Reacher/Lee Child Gun Goofiness in ‘Make Me’

[DaleA]

I think most folk are aware that Lee Child is an author from England that writes the Jack Reacher series of action/adventure books. The books are laced with all kinds of violence and yet Lee Child is hypocritically critical about how easily available guns are in the U.S. Lee Child also is not very knowledgeable about guns in general. I also think most folk on this forum have given up on reading his stuff.

I’ve read a lot of his books (I get them from the library) but don’t really ‘keep up’ on what he’s writing. I grabbed one of his later books, ‘Make Me’ last week and I think it’s one of his worst.

He has the heroes in his book go to the concierge of the hotel they are staying at and get the concierge to buy them an HK P7 9mm pistol and two fully automatic HK MP5 9mm submachine guns. The heroes can’t buy the weapons because they are out of state but Child says it would be legal for the guy at the hotel to buy the guns for them.

1. The concierge, buying guns for someone else is doing a straw purchase. This is not legal.
2. The concierge, with just his driver’s license cannot go out in an afternoon and legally buy two fully automatic HK MP5 9mm submachine guns.

Child must know is incorrect. Child’s publishers must know this is incorrect. And yet it’s still in the book.

It’s the gun play at the end of the book that is just jaw-droppingly, idiotically bad.
SPOILER ALERT this is the climatic ending of the book.

Jack Reacher and Michelle Chang, the beautiful ex-FBI agent have the bad guy trapped out in the open at the bad guy’s hog farm. Reacher and Chang are behind a building. The bad guy is out in the open 60 feet away. Yep. 60 feet. 20 yards as Child tells us. Reacher and Change have their fully auto MP5’s. The bad guy has an M16. Reacher is suffering from the effects of a blow to the head from a few days before and in his own words is about 90% okay. The big question is can they hit the bad guy 60 feet away with their submachine guns. Well here it is (Spoiler Alert Again!). Reacher’s plan is to step out from behind cover and let the bad guy take shots at him until the bad guy runs out of ammunition, then they’ll rush him. I guess they need to close the distance for their HK MP5 9mm sub-guns to be effective.

Reacher does this. Steps out, remains perfectly still and lets the bad guy take a couple shots at him. Doesn’t even duck. Doesn’t even have his partner shoot at the bad guy while the bad guy is aiming. After a couple shots Reacher’s partner DOES take two shots at the bad guy but both miss. (Well they’re at 20 YARDS for goodness sake.) (Big, Big spoiler alert.) After that they walk up to the bad guy, who has lost the heart to continue the fight, and after a brief conversation, kill him.

Okay, not that you needed it, but you have been warned.

[Aguila Blanca]

Cross-over novel -- fiction ==> fantasy.

[Rob228]

Lee Child does just enough research to make fairly stupid assumptions when it comes to firearms. He throws out some obscure technical facts which sometimes turnout to be true but does zero research into terminal ballistics, external ballistics, anything resembling technique and a giant guy who admittedly never exercises a day in his life is somehow the biggest strongest gu that ever lived.

I still read the books though.

[UncleEd]

I think you'll find that Lee Child has utter disdain for what you know or what you say. He's successful and that's all that matters.

His "research" is nothing more than looking in a magazine and say, seeing that a Beretta 92 has two 15-round magazines. So he goes on the assumption that that's exactly how many rounds are or could be in a 92.

I've read a few of this books---making him successful--and laughed through much of them. everything is contrived. even his hero'd MP background.

[Rob228]

Another one who is pretty bad is Stephen King. I am a huge King fan, well let me elaborate on that. King has some phenomenal books, but others you can tell he put no effort into and wrote simply for the money. When it comes to firearms, he does zero research and trusts that his fanbase will do the same.

[random guy]

Sounds pretty maddening. I've picked up three of the Reacher books (free) but have not yet gathered the motivation to open them up. Your description sets that effort back substantially.

I really liked the movie unlike many fans of the books. It and "Shooter" both had some interesting gun tech. We could easily pick "Jack Reacher" (the movie) apart or have a field day with the silliness in "Shooter" but they are both at least interesting for those who are into the nuts and bolts of guns and shooting.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Reacher books - I'll pass. The main character claims to be the world's best in H2H because MPs have to be the toughest to deal with drunk SEALS, Delta and assorted other special forces.

[Kevin Rohrer]

I have read the first 2 or 3 in the series. "Lee Childs: (a pen name) is a good writer, but he knows nothing about firearms, violence, or the US military, all of which he writes about extensively.

He killed reading the series for me when the hero knew he would be going hand-to-hand w/ numerous bad guys and needed a knife. Went to an army-navy store and bought a cheap, $2 switchblade instead of a Kabar. Huh?! I own both, and there is no way I would use the switchblade to do anything beyond punching holes in paper.

"Childs" has a lot of followers, and reportedly owns homes in London, NY, and NC. More power to him if he can hoodwink enough readers to be a jet-setter.

The Bosch novels are a much better read, as is Longmire.

[45_auto]

I read more goofiness in these internet gun forums every day than any fiction writer could come up with if he tried.

It's entertainment, take it for what it's worth.

[g.willikers]

I still enjoy the Reacher character, in spite of the ignorance of the author.
Especially Reacher's attitude and wise cracks.
If you want accuracy and very good stories, read Stephen Hunter instead.

[Jim Watson]

It works the other way, too.
There are authors so proud of their knowledge that their adventures read like an article in Shootin' an' Blastin' Magazine. Too much detail can detract from the plot.

[Loosedhorse]

I guess this concern about how guns, their use, and gun laws are portrayed in fiction stems from two concerns:

1. That some people, perhaps mostly anti-gunners, depend on Hollywood and other fiction* to educate them on guns and gun laws.
2. That some gun-owners (hopefully only a very few, if any) will develop dangerous self-defense tactics based on what they see in movies or read in fiction.

Unfortunately, the concern is probably valid on both counts.

Still, it doesn't bother me. I don't mind it when my fiction contains fiction.


*By "other fiction" I mean things like adventure novels and the New York Times.

[griz]

I need to start staying at that kind of hotel. I could order a nice 1911 from room service and I'm sure they will have a selection of hardball or JHP in the mini bar. But you know as soon as you fire one round they charge you for the whole box of ammo.

[jag2]

Gee you guys are picky. If you don't like the books (I do) don't read them or watch the movies. They are works of fiction, not documentaries. Maybe you should stick to watching Hickock45 on you tube. And for gods sake don't ever watch a saturday morning western from the fifties, I promise you your head will explode.

[natman]

Lee Child's knowledge of guns is pretty weak. In one of his novels the climactic scene revolved around the notion that if a magazine had been loaded for more than a day or two, the spring would loose its tension and wouldn't feed.

I still read the books. It's fiction, sometimes you just have to make allowances. If you want a more realistic depictions of guns, read Stephen Hunter.

[doofus47]

Well, it sounds like Mr. Child has done enough research to know that Mr. Reacher would know that M16s are pieces of Kaka (enjoy, futbol fans!) and that he wouldn't have been hurt by a puny .223 anyhow if he'd been hit.

I watched the movie "The American" a few weeks ago and was rolling my eyes so much that I think I missed half of the movie. That movie had the same problem. Spoiler: the beginning scene depicts a depicted "ambush" by a hit man with a scoped, suppressed rifle who holds fire while unaware targets George Clooney and girl friend walk slowly through (kinda) deep snow across open, open, open frozen lake to within 20 yards of his location, but the camouflaged hitman doesn't open fire until the couple take cover and peek from that cover. And when he does, he is out in the open. Why bring a rifle if you really want to throw stones or have a knife fight?

[45_auto]

Originally Posted by doofus47

Well, it sounds like Mr. Child has done enough research to know that Mr. Reacher would know that M16s are pieces of Kaka (enjoy, futbol fans!) and that he wouldn't have been hurt by a puny .223 anyhow if he'd been hit.

It has been well documented in an earlier story (Tripwire) that a .38 Special from the range of a few feet will not penetrate Reacher's massive chest wall, I wouldn't be surprised at all if .223's just bounce off.

[Kevin Rohrer]

It has been well documented in an earlier story (Tripwire) that a .38 Special from the range of a few feet will not penetrate Reacher's massive chest wall, I wouldn't be surprised at all if .223's just bounce off.

Are we talking about Jack Reacher, or Chuck Norris?

[Joe_Pike]

I prefer the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novels and the Myron Bolitar/Wyn Lockwood novels. I've read all of the Reacher stuff but his arrogance kind of rubs me the wrong way.

[Itsa Bughunt]

I think most "common knowledge" about guns comes from TV and movies. Actors assume an expert authoritarian role, spout nonsense and the public sucks it up. I have in the past invited anti-gun liberals to a shooting range just so they can experience a little reality. One lady's response was, "wow it's a lot different than I imagined, it's so organized, and they're just regular people." I asked her if she expected rowdy rednecks drinking beer and shooting their guns in the air? She replied,"yes that's exactly what I thought it would be like, I was scared to go".

[Pond, James Pond]

A while back I started a thread about the shortcomings of an author's portrayal of guns and shooting in his novel.

The author was Lee Childs and the protagonist was Reacher...

[44 AMP]

I have greater respect for Don Pendleton and his Executioner series.


Its all FICTION, anyway.

[Chris_B]

I prefer Mark Twain for my fiction.

[DaleA]

Lee Child's knowledge of guns is pretty weak. In one of his novels the climactic scene revolved around the notion that if a magazine had been loaded for more than a day or two, the spring would loose its tension and wouldn't feed.

I'm afraid I have to admit I read this one. Yep. Lee Child actually used the above 'bit' about loaded magazines.

BUT...Child had to go one step further...at the climatic moment, the semi-auto that had been left loaded for years, the one where he claims the magazine springs would weaken...the round in the CHAMBER doesn't fire!!!

What the round in the chamber had to do with magazine spring is known only to Lee Child.

But as has been mentioned before he's laughing all the way to the bank.

[Salmoneye]

"There is only one thing worse in life than being talked about,
and that is not being talked about..."

-Wilde