Past Tense - Jack Reacher #23 (by Lee Child)
A rural town in New Hampshire. That’s where Jack Reacher lands for his next adventure in Past Tense, book 23, by Lee Child. Quite a few of the Reacher novels have left an imprint on my brain and this has become one of my favorites. The story line stands out as a different style in story telling.
Traveling from Maine to California, Reacher sees a road sign for a familiar rural town. Not familiar because he’s been there before, familiar because he’s seen the name written on letter envelopes. It’s where his father is from. Now, Reacher has a decision to make; detour to this rural town for a trip down memory lane, or continue on his journey to California. Consistent with his nomad lifestyle, Reacher takes the detour.
I’m really enjoying growing sunflowers this season. 🌻
Simultaneously, a young couple from Canada is traveling to Florida. They encounter significant car trouble, and are forced to pull over. Fortunately, they think, they stumble upon a motel. (My mind immediately pictured Bates Motel.) They are at the mercy of the gentleman running the establishment for assistance with their car and a place to stay.
Meanwhile, Reacher is making friends and a few enemies in the rural town as he explores this father’s childhood years and his grandparents. He grows skeptical of the stories his father has told and is interested in learning facts. The thing about Jack Reacher is that he seldom becomes emotionally involved, even about his family’s past.
Just adding a few extra sunflower pictures to this post. 🧡
Past Tense gradually builds in suspense as the story moves back and forth between Reacher’s sleuthing and the young couple at the motel. Reacher’s portion of the story is interesting as he learns about his father. He’s still a bad ass, enforcing justice and punishing the offenders, in the same way as the previous 22 novels. Things get very dark and twisted for the couple at the motel. That portion of the story spoke to my love of suspenseful thrillers.
I borrowed Past Tense from my local library through the Libby app. Narration by Scott Brick is excellent. He is one of my favorite narrators.
I hope you enjoyed! ☮️
You’re welcome to read my other reviews for books by Lee Child, which are linked below.
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