Past Tense

Chapter 1

Jack Reacher caught the last of the summer sun in a small town on the coast of Maine, and then, like the birds in the sky above him, he began his long migration south. But not, he thought, straight down the coast. Not like the orioles and the buntings and the phoebes and the warblers and the ruby-­throated hummingbirds. Instead he decided on a diagonal route, south and west, from the top right-­hand corner of the country to the bottom left, maybe through Syracuse, and Cincinnati, and St. Louis, and Oklahoma City, and Albuquerque, and onward all the way to San Diego. Which for an army guy like Reacher was a little too full of Navy people, but which was otherwise a fine spot to start the winter.

It would be an epic road trip, and one he hadn t made in years.

He was looking forward to it.

He didn t get far.

He walked inland a mile or so and came to a county road and stuck out his thumb. He was a tall man, more than six feet five in his shoes, heavily built, all bone and muscle, not particularly good looking, never very well dressed, usually a little unkempt. Not an overwhelmingly appealing proposition. As always most drivers slowed and took a look and then kept on going. The first car prepared to take a chance on him came along after forty minutes. It was a year-­old Subaru wagon, driven by a lean middle-­aged guy in pleated chino pants and a crisp khaki shirt. Dressed by his wife, Reacher thought. The guy had a wedding ring. But under the fine fabrics was a workingman s body. A thick neck and large red knuckles. The slightly surprised and somewhat reluctant boss of something, Reacher thought. The kind of guy who starts out digging post holes and ends up owning a fencing company.

Which turned out to be a good guess. Initial conversation established the guy had started out with nothing to his name but his daddy s old framing hammer, and had ended up owning a construction company, responsible for forty working people, and the hopes and dreams

Lee Child is the author of more than two dozen New York Times bestselling Jack Reacher thrillers, with most having reached the #1 position, and the #1 bestselling complete Jack Reacher story collection, No Middle Name. Foreign rights in the Reacher series have sold in one hundred territories. A native of England and a former television director, Lee Child lives in New York City and Wyoming.

Child is one writer who should never be taken for granted. The New York Times Book Review
 
[Lee Child] shows no signs of slowing down. . . . Reacher is a man for whom the phrase moral compass was invented: His code determines his direction. . . . You need Jack Reacher. The Atlantic
 
Superb . . . Child neatly interweaves multiple narratives, ratchets up the suspense (the reveal of the motel plot is delicious), and delivers a powerful, satisfying denouement. Fans will enjoy learning more of this enduring character s roots, and Child s spare prose continues to set a very high bar. Publishers Weekly (boxed and starred review)

Another first-class entry in a series that continues to set the gold standard for aspiring thriller authors. Booklist (starred review)
 
With his usual flair for succinctness and eye for detail, Child creates another rollicking Reacher road trip that will please fans and newcomers alike. Library Journal (starred review)

Cerebral . . . One doesn t want Mr. Child s storytelling to end. . . . Get your copy soon before Past Tense sells out. Then enjoy the ride. New York Journal of Books
 
The way everything winds up for all the participants shows a satisfying generosity of storytelling spirit. Kirkus Reviews

Praise for the Jack Reacher series

The truth about Reacher gets better and better. . . . This series [is] utterly addictive. Janet Maslin, The New York Times

Jack Reacher is today s James Bond, a thriller hero we can t get enough of. I read every one as soon as it appears. Ken Follett

Reacher is the stuff of myth. . . . One of this century s most original, tantalizing pop-fiction heroes. The Washington Post

I m a fan. James Patterson
 
The Reacher novels are easily the best thriller series going. NPR

Reacher is a man for whom the phrase moral