the Jack Reacher novel series by Lee Child on Audiobooksnow

entertaining.

a towering, extremely muscular man, standing around 6'5" and weighing 210-250 pounds, with ice-blue eyes and blond hair. He has a massive, powerful physique, described with terms like a "six-pack like a cobbled city street" and hands the size of dinner plates. Beyond his physical appearance, he is a highly intelligent, lone-wolf ex-military policeman with a pragmatic, unemotional demeanor and a fierce sense of justice.


Jack Reacher is described as a large, powerful, ex-military police officer who is 6'5" and 250 lbs, with a rugged build and weathered appearance. His fighting style is brutally efficient and direct, relying on his size and strength along with skills from his military background, incorporating tactics like striking first, using the environment, and dirty fighting to neutralize threats quickly.

I think I've read everyone of them. The only thing I don't like about Jack Reacher is he'll sometimes kill someone for no reason germane to the story line.

though critics debate whether his vigilante justice sometimes crosses the line into villainy
. Reacher does not kill for no reason germane to the storyline; rather, his actions are motivated by his sense of a black-and-white moral code.
Reasons and justification for Reacher's kills:

Vigilante justice: Reacher acts as an instant judge, jury, and executioner for individuals he perceives as deserving of punishment. He has no legal authority to do so, but he is driven by his personal code of right and wrong.
To protect the innocent: A central aspect of Reacher's moral code is the protection of the defenseless and the elimination of those who prey on them. His decision to kill is often tied to ensuring the safety of an innocent person.
To eliminate a threat: For Reacher, a person who cannot be reasoned with or trusted is a danger that must be completely eliminated. His choice to kill can be a matter of his own survival or the safety of others.
Revenge: In some cases, Reacher's actions are driven by revenge. For example, in Season 2 of the TV series, he goes on a killing spree to exact revenge on the people who murdered his brother and his former army colleagues.

Criticisms of Reacher's kills:

Excessive violence: On occasion, Reacher's actions are viewed as excessive and unnecessary. A scene in the TV show where he murders a helpless, bedridden suspect by injecting an air embolism provoked criticism from viewers who felt the action made Reacher seem more like a villain than a hero.
Justification vs. murder: Reacher's acts of vigilante justice are interpreted by some as cold-blooded murder, even if the victim was a bad person. Critics argue that killing an unarmed person, regardless of their past actions, is an evil act.
Blurring the line of a hero: While many fans accept Reacher's brutal approach as part of his character, others question if a protagonist committing such extreme acts can still be considered heroic.

Enjoy.

Its interesting in switching back and forth between historic horse farm country in Lexington, and modern day science in DC. Thank you for its recommendation here.

Finished, "The Sinister Pig," by Tony Hillerman. Enjoyable and quick reading, as usual.

Two good ones.

Second or third reading. Catching his subtle poetic prose. Finally, I’m embarrassed to say. Apologies to Sandford for missing his quiet brilliance.

“The park was pleasant, green gone to tan, a good day: cold, clear, a mild leaf-shedding breeze carrying the faint odor of barbeque from a nearby restaurant.”

Caught up in plot and character but Sandford has a gift I’m only now realizing.

Plus the country drives where Virgil needles Lucas are hilarious.

a Prey novel for a good while. I have a lot of catching up to do. St. Paul: my old stomping grounds. Now I want to read that one.

The series, featuring Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers, and story lines are well written. Sandford has continued the series with Davenport's adopted daughter Letty being an investigator.

Virgil Flowers books.

Deadline is a fun dog napping caper. And a corrupt school board and a meth lab.

"That Fucking Flowers,"

Two memorable characters, solving memorable crimes.

I confess that’d I’d miss this one; it was published posthumously. I’ve read a lot of Crichton — all science fiction or techno thrillers. This is historical fiction, set in 1655 in the Caribbean (the Spanish Main), as an English privateer attempts to capture a Spanish treasure ship.

"..a rollicking adventure tale pulsing with relentless action, crackling atmosphere, and heart-pounding suspense."

Excellent series! Yesterday I started The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger. It’s about a Cat 6 hurricane making a direct hit on the Miami Dade area before crossing into to the Gulf of Mexico. So far so good but scary for those who live in hurricane prone areas, like me .

Have a good week everyone!

for the Guncle books. I'm there.

Dan Brown wrote Angels and Demons (2000) and The Da Vinci Code with the main character Robert Langdon. The Secret of Secrets takes place in Prague has Langdon running from the police and a secret organization.


Description from Amazon:
Robert Langdon, esteemed professor of symbology, travels to Prague to attend a groundbreaking lecture by Katherine Solomon—a prominent noetic scientist with whom he has recently begun a relationship. Katherine is on the verge of publishing an explosive book that contains startling discoveries about the nature of human consciousness and threatens to disrupt centuries of established belief. But a brutal murder catapults the trip into chaos, and Katherine suddenly disappears along with her manuscript. Langdon finds himself targeted by a powerful organization and hunted by a chilling assailant sprung from Prague’s most ancient mythology. As the plot expands into London and New York, Langdon desperately searches for Katherine . . . and for answers. In a thrilling race through the dual worlds of futuristic science and mystical lore, he uncovers a shocking truth about a secret project that will forever change the way we think about the human mind.


It's a long novel, 671 pages, and normally I can finish a novel in three days but this one is going to take me a week to finish. So far, it's kept my interest.

I've been curious about this one.

I actually prefer autobiographies and memoirs as my regular fare, but I like a good Dan Brown-type mystery/thriller now and then. So I'll probably get started on it this coming week. Since I usually only have time to read at bedtime, it takes me a while to finish a book.

And confess I might break my rule about not rereading books because there are millions of books I likely won't get to before I die.

Dan Brown paints such amazing pictures with words that I've actually felt I'd seen scenes in movies of his books even when no movie had been made yet, but I skimmed over many of his detailed portraits of Prague because I was so worried about the characters and their quest.

Now that I know how it turned out I'll go back and enjoy the entire book.

And I love Tom Hanks, so that's a good thing.

I don't know about others, but sometimes my feelings about a particular book will change after the movie is made. Sometimes when I like a movie, I might decide to read the book afterwards. I don't like it when I read the book first and love it, but then I'm disappointed by the movie.

Does that make sense?

I've gotten better over the years at appreciating a movie for its interpretation of a book I've loved. At least I don't leave theaters angry like I did after Blade Runner or, when I was a kid, Mary Poppins.

Try to avoid movies before reading the book if it's something I plan to read. Or now, in my old age, just leaving enough time after reading that the movie seems fine since I don't remember the book all that well

From Amazon: An old World War II diary filled with cryptic clues launches two friends on an adventure around the world . . . but their path is fraught with danger and deception . . . and the treasure they seek can change everything for good—or evil.Father Michael Dominic and his journalist friend Hana Sinclair are off to follow a tantalizing lead: a Nazi journal revealing a holy relic’s hiding place. The pair believes the book could lead them to a sacred cloth Christ used to cleanse his face, which according to legend now bears his image — a living record of the Son of God’s true appearance.The diary propels them on a whirlwind adventure from Jerusalem, to Rome, to Buenos Aires. But as they unravel an ancient mystery, they run afoul of a nefarious sect determined to use the Magdalene veil for its own ends. Can Michael and Hana outsmart their ruthless adversaries and bring the artifact home to the Church, or will the revival of Aryan ambition destroy the long-lost relic of Christ?If you love fast-paced novels grounded in history, grab this non-stop action-packed thriller! McAvoy’s fans say his “attention to detail makes the story utterly believable, leaving the reader wondering what is real and what is fiction.”

I have really enjoyed this trilogy. The author has two other series with the same lead characters; hopefully I can catch them at reduced price soon.

by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman. In the near future, all the water taps go completely dry in Southern California, millions of people suddenly in danger of dying from lack of water. The story focuses on a handful of teens who are trying to find parents, water, and safety.