I listened to the audiobook version whilst in hospital. It was an easy listen-through, but only gets two stars because way too much of the story relieI listened to the audiobook version whilst in hospital. It was an easy listen-through, but only gets two stars because way too much of the story relies on coincidence. Not Reacher's best outing and low on action....more
The Jack Reacher formula is generally both highly enjoyable and a little repetitive. If you've read a few of the earlier books then you know basicallyThe Jack Reacher formula is generally both highly enjoyable and a little repetitive. If you've read a few of the earlier books then you know basically what is going to happen: Reacher stumbles into a small American town, gets embroiled in local criminal shenanigans operated by a small group of 'guys,' one of whom is inhumanly cruel and evil, runs around finding things out for a bit, sleeps with someone, one of his new allies gets kidnapped and eventually he shoots everyone. Usually whilst being right about pretty much everything. And drinking coffee.
One Shot does not fall any real distance from the tree, but it opens with an interesting conceit. We know who is guilty, the evidence is overwhelming, and there's no doubt for the reader that they did the crime. Except things aren't quite so clear as we think, and the bad guys make the mistake of trying to deal with Reacher on their own.
All of the usual signatures are present: Reacher drinks a lot of coffee, checks in at motels, talks about being a military cop, has a quickly finished romance with a blonde woman and we are reminded every 3 pages how much bigger than everyone else Reacher is. However, some of them are different or missing altogether. Guns are crucial to the story, but generally not seen or used through most of the book. This was interesting for a change.
My biggest criticism of this book is how willing people are to just lend Reacher their cars. There are three separate incidences of Reacher just asking people he has barely met if he can borrow their vehicle, and in each case they give it over without much of a discussion, including a fancy convertible Mustang. It wasn't clear to me why they'd do this. In the UK nobody would ever lend a stranger their car. Maybe it's a small-town US thing.
Overall this is one of the better Reacher books that I've read....more
I enjoy crime novels and thrillers, and Slow Horses was recommended to me.
Mick Herron's prose are first rate. His descriptions of people are the high-I enjoy crime novels and thrillers, and Slow Horses was recommended to me.
Mick Herron's prose are first rate. His descriptions of people are the high-point of his writing. He describes people in stunningly lurid brightness, despite them generally being miserable, angry, bitter and cruel. And there are a fair number of them for us to follow, as we meet all of the Slow Horses and watch them play their parts. The 'team' - I use the word in its loosest possible sense - are vividly realised.
Jackson Lamb was the character I enjoyed the most, although he ends up being a little bit of a charicature of himself by the end. There's extra depth behind him. River Cartwright, on the other hand, was probably the least interesting of the Slow Horses, and although potentially he could be called the main character, he kind of drops off in the middle of the book and is only the main character because we begin with him. I much preferred the other characters.
Slough House, home of the Slow Horses, is wonderfully described. I can imagine exactly what it looks like inside, how it feels to be there, and how the building itself saps the energy of its inhabitants.
The plot is interestingly twisty, with a few surprising turns, but nothing that really blew me away. Despite that, the plot is complex and nuanced, but really all of the twists and surprises were done around 2/3 through and the last 1/3 of the book is mostly mop-up. The finale of the book was a little odd - I was expecting the Slow Horses to be instrumental in sorting out one of the two main plot threads, but it kind of gets resolved without them really having a significant input.
Something I really enjoyed: a political character, who is very obviously based on a real world politician and the way he's described is fantastic.
Overall I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys crime or thrillers. The writing is delicious, but I was hoping for a little more from the ending. Don't let that put you off and give it a try. I'm looking forward to moving onto more of Mick's work soon....more
