Lee Child’s The Midnight Line is the 22nd book in his long-running Jack Reacher series. As usual, Reacher is just wandering around looking for trouble. He finds a West Point graduation ring in a pawn shop in Wisconsin. Reacher immediately wants to know how it got there and who it belonged to (Reacher is a West Point graduate, too). The search takes Reacher to a criminal called Jimmy Rat. After Reacher beats the shit out of Jimmy Rat’s seven biker friends, he’s off to South Dakota to follow the next clue. Much of The Midnight Line is set in Wyoming. The Midnight Line isn’t as good as Make Me, but it’s about as good as Night School. Are you a Jack Reacher fan? GRADE: B
None a fan. Read one several years back. I didn’t like the fact that Reacher seemingly can do anything. Same reason I don’t like Joe Pike. He is too good to be true.
Steve, I know what you mean. Both Jack Reacher and Joe Pike need some kryptonite.
Not a fan. Typo.
Yes, I’m a fan, and yes, I agree. This was not as good as some other recent books. I liked the original set up (the kind of far fetched thing that Reacher might well do, just because he’s Reacher), but it took way too long to get there and, in the end, it was a little like a story line that almost every television show seems to feel the need to do this year – (WARNING: SPOILER ALERT – DANGER WILL ROBINSON, DO NOT READ UNTIL AFTER YOU READ THE BOOK) – opiod addiction (END WARNING).
Child and Reacher are always worth reading, but both have been better elsewhere.
Jeff, after 22 books, I think the Jack Reacher series is now “beach reading.” Lee Child has a successful template for these best-sellers so I suspect we’ll see more of the same in the years ahead.
It is too easy to keep turning them out. He should challenge himself more.
Patti, THE MIDNIGHT LINE had a “paint-by-numbers” feel to it. I agree with you, Lee Child should challenge Jack Reacher a bit more.
I’m still a fan, and I think the series is growing, In the last book or so, I’ve had concerns about Reacher and how he is now seemingly no longer invincible. I was 1/2 way thru this and misplaced it, so need to find it and resume it.
Maggie, Lee Child knows how to keep the pages turning. Once I start a Jack Reacher book, I read it straight through, usually in a day.
I read one years ago an that was enough for me! Add to that his approval of the Smirking Dwarf to play Reacher on the screen and you a have a series I wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot fork! I was happy to drink his free booze at a couple of Bouchercons, though!
Bob, I’m not sure Lee Child likes the Smirking Dwarf any more than you do. But, clearly he likes Tom Cruise’s money!
Tom Cruise optioned the series years before the movie was made, but not to star in it, just to produce. The option lapsed and was picked up by Weinstein and maybe others, and those options also lapsed. Finally Cruise re-optioned it and starred in it. I thought he did a good job on the action stuff, just doesn’t match any description of reacher.
Lee is a very nice man, and very generous. Starting in 2001, he hosted a Reacher Creature party at Bouchercon. It was invitation only, though they didn’t turn away crashers. The last one was at SF in 2010 where he opened it up to the membership. The total bill was over $60k due to people just going for the free booze.
Maggie, something tells me Lee Child has money to burn!
Compelling and tight – my less-patient old guy formula these days. Thus, I’m less and less able to read 500 page books unless you’re a Michael Connelly who’s absorbing on every page. Read one Reacher, liked it but it dragged at times. You’re top 3 recommendations George, in case I try him again?
Roy, I’d recommend MAKE ME which had me guessing right until the end.