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  • Personal

  • By: Lee Child
  • Narrated by: Jeff Harding
  • Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (2,475 ratings)
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Personal cover art

Personal

By: Lee Child
Narrated by: Jeff Harding
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Summary

Jack Reacher walks alone. Once a go-to hard man in the US military police, now he’s a drifter of no fixed abode. But the army tracks him down. Because someone has taken a long-range shot at the French president. Only one man could have done it. And Reacher is the one man who can find him.

This new heartstopping, nailbiting book in Lee Child’s number-one best-selling series takes Reacher across the Atlantic to Paris - and then to London. The stakes have never been higher - because this time, it’s personal.

The brand-new Jack Reacher short story, "Not a Drill", is now also available exclusively as a digital download.

©2014 Lee Child (P)2014 Random House Audiobooks

What listeners say about Personal

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,597
  • 4 Stars
    627
  • 3 Stars
    179
  • 2 Stars
    47
  • 1 Stars
    25
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    1,633
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,396
  • 4 Stars
    556
  • 3 Stars
    201
  • 2 Stars
    59
  • 1 Stars
    28

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Mr
  • 09-09-14

Reacher gets Dull !

Sorry Mr Child, you have dropped the ball on this one. 15% Reacher 85% sleeper....yawn!
I have listened to every Reacher story and this is dull as ditch water. There is far far to much over thinking of everything Reacher does and over explaining every little detail just to pad out a weak story.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Child over-reachers himself?

I'm normally a sucker for a Jack Reacher novel. I've read most of them now and naturally jumped on this one when it popped up as an Audible recommendation. I've always loved this character walking alone and with his own strong sense of honour and justice . . . if not law!

Child sent him further afield than is typical, possibly to add some spice via unusual locations for him but to me this one didn't quite work out. Reacher seemed more restricted and out of his comfort zone to no great dramatic effect.

It's Jack Reacher so it's good, just not as good as usual!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Still enjoyable but not the best Jack Reacher.

If you could sum up Personal in three words, what would they be?

Villains too cartoonish.

Would you recommend Personal to your friends? Why or why not?

Despite the shortcomings this Jack Reacher is still a good read and Lee Child's writing is still way ahead of the average thriller writer. The author clearly wanted to set a Reacher story in his home country. Unfortunately the location seems restrictive. The UK is a much more intimate setting compared to the huge geography of the U.S. Policing is much more formal and centralised in England and Reacher's semi-forced collaboration with the forces of law and order makes him more of a bystander than usual. He still makes his own decisions and drives the storyline but he seems much more constrained than in previous books. The villains are too exaggerated to be truly believable; a sniper who is just too good to be true and a gangster who is physically huge and supposedly terrifying but actually comes across as not particularly bright and all too easily provoked into poor decisions.

Which character – as performed by Jeff Harding – was your favourite?

The only characters I can clearly remember from this story are Reacher himself who Jeff Harding voices to damn near perfection, the sniper who in my memory has little dialogue, the main villain who is an East London character (very different to a cockney and well voiced by Harding) and Reacher's U.S. government minder who was a bit insipid compared to Reacher's previous female companions. I recall there was a mysterious British authority figure. (Presumably Special Branch) but I can't picture him in my head and remember very little about his part in the story. There were some Russian or Eastern European gangsters but they didn't make much of an impression on my memory.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It left me reasonably satisfied but wanting more. For the first time ever when reading a Lee Child I found myself thinking of ways it could have been better.

Any additional comments?

It was a light and fluffy Reacher novel that at least assuaged the itch until the next real story comes out. Having said that I'll almost certainly read it again at some point and would definitely read it in preference to some other so called thrillers out there at the moment. Even when not at his best Lee Child still writes a great tale.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Truly Unbelievable

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

If you have personal hygiene problems, America may need you.

Has Personal put you off other books in this genre?

I have another book by this author and it was ok. However he has really pushed the bounds of fantasy with this one.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The narration was fine, just the content.

What character would you cut from Personal?

The main character at 25 stones and 6 ft 5 inches, is clearly overweight, unless he spends half his life in the gym (which he doesn't ).
He uses just a toothbrush for personal hygiene. No toothpaste or deodorant. The character only changes clothes every other week, if there is a handy second hand clothes handy which stocks everything including underwear!
He doesn't seem surprised when other undercover operatives spot him. I should think they just follow the smell and the flies.I guess he is supposed to be a real man?

Any additional comments?

The plot is also very weak. I am surprised his editor, let him get away with this offering, it will do nothing for his reputation.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Last time I read a Reacher

What disappointed you about Personal?

Lee Child's continues his decline

What could Lee Child have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Lee Child's books have been going downhill over the past 4-5 years.....last time Reacher visited England was the last decent book. This one has no real story line and seems to be padded out to make it reach some time of number of words agreement.

How could the performance have been better?

I know it is unabridged but really....I said....blah blah.....she said blah blah.....I said blah blah....she said....blah blah....and on it went. Then the Accents, Welsh! In fact, it's worth listening to this book for the worst ever take on a Welsh or indeed English accent EVER.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

None at all

Any additional comments?

I gave up reading the Reacher novels and now I am going to give up listening. Some people have described this as a return to form after recent poor books....they are obviously connected to the publisher or are being paid to write reviews. This is without doubt the worst book I have ever listened to. I used to really enjoy Reacher books. Please Lee, either re-read your 1st 10 books and try and recreate that magic, or, better still retire Reacher and start again, you can write but you have lost it, you are an Englishman, stop over yanking everything.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not Best in Series.

A little lack luster compared to most of the series but still an enjoyable book.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars
  • d
  • 23-11-14

dissappointment

What disappointed you about Personal?

it seems to be one book too many , it has lost the jack reacher majic

What will your next listen be?

the new tom clancy

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

disappointment

Any additional comments?

one book too many. I should have took notice of some of the reviews

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good as ever

I am impressed that Reacher is growing older with relative grace. He now works less by brute force and more by experience and intelligence. Also, I am grateful that he is now more of a mentor to his female colleagues and doesn't necessarily have to bed them. The seam of his life to date was pretty well mined out, and this book acknowledged that and took Reacher forward in time in a way I was able to believe.

I love these books because of their internal consistency and economy. There's a reason for everything in them.

Jeff Harding generally reads these exceptionally well. His London and Welsh accents in this one are more than a bit dodgy, but I was able to forgive him.

I had intended to save this for my holiday, but I couldn't resist listening to it, and I don't regret it.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good listen

I was a bit dubious about this one at the start because a lot of people said it wasn't one of Child's best. I personally loved it. It did feel like a bridge onto the next book in places, but still a great listen.

I think if they ever replace Harding as the narrator I will leave these. He has it nailed.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

It's Jack Reacher...

listening to a Lee Child / Jack Reacher story is like sitting down to your favourite meal or sitting in your favourite chair: it's comfortable, familiar and you just know your going to enjoy it 😀 This is no different.

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