I have been reading the Reacher novels for quite a few years now and have read most of them (still missing a few of the earlier ones) and always enjoy them, including this latest.

However, it does have a bit of a different feel. It still focuses on Reacher against the bad guys but, at times, Reacher feels like one of the bad guys himself. The violence seems a bit more escalated, colder, on his part. While someone ultimately benefits from his deeds, his killing shows little - if any - sign of morality. Other characters assisting along the way similarly don't seem to mind the ever-increasing body count.

Reacher also seems a bit, dare we say it, less smart than in previous books. He doesn't always read the clues or predict outcomes as accurately as before. Perhaps he's just getting older. Perhaps he's distracted by the woman assisting him. He was luckier than usual to make it all the way to the end of the book....

Blue Moon has a relevancy to today's headlines that make the reader wonder if some of the ideas presented are plausible.

All of this is cloaked in a classic rival gang scenario: Albanians versus Ukrainians on opposing sides of an unnamed city. This could be set anywhere; my guess in this particular case is an inspiration in Ohio or Iowa. It doesn't matter. It could be Anywhere, U.S.A. In fact, at times there is almost a Spaghetti Western element that drives the action, waiting for the big Shootout at the O.K. Corral.

This is a very good addition to the Reacher canon, but not a great one. There is a lack of detailed characterization for one thing, the level of senseless violence is another distractor. At the same time, Lee Child's descriptive abilities are at the top of his game. I would give this novel four stars out of five.... ( )

I finally made it to the final Jack Reacher installment in the series written solely by Lee Child. I remember hearing the news that Lee Child was retiring and handing over the Jack Reacher character to his brother Andrew Child, and I immediately panicked. I dreaded getting to the final book written by Lee Child, and now that I have I’m at peace with the changes awaiting. Blue Moon is an excellent story and a wonderful “final” book. I have the closure I think I needed.

I found a great article that was published in the Washington Post in October 2023, where journalist Sophia Nguyen interviewed the brothers at their homes near Laramie, Wyoming about the transition of authorship for the Jack Reacher series. It’s worth the read if you’re a fan of these books. Included in the article are some great photographs too. I have linked the article in my blog post, which is linked below.

The story of Blue Moon opens with Jack Reacher on a Greyhound bus with no particular destination in mind. He observes an elderly man with an envelope of cash, and a younger kid sizing up the man. Reacher follows the man off the bus to monitor the situation and intervenes when the kid attempts to rob the man. He assists the man to his destination, and only begins to learn the gravity of the trouble this gentle person has gotten himself into. This event sparks Reacher’s journey into a town overtaken by the war between the Ukrainian and Albanian gangs.

Blue Moon exceeded my expectations. Reacher continues to be an invincible character, willing to take on two villainous gangs. He also wins the affection of a waitress tired of the tension and injustice in her town. Reacher’s brief love affairs continue to entertain.

I borrowed the audiobook from my local library through the Libby app. One of my favorite narrators, Scott Brick, did an outstanding performance.

I have photos and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
A Book And A Dog ( )

Possibly the very best of Jack Reacher ( )

Scott Brick (Narrator) My favorite narrator
Love the Reacher Series ( )

The last Reacher novel I'll read. Lost track of how many I've read. This is not the best.

At the end, Reacher and his assembled team of unlikelies have killed dozens of gangsters, often brutally, and that was just that day.

The gangsters are automatons. They are not real. Neither is Reacher's girlfriend in this story. Abby has so little personality that much of her dialogue could be put on the lips of Reacher himself, and would seem more in character.

SPOILER ALERT

Reacher finally confronts a Big Tech bad guy who is spreading disinformation for the Russians as well as distributing pornography. ("It's a side business," he says in his defense.) Reacher wants him to delete it all because Reacher's girlfriend is on the site. (Of course, he doesn't tell the tech guy that.)

"Are you on a moral crusade?" asks the techie.

Reacher indicates all the bodies lying just in the immediate vicinity and says, "Does anything we've done seem moral to you?"

The answer is, no. Reacher launches his vigilante crime spree because he hates that the gangsters are preying on the vulnerable and elderly, but his kindness toward the downtrodden is more than overcompensated by the body count, which is so high I lost count at three dozen.

I write stuff that is hard edged myself, but there is such a thing as moral fiction based on some redeeming value somewhere in the story. Reacher ceases to be a hero for me. Maybe he never was. ( )