The Jack Reacher Cases (A Hard Man To Forget)

I liked the 2 main characters, Lauren Pauling and Michael Tallon. I thought their character development was good and they were interesting to follow. The book was written in an unusual style in that each chapter was 3 or 4 pages. To the reader it felt like you were speed reading the entire book. In fact the style of the book seemed to be to finish the story in as few words as possible. I did not find it a positive experience. As for Jack Reacher he had absolutely nothing to do with the book, and clearly never appeared. I understand he cannot appear in another author's book, but I thought there would be more concrete references to him. I felt a bit cheated. Lastly, I thought the author intentionally abstained from thoroughness to achieve a faster conclusion.

Although I've read several Dan Ames books, I didn't care for this one at all. Expecting more Jack Reacher stuff - almost none. I struggled through the first 40% of the book and had trouble following four or five seemingly unrelated, disjointed story lines. Lee Child should not lend his super character, Reacher, to authors like Capri and Ames.

Gratuitous torture. Incoherent storyline. Gimmicky use of character Jack Reacher and author Lee Child. This Author, Dan Ames, is a well-known and respected writer. He doesn't need to use Jack Reacher to sell his books; it's just annoying! This would be the same story without Jack Reacher; he's barely mentioned and superfluous. I feel I was manipulated to buy this book, by my love for my book boyfriend, Jack Reacher! ?

That being said, I found it difficult to immediately identify a character as a good guy or bad guy. I don't understand the purpose of the torturing scenes. Pauling and Tallon are likable and interesting characters with a light attraction going on, and there are some good surprises, but, regrettably, it is not enough to make this a worthwhile read.

I love the Jack Reacher series, so with his name on the book I couldn't pass it up. I really enjoyed it, but I felt like it could have been more fully developed. I love both characters in the book, but I would have like to have had more action scenes with Tallon. I think he has a lot of potential that was left undeveloped. Also, the first part of the book had me so confused. It jumped from one group of people to another without explaining who was who and what was going on. I realize that was intentional in order to create suspense, but I would have liked a little more clarity. However, all of that being said, I will definitely be looking for the next book because I overall enjoyed this one.

The book is well written, and has a great plot, however unlike the title, no Jack Reacher. Very disappointing. There are allusions to him but he is not in the book. So if you are looking for a Jack Reacher story, not to be.

Not bad for a rip off of style/characters but I feel ripped off. It took 2 hours to read start to finish, had plot holes large enough to drive the truck around which it revolved through and used the name “Jack Reacher” as a teaser throughout...maybe just in case I noticed it had nothing at all to do with him. I’m assuming Lee Child is branching out into the James Patterson “ more profitable to sell my name than actually write another book” business but I won’t be purchasing any more of these.

Sucks you in by use of Jack Reachers name but has nothing to do with Jack Reachers nor is he even involved with the book. I bought all three books in the series and was bored thru all three and feld cheated. I quess that the purpose of using the Jack Reacher name was served because I did buy the books, but I will never by books byDan Ames again.

Always leave a review on Goodreads, but another good story by Dan. Not much in the Reacher dept. as he's only mentioned and has an ex-love involved in this story. But good none the less and shouldn't be missed if you're a fan of Dan's not so much Lee's. :)

First off,I received a copy of this book from the author and was not compensated for this honest review. I also purchased a copy. I am a huge fan of all of Dan Ames books. This new series starts off very mysteriously. The characters develop quickly and the story line moves along quickly too. I don't want to give anything away; but I did not see that ending; great finish!

I bought this on a whim. I love the Reacher series so I thought this sounded like fun. The story moves along well; the characters are well drawn; and the action moves along briskly. Well worth the $0.99. Check it out. I'll definitely read the follow up.

Quick, easy read that has no real Reacher connections, so if that's what you're expecting, you'll be disappointed. The plot and the writing were both average, good, entertaining enough, but nothing unique or really attention grabbing. A 'beach read' of descent quality of action-thriller fans. I thought it expensive for what you got out of it.

It was a quick easy read. Characters seemed a bit undeveloped and the end game was fuzzy. Having developed a way to defeat radiation and it seemed almost cavalier in the way it was handled afterward. The good guys were likable - liked to have seen the bad guys come out of the dark a bit more. Held onto a lot just to spring the "bad" FBI agent is the daughter of the criminal mastermind. Otherwise, story was entertaining.

I bought this on a whim. I love the Reacher series so I thought this sounded like fun. The story moves along well; the characters are well drawn; and the action moves along briskly. Well worth the $0.99. Check it out. I'll definitely read the follow up.

Quick, easy read that has no real Reacher connections, so if that's what you're expecting, you'll be disappointed. The plot and the writing were both average, good, entertaining enough, but nothing unique or really attention grabbing. A 'beach read' of descent quality of action-thriller fans. I thought it expensive for what you got out of it.

It was a quick easy read. Characters seemed a bit undeveloped and the end game was fuzzy. Having developed a way to defeat radiation and it seemed almost cavalier in the way it was handled afterward. The good guys were likable - liked to have seen the bad guys come out of the dark a bit more. Held onto a lot just to spring the "bad" FBI agent is the daughter of the criminal mastermind. Otherwise, story was entertaining.

Bad editing, if any. Awkward writing. Cheap use of the Reacher name, with no Reacher involved except as background reference. Almost-passable story, but facile use of a Bond-type megalomaniacal villain. . . Obviously not written by Lee Child.

Phew! what a let down is this pale tribute to Lee Child's Reacher rip-snorters! A repetitive & predictable flavorless facsimile whose plot rapidly curdled like aged-out milk. No guts, glory or heroes who intrigue. Dan Ames has cut & pasted together a "PC-flawed Tshirt-tearer" starring a 50+ spinster w/no relationships other than w/her body beautiful (which, incidentally, gets little action) while her brain contains not a dram of age-acquired wisdom & is addicted to memories of the Reacher mystique which she doesn't share.

A word to tribute writers intending to skate on an author's cachet = prestige, status, standing, stature, credibility; from this lifetime reviewer/editor, study the works of the authors you admire (for this aper it's Lee Child + Robert B. Parker) to learn how to whittle & cut & discard your words until the remaining few are loaded w/import, resonance, impact.

Nonsense! Bad guys torture people in acid for no reason while stealing a well protected atom bomb with no fusionable material (bombs are never moved with the radioactive material) explanation of how they steal it, but since they were going to use the one bomb to destroy almost all life on Earth, with just that one bomb, but they have no plan on how to do it and on and on and on... Now, that said, the guy is a hell of a good writer in how descriptively how he tells each scene. He will become a great bestseller author, but not with this book.

BUT THE KILLER: JACK REACHER NEVER APPEARS! THE ONLY REFERENCE IS HIS NAME WRITTEN ON AN ENVELOPE BY A PERSON NEVER EVEN IDENTIFIED! WEAK PLOY TO GET YOUR HOPES UP. A FREE BOOK BUT BY GOD I WANT MY TIME BACK!

This book was ok. I'm a big Reacher fan, and it was nice reading about previous characters, but overall not too impressed with this book. It was more like a short side story rather than creating it's own personality and tieing in with the Reacher novels.

Enjoyed this very much. Why do rich, white men think they can rule the world? Egotism, arrogance, power-hungry. As much as they try, it never works. Using Reacher's name wasn't necessary. It was good on its own. But I see why the author did it. I guess it pulled the story together. Interesting!!

No Jack Reacher to be found, and only the simplest plot development and story line. There are many bad things to say about this book; and they have already been posted. This one gets deleted from my library; what a waste of money and time!

Decent read. Would be better if they didn't throw the Reacher name out to sell more copies. This book would work on it's own without Reacher. If you're going to market this as a Jack Reacher tie in, you should probably actually use his character in the book. The Jack Reacher reference is clearly to sell more copies. Not sure I'll continue this series.

As we watch the expanding Jack Reacher universe (Reacherverse?), it's satisfying to see that Lee Child is being selective in whom he allows to write about his beloved creation. Ames brings a new but familiar dimension to Reacher's world.

A memorable character from "the Hard Way," former FBI agent Lauren Pauling receive a cryptic message. Is it from Jack? Is it about Jack? She doesn't know. But, her encounter with Reacher has been imprinted on her psyche, as it has been for so many of us. In her desire to find out more about this enigmatic shadow of a figure, she pursues the lead and soon finds herself involved in an action packed hurtle through a missing person case that quickly escalates into a world threatening danger.

Pauling and her associate, Micahel Tallon are memorable and on their way t being well-developed. Ames's style is familiar and compelling with short, well-defined chapters. The book is short but the plot is engaging and leaves the reader ready for more!

I've read some of the more critical reviews and, for the life of me, can't understand the few who accuse Dan Ames of throwing Reacher's name in just to sell books. There's just enough Reacher and his involvement is true to Jack's persona, always there but never calling attention to himself unless it's absolutely necessary.

This is a great introduction to what promises to be another invaluable addition to the Reacherverse!

Great book! Loved the quick read, finished in one day. The Reacher tie-in works with the reintroduction of Lauren Pauling from the Reacher universe and a new hero in Michael Tallon. Looking forward to Book #2!

The story line is soooo weak it's sad. Except for the main character and her superhuman side kick the rest of the characters came out of no where. There was no rhyme or reason for who or why they were there.

I don't often write negative reviews on the theory that if you can't say something positive, keep quiet, nobody likes a drag down. But as a fan of Lee Child's Reacher books and of the supporting character, Lauren Pauling, he created for "The Hard Way", I feel compelled to offer at least a caution here. It's not that this is bad work. It won't do you any harm and the cost is limited, but there is simply no substance to it. You will know nothing more about Pauling after reading this than you knew going in if you've read "The Hard Way", and her "side-kick" here (the Reacher act alike - he leaves bodies all over the place), Michael Tallon,, is as shallow and surface a character as you'll encounter (other than he's ex-military, you're told absolutely nothing of his background or of his history with Pauling beyond the bare fact there is one). The plot is sophomoric and terribly implausible. I would recommend against it, but as others have observed, it moves quickly and is an easy, if unrewarding, read. If you're thinking about buying this because you love the Reacher stories, do yourself a favor, don't. If you're just looking for some easy diversion, I think you could do much better than this, but, like I said, it won't hurt you any.

I'm not sure how Mr. Ames talked Lee Child into letting him use Jack Reacher's name in this book, (maybe he's your nephew, Lee? - Owed someone a favor?) but I am sure that Reacher's name, and yours, has now been associated with some truly second class writing. Or maybe money was involved. We've all wondered how much money it took to get you to let Tom Cruise play Jack Reacher.

This is a really terrible piece - full of repetition and fluff. Written at an eighth grade level. The author sprinkles Reacher's name throughout the book, presumably to hold our interest - such a cheap trick, and executed poorly at that.

The main character, Lauren Pauling, an ex-FBI agent turned private investigator receives a note with a phone number and "Reacher" written on it. Pauling is a character from a real Reacher novel, where she worked (and slept) with Reacher. That's it. No other connection. We then get an entire chapter where Pauling stares at the envelope, and wonders what it means. She doesn't even call the number until Chapter 10! When she finally does call, Pauling flies off to New Mexico on an investigation based solely on the fact that the woman answering the phone was "crying" (and of course, the word "Reacher" on the note). She does this pro bono ( which the author felt he needed to explain meant "for free".)

Im not spoiling the story because there is no story - just a lot of fluff for 90% of the book. There is one scene where another character takes down two thugs. Ames attempts to do a Lee Child second-by-second description of each blow, but fails miserably.. visualizing that scene was comical. I got another chuckle later in the book trying to picture how a man carrying an adult woman runs right past Pauling (trained FBI sleuth who works out every day) as they are both running for their lives.

The book is short, thankfully, and is merely a droll attempt to mimic Child's style. Not much happens until the last few pages and then it's all over too quickly - so disappointing.

I'll read anything if it is well written. This wasn't.

Ok. Author needs a better editor. Several typos, and just poor writing technique. Diane Capri has another Reacher spin-off series. Her new book also features the Lauren Pauling character. Each author seems to be taking the character in 2 different directions. Confusing for the reader, and poor planning on someone's part.

Private investigator Pauling has worked with Jack Reacher in the past. He left an extremely positive impression with her. She receives a mysterious letter with only Reachers name on it and a phone number. Intrigued and hopefully getting to meet with Reacher again, she calls the number. What ensues is a missing persons investigation and then a homicide. Paulette is being played by a FBI agent gone rogue. A non stop thriller loaded with action. Enjoyed tremendously.

The story line is soooo weak it's sad. Except for the main character and her superhuman side kick the rest of the characters came out of no where. There was no rhyme or reason for who or why they were there.

I don't often write negative reviews on the theory that if you can't say something positive, keep quiet, nobody likes a drag down. But as a fan of Lee Child's Reacher books and of the supporting character, Lauren Pauling, he created for "The Hard Way", I feel compelled to offer at least a caution here. It's not that this is bad work. It won't do you any harm and the cost is limited, but there is simply no substance to it. You will know nothing more about Pauling after reading this than you knew going in if you've read "The Hard Way", and her "side-kick" here (the Reacher act alike - he leaves bodies all over the place), Michael Tallon,, is as shallow and surface a character as you'll encounter (other than he's ex-military, you're told absolutely nothing of his background or of his history with Pauling beyond the bare fact there is one). The plot is sophomoric and terribly implausible. I would recommend against it, but as others have observed, it moves quickly and is an easy, if unrewarding, read. If you're thinking about buying this because you love the Reacher stories, do yourself a favor, don't. If you're just looking for some easy diversion, I think you could do much better than this, but, like I said, it won't hurt you any.

I'm not sure how Mr. Ames talked Lee Child into letting him use Jack Reacher's name in this book, (maybe he's your nephew, Lee? - Owed someone a favor?) but I am sure that Reacher's name, and yours, has now been associated with some truly second class writing. Or maybe money was involved. We've all wondered how much money it took to get you to let Tom Cruise play Jack Reacher.

This is a really terrible piece - full of repetition and fluff. Written at an eighth grade level. The author sprinkles Reacher's name throughout the book, presumably to hold our interest - such a cheap trick, and executed poorly at that.

The main character, Lauren Pauling, an ex-FBI agent turned private investigator receives a note with a phone number and "Reacher" written on it. Pauling is a character from a real Reacher novel, where she worked (and slept) with Reacher. That's it. No other connection. We then get an entire chapter where Pauling stares at the envelope, and wonders what it means. She doesn't even call the number until Chapter 10! When she finally does call, Pauling flies off to New Mexico on an investigation based solely on the fact that the woman answering the phone was "crying" (and of course, the word "Reacher" on the note). She does this pro bono ( which the author felt he needed to explain meant "for free".)

Im not spoiling the story because there is no story - just a lot of fluff for 90% of the book. There is one scene where another character takes down two thugs. Ames attempts to do a Lee Child second-by-second description of each blow, but fails miserably.. visualizing that scene was comical. I got another chuckle later in the book trying to picture how a man carrying an adult woman runs right past Pauling (trained FBI sleuth who works out every day) as they are both running for their lives.

The book is short, thankfully, and is merely a droll attempt to mimic Child's style. Not much happens until the last few pages and then it's all over too quickly - so disappointing.

I'll read anything if it is well written. This wasn't.

Ok. Author needs a better editor. Several typos, and just poor writing technique. Diane Capri has another Reacher spin-off series. Her new book also features the Lauren Pauling character. Each author seems to be taking the character in 2 different directions. Confusing for the reader, and poor planning on someone's part.