The Jack Reacher Review

Reacher emerges from the depths of hell (well, sort of) and walks into rural badlands where terrible people run amok. Spoiler: the terrible people get what's coming to them in this first class Reacher adventure. It's a favourite of Jamie's, as he explains in this review. What does Lee Child have against farmers? What was the experiment that ended 61 Hours? How does this compare to the similarly farmer-unfriendly Make Me? Listen to this review to find out. 

Perhaps the perfect package for Reacher newbies, Everyone Talks views our hero through the eyes of a rookie detective. As Jamie explains in this review, it has a little bit of everything you want from Lee Child's hero and is perfect for short story nights. Don't know what a short story night is? Jamie tells all here. 

It turns out that once upon a time, there was a Reacher videogame! It's name? I Am Reacher. Jamie sheds light on this mysterious project and talks about a frankly amazing Youtube video showing Lee Child (apparently) playing it. Get ready...

The Midnight Line got a lot of attention to referencing the  USA's opioid crisis. Lee Child's take on that is a high point in what Jamie describes as a "sombre" Reacher adventure and one that, really, he didn't love. Listen to this review to hear Jamie explain his take on The Midnight Line, using something he likes to call "Lee Child's Arrows". 

*Note - Jamie mistakenly says that the book is set in Wisconsin. It's Wyoming. Sorry for the mistake. Jamie's English so...

One Shot is the (superior) book that inspired the Jack Reacher movie. Reacher hunts a sniper who has killed random civilians in an American heartland city. It looks like the sniper is James Barr, a man Reacher knows all too well. Jamie explains why One Shot outshines its Hollywood counterpart, why it might have the best collection of characters in the series and begs, begs Reacher not to get on that bus...

An unusually emotional Reacher adventure, Without Fail sees Reacher helping out someone who was close to his brother Joe. In this review, Jamie explains how Without Fail features some of the series' most moving scenes and how Lee Child manages to balance action, pathos and an exploration of the nature of sibling relationships. And, of course, a truly kick-ass battle at the end. 

In Gone Tomorrow, Reacher is riding subway in New York when he spots someone all the telltale signs of being a suicide bomber. In this review, Jamie explains how Lee Child goes from this stunningly gripping opening to perhaps the most bizarre finale in the history of the series. 

Persuader sees Reacher going undercover, aiming to bring down a mysterious crime family while also seeking to dish out some cold blooded revenge to a villain from his past. It's a tense affair and, as it happens, the first Reacher book Jamie ever read. Learn more about his love for the book in this review. 

Set in baking hot Texas, Echo Burning sees Reacher asked to kill a woman's husband upon his return from prison. In this review, Jamie explains what Reacher does next, how Echo Burning presents different visions of America and why the book, written in 2001, is oddly prescient in its themes. He describes how Lee Child balances an atmospheric sense of place, serious themes and some of the funniest moments in the series. 

Jamie reflects on Lee Child's appearance on the BBC's Hard Talk interview show. He explains why it's refreshing to see Lee Child out of his comfort zone and describes the most recent developments in the Jack Reacher TV series.