Who Would Like This Book:
If you love a punchy, fast-paced thriller where the good guy takes on a whole town of secrets, "Killing Floor" is a modern classic. Jack Reacher is that ultimate tough-yet-smart loner: think Sherlock Holmes mixed with Rambo. Lee Child’s writing style is crisp and energetic, and the small-town mystery with big stakes keeps the pages turning. Fans of action, crime dramas, and clever deduction will eat this up - especially if you like your heroes a bit rough around the edges but always fighting for justice.
Who May Not Like This Book:
If you’re looking for deep character development, rich prose, or strong female roles, this might not be your cup of tea. The plot does lean on some wild coincidences and can get a bit over-the-top. The violence is graphic and the narrative is unapologetically macho - plus, some find the choppy writing style and relentless action repetitive or simplistic. If you crave super-realism or subtlety, you might find Reacher’s world a little much.
About:
"Killing Floor" by Lee Child follows the story of Jack Reacher, an ex-military police officer and drifter, who finds himself arrested for a murder he didn't commit in a small town in Georgia. As Reacher delves deeper into the mystery, he uncovers dark conspiracies and dangerous criminals hidden beneath the town's facade. The plot is fast-paced, filled with action, suspense, and unexpected twists, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. The writing style is described as crisp, spare, and filmic, with short sentences and complex plots that make it read like an action film.
The narrative voice of Reacher is highlighted as warm and intelligent, drawing readers into his character and making them eager to follow his adventures. introduces Reacher as a tough, resourceful hero who takes matters into his own hands, facing danger head-on and unraveling mysteries with his sharp instincts. The setting of the story in a small Southern town adds to the atmospheric and suspenseful nature of the plot, creating a compelling thriller that leaves readers wanting more.
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Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include graphic violence and murder, possibly triggering for sensitive readers.
Has Romance?
There are romantic elements, particularly between Jack Reacher and a female police officer, but romance is not the primary focus of the story.
From The Publisher:
THE FIRST NOVEL IN LEE CHILD'S #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING JACK REACHER SERIES-SOON TO BE AN ORIGINAL SERIES ON PRIME VIDEO!
"From its jolting opening scene to its fiery final confrontation, Killing Floor is irresistible."-People
Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher is a drifter. He's just passing through Margrave, Georgia, and in less than an hour, he's arrested for murder. Not much of a welcome. All Reacher knows is that he didn't kill anybody. At least not here. Not lately. But he doesn't stand a chance of convincing anyone. Not in Margrave, Georgia. Not a chance in hell.
Ratings (129)
Incredible (20) | |
Loved It (52) | |
Liked It (36) | |
It Was OK (13) | |
Did Not Like (7) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (196):
Read It (138) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (36) | |
Did Not Finish (1) | |
Not Interested (20) |
6 comment(s)
Without a doubt, this was an exciting story. It featured many classic tricks of the genre, but that's not necessarily bad. What bugged me was the coincidences. There were too many. They were explained away, but in the end, they made the story kind of frustrating. Also, I'm really not a fan of "killing all these people was fine, because they were bad" types of stories. Just like with the coincidences, it could be justified, but I'd prefer actual justice instead of killing. I did like the main character, and so I'm a little tempted to read the next book. Maybe.
Child's language is nice and succinct and straight-forward add this to a decent amount of suspense, and a good plot and the book moves along nice and quick. A very solid first novel, but nothing ground-breaking.
Watched Amz Prime series // Feb 2022
Since finding out the TV series is different in tone than the book series, I’ll stick with the show.
The best word to describe this book is masculine. And not in a nuanced way. More like a testosterone dripping off the pages way. The prose is hard and fast, almost staccato. I didn't mind it at first, but it started to wear me down after a hundred pages or so.
Child relies too much on exposition at the expense of dialogue - as a result there is quite a bit of showing versus telling. I didn't really get an idea of Jack as a person until well into the second half of the book. He starts off as a cardboard cut out of an ex-military badass turned drifter. The latter part of the book fleshes him out a bit.
The mystery is confusing and boring at first, but definitely picks up towards the end.
Here's my favorite part of the whole book, when Jack is preparing to take down five bad guys single-handedly (because of course he is):
"Loaded, cocked. Safety on. Spare shells in the outside top right pocket. Switchblade in the left side pocket. Blackjack in the right side pocket.
Shoes tightly laced." (emphasis mine)
I don't know why that's so hilarious to me, but it is. Shoes tightly laced. I kind of want to read the story where he forgets to tie his shoes.
Kick ass hero. Army veteran like me.
I loved the book! It took me a while to get into the main character but it’s worth the read. I love how it take you into a realm and you don’t want to leave. This was an awesome book and I am so happy I was able to read it.
What can you read after
Killing Floor?
About the Author:
Lee Child is #1 New York Times bestsellling author of the Jack Reacher thrillers and the complete Jack Reacher story collection, No Middle Name. All his novels have been optioned for major motion pictures-including Jack Reacher (based on One Shot) and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. A native…
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