mobs, Jack Reacher steps in and the body count starts to rise.
Talented writer that he is, Lee Child couldn't make this book seem plausible.
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LibraryThing member polywogg
BOTTOM-LINE:
Still classic Reacher, albeit more violent than usual
.
PLOT OR PREMISE:
Reacher wanders into a town and accidentally flames the fires of a turf war between the Albanian and Ukainian mobs.
.
WHAT I LIKED:
The progression from what Reacher sees at the start to the war with the 2 mobs is
.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
The secondary characters were a bit, well, odd. Too ready to jump in and kill bad guys, and the waitress can suddenly figure out battle plans. Plus, Reacher is too violent even for him, regardless of the repeated justification of the shoe being on the other foot.
.
DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow him on social media.
Still classic Reacher, albeit more violent than usual
.
PLOT OR PREMISE:
Reacher wanders into a town and accidentally flames the fires of a turf war between the Albanian and Ukainian mobs.
.
WHAT I LIKED:
The progression from what Reacher sees at the start to the war with the 2 mobs is
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awesome, and the almost slapstick element the way the mob interprets what's happening reminded me of the Remo Williams series. Good escalation throughout..
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
The secondary characters were a bit, well, odd. Too ready to jump in and kill bad guys, and the waitress can suddenly figure out battle plans. Plus, Reacher is too violent even for him, regardless of the repeated justification of the shoe being on the other foot.
.
DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow him on social media.
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LibraryThing member capewood
Let me say in starting, that I'm a sucker for Jack Reacher books. I'll read them until Lee Child finally decides he's made enough money off the character. In recent Jack Reacher novels, Jack has seemed a little like he's getting too old for this kind of stuff. He seemed slower to recover from
In this novel, invulnerable Jack is back and it's not necessarily a good thing.
As he usually does, Jack is trying to help someone smaller and weaker than he is. He saves an old man from a mugging near the bus terminal in an unnamed small city. The old man is carrying a lot of money to pay off a loan shark. Since he's a bit shaken up by the interrupted mugging, Jack offers to make the payment for him. Jack finds that the guy taking the payment is not the guy the old man has been dealing with and decides to make his own terms.
The subplot is that the old man and his wife need the money to pay for cancer treatments for their daughter who's insurance dropped when the dot com company she worked for went bust. By the way, the president of the company is a Ukrainian who has disappeared.
This leads Jack into getting involved in a war between the Ukrainian and Albanian gangs that control everything in town. Actually, he doesn't get involved in the gang war, he inadvertently starts it. The early moves by Jack as he tries to recover some money for the old couple are confusing to the gangsters and eventually they come to the conclusion that Russians are trying to move in on their territory.
That's the plot, now for the criticism. As I mentioned, I've read all the Jack Reacher books. Not all have been good but I read them anyway. This is one of the worst. The usual stilted dialogue is worst than usual. Think "Reacher said nothing" as being witty repartee in this book. And you know how Jack likes to work out every action in his head? There's way too much of that here and then what actually happens is far from clear.
But the worst part of the book is the appalling bloodshed. It's unclear how many gangsters die (50?, 75?) mostly at Jack's hand, mostly by bullet. To mix things up a bit, he beats a few guys to death. He takes a few punches but mostly comes out completely unscathed. Along the way he recruits some helpers, a waitress (who he sleeps with, naturally) and couple of ex-soldiers and a drummer (don't ask). I'm guessing these people, even the soldiers, will be in for years of psychotherapy to get over PTSD.
Jack himself, I think, has become completely psychotic. I imagine the next novel will find him committed in an institution battling demons in his head.
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injuries, even getting a concussion. And Jack is getting older, he's nearing 60 and ought to be slowing down. I'd like to read about that.In this novel, invulnerable Jack is back and it's not necessarily a good thing.
As he usually does, Jack is trying to help someone smaller and weaker than he is. He saves an old man from a mugging near the bus terminal in an unnamed small city. The old man is carrying a lot of money to pay off a loan shark. Since he's a bit shaken up by the interrupted mugging, Jack offers to make the payment for him. Jack finds that the guy taking the payment is not the guy the old man has been dealing with and decides to make his own terms.
The subplot is that the old man and his wife need the money to pay for cancer treatments for their daughter who's insurance dropped when the dot com company she worked for went bust. By the way, the president of the company is a Ukrainian who has disappeared.
This leads Jack into getting involved in a war between the Ukrainian and Albanian gangs that control everything in town. Actually, he doesn't get involved in the gang war, he inadvertently starts it. The early moves by Jack as he tries to recover some money for the old couple are confusing to the gangsters and eventually they come to the conclusion that Russians are trying to move in on their territory.
That's the plot, now for the criticism. As I mentioned, I've read all the Jack Reacher books. Not all have been good but I read them anyway. This is one of the worst. The usual stilted dialogue is worst than usual. Think "Reacher said nothing" as being witty repartee in this book. And you know how Jack likes to work out every action in his head? There's way too much of that here and then what actually happens is far from clear.
But the worst part of the book is the appalling bloodshed. It's unclear how many gangsters die (50?, 75?) mostly at Jack's hand, mostly by bullet. To mix things up a bit, he beats a few guys to death. He takes a few punches but mostly comes out completely unscathed. Along the way he recruits some helpers, a waitress (who he sleeps with, naturally) and couple of ex-soldiers and a drummer (don't ask). I'm guessing these people, even the soldiers, will be in for years of psychotherapy to get over PTSD.
Jack himself, I think, has become completely psychotic. I imagine the next novel will find him committed in an institution battling demons in his head.
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LibraryThing member write-review
Where Has Jack Reacher Gone?
The Jack Reacher of old would be the guy plotting to eliminate the Jack Reacher of Blue Moon. Because sometime after the opening of the novel, this Jack Reacher becomes unhinged and transforms into nothing less than a homicidal maniac.
In this outing, Reacher squares off
Here, Reacher finds himself in an unnamed medium size city rescuing an old man who is about to fall prey to a young thug. The man has a wad of cash in his pocket. Turns out he and his wife have a daughter. She is being treated for an unnamed pernicious cancer. Out of money and goods, they have been paying for her treatment with loan shark money. Well, that offends Reacher’s self-righteousness and he sets out to correct the situation. Then he finds himself in a bar and music joint where he and the young waitress take a shine to each other. They tumble into bed and mercifully Child does not go into the gruesome details of their lovemaking, gruesome because he has amply demonstrated he cannot write anything approaching a decent love scene.
Anyway, one thing leads to another with plenty of confusion ensuing. However, Reacher calculates that these bad guys, who really don’t seem any badder that those he’s encountered in the past twenty years or so—these bad guys have to go; all of them; all of them in hails of gunfire and crushed skulls. If that isn’t enough, twice in this novel, Reacher holds a defenseless person at gunpoint and decides with the approval of his ragtag band of vigilantes that he has earned a death sentence. With a body count approaching nearly a hundred, it might seem odd to single out two. However, these two outright murders demonstrate how far over the edge Reacher has gone. You might say, but it’s only fiction, only make-believe. Yes, but many fans admire Jack Reacher. He represents the epitome of an upstanding guy, one who will right wrongs. Though a tad self-righteous, he’s still the kind of man you’d want around if things are headed south. Judicious, thoughtful, cunning, and fair, these are character traits to admire. This Jack Reacher, though, is simply a cold-blooded killer. It’s a sad denouement to his career.
The Jack Reacher of old would be the guy plotting to eliminate the Jack Reacher of Blue Moon. Because sometime after the opening of the novel, this Jack Reacher becomes unhinged and transforms into nothing less than a homicidal maniac.
In this outing, Reacher squares off
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against a bunch of mobsters, Ukrainians on one side and Albanians on the other. These are bad guys doing the usual bad guy things, and even at that they come off better than Reacher, though not only are they criminals but they are cardboard cutout criminals dressed in black suits; that is, even at that they have more substance than this Reacher. Having read all the Reacher novels up this point and until recently admiring Reacher’s character, Blue Moon feels like the precursor to a bad end for the series. Perhaps Lee Child should take a hint from quality television series fare and bring things to a close on a higher note, because it appears the creative juices have gone sluggish.Here, Reacher finds himself in an unnamed medium size city rescuing an old man who is about to fall prey to a young thug. The man has a wad of cash in his pocket. Turns out he and his wife have a daughter. She is being treated for an unnamed pernicious cancer. Out of money and goods, they have been paying for her treatment with loan shark money. Well, that offends Reacher’s self-righteousness and he sets out to correct the situation. Then he finds himself in a bar and music joint where he and the young waitress take a shine to each other. They tumble into bed and mercifully Child does not go into the gruesome details of their lovemaking, gruesome because he has amply demonstrated he cannot write anything approaching a decent love scene.
Anyway, one thing leads to another with plenty of confusion ensuing. However, Reacher calculates that these bad guys, who really don’t seem any badder that those he’s encountered in the past twenty years or so—these bad guys have to go; all of them; all of them in hails of gunfire and crushed skulls. If that isn’t enough, twice in this novel, Reacher holds a defenseless person at gunpoint and decides with the approval of his ragtag band of vigilantes that he has earned a death sentence. With a body count approaching nearly a hundred, it might seem odd to single out two. However, these two outright murders demonstrate how far over the edge Reacher has gone. You might say, but it’s only fiction, only make-believe. Yes, but many fans admire Jack Reacher. He represents the epitome of an upstanding guy, one who will right wrongs. Though a tad self-righteous, he’s still the kind of man you’d want around if things are headed south. Judicious, thoughtful, cunning, and fair, these are character traits to admire. This Jack Reacher, though, is simply a cold-blooded killer. It’s a sad denouement to his career.
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LibraryThing member sberson
Yet another solid effort.
LibraryThing member phoenixcomet
Fast paced, Jack Reacher, is as always a one man wrecking crew. When he encounters down-trodden Alan Shevick on the bus to no where about to be mugged and prevents the mugging, he finds himself embroiled in a turf war between the Albanians and the Ukrainians. Shevick is up to his eyeballs in
As always, a fun read.
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loan-sharking debt all on behalf of his daughter. With no where to turn and no hope, Reacher steps in. As always, a fun read.
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LibraryThing member brangwinn
If you are a Jack Reacher fan, you enjoy this story. Reacher befriends an older couple forced to borrow from the mob to pay for their daughter’s cancer treatment. Lots of thrown punches and gun battles. (Net Galley Review Copy)
LibraryThing member antao
"The Sign of Four": An unmitigated pile of literary sh*t, never so glad to finish a book ever. Only finished it out of some perverse desire not to let the book beat me by giving up on it. It is truly a book not be dismissed lightly but with a bloody big throw over a cliff.
Tom Clancy: the books were
The Sean Dillon series by Jack Higgins: its appears to be written by a computer, largely the same plot, the same characters(even if the names change) and locations, even some of the dialogue. But they are still extremely readable and pass an entertaining few hours without engaging the brain.
Ken Follett's medieval doorstops “The Pillars of the Earth” and “World without End”: B-movies in book form. Execrable writing. Clearly Follett has mastered the dark arts of sorcery. What other reason is there for why I couldn't put them down?
Anything by the late Colin Forbes: generally containing too much repetition of 'as you know, XYZ protagonist is an expert something or other that is vital to this mission', and featuring the worst fashion cues in contemporary pulp literature, with a heroine whose style guru seems to have been Margaret Thatcher. Nonetheless I seem to have read book after book of his from the library in hopes that, on the basis of the professed book a year, there surely had to be some improvement as time passed. I was wrong. He was truly the Barbara Cartland of spy fiction.
I also succumb to Lee Child's Reacher series: "Blue Moon" just came out and I duly read it. Of course it's formulaic, but it's great for a rainy afternoon indoors (still sunshine where I live and temperatures above 25 C), snuggled into a large armchair in the garden looking at the pool and accompanied by steaming mugs of tea and gluten-free beer cake. Possibly not the image Mr. Child had in mind, but I don't just drop cake crumbs over any book, you know.
Tom Clancy: the books were
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strangely readable but as the series progressed they became just a load of propaganda for how great America and the American military is and in pushing his own political ideology they became just tiresome. In fact the last one Red Rabbit is nearly as bad as The Sign of Four. In Clancy's world first come Americans, then the British a bit behind then come the rest of the world in a descending order of the usual suspects.The Sean Dillon series by Jack Higgins: its appears to be written by a computer, largely the same plot, the same characters(even if the names change) and locations, even some of the dialogue. But they are still extremely readable and pass an entertaining few hours without engaging the brain.
Ken Follett's medieval doorstops “The Pillars of the Earth” and “World without End”: B-movies in book form. Execrable writing. Clearly Follett has mastered the dark arts of sorcery. What other reason is there for why I couldn't put them down?
Anything by the late Colin Forbes: generally containing too much repetition of 'as you know, XYZ protagonist is an expert something or other that is vital to this mission', and featuring the worst fashion cues in contemporary pulp literature, with a heroine whose style guru seems to have been Margaret Thatcher. Nonetheless I seem to have read book after book of his from the library in hopes that, on the basis of the professed book a year, there surely had to be some improvement as time passed. I was wrong. He was truly the Barbara Cartland of spy fiction.
I also succumb to Lee Child's Reacher series: "Blue Moon" just came out and I duly read it. Of course it's formulaic, but it's great for a rainy afternoon indoors (still sunshine where I live and temperatures above 25 C), snuggled into a large armchair in the garden looking at the pool and accompanied by steaming mugs of tea and gluten-free beer cake. Possibly not the image Mr. Child had in mind, but I don't just drop cake crumbs over any book, you know.
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LibraryThing member Carol420
I've always liked the character of Jack Reacher, He's independent, fair to a fault, the man you want on your side in a fight... and he always takes up the cause of the underdog. This time there was an entire community of underdogs because of the two rival gangs that ruled their section of town with
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an iron hand and a big gun. Jack chose to take the case of two elderly people who had been taken advantage of by having to borrow from the gangs to try to pay for their daughter's cancer treatments...which they shouldn't have had to pay for at all. Another case of the system taking advantage of the helpless and those that don't know how things work. I love to watch Jack in action but in this book there was almost too much action. If I hadn't read 23 of the other books in this series I would have probably rated it higher but I knew how over the top with the action this one was. Still worth 4 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member waldhaus1
The story follows y of the pattern set for a teacher story and for me was satisfying. As usual it Don Quixote against the bad guys but a successful Don Quixote. The city is unnamed but everywhere. As always the reader gets to go along for the ride in Reachers mind.
LibraryThing member JPodlaski
I have read every Lee Child, Jack Reacher book, and feel extremely disappointed that I had to give Blue Moon only three stars, but it was truly deserving; most others were rated five with a few at four stars. The story starts out as just about every other book where Jack arrives someplace and gets
Reacher makes his first kills - a duo from one of the gangs, and the gang members retaliate, killing a pair of the opposing gang in retaliation - thinking that they did it. Reacher kills again, and the other gang retaliates once more. There is a lot of repetitiveness in the story as Jack Reacher becomes a cold-blooded killer. There is a continuous reminder of a new police chief taking over soon who has pledged to rid the town of both gangs while in office. Yet, readers never see or hear from him during the story and only read that he takes credit after Reacher kills them all at the end of the story.
The odds always seemed stacked against Reacher, but he prevails a la Superman. This is also the first time I found myself skimming ahead in the story as much of what Reacher thought had to be told three times before acting upon it.
I expected a lot more for the price I paid for the Kindle version and remain disappointed that I didn't pass this one up - just for once. Some will still enjoy it - I think it was just okay and below par for Lee Child.
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involved in something that disturbs him. In this case, an old man being taken advantage of and getting ripped off by the mob. However, this town has two different gangs who adhere to a common boundary line; each does his own thing on their side of town.Reacher makes his first kills - a duo from one of the gangs, and the gang members retaliate, killing a pair of the opposing gang in retaliation - thinking that they did it. Reacher kills again, and the other gang retaliates once more. There is a lot of repetitiveness in the story as Jack Reacher becomes a cold-blooded killer. There is a continuous reminder of a new police chief taking over soon who has pledged to rid the town of both gangs while in office. Yet, readers never see or hear from him during the story and only read that he takes credit after Reacher kills them all at the end of the story.
The odds always seemed stacked against Reacher, but he prevails a la Superman. This is also the first time I found myself skimming ahead in the story as much of what Reacher thought had to be told three times before acting upon it.
I expected a lot more for the price I paid for the Kindle version and remain disappointed that I didn't pass this one up - just for once. Some will still enjoy it - I think it was just okay and below par for Lee Child.
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LibraryThing member norinrad10
Let's be clear here, Blue Moon by Lee Child is a dumb book. That doesn't make it a bad book, but the level of suspension of belief required to read this one is off the charts. That said, it's not devoid of pleasure, if you jump in and just read it for what it is, a big dumb adventure story, you'll
This time around Child's traveling protagonist Jack Reacher ends up in an unnamed town ruled by the Ukranian mob and the Albanian mob. Suffice it to say by the end of the book they no longer rule the town. In between the dismantling of the mob - all in the space of 6 days - Reacher manages to bed a woman within hours of meeting her, recruit some soldiers turned musicians into allies, and unravel the secrets of a highly corrupt town. Like I said...dumb.
Child's writing itself has become even more stylistic and in Blue Moon, it reaches an almost caricature level.
But in Reacher, Child has created an iconic character who is always interesting. His plots, while always fantastical are tight. The story moves and it is not hard to get caught up in it. I recommend reading Child's latest. Treat like you're getting on a ride at an amusement park and you'll derive a thrill.
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derive a fair amount of pleasure from it. This time around Child's traveling protagonist Jack Reacher ends up in an unnamed town ruled by the Ukranian mob and the Albanian mob. Suffice it to say by the end of the book they no longer rule the town. In between the dismantling of the mob - all in the space of 6 days - Reacher manages to bed a woman within hours of meeting her, recruit some soldiers turned musicians into allies, and unravel the secrets of a highly corrupt town. Like I said...dumb.
Child's writing itself has become even more stylistic and in Blue Moon, it reaches an almost caricature level.
But in Reacher, Child has created an iconic character who is always interesting. His plots, while always fantastical are tight. The story moves and it is not hard to get caught up in it. I recommend reading Child's latest. Treat like you're getting on a ride at an amusement park and you'll derive a thrill.
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LibraryThing member labdaddy4
Another rollicking Reacher tale - violent, bloody, vengeful, and sudden justice. Child’s novels are certainly a guilty pleasure - I have enjoyed every one of them - it just has not gotten old.
LibraryThing member jamespurcell
Reacher finally needs to call out the Marines as he takes on Eastern European thugs from Albania and the Ukraine that have taken over a small city. Murders and savagery abound as he seeks to assist an elderly couple that has been driven into poverty to pay off usurious loans. Help comes from
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curious sources as his small group of vigilantes works to take back their town. Show Less
LibraryThing member pigeon_racer
Slightly better than average Jack Reacher book.
LibraryThing member infjsarah
It's Jack Reacher - you get what you expect. I enjoyed this one more than the last couple though. It's daft and unbelievable of course but sometimes bad guys getting their comeuppance without any worries about laws is exactly what you need.
LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
Jack Reacher is back, knocking heads and serving his own kind of judgement. Here, he meets an elderly couple being preyed on by a loan shark, which leads him into the middle of two eastern European gangs and some very bad men are out to get him, the elderly couple and a cute waitress. Of course he
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saves the day, but how he does it and the twists and turns along the way are fun to read about. One quibble though -- I don't think I've ever seen Reacher take quite so much pleasure in straight up murdering people before. I guess he enjoys his work. Show Less
LibraryThing member Romonko
A new Jack Reacher adventure, but this one is different from all the others in the series. The story is still good and it propels you along on a Jack Reacher trajectory that makes it difficult to put the book down. We still have Jack trying to help the underdog, but in this case his way through is
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through a huge pile of bodies. Reacher is on a bus to nowhere when he comes across a theft that makes him get off and try to help the old guy who he absolutely knows is going to get rolled for the big pile of cash in his jacket pocket. Of course, Reacher being Reacher, he can't let that happen so he saves the guy and his wad of cash, but is pushed into an enormous big pile of do-do. The city where he gets off the bus is notorious for its organized crime. Two big groups of made guys are running the place. We have the Ukrainian's west of centre and the Armenians right off Centre (Street that is). They're both into all kinds of bad sh***t, and they each rule their own kingdoms with an iron fist. With his own deep sense of justice and right and wrong, Reacher sets out to take them both down. It doesn't matter the odds against him, and it doesn't matter who he has to kill as long as he is killing bad guys. With the help of an underemployed waitress and a group of musicians (one who is ex-army, one is an ex-Marine and another an ex-anti-tank soldier), they manage to all stay alive and to keep up the body count until they are the last ones standing. The book sets the usual Lee Child quick pace, and the plot never stops. All great, but I found that the huge body count got to me by the end. This is not usual for a Jack Reacher book. Hence the 4 stars instead of 5 that I usually give for books in this series. But that does not dampen my enthusiasm for reading the next book - not one bit! Show Less
LibraryThing member delta61
"Blue Moon" is book #24 in the Jack Reacher series. Always willing to help the down trodden, Reacher goes above and beyond to help an old couple being used and abused by loan sharks. The center of the book I found a bit boring, non events happening. It did pick up and Reacher seemed to go over to
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the dark side, leaving a pile of bodies in his wake. As always, he moves on, but now carries the cloak of a thief and mass murderer. Show Less
LibraryThing member MikeBruscellSr
Reacher being Reacher means he still believes in getting his retaliation in first. His watching out for one of the little guys while using his favorite mode of transport, a public bus, leads him into the quagmire which passes for the lives of many of the average "Joe's" just trying to deal with
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what life gives them. Admirably, as usual, Reacher feels compelled to lend a hand. Of course, mayhem immediately ensues. Jack No-Middle-Name Reacher thrives on leveling the playing field for good people lacking his abilities, which he does consistently, repeatedly, with great vigor, enthusiasm, efficiency and effectiveness. His battlefield on this occasion is a city, unnamed as seems appropriate, somewhere in the U.S. He faces two ethnic organized crime groups, and it becomes Reacher vs the Albanians and Reacher vs the Ukrainians, all at the same time. If you're new to Reacher and wondering how he fares against such great odds, flip open Blue Moon and see Reacher being Reacher. Good fun and tons of action. If nothing else, Reacher is inventive when it comes to doling out his brand of personal justice..... Show Less
LibraryThing member pegmcdaniel
I thought I must be the only person on earth who has never read a Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child. This is his 24th Reacher novel, so when I won one on Bookreporter's Word-of-Mouth contest, I was delighted. The delight didn't last long because this kind of novel is just not for me. I don't enjoy
All this horror takes place in an unnamed city in the U.S. where Albania and Ukraine forces are battling to take over portions of the city by bribing the police, mayor, etc. They battle against each other and, when Reacher gets in their way, they decide to take him out. The odds are always against him, but he still comes out on top. It's all so far-fetched and there were lots of "filler" pages which I felt were there to make the book longer. They certainly didn't make it any better.
I don't plan to read any of the other Reacher novels since this was such a dud for me and I don't recommend it unless you enjoy this type of novel.
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guns, violence, bloodbaths, murder, etc. Apparently, in all the Reacher novels, he helps people who need it and here he helps a senior couple who are in great financial trouble due to their daughter's high medical bills. They borrowed money from a crook who stops at nothing to get his money back.All this horror takes place in an unnamed city in the U.S. where Albania and Ukraine forces are battling to take over portions of the city by bribing the police, mayor, etc. They battle against each other and, when Reacher gets in their way, they decide to take him out. The odds are always against him, but he still comes out on top. It's all so far-fetched and there were lots of "filler" pages which I felt were there to make the book longer. They certainly didn't make it any better.
I don't plan to read any of the other Reacher novels since this was such a dud for me and I don't recommend it unless you enjoy this type of novel.
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LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
1 of 5 stars
2 of 5 stars
[ 3 of 5 stars ]
4 of 5 stars
5 of 5 stars
Blue Moon: A Jack Reacher Novel, Lee Child, author; Scott Brick, narrator
Blue Moon is the 24th novel in the Jack Reacher series. Jack Reacher has an endearing, but strong-arm way about him. His wit and instincts guide him. He
Reacher is a retired military cop. As a result, he is more aware of his surroundings than most people. He spots issues and solves problem purely by instinct and experience. He does not like to be tied down to any one place for too long. While traveling on a bus, looking a bit like a vagrant, with no particular destination or pressing need to be anyplace, he notices an old man asleep with a wad of cash in a bank envelope sticking out of his pants pocket. He also notices a low life eyeing the same man’s pocket with the money. When the elderly man, Aaron Shevick, gets off the bus, the lowlife follows him and Reacher assumes he will mug the old man and rob him. Jack Reacher exits the bus with them and follows. When the low life makes his move, Jack attacks him and rescues the elderly man and his money. He assists him on his walk home as he has injured his knee.
From that moment on, Jack becomes involved with Aaron and Maria Shevick. He is determined to help them solve their monumental financial problems. Soon, he is impersonating Aaron and absorbing his risk of torture and/or murder from the disreputable loan sharks the Shevicks had been forced to use in order to fund their daughter’s experimental cancer treatment. Once insured, her insurance had lapsed and was canceled when the CEO of the company for which she worked, and was an officer of, failed to inform her that the policy had been canceled due to lack of funds. The company was failing. Moved by this crisis faced by the Sheviks, Jack steps in to help. The Sheviks were selling and pawning belongings and borrowing money from dangerous sources. Their daughter’s treatment was expensive and had to be paid up front or the hospital would deny the treatment, giving their daughter no hope at all of recovery.
As Jack gets involved, there appears to be the beginning of a territorial war between two rival gangs, the Albanians and the Ukranians. Unwittingly, Aaron Shevik is involved. He has been dealing with Albanian loan sharks to save his daughter. Now he has to face the far more brutal Ukranians who have moved into the Albanian territory. When Jack steps in and pretends to be Aaron, he sets off a major turf war between the two rival gangs, one running a loan shark business and one running a protection racket. False assumptions run rampant, and they lead to ridiculous, faulty conclusions and barbaric threats and killings. Each gang leader misinterprets the events and the violent murders of their henchmen, until, finally, they begin to randomly slaughter each other as bedlam breaks out.
Soon, the leaders begin to realize that they are being manipulated by an outside party, but it is too late to signal each other. Although they conclude that it can only be the Russians who have the skill and man power that seems to be wiping out their members, and both rivals think that Aaron Shevik (Jack Reacher), is working for the Russians who are trying to horn in on their “businesses”, it is too late for them to stop the domino effect and their demise.
In this novel, Reacher is exceptionally blood thirsty and the violence often seems unnecessary. He is judge, jury and executioner without any legal backing for his behavior, yet he is displaying excessive physical force and randomly murdering those he encounters. He is motivated purely by his emotions and personal beliefs when he learns of the problems of this elderly couple. Exorbitant fees for the medical needs of their daughter forced them to engage with unsavory gangs and face tremendous danger to help her. The unfairness of it all makes him more and more determined to help them.
There are many side tangents. Often there is unnecessary dialogue between characters. In addition, although the details of the plot may seem silly and defy logic, the storytelling talent of Lee Child and the exceptional performance of the narrator save the day. The book is written with an overlay of humor which numbs the effect of even the most violent scenes, making them seem palatable. The reader barely winces, but rather just has fun being distracted by this highly readable novel which maintains interest page after page. The subject matter is au courant in light of the Ukraine corruption controversy that exists in our own politics today and the Russia/Ukraine continued power struggle.
2 of 5 stars
[ 3 of 5 stars ]
4 of 5 stars
5 of 5 stars
Blue Moon: A Jack Reacher Novel, Lee Child, author; Scott Brick, narrator
Blue Moon is the 24th novel in the Jack Reacher series. Jack Reacher has an endearing, but strong-arm way about him. His wit and instincts guide him. He
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represents right through might, and he almost always seems superhuman as he resolves his problems. Always involved in intriguing mysteries, he sometimes uses bizarre means to save himself and others as he encounters danger. Suspend disbelief as you read this one.Reacher is a retired military cop. As a result, he is more aware of his surroundings than most people. He spots issues and solves problem purely by instinct and experience. He does not like to be tied down to any one place for too long. While traveling on a bus, looking a bit like a vagrant, with no particular destination or pressing need to be anyplace, he notices an old man asleep with a wad of cash in a bank envelope sticking out of his pants pocket. He also notices a low life eyeing the same man’s pocket with the money. When the elderly man, Aaron Shevick, gets off the bus, the lowlife follows him and Reacher assumes he will mug the old man and rob him. Jack Reacher exits the bus with them and follows. When the low life makes his move, Jack attacks him and rescues the elderly man and his money. He assists him on his walk home as he has injured his knee.
From that moment on, Jack becomes involved with Aaron and Maria Shevick. He is determined to help them solve their monumental financial problems. Soon, he is impersonating Aaron and absorbing his risk of torture and/or murder from the disreputable loan sharks the Shevicks had been forced to use in order to fund their daughter’s experimental cancer treatment. Once insured, her insurance had lapsed and was canceled when the CEO of the company for which she worked, and was an officer of, failed to inform her that the policy had been canceled due to lack of funds. The company was failing. Moved by this crisis faced by the Sheviks, Jack steps in to help. The Sheviks were selling and pawning belongings and borrowing money from dangerous sources. Their daughter’s treatment was expensive and had to be paid up front or the hospital would deny the treatment, giving their daughter no hope at all of recovery.
As Jack gets involved, there appears to be the beginning of a territorial war between two rival gangs, the Albanians and the Ukranians. Unwittingly, Aaron Shevik is involved. He has been dealing with Albanian loan sharks to save his daughter. Now he has to face the far more brutal Ukranians who have moved into the Albanian territory. When Jack steps in and pretends to be Aaron, he sets off a major turf war between the two rival gangs, one running a loan shark business and one running a protection racket. False assumptions run rampant, and they lead to ridiculous, faulty conclusions and barbaric threats and killings. Each gang leader misinterprets the events and the violent murders of their henchmen, until, finally, they begin to randomly slaughter each other as bedlam breaks out.
Soon, the leaders begin to realize that they are being manipulated by an outside party, but it is too late to signal each other. Although they conclude that it can only be the Russians who have the skill and man power that seems to be wiping out their members, and both rivals think that Aaron Shevik (Jack Reacher), is working for the Russians who are trying to horn in on their “businesses”, it is too late for them to stop the domino effect and their demise.
In this novel, Reacher is exceptionally blood thirsty and the violence often seems unnecessary. He is judge, jury and executioner without any legal backing for his behavior, yet he is displaying excessive physical force and randomly murdering those he encounters. He is motivated purely by his emotions and personal beliefs when he learns of the problems of this elderly couple. Exorbitant fees for the medical needs of their daughter forced them to engage with unsavory gangs and face tremendous danger to help her. The unfairness of it all makes him more and more determined to help them.
There are many side tangents. Often there is unnecessary dialogue between characters. In addition, although the details of the plot may seem silly and defy logic, the storytelling talent of Lee Child and the exceptional performance of the narrator save the day. The book is written with an overlay of humor which numbs the effect of even the most violent scenes, making them seem palatable. The reader barely winces, but rather just has fun being distracted by this highly readable novel which maintains interest page after page. The subject matter is au courant in light of the Ukraine corruption controversy that exists in our own politics today and the Russia/Ukraine continued power struggle.
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LibraryThing member Tatoosh
Jack Reacher is on a bus bound for nowhere in particular when he observes an old man with a thick bank envelope sticking out of his shirt pocket. A shady character is also eying the envelope. The bus stops, the old man and observer get off, and Reacher follows. As he expected, the observer attempts
Lee Child announced recently that “Blue Moon,” his most recent Jack Reacher novel, will be his last. He is turning the series over to his brother, Andrew Child. Lee and Andrew will collaborate on the next book or so in the series before Andrew assumes sole responsibility. This review reflects on the entire Jack Reacher series.
It has always been apparent that Jack Reacher is a quasi-moral sociopath. Reacher was introduced in “The Killing Floor” in 1997 as a drifter who uses murder as an effective strategy for achieving his version of justice. As his backstory emerged in books like “The Affair” we learned this was not a recent development. Over the years he has murdered a General in the Pentagon, a Colonel, and a U. S. Senator. As the back story continued to expand, however, we see nothing that explains his sociopathy. His mother was a resistance fighter in France during World War II and his father was a U. S. Marine, but there is no hint of pathology in his upbringing.
Another aspect of his sociopathy is Reacher’s unwillingness or inability to form lasting interpersonal relationships. He moves aimlessly from place to place to place and routinely engages in sexual conquests but avoids a lasting commitment. His one genuine love ended after two volumes when his desire to roam hither and yon was stronger than his affection for another person. The leading female figure he never seduced is sergeant Frances Neagley, a woman whose talents rival those of Reacher, but who cannot stand to have anyone touch her. At least he had an excuse.
Stories about Reacher follow a familiar pattern. He arrives on scene and observes an injustice he decides to correct, or alternatively, for no good reason the locals tell him to move along, triggering his aversion to authority. Almost immediately he meets a nubile woman and they tumble into bed before the ink is dry on the pages. A number of encounters follow that demonstrate Reacher’s prowess, he finishes murdering the bad guys, spends a last night with the sexy young woman, and, succumbing to his wanderlust, heads out of town.
Several scenarios appear with the regularity of the do-overs in Groundhog Day. Their repetition entertains readers, while revealing Child’s lack of fresh ideas. The Reacher fight with multiple (often five) adversaries appears in some form in most books. Reacher often tells the combatants what to expect, giving readers the benefit of prescience and the scene a sense of verisimilitude. It’s not me against five, he explains, it’s me against three. First, I’ll incapacitate your leader — most often with a head butt or elbow to the head — and then the next two who are closest. The remaining two will turn and run. Reacher seldom needs a weapon, but he is not above using whatever is at hand: a pool cue in one instance. In Child’s penultimate novel, “Past Tense,” Reacher engaged in three such fights. After repetition in so many books the customary fight has grown stale, but Child’s decision to triple the number is merely stale tripled.
Reacher penchant for murdering miscreants is well established, but in “Blue Moon” he engages in wholesale slaughter. I wish I had started counting at the beginning as the number of baddies he dispatched must be close to 50. Many were killed in firefights, but some were rendered helpless, then shot or strangled.
The better novels in the series depicted Reacher while still in the military. My personal favorite is “The Affair.” Perhaps the military structure provided a framework that muted Reacher’s sociopathic tendencies and brought more nuanced qualities into play. For example, “Night School,” another favorite, offers a genuine mystery and features sergeant Frances Neagley, a character deserving her own series.
In an appearance at “Third Place Books” a couple of years ago, Child said his contract was ending and he was not sure the series would continue. That may, in part, have reflected his growing sense that he was ready to move on. Reacher is now at a crossroad. It will be interesting to see what changes Andrew Child has in mind for Reacher.
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to steal the money, Reacher intervenes, and soon learns that he is in a town controlled by rival gangs. On one side is the Albanians, on the other is the Ukrainians, and Reacher is set to do battle with both.Lee Child announced recently that “Blue Moon,” his most recent Jack Reacher novel, will be his last. He is turning the series over to his brother, Andrew Child. Lee and Andrew will collaborate on the next book or so in the series before Andrew assumes sole responsibility. This review reflects on the entire Jack Reacher series.
It has always been apparent that Jack Reacher is a quasi-moral sociopath. Reacher was introduced in “The Killing Floor” in 1997 as a drifter who uses murder as an effective strategy for achieving his version of justice. As his backstory emerged in books like “The Affair” we learned this was not a recent development. Over the years he has murdered a General in the Pentagon, a Colonel, and a U. S. Senator. As the back story continued to expand, however, we see nothing that explains his sociopathy. His mother was a resistance fighter in France during World War II and his father was a U. S. Marine, but there is no hint of pathology in his upbringing.
Another aspect of his sociopathy is Reacher’s unwillingness or inability to form lasting interpersonal relationships. He moves aimlessly from place to place to place and routinely engages in sexual conquests but avoids a lasting commitment. His one genuine love ended after two volumes when his desire to roam hither and yon was stronger than his affection for another person. The leading female figure he never seduced is sergeant Frances Neagley, a woman whose talents rival those of Reacher, but who cannot stand to have anyone touch her. At least he had an excuse.
Stories about Reacher follow a familiar pattern. He arrives on scene and observes an injustice he decides to correct, or alternatively, for no good reason the locals tell him to move along, triggering his aversion to authority. Almost immediately he meets a nubile woman and they tumble into bed before the ink is dry on the pages. A number of encounters follow that demonstrate Reacher’s prowess, he finishes murdering the bad guys, spends a last night with the sexy young woman, and, succumbing to his wanderlust, heads out of town.
Several scenarios appear with the regularity of the do-overs in Groundhog Day. Their repetition entertains readers, while revealing Child’s lack of fresh ideas. The Reacher fight with multiple (often five) adversaries appears in some form in most books. Reacher often tells the combatants what to expect, giving readers the benefit of prescience and the scene a sense of verisimilitude. It’s not me against five, he explains, it’s me against three. First, I’ll incapacitate your leader — most often with a head butt or elbow to the head — and then the next two who are closest. The remaining two will turn and run. Reacher seldom needs a weapon, but he is not above using whatever is at hand: a pool cue in one instance. In Child’s penultimate novel, “Past Tense,” Reacher engaged in three such fights. After repetition in so many books the customary fight has grown stale, but Child’s decision to triple the number is merely stale tripled.
Reacher penchant for murdering miscreants is well established, but in “Blue Moon” he engages in wholesale slaughter. I wish I had started counting at the beginning as the number of baddies he dispatched must be close to 50. Many were killed in firefights, but some were rendered helpless, then shot or strangled.
The better novels in the series depicted Reacher while still in the military. My personal favorite is “The Affair.” Perhaps the military structure provided a framework that muted Reacher’s sociopathic tendencies and brought more nuanced qualities into play. For example, “Night School,” another favorite, offers a genuine mystery and features sergeant Frances Neagley, a character deserving her own series.
In an appearance at “Third Place Books” a couple of years ago, Child said his contract was ending and he was not sure the series would continue. That may, in part, have reflected his growing sense that he was ready to move on. Reacher is now at a crossroad. It will be interesting to see what changes Andrew Child has in mind for Reacher.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Stahl-Ricco
“Organized crime is more bureaucratic than the post office.” Hmmm... I work for the post office, and that's pretty hard to imagine!
Good, strong beginning! A city is divided between two criminal organizations - the Ukrainians and the Albanians - with Reacher jammed right between them! And he is
Bang, smash, crash, zoom! A fast-paced ride as Reacher sets 'em up and knocks 'em down! The rival gangs made this a bit more interesting for me than Reacher books I've read previously, and the same can be said for the team that assembles on Jack's side. A good, violent read!
Good, strong beginning! A city is divided between two criminal organizations - the Ukrainians and the Albanians - with Reacher jammed right between them! And he is
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trying to make things right for an elderly couple with a sick daughter. You can guess how he goes about it.Bang, smash, crash, zoom! A fast-paced ride as Reacher sets 'em up and knocks 'em down! The rival gangs made this a bit more interesting for me than Reacher books I've read previously, and the same can be said for the team that assembles on Jack's side. A good, violent read!
Show Less
LibraryThing member creighley
Jack Reacher helps an older man when he is mugged. The man and his wife have made some mistakes with loan sharks and now Reacher finds that he is in the middle of a turf war between the Albanian and Ukrainian gangs.
Awards
The British Book Industry Awards (Shortlist — 2020)
Crimefest Awards (Winner — 2020)
Theakstons Old Peculier Prize (Longlist — 2020)
Original language
English
Original publication date
2019
Physical description
368 p.; 6.23 inches
ISBN
0399593543 / 9780399593543
Local notes
Located in Fiction