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Better Off Dead:

Better Off Dead:

  • Downloads：9640
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-09-25 04:51:48
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Lee Child
  • ISBN：1787633748
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

Jack Reacher returns， in the brand new thriller from bestselling authors Lee and Andrew Child。 Relentless action， a gripping mystery and a host of evil new enemies who are soon going to learn 。 。 。 they'd be better off dead。

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Reviews

Scott Caswell ，

Trouble just has a way of finding Jack Reacher。 Reacher is just trying to make his way to the West Coast。 Sounds easy enough…。 Once again Lee and Andrew Childs have put together a thrill ride that will keep you turning pages until you hit the last page！ Another great Reacher adventure that will introduce you to some great characters and seat of your pants action。 If you have enjoyed past Reacher novels you will love this one too！ Keep them coming guys！

Richard ，

I have read all 26 books in this series so I consider myself a fan。 Unfortunately， this series has "reached" its sell by date。 This book was really hard to even get through。1） The writing is clunky。 Full of sentences。 And fragments。 Like this。 Totally annoying。 2）Switching from third person to first after the first chapter also didn't work for me。 Third person works way better in these books。3）Stylistic qualms aside， the tropes are tired。 Reacher wanders in out of nowhere right into the middle o I have read all 26 books in this series so I consider myself a fan。 Unfortunately， this series has "reached" its sell by date。 This book was really hard to even get through。1） The writing is clunky。 Full of sentences。 And fragments。 Like this。 Totally annoying。 2）Switching from third person to first after the first chapter also didn't work for me。 Third person works way better in these books。3）Stylistic qualms aside， the tropes are tired。 Reacher wanders in out of nowhere right into the middle of some crazy crisis， gets sucked in within 25 pages and then ubermensches his way out of it。 Great fun for the first 15-18 books- now it's just silly。 How many times can this happen to 1 person？ 4） The plot made very little sense。 The whole bomb/Lebanon/Michael-Michaela/FBI jumping in right away was all just too convoluted and strained。 The bad guys （and Michaela） were cardboard at best。 Michaela just jumps right in with Reacher and vice versa based on that first scene？ And having to read "Dorndoecker" or whatever his name is over and over was annoying。 。。。more

Stuart ，

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of the new Reacher。 With a Reacher book， you know exactly what you are in for and the Child’s do not disappoint。 I thoroughly enjoyed this story。 Reacher is at his fighting best

Sallie ，

I wish to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book。 I have voluntarily read and reviewed it。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。I have always been a fan of Lee Child’s books and I love the character of Jack Reacher。 That being said， I was so was thrilled when I was granted the opportunity to review this one。 Reacher is back again and you get caught up with his usual style of problem solving。 He definitely thinks I wish to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book。 I have voluntarily read and reviewed it。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。I have always been a fan of Lee Child’s books and I love the character of Jack Reacher。 That being said， I was so was thrilled when I was granted the opportunity to review this one。 Reacher is back again and you get caught up with his usual style of problem solving。 He definitely thinks outside the box。 I will admit there was a bit too much given to the sameness in the fighting of one character over and over。 A little less of that would have been better。The descriptions of the lay of the land put the reader right in there with them as the action was unfolding。 I like that。 But in the past the reader learned more about Reacher’s cunning and in this book less was needed about the physical fighting。 One blow would win the fight and this time there was more fighting and less thinking。 His incredible sense of time is such a part of him and I missed that in this。 The way he hitchhikes with no baggage is only mentioned but is a big part of who he is。 I miss following his thought processes。 Please bring that back in the next book。I remain a huge fan and look forward to the next book。 I will encourage his fans to read this one。 But urge both authors to not lose sight of the Jack Reacher we all love。 Everyone knows who Reacher is！！！All that being said， I still give it a solid 5 stars。 。。。more

Linda Beilstein ，

Read by Karl through NetGalley。 Lee Child grabs you from the first word， and maintains control throughout the story。 Each step ups the tension until you have to set the book down for a while to relax。 The attention to detail is astounding。 If you close your eyes， you can visualize whatever he is describing。 Of course， the most impressive thing about the novel is Reacher himself。 He embodies the true heroic image。 He is not a superhero， but the next best thing。 He gets it done。 In Better Off Dead Read by Karl through NetGalley。 Lee Child grabs you from the first word， and maintains control throughout the story。 Each step ups the tension until you have to set the book down for a while to relax。 The attention to detail is astounding。 If you close your eyes， you can visualize whatever he is describing。 Of course， the most impressive thing about the novel is Reacher himself。 He embodies the true heroic image。 He is not a superhero， but the next best thing。 He gets it done。 In Better Off Dead， Reacher finds himself in difficult circumstances over and over。 While searching for a missing man， he stumbles on a terrorist attempt。 Will he prevail？ Step in and find out！ 。。。more

Vivian Harrington ，

Jack Reacher continues to entertain。 I finished Better Off Dead in two days。 The writing， however， was not quite the tempo and style of the books written by Lee Child alone。 This 26th Reacher adventure was co-authored and focused too much on Reacher’s physical prowess instead of his critical reasoning。 And， he encountered one particular thug just a little too often！ The premise felt forced。 As usual， Reacher is walking into quagmire with only the clothes on his back， his expired passport， a toot Jack Reacher continues to entertain。 I finished Better Off Dead in two days。 The writing， however， was not quite the tempo and style of the books written by Lee Child alone。 This 26th Reacher adventure was co-authored and focused too much on Reacher’s physical prowess instead of his critical reasoning。 And， he encountered one particular thug just a little too often！ The premise felt forced。 As usual， Reacher is walking into quagmire with only the clothes on his back， his expired passport， a toothbrush and some cash。 This time he ends up in a declining town on the border with Mexico。 The bad guys seem almost cartoonish。 I did like the female characters， Michaela and Sonia， both searching for the missing Michael Curtis， who likes puzzles and sent a coded SOS message to his sister that included a postcard and a condom。 Despite the convoluted storyline， I totally enjoyed reading Better Off Dead and am grateful to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read this book before publication in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Melody Nicole ，

"Reacher is headed to San Francisco when he passes a wrecked car。 He stops to help and soon finds himself in the middle of helping the occupant find her brother and bring justice to the ones who hurt him。"The beginning was interesting - makes you wonder about the rest of the series。 This is my first read of this series thanks to the authoring giving me a book in the giveaway。 I am now interested in reading the rest of the series "Reacher is headed to San Francisco when he passes a wrecked car。 He stops to help and soon finds himself in the middle of helping the occupant find her brother and bring justice to the ones who hurt him。"The beginning was interesting - makes you wonder about the rest of the series。 This is my first read of this series thanks to the authoring giving me a book in the giveaway。 I am now interested in reading the rest of the series 。。。more

Debra ，

Once again， Jack Reacher walks into trouble。 The story is fast-paced with bad guys， lots of action and detailed fight scenes with just the right touch of dry humor。 While somewhat predictable， I still enjoy this series。 Special thanks to NetGalley， Lee & Andrew Child， and Random House Group/Ballantine publishing for the advanced copy of Better Off Dead。 #BetterOfDead #NetGalley

Barbara ，

Once again， Jack Reacher is on foot， on the road， in the middle of nowhere， when he meets someone who could use a little help。 There’s a lot of fast-paced action and suspense and Reacher keeps his cool through it all。 He uses his wit and his strength to defeat the enemy。 He’s even nice to the bad guys on occasion， offering them choices。 I liked Michaela and Sonia， and their willingness to help even if it put them in danger。I found myself skipping through some， but not all， of the scene and fight Once again， Jack Reacher is on foot， on the road， in the middle of nowhere， when he meets someone who could use a little help。 There’s a lot of fast-paced action and suspense and Reacher keeps his cool through it all。 He uses his wit and his strength to defeat the enemy。 He’s even nice to the bad guys on occasion， offering them choices。 I liked Michaela and Sonia， and their willingness to help even if it put them in danger。I found myself skipping through some， but not all， of the scene and fight descriptions rather quickly because they went on and on， but enjoyed the storyline。I was given an advance copy by NetGalley and the publisher。 This review is my honest opinion。 。。。more

Lori ，

Jack Reacher is one book character I’ll never tire of。 Lee Child’s 26th full length Reacher book is releasing October 26th。 I always get excited when Jack’s back！ I was over the moon when I was approved for this ARC。 Unfortunately， I’m really sad to say it took me days to finish this one。 This one didn’t have that page turning allure。 Pace was slow and overly descriptive on telling what was happening with too much detail rather than allowing the reader to feel it。 Majority of the action doesn’t Jack Reacher is one book character I’ll never tire of。 Lee Child’s 26th full length Reacher book is releasing October 26th。 I always get excited when Jack’s back！ I was over the moon when I was approved for this ARC。 Unfortunately， I’m really sad to say it took me days to finish this one。 This one didn’t have that page turning allure。 Pace was slow and overly descriptive on telling what was happening with too much detail rather than allowing the reader to feel it。 Majority of the action doesn’t start until 75% in。 Throughout the book I keep asking myself why is he involved here？ Normally it feels clear and becomes personal quick to Reacher。 His interactions with Fenton didn’t lead me to believe he’d be so quick to jump into her problems。 。。。more

Crimefictioncritic ，

Better Off Dead by Lee Child and Andrew Child—Vintage Jack Reacher。Although Lee Child appears on the cover as co-author， according to him， his novelist brother largely wrote The Sentinel， the twenty-fifth Reacher novel。 I bought the book but couldn’t bring myself to finish it。 It wasn’t that the writing was bad， but Reacher just wasn’t Reacher。 When it comes to this immensely popular series， Jack Reacher is the series。 Getting that right is job one。In fairness， the family relationship aside， it Better Off Dead by Lee Child and Andrew Child—Vintage Jack Reacher。Although Lee Child appears on the cover as co-author， according to him， his novelist brother largely wrote The Sentinel， the twenty-fifth Reacher novel。 I bought the book but couldn’t bring myself to finish it。 It wasn’t that the writing was bad， but Reacher just wasn’t Reacher。 When it comes to this immensely popular series， Jack Reacher is the series。 Getting that right is job one。In fairness， the family relationship aside， it is never easy for a new author to take over a series as popular as this one。 Nothing against Andrew’s skills as a writer， but the change in authors in The Sentinel was far from subtle。 It was glaringly detectable， and the Jack Reacher character was too different from past novels。 He felt phony。Still， I wasn’t ready to call it quits with Reacher without trying the second Andrew co-authored book。 Sometimes， a new author of an existing popular series grows into the role and finds their footing。 So， when I had the opportunity to snag an advance copy of Better Off Dead from the publisher， I jumped at the chance。When Reacher hitchhikes west to see the Pacific Ocean， he encounters under unusual circumstances， Michaela Fenton in a small dead-end Arizona town on the border with Mexico。 Fenton， an army veteran and former FBI agent confides she is trying to rescue her twin brother， Michael （also a veteran）， who is involved with some very dangerous people。 Once Reacher learns the details， he realizes that even a capable woman like Fenton won’t succeed alone against the steep odds she faces。 So he decides to postpone his trip to help her out， which might turn out one big mistake。I won’t keep you in suspense。 Jack Reacher is back， the original six-foot-five， technology-challenged brawler version who captured the imagination of fans at the start。 Reacher does use a cell phone a few times in this book， but still prefers getting change for payphones。I don’t know who did the lion’s share of writing this time around， but since he is taking over the series， we must hope it was Andrew and that he has now found his stride。 This twenty-sixth installment is the best Reacher novel since Make Me and every bit as good as many of the early books in the series。 The writing is tight， and the action is as non-stop and explosive as ever。 The plot is fresh and imaginative， and there is plenty of suspense。Reacher is always going to be my favorite character in this series。 He’s the whole point of reading the books。 But， in this one， I really liked Michaela Fenton。 She’s no damsel in distress but a strong female character capable of holding her own when the numbers are reasonable。 But facing an army of bad guys， she needs help as anyone would。 We meet other fascinating characters along the way。My recommendation， if you’re a fan of this series， whether you liked The Sentinel or had trouble getting into it as I did， is to get this book。 Reacher is back。 Those who have never read a Jack Reacher novel but enjoy a gripping， suspenseful thriller will also enjoy Better Off Dead。Better Off Dead by Lee Child and Andrew Child is published by Penguin Random House and is available from October 26， 2021。 I received an advance copy of the book used for this review from the publisher via NetGalley， representing my honest， unbiased opinions。 。。。more

Brian Miller ，

This is a really good book and if you have enjoyed any previous Reacher story， you will love this one as well。 This one takes place right in a small town on the border of the United States and Mexico。 Reacher ends up agreeing to help a woman who is desperately looking for her brother who she assumes is wrapped up in some really nasty stuff。 This book seemed a little implausible as what Reacher accomplishes by himself is a bit of a stretch but I will happily dive in again when a new Reacher book This is a really good book and if you have enjoyed any previous Reacher story， you will love this one as well。 This one takes place right in a small town on the border of the United States and Mexico。 Reacher ends up agreeing to help a woman who is desperately looking for her brother who she assumes is wrapped up in some really nasty stuff。 This book seemed a little implausible as what Reacher accomplishes by himself is a bit of a stretch but I will happily dive in again when a new Reacher book is put out。 If you suspend belief just a bit， this book is really good。 And for all we know， maybe Reacher is a one man army。 Thank you all for the DRC for my honest review。 。。。more

Sloan Stryker ，

Better Off Dead is a good book but it is not your usual Jack Reacher story。This whole thing takes place in just over 24 hours in which Jack must stop a domestic terrorist， track down a deadly bomb， save a brother and his sister who got Jack involved in the first place。Jack is pushed to his limits and the body count keeps mounting。Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this advanced copy。

Melody Morris ，

Better Off Dead – Lee Child & Andrew ChildThere’s just something about a Jack Reacher book… In this latest adventure， written by both Lee Child and his brother Andrew， Reacher is on foot， somewhere in Arizona， as he heads west toward the coast。 He comes across a jeep that appears to have hit a tree， and notes the female driver slumped across the steering wheel。 As he walks closer to assess the situation and to check her for injuries， she suddenly sits upright， holding a pistol straight at him， w Better Off Dead – Lee Child & Andrew ChildThere’s just something about a Jack Reacher book… In this latest adventure， written by both Lee Child and his brother Andrew， Reacher is on foot， somewhere in Arizona， as he heads west toward the coast。 He comes across a jeep that appears to have hit a tree， and notes the female driver slumped across the steering wheel。 As he walks closer to assess the situation and to check her for injuries， she suddenly sits upright， holding a pistol straight at him， wanting to know where Michael is…That is just the beginning of Reacher’s unanticipated involvement in discovering the whereabouts of Michael， a former military bomb defuser， now in the clutches of Waad Dendoncker， a former civilian contractor for the Army believed to have turned domestic terrorist。 As Reacher gains the trust of Michaela， former Army， and Michael’s twin sister， she begins to explain how he came to find her that morning。 Needless to say， his interest is piqued and he really has nowhere he needs to be， so he decides to lend his assistance。 Dendoncker is the owner of a catering service that services high profile aircraft & private flights by providing food and attendants – but believed to be a cover for so much more。 Piece by piece， Reacher & Michaela gain information – then Michaela goes missing – leaving Reacher determined to find her…and perhaps stop a weapon of mass destruction as well。Filled with all of the action we’ve come to expect from a Reacher novel， I almost felt like I was reading sequences from a Steven Seagal movie script at times。 That is not a complaint – just Reacher doing what Reacher does best。 Action-filled， suspenseful and colorful， I read this one in one sitting， and now start the long wait for the next！ You just can’t go wrong with a Reacher novel！！ I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from #Netgalley & Random House Publishing Group， in exchange for an objective review。 。。。more

Paul Kennedy ，

Another excellent Reacher novel！ Andrew has done a great job continuing his brothers work。Really enjoyed the return of the first-person narrative in this one。It’s Jack Reacher。 Gotta love Jack。

Elizabeth ，

I'm a Lee Child/Jack Reacher addict。 There， I said it。 But so are a lot of people， which is probably why I never get approved for these ARCs。 But this year。。。I did。 And I COULD NOT WAIT to dive in。Jack Reacher is back in another small town in the middle of nowhere and， shocker， someone could use his help defeating some bad guys。 Yes， these stories are all the same in a lot of ways， but you can't help but love reading them。 This is the second Reacher book written by both Lee Child and his brother I'm a Lee Child/Jack Reacher addict。 There， I said it。 But so are a lot of people， which is probably why I never get approved for these ARCs。 But this year。。。I did。 And I COULD NOT WAIT to dive in。Jack Reacher is back in another small town in the middle of nowhere and， shocker， someone could use his help defeating some bad guys。 Yes， these stories are all the same in a lot of ways， but you can't help but love reading them。 This is the second Reacher book written by both Lee Child and his brother， Andrew。 You CAN TOTALLY TELL that this book is way more Andrew then Lee。 You definitely notice a change in tone， especially how Reacher seems less confident and lets a strange woman he's just met take the lead in a dangerous situation。 Or when he calls his morning coffee "sublime"。 That's just。。。such a non-Reacher term。 And there's too much inner monologue for Jack Reacher。 I don't think this book is quite as sharp as the best in the series， but it's nothing to complain about （If you want a fast-paced action thriller）。I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Leanna Mattea ，

I have to disagree with the negative reviews。 I’ve read every Reacher book and I thought this one was just as good。 Reacher hasn’t missed a step or a body slam， as he is drawn into a network of bomb makers， straddling the Texas/ Mexico border。 His strategy and investigative instincts attracts the attention of the bad guys， as he uses his federal contacts to take down this terrorist group。If you’ve loved Reacher since Th Killing Floor， I guarantee you’ll enjoy this latest。My thanks to NetGalley，D I have to disagree with the negative reviews。 I’ve read every Reacher book and I thought this one was just as good。 Reacher hasn’t missed a step or a body slam， as he is drawn into a network of bomb makers， straddling the Texas/ Mexico border。 His strategy and investigative instincts attracts the attention of the bad guys， as he uses his federal contacts to take down this terrorist group。If you’ve loved Reacher since Th Killing Floor， I guarantee you’ll enjoy this latest。My thanks to NetGalley，Delacourt Press and the Child brothers for this ARC。The five stars were appropriate。 I’m looking for Reacher’s next adventure。 。。。more

Amy ，

I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review。I usually love Jack Reacher books， but this one felt flat to me。 It took me a while to get into this one and ending felt way too quick

Jeanne ，

I can't pinpoint why I do but I think Reacher has changed。 The action was as good as always butt something was missing in his personality。 The 'puzzle pieces ' that were sent by Michael to his sister were outstanding。 Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc I can't pinpoint why I do but I think Reacher has changed。 The action was as good as always butt something was missing in his personality。 The 'puzzle pieces ' that were sent by Michael to his sister were outstanding。 Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc 。。。more

Katherina Martin ，

One way to gauge a great book is by your willingness （unwillingness in this case） to let it out of sight for a minute。 Luckily， I had a copy of the e-book because I read it every single minute I could。 It went to the grocery store with me。 I read it in the checkout line。 I read it during breaks and lunch。 I read it cooking dinner。 I even tried to read and walk the dog。 There was just so much excitement and heart stopping moments in this book。 While this book is reminiscent of his other books whe One way to gauge a great book is by your willingness （unwillingness in this case） to let it out of sight for a minute。 Luckily， I had a copy of the e-book because I read it every single minute I could。 It went to the grocery store with me。 I read it in the checkout line。 I read it during breaks and lunch。 I read it cooking dinner。 I even tried to read and walk the dog。 There was just so much excitement and heart stopping moments in this book。 While this book is reminiscent of his other books when it comes to packing in the action， I noticed two subtle differences。 Reacher must be feeling his age because I think he may have relied on guns a little more than in the past， as opposed to brute strength and mental maneuvering。 He also was more willing to drive— that surprised me the most。 Maybe the co-author had something to do with these things。 Still， if two names weren’t on the cover I would have thought the book was only written by Lee Child。 This should be reassuring for all the fans that wondered if the book would live up to its past。 Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Suzanne ，

Jack Reacher is back and he’s as good as ever。 Other authors have aged their characters， giving them wisdom but adding in creaky bones and grey hair。 The Childs， brothers， have kept their protagonist intact， as wily and capable in book #26 as he was in the beginning。 With his large size and hands like catcher’s mitts， much of Reacher’s success is based on his physical prowess coupled with his opponents’ poor planning。 Much of the series’ charm comes from the narration of the fight scenes that al Jack Reacher is back and he’s as good as ever。 Other authors have aged their characters， giving them wisdom but adding in creaky bones and grey hair。 The Childs， brothers， have kept their protagonist intact， as wily and capable in book #26 as he was in the beginning。 With his large size and hands like catcher’s mitts， much of Reacher’s success is based on his physical prowess coupled with his opponents’ poor planning。 Much of the series’ charm comes from the narration of the fight scenes that always result in Reacher outwitting a gang of bad guys。 BETTER OFF DEAD is no different in that respect although there are some very nice twist and turns in the story that I did not expect。 This is a fast read and a welcome diversion。 I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more

Suz Jay ，

Jack Reacher happens across a disabled veteran desperate to find her brother and in order to help her， must use himself as bait to draw out a very bad man。BETTER OFF DEAD is the second book in the Jack Reacher series since Andrew Child （AKA Andrew Grant） came on as a co-writer。 This book is a departure from its complex precursor THE SENTINEL in tone， point of view， and focus， which makes this a great， fresh follow up。 This change up hints that as Andrew Child gets more comfortable in Reacher’s w Jack Reacher happens across a disabled veteran desperate to find her brother and in order to help her， must use himself as bait to draw out a very bad man。BETTER OFF DEAD is the second book in the Jack Reacher series since Andrew Child （AKA Andrew Grant） came on as a co-writer。 This book is a departure from its complex precursor THE SENTINEL in tone， point of view， and focus， which makes this a great， fresh follow up。 This change up hints that as Andrew Child gets more comfortable in Reacher’s well-worn shoes， he may infuse the series with new life， while keeping the elements that make it such a popular franchise。 Reacher is a sucker for helping people in distress， especially when they come in the form of a damsel。 While the book sports a couple of capable female characters， Reacher does most of the heavy lifting。 The way the opening is used felt a bit gimmicky， the female characters felt a little underutilized， and the ending was a tad abrupt， but I loved how the clues （particularly one clue） pointed Reacher in the direction to do what he does best—annihilate the bad guys and help the hopeless。 I look forward to Reacher’s next adrenaline fueled adventure。 I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press， an imprint of Random House， a division of Penguin Random House LLC， for providing an Advance Reader Copy。 。。。more

Owl。_。 ，

This has been one of my favorite series for a really long time。 It’s one of those books that I always purchase the minute it is released。 This latest addition to the Reacher series was just okay。 It was bland。 The characters were just okay。 There was something missing。 That feeling you get when reading a Reacher story/adventure was not captured。 I’m sad to say， I think this series might have run it’s course。Thank you #netgalley and #randomhouse #delacortepress for the eARC。

Cheryl ，

Kind of disappointed in this story that starts off intriguing and promising but doesn't follow through。 There is too much scenery/building description in this novel， where less would be more。 Kind of disappointed in this story that starts off intriguing and promising but doesn't follow through。 There is too much scenery/building description in this novel， where less would be more。 。。。more

Pamela Small ，

JACK’S BACK！ For those of you who don’t know “ where he went”， I will just say that the fact he’s BACK is the highest form of compliment indeed。 His voice is back。 His moral code is intact。 His sense of justice is strong， especially for the underdog。 His intuitive spidy-sense keeps tingling and provoking him to dig further and deeper to reveal more plot complexities。 YAY！ The plot is interesting and the research is informative。 （I have always enjoyed learning new things from Reacher novels。） The JACK’S BACK！ For those of you who don’t know “ where he went”， I will just say that the fact he’s BACK is the highest form of compliment indeed。 His voice is back。 His moral code is intact。 His sense of justice is strong， especially for the underdog。 His intuitive spidy-sense keeps tingling and provoking him to dig further and deeper to reveal more plot complexities。 YAY！ The plot is interesting and the research is informative。 （I have always enjoyed learning new things from Reacher novels。） The pace is good。 The opening jolt of the book’s opening is explosive， hooking the reader and setting the stage for an intriguing storyline。 The character development is lacking but since I was so happy to find a return of Reacher’s character， it didn’t matter。 The climax is okay and the denouement satisfying。 This installment redeemed the Reacher series for me。 Two recent installments have been off - way off - in substance and style。 IMO。I can’t say I am THRILLED with this new “thriller” from Lee Child and brother。 I can’t say it is actually a thriller; It is not electrifying; it didn’t cause my heart to race nor provoke much emotional response。 “Lackluster” is a term that fits its description。 It is a good read。 Satisfying。 And I’m glad Jack’s back！ My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Jeremy ，

If you have read previous Jack Reacher novels， Lee Child has a definite style and when that style changes， the character also changes。 These changes and the style difference is what leads me to believe Andrew Child was fully in control of the the writing。 Change is good。 Change leads to growth。 Change is needed to grow a brand。 Change is also hard for people to deal with。 Most people fight change。 No matter what， some people will never agree with change。 Reacher has changed， slightly。 Andrew Chi If you have read previous Jack Reacher novels， Lee Child has a definite style and when that style changes， the character also changes。 These changes and the style difference is what leads me to believe Andrew Child was fully in control of the the writing。 Change is good。 Change leads to growth。 Change is needed to grow a brand。 Change is also hard for people to deal with。 Most people fight change。 No matter what， some people will never agree with change。 Reacher has changed， slightly。 Andrew Child's Reacher seems more brash， more aggressive but also more caring（？）。 It is these small changes， I believe， that will open up new avenues to grow the brand of Reacher and why Andrew Child will be a successful successor。 I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Better Off Dead。 。。。more

William Hartnett ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 What is happening with Reacher？ Not a lot of development here- straight mission- and it’s in first person。 Andrews writing style has fully taken over the character now。

Pamela ，

Action packed as always， but Reacher seems to be getting more brutal and less fully developed as a character with every new novel。 I’m disappointed in this installment in the series。 I hope the authors will add more depth of character to Reacher in future novels as there was in earlier ones。

Darius Ostrowski ，

“Better Off Dead” is the 26th （！） novel in the Jack Reacher series， originally written by Lee Child but now being transferred to his younger brother Andrew Child。This one starts out in typical Reacher fashion – he is on the road， middle of nowhere， when he runs across someone in big trouble with big bad guys （either Reacher’s a huge magnet for criminal conspiracy or rural America is overrun with evil villains！）。 The innocent that he’s run across this time is an ex-military， ex-FBI agent named Mi “Better Off Dead” is the 26th （！） novel in the Jack Reacher series， originally written by Lee Child but now being transferred to his younger brother Andrew Child。This one starts out in typical Reacher fashion – he is on the road， middle of nowhere， when he runs across someone in big trouble with big bad guys （either Reacher’s a huge magnet for criminal conspiracy or rural America is overrun with evil villains！）。 The innocent that he’s run across this time is an ex-military， ex-FBI agent named Michaela Fenton who is searching for her twin brother Michael who’s been caught up in some bad things， like building bombs for the evil and mysterious Dendoncker， a James Bond-ish villain who inspires a fanatical loyalty among his incompetent henchmen。 Of course， Reacher steps in and decides to help， and the action-hero rollercoaster starts its ups and downs as Reacher tries to figure out what’s really going on。I found this episode to be quite by-the-book， dare I say a little ho hum。 One typically has to suspend one’s disbelief when reading these types of novels， but I found the coincidence of finding an “ex-FBI veteran” on a lonely road a bit hard to swallow from the start。 The bad guy Dendoncker was never really fleshed out， and we never truly got the impression that he was evil – he seemed more like a scared businessman most of the time， I do not understand how he inspired such loyalty among his henchmen。 And the fight scenes were hard to get through， and quite repetitive: too much detail， too much of “on a normal person， this would have taken his head off。 But on him， he hardly flinched” type of writing。 The ending was anti-climactic， a bit boring and totally expected。 The big reveal wasn’t that big of a reveal。 With no sparks between Reacher and Michaela， I guess Reacher has just become a big brutish killing robot。 The characters and the town are completely cardboard。Looking back on my review of the previous book “The Sentinel”， I think some of it applies here as well: “With the new authorship， there seems to be a lot more talking for Reacher， a lot more explaining of now he will win the fights， and even less character development than usual。 The supporting characters are all two-dimensional， and the action seems to be following the same old script。”Having said all of that， I still tore through the book， and I will still continue to read the series。 But with much less excitement than before。I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine， Delacorte Press via NetGalley。 Thank you！ 。。。more

Laura Rash ，

I was kind of disappointed in this one。 Too many long descriptive fight scenes and not enough personal stuff that makes Reacher， well， Reacher。 Won’t deter me from the series tho as it’s one of my favorites。 Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Better Off Dead:

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Better Off Dead:&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Better Off Dead:&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0