Killing Floor (Jack Reacher, No. 1)
by Lee Child
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List Price: $27.95
Our Price: 0
Your Save: $ 27.95 ( 100% )
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Manufacturer: Bookcassette
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Audio Cassette
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9781561007325
Format: Unabridged
ISBN: 1561007323
Label: Bookcassette
Number Of Items: 6
Publication Date: 1997-03-01
Publisher: Bookcassette
Release Date: 1997-03-01
Studio: Bookcassette
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: More personal info on Reacher
Comment: Even though I grumble when action movies or 'tough shows' like Law & Order lapse into what I consider to be soap opera (what artistes call 'character development'), I must confess that I LOVED learning more about Reacher's brother. He's a less huge, more thoughtful version of Reacher, a well dressed treasury agent. I don't think I'm giving away the plot to tell you that the murder victim early in the book is Reacher's brother.
Maybe Lee Child will write another book that's a retrospective with more about Reacher's brother? I also liked the book with Reacher's mother and brother in it. Maybe I like character development?
The plot is pretty interesting and once explained, I thought "aha!" which is good! The best plots are ones that are completely credible yet intriguing.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Show me the money.
Comment: Eno's was local, very local. In a small southern town like Margrave, Georgia, everyone knows eachother. It was law. Southern hospitality welcomed strangers, wanderers, riffraff, ramblers. So when Jack Reacher saw the local PD come at the diner like hell on wheels, well, they were there for him. Had to be. Locals, they'd get a quiet reprimand, and eased out slowly, no fuss, no mess.
And so it begins.
Jack Reacher, late thirties, tall, lean, buzzed cut that said military every which way, is out of a job as a respected and methodical MP with an impeccable record, and is now an honorably discharged civi. And so he goes, a stranger to the world that proves even stranger, and into the wide blue yonder. Or in this case, a happenstance dropoff he insisted to the Grayhound driver so he could hear how Blind Blake, an old guitarist who had passed through Margrave had ended his days. Should have been nothing.
Clean, pristine street. Perfect houses. Subsidies up the wazoo. Too perfect, too creepy Stepford perfect.
And it is.
When he decides to remain, despite the false arrest and all the BS he's getting, Jack Reacher has to stay. Because by another stroke of chance black luck, Margrave has become the killing floor of not only some people who were bad seeds to begin with, but his own brother, Joe Reacher, a genius mastermind in the highly successful anticounterfeiting unit of the Treasury Department, which has eliminated over 90% of all domestic counterfeiting rings.
People who know how to make killing look like an art are on his tail, and with a couple of trusty natives to help him find the rest of the clues, Jack is doing all he can to stay one step ahead. But it's hard, as bodies keep floating to the surface, and their secrets, left unheard.
The classic Great American hero, in that familiar Bond, Die Hard, Indiana Jones and Clancy mold, is given a refreshing and chilling color. Jack Reacher is a man's man, logical, pragmatic, a man who lives day by day and craves freedom, anonymity. He's fierce, knows more about guns and weapons that is comfortable, but in a tight fix, he's the man you want watching your back.
So Child's structure is terse, to the point and simple. No sonnets, but there were some great one liners and interesting introspection that will make you think twice. In a way, simplicity is sometimes the most elegant and clear-cut, especially when the story plot itself is complicated and you want the focus to stay on the main lead and what he's going through. The structure created a very tight and intense play of action, especially physical action, which was so well done. This would make for a great movie.
Child's style, did, tend to reduce the emotional element to something more robotic and clinical but that actually works with a mystery thriller like Killing Floor, and a male lead that Child has created. He makes no apologies for it and I like that Child was able to commit from beginning to end, the nature of this amazing character. Some people got annoyed by a few quirks like style, structure, tenses, or that Jack's too macho, which, to me, were all small issues when you're trying to find something wrong with a book that is nearly perfect.
One or two things will inevitably nag at you, and any book over 400 pages will do that to anyone. But don't let it deter you from reading one of the best mysteries I've read in a long time with a compelling cast of characters, a well researched and plotted story with lots of great scenes and action, and a hero you won't get enough of. I couldn't put it down until I'd finished it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: the best one of the Reacher series
Comment: As far as thrillers go this was very good. The characters were deep and enthralling, keeping your interest all the way through. There was enough suspense to keep you turning the pages, and plenty of action. If you enjoy Lee Child`s Jack Reacher books then this will please you. I`m a series fan and enjoy Child and Michael Connelly books immensely, if you like that kind of thriller read the `Soft Target` books by Conrad Jones. They are unputdownable!! Back to the review, ten out of ten.
Customer Rating:
Summary: What A Drag! A Disappointing Drag!
Comment: I had heard such good things about this novel. Someone even said it was the best in the series.
If this had been my introduction to the Jack Reacher series, I would have never picked up another.
Thank goodness I started with "Persuader" and followed it up with "Without Fail" and then "One Shot" and "The Hard Way" and "Die Trying" and "The Enemy." All easily worth a solid 5 stars. ("The Enemy" is definitely one of my top two Reacher stories. I wish Child would do more about Reacher's time in the army.)
It's only recently that I've started having trouble with various books in the series. Either the stories dragged, (I'm still trying to get beyond page 50 of "Echo Burning") or Jack is almost unrecognizable. (After "Tripwire" and Jack's endless mooning over Jodie, I'm almost afraid to start "Running Blind.")
So to counter this streak of bad luck I thought I'd go back to Reacher's start and read "The Killing Floor" which I had avoided given the story and it's connection with Reacher's brother whom I grew to like in "The Enemy."
The streak continues.
This novel dragged and dragged. Endless (dry) information about this small town in Georgia (?), some blues singer who I'm still not sure is real or fictional and the U.S. Currency system. As another reviewer mentioned, Child's exhaustive use of fragmented sentences, got, well, exhausting. I don't recall their use being so extensive and noticeable in the other novels. But maybe that's because I found those more entertaining.
For a while now, I've had the suspicion that Reacher might be a sociopath, or at least had such tendencies. This novel certainly sealed it for me. Or rather, the Reacher here is, but the level varies in the other novels. I found it disturbing that Reacher spent more time ruminating on how "perfect" and attractive Roscoe was than he did about the fate of his brother. It was almost like had to talk himself into being angry about Joe and the subsequent need to do something. I was never convinced that Jack really felt anger or much upset. (It certainly wasn't stronger than what he felt about Roscoe which was better depicted. Or even the touch of anger about being forced out of the army which was subtle but better done.)
The long and short of is I never connected with or believed in this Reacher. He could have been a stick figure for all the emotion and convincing motivation he had. (A horny stick figure apparently).
There are spurts of action sprinkled throughout the novel. It's too bad the reader has to wade through chapter after chapter to find them. (I'm disappointed enough to say read the section about Reacher's night in prison, skip ahead a hundred or so pages to his figuring out he's being tailed, then skip another hundred or so pages to his trip to NY and read to the end.)
I'm glad I read "Killing Floor" if for no other reason than to be able to say someday that I've read the complete Reacher collection, but needless to say it will not be on my repeat read list.
BTW, "Bad Luck and Trouble" was okay. Less plot more action (which is preferable to this.) Not one of the best, but was a good read overall. Great to see Negley in action. Still working my way to "Nothing to Lose" given the reviews it's received.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The First Not As Good As The Last
Comment: I first read the last 3 Reacher novels ("One Shot", "The Hard Way" and "Bad Luck and Trouble") which I thoroughly enjoyed. Then I tried "Killing Floor", the first of the Reacher novels and was a little disappointed. I assume it was because the character was just being developed. The plot was very choppy. I felt there were a lot of words thrown in to fill the pages but did not add to the story.
I am very happy I read some of his latter works first, otherwise I might not have gone any further with Jack Reacher who I have come to enjoy.
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Editorial Reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: More personal info on Reacher
Comment: Even though I grumble when action movies or 'tough shows' like Law & Order lapse into what I consider to be soap opera (what artistes call 'character development'), I must confess that I LOVED learning more about Reacher's brother. He's a less huge, more thoughtful version of Reacher, a well dressed treasury agent. I don't think I'm giving away the plot to tell you that the murder victim early in the book is Reacher's brother.
Maybe Lee Child will write another book that's a retrospective with more about Reacher's brother? I also liked the book with Reacher's mother and brother in it. Maybe I like character development?
The plot is pretty interesting and once explained, I thought "aha!" which is good! The best plots are ones that are completely credible yet intriguing.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Show me the money.
Comment: Eno's was local, very local. In a small southern town like Margrave, Georgia, everyone knows eachother. It was law. Southern hospitality welcomed strangers, wanderers, riffraff, ramblers. So when Jack Reacher saw the local PD come at the diner like hell on wheels, well, they were there for him. Had to be. Locals, they'd get a quiet reprimand, and eased out slowly, no fuss, no mess.
And so it begins.
Jack Reacher, late thirties, tall, lean, buzzed cut that said military every which way, is out of a job as a respected and methodical MP with an impeccable record, and is now an honorably discharged civi. And so he goes, a stranger to the world that proves even stranger, and into the wide blue yonder. Or in this case, a happenstance dropoff he insisted to the Grayhound driver so he could hear how Blind Blake, an old guitarist who had passed through Margrave had ended his days. Should have been nothing.
Clean, pristine street. Perfect houses. Subsidies up the wazoo. Too perfect, too creepy Stepford perfect.
And it is.
When he decides to remain, despite the false arrest and all the BS he's getting, Jack Reacher has to stay. Because by another stroke of chance black luck, Margrave has become the killing floor of not only some people who were bad seeds to begin with, but his own brother, Joe Reacher, a genius mastermind in the highly successful anticounterfeiting unit of the Treasury Department, which has eliminated over 90% of all domestic counterfeiting rings.
People who know how to make killing look like an art are on his tail, and with a couple of trusty natives to help him find the rest of the clues, Jack is doing all he can to stay one step ahead. But it's hard, as bodies keep floating to the surface, and their secrets, left unheard.
The classic Great American hero, in that familiar Bond, Die Hard, Indiana Jones and Clancy mold, is given a refreshing and chilling color. Jack Reacher is a man's man, logical, pragmatic, a man who lives day by day and craves freedom, anonymity. He's fierce, knows more about guns and weapons that is comfortable, but in a tight fix, he's the man you want watching your back.
So Child's structure is terse, to the point and simple. No sonnets, but there were some great one liners and interesting introspection that will make you think twice. In a way, simplicity is sometimes the most elegant and clear-cut, especially when the story plot itself is complicated and you want the focus to stay on the main lead and what he's going through. The structure created a very tight and intense play of action, especially physical action, which was so well done. This would make for a great movie.
Child's style, did, tend to reduce the emotional element to something more robotic and clinical but that actually works with a mystery thriller like Killing Floor, and a male lead that Child has created. He makes no apologies for it and I like that Child was able to commit from beginning to end, the nature of this amazing character. Some people got annoyed by a few quirks like style, structure, tenses, or that Jack's too macho, which, to me, were all small issues when you're trying to find something wrong with a book that is nearly perfect.
One or two things will inevitably nag at you, and any book over 400 pages will do that to anyone. But don't let it deter you from reading one of the best mysteries I've read in a long time with a compelling cast of characters, a well researched and plotted story with lots of great scenes and action, and a hero you won't get enough of. I couldn't put it down until I'd finished it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: the best one of the Reacher series
Comment: As far as thrillers go this was very good. The characters were deep and enthralling, keeping your interest all the way through. There was enough suspense to keep you turning the pages, and plenty of action. If you enjoy Lee Child`s Jack Reacher books then this will please you. I`m a series fan and enjoy Child and Michael Connelly books immensely, if you like that kind of thriller read the `Soft Target` books by Conrad Jones. They are unputdownable!! Back to the review, ten out of ten.
Customer Rating:
Summary: What A Drag! A Disappointing Drag!
Comment: I had heard such good things about this novel. Someone even said it was the best in the series.
If this had been my introduction to the Jack Reacher series, I would have never picked up another.
Thank goodness I started with "Persuader" and followed it up with "Without Fail" and then "One Shot" and "The Hard Way" and "Die Trying" and "The Enemy." All easily worth a solid 5 stars. ("The Enemy" is definitely one of my top two Reacher stories. I wish Child would do more about Reacher's time in the army.)
It's only recently that I've started having trouble with various books in the series. Either the stories dragged, (I'm still trying to get beyond page 50 of "Echo Burning") or Jack is almost unrecognizable. (After "Tripwire" and Jack's endless mooning over Jodie, I'm almost afraid to start "Running Blind.")
So to counter this streak of bad luck I thought I'd go back to Reacher's start and read "The Killing Floor" which I had avoided given the story and it's connection with Reacher's brother whom I grew to like in "The Enemy."
The streak continues.
This novel dragged and dragged. Endless (dry) information about this small town in Georgia (?), some blues singer who I'm still not sure is real or fictional and the U.S. Currency system. As another reviewer mentioned, Child's exhaustive use of fragmented sentences, got, well, exhausting. I don't recall their use being so extensive and noticeable in the other novels. But maybe that's because I found those more entertaining.
For a while now, I've had the suspicion that Reacher might be a sociopath, or at least had such tendencies. This novel certainly sealed it for me. Or rather, the Reacher here is, but the level varies in the other novels. I found it disturbing that Reacher spent more time ruminating on how "perfect" and attractive Roscoe was than he did about the fate of his brother. It was almost like had to talk himself into being angry about Joe and the subsequent need to do something. I was never convinced that Jack really felt anger or much upset. (It certainly wasn't stronger than what he felt about Roscoe which was better depicted. Or even the touch of anger about being forced out of the army which was subtle but better done.)
The long and short of is I never connected with or believed in this Reacher. He could have been a stick figure for all the emotion and convincing motivation he had. (A horny stick figure apparently).
There are spurts of action sprinkled throughout the novel. It's too bad the reader has to wade through chapter after chapter to find them. (I'm disappointed enough to say read the section about Reacher's night in prison, skip ahead a hundred or so pages to his figuring out he's being tailed, then skip another hundred or so pages to his trip to NY and read to the end.)
I'm glad I read "Killing Floor" if for no other reason than to be able to say someday that I've read the complete Reacher collection, but needless to say it will not be on my repeat read list.
BTW, "Bad Luck and Trouble" was okay. Less plot more action (which is preferable to this.) Not one of the best, but was a good read overall. Great to see Negley in action. Still working my way to "Nothing to Lose" given the reviews it's received.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The First Not As Good As The Last
Comment: I first read the last 3 Reacher novels ("One Shot", "The Hard Way" and "Bad Luck and Trouble") which I thoroughly enjoyed. Then I tried "Killing Floor", the first of the Reacher novels and was a little disappointed. I assume it was because the character was just being developed. The plot was very choppy. I felt there were a lot of words thrown in to fill the pages but did not add to the story.
I am very happy I read some of his latter works first, otherwise I might not have gone any further with Jack Reacher who I have come to enjoy.
A terrifying thriller that's unforgettable.
"I was eating eggs and drinking coffee. I was in a booth, at a window, reading somebody's abandoned newspaper. Outside, the rain had stopped but the glass was still pebbled with bright drops. I saw the police cruisers pull into the gravel lot. They were moving fast and crunched to a stop. Light bars flashing and popping. Doors burst open, policemen jumped out. Two from each car, weapons ready. Two revolvers, two shotguns. This was heavy stuff. One revolver and one shotgun ran to the back. One of each rushed the door.
I just sat and watched them. I knew who was in the diner. A cook in back. Two waitresses. Two old men. And me. This operation was for me. I had been in town less than half an hour."
- from the opening of this searing tale of honor and revenge where Jack Reacher, a former military cop, hunts down his brother's killers. In the bestselling tradition of John Sandford and Stephen Hunter, the listener will be entertained non-stop until the end.
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