• The Hard Way

  • Jack Reacher, Book 10
  • By: Lee Child
  • Narrated by: Dick Hill
  • Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (8,617 ratings)

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The Hard Way  By  cover art

The Hard Way

By: Lee Child
Narrated by: Dick Hill
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Publisher's summary

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING JACK REACHER SERIES THAT INSPIRED TWO MAJOR MOTION PICTURES AND THE STREAMING SERIES REACHER

“The truth about Reacher gets better and better. . . . This series [is] utterly addictive.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times

Jack Reacher was alone, the way he liked it, soaking up the hot, electric New York City night, watching a man cross the street to a parked Mercedes and drive it away. The car contained one million dollars in ransom money because Edward Lane, the man who paid it, would do anything to get his family back.

Lane runs a highly illegal soldiers-for-hire operation. He will use any tool to find his beautiful wife and child. And Jack Reacher is the best manhunter in the world.

On the trail of vicious kidnappers, Reacher learns the chilling secrets of his employer’s past . . . and of a horrific drama in the heart of a nasty little war. He knows that Edward Lane is hiding something. Something dirty. Something big. But Reacher also knows this: He’s already in way too deep to stop now. And if he has to do it the hard way, he will.

©2006 Lee Child (P)2914 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A Reacher novel is the closest thing to guaranteed joy short of a honeymoon.”Rocky Mountain News

“Plenty of suspense writers play the tough-guy-with-a-heart-of-gold card, but Child is indelibly skillful, quickly sketching intriguing characters as he drops bombshell after bombshell. With its taciturn but engaging hero and almost unbearably prolonged tension, The Hard Way makes reading easy indeed.”The Miami Herald

“In The Hard Way, Reacher is better than ever.”Contra Costa Times

What listeners say about The Hard Way

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    6,250
  • 4 Stars
    1,913
  • 3 Stars
    345
  • 2 Stars
    62
  • 1 Stars
    47
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    6,192
  • 4 Stars
    1,312
  • 3 Stars
    253
  • 2 Stars
    59
  • 1 Stars
    40
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5,575
  • 4 Stars
    1,712
  • 3 Stars
    412
  • 2 Stars
    77
  • 1 Stars
    38

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Rabid Reacher and Dick Hill fan

I started reading the Reacher series when I ran out of Harry Bosch stories. (Sorry, Michael Connally. I like Harry better than his half brother.) I chose this from another of the many series I considered because I loved the way Dick Hill narrated Connally's books and have not been disappointed in his narration of Jack Reacher's adventures.

Since I came late to the series, I was able to start at the beginning and proceed through them in order until I came to One Shot. It and The Hard Way were not available from Audible when I got there. So I skipped to Bad Luck and Trouble which I loved, kept going for 3 more books, and then, lo and behold, the two of them magically appeared.

I then read the reviews and was disappointed by the negativity of so many reviewers. One said that they were retitled reprints of two Reacher books and another complained that he figured out The Hard Way well before Reacher did. A third one criticized Dick Hill's narration and commented that it was not accurate for the characters. I was a bit disappointed, but I had loved every other book Dick Hill narrated by Lee Child and enjoyed them, so I went ahead. (I'm also a little bit compulsive about not skipping steps in a process.)

I loved both One Shot and The Hard Way and had no problem with the characters' voices. (I can't recognize an accent for my life.) I too, "figured them out" before Reacher, but I didn't care. I enjoyed hearing the steps he took to get there and I was completely unable to predict his plan for dealing with the theories he had along the way.

I have loved listening to every book in this series. I am always pulled into the stories completely and relate to the characters. I have no trouble distinguishing which characters do and say what and I have to force myself to stop listening and get out of the car or take out my earbuds when I have to.

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41 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great Book - But I All Ready Had It!!!!!!!!

What did you love best about The Hard Way?

Great Book..... Almost read it twice.....

Any additional comments?

Just make sure AUDIBLE doesn’t mislead you by saying its not in your library!!!!

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31 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

This book IS NOT NEW!!

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

Yes

Any additional comments?

Audible you should be ashamed. As I was listening to this book, I kept thinking "I swear I've read this book before." Turns out I have! How can you advertise this book as new.Get your credit or money back folks.

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

This is not a NEW book.

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I didn't listen to this version since I have listened to the book already.

Has The Hard Way turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, but I will be more careful when I see something listed as "NEW IN FICTION".

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great story, terrible narration

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

The narration was distracting, but the story mostly makes up for it.

What other book might you compare The Hard Way to and why?

This is part of a long series of books with the same main character. Any Jack Reacher book would compare

How could the performance have been better?

A different narrator would improve this considerably. Who chose this guy?

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

As long as they didn't ruin it with bad choices in actors like the first Jack Reacher movie (Tom Cruise portraying a character that is supposed to be 6'6", 240lbs, and blonde and blue eyed? Really?)

Any additional comments?

I love Lee Child's books. Jack Reacher is an awesome character, but the narration of this audio book is absolutely horrendous. It's like listening to Howard Cosell read a crime novel to you. There is an odd cadence to Dick Hill's narration and the voices he uses for the characters are inconsistent and at times you don't know who the dialogue is supposed to be coming from. One of the main characters is British and another is African American and his accents for both characters are so far off the mark he would have been much better off not even trying. As much as I love this book series I won't buy another audio book from it as long as Dick Hill is the narrator.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • BC
  • 10-17-17

Jack Reacher is the man!

I've been listening to the Jack Reacher series for a few months now. Lee Child does a great job telling stories and slowly revealing answers to mysteries through out the novel. Dick hill does an awesome job with his voices and keeping the reader engaged, though i do find that i am better engaged if i increase the reading speed through the audible app.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

My least favorite Reacher

About 3 hours into this book I figured it out. It took Reacher another 8 hours to "get it". I wanted to scream at him. Maybe other people figure out "the answer" much sooner than I do but I like books that have a bit of mystery to them. This one didn't. That said, I'm a huge Lee Child fan but suggest you try Tripwire or One Shot if you are new to the series.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The best Reacher adventure I've read.

What did you love best about The Hard Way?

Each book in the series is exciting, but this is by far the best I've read. Great story line, great characters, and 100% Reacher.

What about Dick Hill’s performance did you like?

There's no doubt that Dick adds wonderful depth to the story. His delivery definitely is part of how I see Reacher.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great suspense -Great Narrator

The suspense and twists are classic Reacher. I could listen to Dick Hill read the phone book!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good story. torturous narration.

As always Lee Child keeps me on the edge with Reacher's cunning mind, and superhuman strength.
It's always the same...wrong place, wrong time for Reacher. lol. but I always enjoy the books.
I've been reading the books in order and look forward to the next one. However, I may have to read them instead of listening because of Dick Hill. He starts and stops and hesitates and over emphasizes, and it is almost more than I can take. I finished this book because I started it, but I don't think I'll spend the money on another one. I can't understand why he just doesn't read the book with fluidity.
I'll keep track of Jack Reacher, but I won't listen to Dick Hill anymore.

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5 people found this helpful