Make Me

Jack Reacher, Book 20

By: Lee Child

Narrated by: Dick Hill

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Don’t miss the hit streaming series Reacher!

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Suspense magazine • Stephen King calls Jack Reacher “the coolest continuing series character”—and now he’s back in this masterly new thriller from Lee Child.

“Why is this town called Mother’s Rest?” That’s all Reacher wants to know. But no one will tell him. It’s a tiny place hidden in a thousand square miles of wheat fields, with a railroad stop, and sullen and watchful people, and a worried woman named Michelle Chang, who mistakes him for someone else: her missing partner in a private investigation she thinks must have started small and then turned lethal.

Reacher has no particular place to go, and all the time in the world to get there, and there’s something about Chang . . . so he teams up with her and starts to ask around. He thinks: How bad can this thing be? But before long he’s plunged into a desperate race through LA, Chicago, Phoenix, and San Francisco, and through the hidden parts of the internet, up against thugs and assassins every step of the way—right back to where he started, in Mother’s Rest, where he must confront the worst nightmare he could imagine.

Walking away would have been easier. But as always, Reacher’s rule is: If you want me to stop, you’re going to have to make me.

Who is Mother and why does she need a rest?

I am a dedicated Jack Reacher fan. That said, I have mixed feelings about this entry. On the plus side, we get to see Reacher in some interesting and different predicaments, which is always fun. Some of the bit-part supporting characters are a real hoot. The inevitable girl sidekick has her moments but is pretty one-dimensional. The problem of "how to get in" (always a question in Reacher books) is a real puzzler and the eventual strategy is laugh-out-loud cool. And welcome to the 21st Century, Reacher actually uses some modern technology. Sort of.

But.... huge negative: new depths of gruesomeness. No spoilers here, but you'll figure out what's coming well before you get to that point.

I am continued to be amazed at what a good job Lee Child has done in keeping this series going. There's basically one plot: Reacher wanders into town, stumbles into a heinous criminal conspiracy , starts figuring out what's going on, has to "get in" (often to save a hostage), huge action scene, ride off into the sunset. (Does anyone else keep visualizing Reacher as Clint Eastwood's man with no name?)

Narration: It's hard to imagine anyone but Dick Hill reading a Reacher, but the drawn out laconic drawl tempts me to listen at 1.25x. Tempts, I say, but I remain strong and resist.

So, somewhere around 3.75 stars. Not my favorite Reacher, I'll probably skip this one when I get around to starting over and listening to the Reachers again, but all of us true fans will continue to look forward to every new addition to the series.

He's back

While the last Reacher novel was disappointing, Lee Child has returned to basics with this latest entry in the Jack Reacher saga. This was an entertaining novel which I listened to in one uninterrupted reading.

There is a lot of action, a lot of travel, a fair number of bad guys and, of course, a woman. Dick Hill is back to his usual energetic rendition of Reacher.

Like most of the books, this one follows a formula. Like most of the books, this one portrays Reacher as a larger-than-life character and some things are, to say the least, improbable. He is an archetypal Hero. This is pure escapist fiction, so don't expect complete plausibility in all things, just run with it.

I am reminded of the Bonnie Tyler song, "I'm holding out for a Hero". Well, Reacher's back.

Meh - pretty bland for Reacher

What did you like best about Make Me? What did you like least?

Dick Hill is a great narrator - the story line was weak.

What could Lee Child have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Who knows - they are all sounding the same. Read one book you have read them all.

How could the performance have been better?

Pull this book for the shelf?

Could you see Make Me being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Oh heck no

Any additional comments?

Someone needs help, Jack jumps in, changes clothing, gets the girl and fixes the problem - Look, I wrote a Reacher novel!!!! Just need Dick Hill to narrate this - hmmmm.............

You have to listen to it but it's disappointing.

I am a huge Reacher fan, I look forward to every book, and no matter what you have to listen to it if you are a fan, but I was bored and couldn't wait for it to end.

Can't go wrong with a Reacher adventure

Lee Childs' abilities to spin a yarn that grabs would make an ambush Aracknoid jealous.