A Wanted Man

A Jack Reacher Novel

By: Lee Child

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

A masterpiece of suspense from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child

Four people in a car, hoping to make Chicago by morning. One man driving, eyes on the road. Another man next to him, telling stories that don’t add up. A woman in the back, silent and worried. And next to her, a huge man with a broken nose, hitching a ride east to Virginia.

An hour behind them, a man lies stabbed to death in an old pumping station. He was seen going in with two others, but he never came out. He has been executed, the knife work professional, the killers vanished. Within minutes, the police are notified. Within hours, the FBI descends, laying claim to the victim without ever saying who he was or why he was there.

All Reacher wanted was a ride to Virginia. All he did was stick out his thumb. But he soon discovers he has hitched more than a ride. He has tied himself to a massive conspiracy that makes him a threat—to both sides at once.

In Lee Child’s white-hot thriller, nothing is what it seems, and nobody is telling the truth. As the tension rises, the twists come fast and furious, keeping readers guessing and gasping until the explosive finale.

Praise for #1 bestselling author Lee Child and his Reacher series

“Child is a superb craftsman of suspense.”—Entertainment Weekly

“The truth about Reacher gets better and better.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times

“Implausible, irresistible Reacher remains just about the best butt-kicker in thriller-lit.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Like his hero Jack Reacher, Lee Child seems to make no wrong steps.”—Associated Press

“Lee Child [is] the current poster-boy of American crime fiction.”—Los Angeles Times

“Indisputably the best escape artist in this escapist genre.”—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times

“Jack Reacher is much more like the heir to the Op and Marlowe than Spenser ever was.”—Esquire

©2012 Lee Child (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Jack Reacher is much more like the heir to the Op and Marlowe than Spenser ever was." (Esquire)

"Indisputably the best escape artist in this escapist genre." (Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times)

"Lee Child [is] the current poster-boy of American crime fiction." (Los Angeles Times)

Enjoyed the story; will think twice about hitching

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Wanted Man?

Loved Jack Reacher's assualt on the compound. The description of the building interior made visualizing it possible and put me right inside.

Have you listened to any of Dick Hill’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Dick Hill is a great reader. I especially like the way he pronounces the hard 't' at word endings. But, the broken nose nasal sound in this book became so annoying towards the end that I found myself fast forwarding.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes, and I tried

Worth the wait...

Slow very slow start If you can hang in ... the middle to the end is Reacher being Reacher

Took a while to get started

Overall this was a good story, but it took a while to get moving - maybe about 2 hours into it. My attention waivered at times because descriptions of a town; or someone's lifestyle; etc. were way too extensive and seemed unnecessary for this story. This was my first Lee Child book. Reacher seems like an entertaining character - I'll try another Lee Child book to see if I like it any better.

Wanted, New PLOTS

Would you try another book from Lee Child and/or Dick Hill?

Dick Hill does a good job, but gets bogged down when there are more than two women that he has to narrate. I would be more selective on my purchases from Lee Child.

Would you recommend A Wanted Man to your friends? Why or why not?

The books has some good moments, but Reacher needs to mature a little. He can not keep on without developing new interests, and on occasion staying in one place for more than a week. It gets too repetitive.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narration was good.

Was A Wanted Man worth the listening time?

This is a 3 star book, not the 4 that I have seen. I guess I have become jus too familiar with the plot lines from his previous books.

Any additional comments?

Jack Reach is an interesting character but seems to have stagnated. We need more development and some different situations. Time to buy some toothpaste and get a breath of fresh air.

Horrible narration great story

If you could sum up A Wanted Man in three words, what would they be?

Lord I wish they would get someone else to narrate. This was torture!. If the story wasnt so good I would have abandoned this book. The gentlemen is too old to be reading for a man suppose to be much younger. It is hard to visualize the character and then to add the broken nose on top of that was too much!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Always

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Absolutely yes yes yes

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no to long

Any additional comments?

Please get a younger man to narrate his books.

Reacher Is Back!

Where does A Wanted Man rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of my best recent listens.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jack Reacher is of course my favorite characters in this book - he is the key draw for the entire series.

What does Dick Hill bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Dick Hill does an awesome job of reading the book and providing unique voices for each of the voices.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Get ready for the ride of your life!

Any additional comments?

As usual, Lee Child has a tale full of twists and turns, intrigue, action and adventure! A great book read by an outstanding reader! Definitely well worth adding to your collection!

Reacher only gets better

Any additional comments?

I'm not good at identifying why I like or dislike a book but I do know that if you're a Reacher fan, you will not be disappointed with his latest adventure. I can say that as with all of the books in the series, this is great as an independent read as well as part of the series. I have read all of the books now and find each book, even out of order, stands on its own while revealing more about Reacher's background and why he is who he is. With every book our hero has an even richer character.

Theatric voices are ridiculous

Reacher has a busted nose in this book. Hill feels the need to reinforce this during dialogue. If I’m aware of the narration, then the narration is a poor performance. I prefer less theater.

One of the better Jack Reacher stories.

Would you listen to A Wanted Man again? Why?

I rarely listen to a story more than once.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jack Reacher, of course, was my favorite character. He is so incredibly intuitive and clever at figuring out mysteries by picking up on everything that could possibly be a clue.

What does Dick Hill bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I loved the way Hill did Reacher's voice - always reminding me that his nose was broken. And the female voices were so believable as well. I was amazed at how every character had a distinct voice. You could always tell who was speaking.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did chuckle several times, which doesn't happen often for me -which I definintely credit to the narrator's great sense of timing and expression. It really helped draw me into the book. A very entertaining story that unravels well with an exciting conclusion.

Any additional comments?

I totally recommend this Audibe. But (unless I missed it) I never found out how Reacher's nose was broken in the first place.

great jack reacher performance. typical

dick hill is jack reacher! great narration and never a dull moment. few plot holes