Personal

(Jack Reacher 19)

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 walks alone.

Once a go-to hard man in the US military police, now he's a drifter of no fixed abode. But the army tracks him down. Because someone has taken a long-range shot at the French president.

Only one man could have done it. And Reacher is the one man who can find him.

This new heart-stopping, nail-biting book in Lee Child's number-one bestselling series takes Reacher across the Atlantic to Paris - and then to London.

The stakes have never been higher - because this time, it's personal.

Although the Jack Reacher novels can be listened to in any order, Personal is 19th in the series.

"Consistently pulse-raising. . .an exhilarating ride. . .Personal wrests back the sheer gusto of the earlier novels; it's the best Reacher adventure in some considerable time." (Independent)

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

©2014 Lee Child (P)2014 Random House Audiobooks

Critic reviews

Consistently pulse-raising...an exhilarating ride...Personal wrests back the sheer gusto of earlier novels; it's the best Reacher adventure in some considerable time.

This is the 19th Jack Reacher novel. I've read all the others. If you haven't, start now. You can binge-read them all in three weeks. But then you will be sad. Because you'll have to wait for a year for the next one. They are blissfully pedantic whodunnits. And also seriously violent thrillers....[Child] is so good. He makes "literary" writing seem orotund...He generates relentless momentum...Child's dedication to suspense...approaches the Hitchcockian.

Packed with arcane and fascinating detail...Child's almost trademarked and seriously addictive clipped prose and dialogue keeps Personal clipping along at breakneck pace with the tension ratcheting up satisfactorily to the inevitably bloody conclusion.

Told in characteristic Child style - fast prose, smart dialogue, extraordinary detail - and with the hero in full revenge mode,it throbs with energy from the start...a pleasure to welcome him back to [Lee Child's] native land.

He's a dangerous man to know but every year I am desperate to renew my acquaintance with the one and only Jack Reacher....Child brings it all together brilliantly. And often tersely...It ends in crunching violence - but Reacher readers queueing up for their annual fix expect nothing less.

The best one yet

Reacher is the stuff of myth…One of this century’s most original, tantalizing pop-fiction heroes…endless surprises and fierce suspense

A good read. On par for Lee Child

I’ve read five or so novels by Child and re-read each at least three times. He’s a good descriptive writer with interesting story lines. If you like the character of Jack Reacher then this book is as good as any of them. I worried the first person narrative would break the forth wall too much but it turned out not to, and maybe even gave a slightly different perspective of what’s going on in Reacher’s head. The last chapter felt a little rushed but still satisfying. Recommended if you like tough ex-army dudes, taking care of business, solving problems, with a sense of justice, peppered with humour and strong scenery and situational description.

A swing and a miss

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Story line needed more work. Overall needed more action and violence.

Would you recommend Personal to your friends? Why or why not?

No, out of all the Jack Reacher books this is near the bottom.

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

Yes, consistent performance.

Could you see Personal being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No. Definitely not Tom Cruise.

Any additional comments?

Jack Reacher needs to die. What a fantastic book that would be.

weakest plot line

this is the only Reacher novel I struggle to listen to . The story is too convoluted even for a Reacher plot and the supporting cast is lame at best . I guess 1 out of 20 plus is acceptable but still disappointing

Jack is back!

Jack Reacher takes time out from his solitary wandering for another adventure. Jeff Harding is the voice that perfectly portrays the rugged character. A totally enjoyable experience.

Not up to Mr Child's usual standard

Lee Child doesn't have a bigger fan than me. But this is a little disappointing - for two reasons. Firstly, he's spending way too much time explaining in minute detail how Reacher mangles bad toughguys and how he creeps through corridoors. And secondly - what was the Producer/Director thinking!?! Some of the characters' voices (brilliantly read by Jeff Harding) are inaudible (travelling in a car or where there's anything other than pristine silence). Didn't anyone look at the VU meters in the studio! This is a 'Childish' mistake - for which the Producer/Director must take responsibility.