Past Tense

(Jack Reacher 23)

By: Lee Child

Narrated by: Jeff Harding

Brought to you by Penguin.

Read by award-winning narrator Jeff Harding.

**NOW A MAJOR PRIME TV SERIES STARRING ALAN RITCHSON**

JACK REACHER NEVER LOOKS BACK . . . UNTIL NOW.

The present can be tense . . .

A young couple trying to get to New York City are stranded at a lonely motel in the middle of nowhere. Before long they're trapped in an ominous game of life and death.

But the past can be worse . . .

Meanwhile, Jack Reacher sets out on an epic road trip across America. He doesn't get far. Deep in the New England woods, he sees a sign to a place he has never been - the town where his father was born. But when he arrives he is told no one named Reacher ever lived there. Now he wonders: who's lying?

As the tension ratchets up and these two stories begin to entwine, the stakes have never been higher for Reacher.

That's for damn sure.

Although the Jack Reacher novels can be listened to in any order, Past Tense is the 23rd in the series.


'There's only one Jack Reacher. Accept no substitutes.' - Mick Herron.

‘Jeff Harding’s [...] narration captures Reacher’s character perfectly [...] you have to savour every minute.’ The Sunday Times

© Lee Child 2018 (P) Penguin Audio 2018

Critic reviews

Absolutely loved Past Tense – Lee Child just gets better and better, which is a very rare quality in a writer of a long-run series. Whip smart, always compelling, always fun, he is dangerously addictive. (Peter James)

Jack Reacher is today's James Bond, a thriller hero we can't get enough of (Ken Follett)

I loved it. One of the best. (Jonathan Ross)

It’s Lee Child. Why would you not read it? (Karin Slaughter)

Sometimes you just want someone who can beat the s*** out of people! I pick up Jack Reacher when I’m in the mood for someone big to solve my problems (Patricia Cornwell)

Loved [Past Tense]! Nothing makes for a great weekend quite like quality time with Jack . (Lisa Gardner)

Busy, bloody and ingenious

One of the best...hits the mark perfectly. (Joanne Harris)

The pace picks up...the action becomes brutal, and we're led to an extremely satisfying conclusion...I'm becoming increasingly understanding of our appetite for fiction that features proper punishment for baddies. It's deeply comforting to escape into an imaginary world where we're all safe in Jack Reacher's gammon-joint sized hands.

one of the better Reacher books in a long time

Jeff Harding have the perfect voice for this book I feel like I would recommend him every day

Worst Reacher book to date

I have read all of the Jack Reacher books and so far, no complaints. However, this one was slow and boring with no real direction. I feel like Lee Childs has run out of ideas for the Reacher character. I was glad when this read came to an end. It's a shame, i have been a huge fan of Lee Childs. Hopefully the next Reacher book is not as disappointing as this one was.

Child not at his best...

Lee Child writes in essentially one way: exploiting his creation Jack Reacher to the fullest degree by crafting interesting stories and adding a couple of supporting characters. Alas, the story here is rather laboured and the supporters are a bit underdone. Even Jeff Harding, my equal favourite reader, seems to be having a hard time. A disappointment, unfortunately.

Great listen

Very enjoyable listen. Captivating and we'll read by Jeff Harding. looking forward to more books by Lee Child

brilliantly crafted .

worth waiting for. Reacher never disappoints even as he is aging, he just uses his accumulated knowledge a lot more effectively