Never Go Back

Jack Reacher, Book 18

By: Lee Child

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE • THE BLOCKBUSTER JACK REACHER SERIES THAT INSPIRED THE STREAMING SERIES REACHER

Never Go Back is a novel of action-charged suspense starring “one of the best thriller characters at work today” (Newsweek).

Former military cop Jack Reacher makes it all the way from snowbound South Dakota to his destination in northeastern Virginia, near Washington, D.C.: the headquarters of his old unit, the 110th MP. The old stone building is the closest thing to a home he ever had.

Reacher is there to meet—in person—the new commanding officer, Major Susan Turner, so far just a warm, intriguing voice on the phone.

But it isn’t Turner behind the CO’s desk. And Reacher is hit with two pieces of shocking news, one with serious criminal consequences, and one too personal to even think about.

When threatened, you can run or fight.

Reacher fights, aiming to find Turner and clear his name, barely a step ahead of the army, and the FBI, and the D.C. Metro police, and four unidentified thugs.

Combining an intricate puzzle of a plot and an exciting chase for truth and justice, Lee Child puts Reacher through his paces—and makes him question who he is, what he’s done, and the very future of his untethered life on the open road.

©2013 Lee Child (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Child is a superb craftsman of suspense." (Entertainment Weekly)

“A breathless cross-country spree . . . some of the best, wiliest writing [Lee] Child has ever done . . . Child’s bodacious action hero, Jack Reacher, has already tramped through 17 novels and three e-book singles. But his latest, Never Go Back, may be the best desert island reading in the series. It’s exceptionally well plotted. And full of wild surprises. And wise about Reacher’s peculiar nature. And positively Bunyanesque in its admiring contributions to Reacher lore.” (Janet Maslin, The New York Times)

“An adrenaline-charged, action-packed thriller . . . impossible to put down.” (Lansing State Journal)

Not the best Reacher

Where does Never Go Back rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is another good reacher book. Not Child's best work, but it was entertaining as always. It always keeps me wishing for more.

Would you recommend Never Go Back to your friends? Why or why not?

If you are a fan of the series it is a must read

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

Another great performance

More stars needed!

This was the best Reacher yet. We loved it! Great story, it kept your mind going following his calculations and review of events. Need more like this one!

Enjoyable but drags a little in the middle

Dick hill is a great narrator (as always). this story wasn't as engaging as some other books. it seemed to middle around small inconsequential details for a healthy chuck of the middle chapters and it wasn't as action packed as I'm used to in other Reacher novels. Regardless, enjoyable experience with audible and great narration.

Another amazing read!

Very well written, and as enjoyable, as I have found each of these books to be.

Great read

Love the entanglement of Reacher. Always a few twists!! The voice of Reacher is captivating !

Excellent descriptive narrative

The writing is so descriptive that your mind easily creates a movie. The narrator is believable as Reacher since the story is from his perspective. The female voices not so much…But who can expect such a masculine voice to portray a feminine voice.

One of the best

This was one of his best in the series. Constant action and he finally got to meet her.

Expect the Best

"Expect the Best, Prepare for the Worst" becomes a theme through this book, but no need to prepare for the worst--this story is awesome.
I've listened to all 18 of the Reacher series over the last three years, and Lee Child continues to shine as the creator of Jack Reacher in #18.
As a Jack Reacher fan, all the great qualities are there:
--Lee Child keeps it clean while keeping the action and the story riveting.
--He makes Reacher multi-layered and complex by having Reacher cracks skulls of bad guys, then in another scene, out smart the bad guys through his knowledge of body language, human behavior, math, and yes, even poetry.
--He reveals just a touch of Reacher's soft side.
--He continues to unfold details of Reacher's past, weaving together a complete character that gets better and better with each book.
--Throws in just a bit of humor that makes Reacher human.

This story is even better than many of the first 17 in the Reacher series because there are a couple of great female characters. Like, really, really great female characters--the best he has introduced yet.

The ending did feel a little "quick." I wish the action had been drawn out more, but to me, that's just a sign of a great book. I never want a great book to actually end.

If this is your first Reacher novel, you'll miss out on a few "insider" jokes, like the folding toothbrushes. But overall, you certainly would be able to follow the story and enjoy it.

As for the performance, as usual, Dick Hill is perfect. I think a narrator should disappear and let the story shine and Hill does that. As usual, I'm super impressed with his female voices, you don't even notice him which leaves you free to just enjoy the story.

As with most Reacher fans, I was disappointed with #17, but Lee Child is back and better than ever.

I highly recommend.

Classic Reacher

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend the audiobook. It has a plausible story line and enough hook to keep you wanting to continue.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Never Go Back?

I loved the interaction with the Samantha Dayton character. I thought it was really funny that one of the bad guys in the book is named David Baldacci.

If you haven't listen to the Jack Reacher novels..

Listen to this one. Lee Child's stories are meant for Dick Hill to narrate. This story is even better than the last one. This series is one I won't stop following.

However, as a mom and a family person, I felt so sad that Jack moved on from this partner. I hope, at some point in the future, Lee provides Jack with a feeling of attachment, a resting place for such a great character, where he doesn't have to fight and defend any more. Jack Reacher, come home.