Without Remorse, Week 3

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of Without Remorse.

How did you feel about this section? Did you find it easier or harder to read this section? I found it to be a bit of a hard read because there were so many different details and characters to keep track of. 

What did you think of John Kelly's decision to take justice into his own hands? I understand that he was ridding the world of horrible people, but it's still hard to root for a person that is committing a lot of premediated murders. I feel like he became a serial killer, right? He was systematically killing a lot of people and was deliberately covering up his crimes. Does that make him a serial killer? The murders were tough to read about, but I think the whole torture of Billy was another level. I couldn't believe the violence I was reading. Do you think it was worrying that John was able to commit those murders and then disassociate from the violence and go back to his regular life? 

I was glad that Doris was rescued. That was a positive thing that happened in this section. Were you surprised that she was able to get in touch with her dad? Do you think they will be able to be reunited? Are you surprised that John is so trusting of Sandy and believes that she can keep Doris safe? I'm not quite sure why Sandy trusts John--she obviously knows that he is up to something and is capable of dangerous behavior. 

The sections about Vietnam and the prisoners of war are interesting, but I'm having a hard time understanding why they are necessary to the story. I guess the information about John as a soldier helps us understand him more, and it helps us understand why he is such a killing machine, but otherwise, I think it takes away from the main story. Working with the military literally takes John away from the action of the story--he has to leave to help them. I just don't understand how this storyline is adding to the narrative. Are you enjoying the subplots throughout? Do you find any of these extra narratives more interesting than the main story with John? 

Do you think the police will be able to connect John to all of the murders? It seems like he should be completely uncatchable. He knows how to blend into the shadows, he knows how to hide evidence, he knows how to change his appearance and be invisible. But, he does keep making little mistakes in the name of helping innocent people. He helps that lady who is being robbed, even though she has the possibility of seeing his face. And, he kills the thief which is a mistake and takes away from his mission. Finally, he lets emotions overtake him when he takes Billy and releases Doris. I just feel like he is going to make some sort of mistake soon, and the police will be able to connect him to the crimes. I don't think he is at his peak since he is still dealing with so much grief. 

I found myself feeling a little confused about the passing of time throughout this section as well. I feel like a lot of things are happening, but I don't think much time is actually passing. I don't think John and Pam knew each other for very long, so it's surprising that their relationship had such an impact on John. John's recovery didn't seem to take very long either, and neither did Doris's and Pam's recovery from drug addiction. Everything is just happening so fast throughout the book! Do you think it's realistic that so much is happening in such a short time? 

Do you like any of the characters? Are you looking forward to following anyone in particular in the last section? 

What do you think will happen in the end of the book? How can this book come to some sort of a conclusion? 

Before you go, check out this video that was made in memoriam of Clancy after his death. Are you surprised that he wasn't a military vet since he seems to know so much about the world? 

I hope you're able to finish the book for next week. I can't wait to hear all of your thoughts in the comments!