Past Tense cover art

Past Tense

(Jack Reacher 23)

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Past Tense

Written by: Lee Child
Narrated by: Jeff Harding
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Read by award-winning narrator Jeff Harding.

**NOW A MAJOR PRIME TV SERIES STARRING ALAN RITCHSON**

JACK REACHER NEVER LOOKS BACK . . . UNTIL NOW.

The present can be tense . . .

A young couple trying to get to New York City are stranded at a lonely motel in the middle of nowhere. Before long they're trapped in an ominous game of life and death.

But the past can be worse . . .

Meanwhile, Jack Reacher sets out on an epic road trip across America. He doesn't get far. Deep in the New England woods, he sees a sign to a place he has never been - the town where his father was born. But when he arrives he is told no one named Reacher ever lived there. Now he wonders: who's lying?

As the tension ratchets up and these two stories begin to entwine, the stakes have never been higher for Reacher.

That's for damn sure.

Although the Jack Reacher novels can be listened to in any order, Past Tense is the 23rd in the series.


'There's only one Jack Reacher. Accept no substitutes.' - Mick Herron.

‘Jeff Harding’s [...] narration captures Reacher’s character perfectly [...] you have to savour every minute.’ The Sunday Times

© Lee Child 2018 (P) Penguin Audio 2018

 Crime Thrillers Espionage Hard-Boiled Mystery Police Procedurals Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense

Critic Reviews

Absolutely loved Past Tense – Lee Child just gets better and better, which is a very rare quality in a writer of a long-run series. Whip smart, always compelling, always fun, he is dangerously addictive. (Peter James)
Jack Reacher is today's James Bond, a thriller hero we can't get enough of (Ken Follett)
I loved it. One of the best. (Jonathan Ross)
It’s Lee Child. Why would you not read it? (Karin Slaughter)
Sometimes you just want someone who can beat the s*** out of people! I pick up Jack Reacher when I’m in the mood for someone big to solve my problems (Patricia Cornwell)
Loved [Past Tense]! Nothing makes for a great weekend quite like quality time with Jack . (Lisa Gardner)
Busy, bloody and ingenious
One of the best...hits the mark perfectly. (Joanne Harris)
The pace picks up...the action becomes brutal, and we're led to an extremely satisfying conclusion...I'm becoming increasingly understanding of our appetite for fiction that features proper punishment for baddies. It's deeply comforting to escape into an imaginary world where we're all safe in Jack Reacher's gammon-joint sized hands.
All stars
Most relevant
If we remove Jack Reacher from the story,
we still have a great gripping story from Patty and shorty sub story.
i don't understand why do we need such long boring jack reacher hunt for his ancestors.

Patty and shorty i wish i had more story from their end. loved their part

2 stories, one strong, one weak

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Great Book. I would recommend it. It's certainly an it for sure. Reacher Does it again with a big heart

I finished it in 2 days

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I loved this book. Very entertaining. Wish there was more of Reacher in this one

Great Book

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