Lincoln Rhyme
thriller
Series · thriller
Jack Reacher
The Jack Reacher series by Lee Child has 33 known books (33 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with Killing Floor (1997). Exit Strategy is the latest book with a fully recorded publication date. Lee Child wrote the series; books 25-28 were co-written with Andrew Child, who has continued the series alone from book 29.
- Books
- 33 known books (30 novels + 2 short stories + 1 collection)
- Published
- 33
- First published
- 1997
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Thriller
Start here: Killing Floor (1997)
— then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Killing Floor
"Killing Floor" (1997) is the book that started it all -- Lee Child's introduction of Jack Reacher, the former U.S. Army military police major who walks away from his uniform to drift across America with no home, no luggage, and an unerring instinct for trouble. It set the template Child would follow for a book a year over the next two decades. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Killing Floor - Book 2:
Die Trying
"Die Trying" (1998-07-07) follows Lee Child's drifter Jack Reacher -- a former U.S. Army military police major with no home, no luggage and an unerring instinct for arriving in towns where something is badly wrong -- into another self-contained mystery, written to be picked up on its own. It runs 434 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Die Trying - Book 3:
Tripwire
Published 1999-06-28, "Tripwire" is one of Lee Child's original run of Reacher novels, delivered at Child's steady one-book-a-year pace after the series launched with "Killing Floor" in 1997. Reacher investigates here with the same cold Army logic and, when talking stops working, sudden decisive violence. It runs 422 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Tripwire - Book 4:
Running Blind
"Running Blind" (2000-07-10, an unlisted page count) drops Jack Reacher into a fresh conspiracy or crooked operation, standalone by design like every Reacher novel -- part of what let Lee Child's series sell well over 100 million copies without demanding readers start from book one. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Running Blind - Book 5:
Echo Burning
In "Echo Burning" (2001-06-05), Lee Child sends his six-foot-five ex-military-police drifter into another town with trouble under its respectable surface, narrated in the alternating first- and third-person style the series uses throughout. It runs an unlisted page count. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Echo Burning - Book 6:
Without Fail
"Without Fail" (2002-05-09) follows Lee Child's drifter Jack Reacher -- a former U.S. Army military police major with no home, no luggage and an unerring instinct for arriving in towns where something is badly wrong -- into another self-contained mystery, written to be picked up on its own. It runs 416 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Without Fail - Book 7:
Persuader
Published 2003-05-13, "Persuader" is one of Lee Child's original run of Reacher novels, delivered at Child's steady one-book-a-year pace after the series launched with "Killing Floor" in 1997. Reacher investigates here with the same cold Army logic and, when talking stops working, sudden decisive violence. It runs 465 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Persuader - Book 8:
The Enemy
"The Enemy" (2004-05-11, 472 pages) is one of the Reacher novels set during his Army career rather than his later drifting years, taking place around 1990 -- part of the small cluster of chronological outliers, alongside "The Secret," "Night School" and "The Affair," that show Reacher before "Killing Floor" begins his life on the road. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Enemy - Book 9:
One Shot
"One Shot" (2005-06-14, 436 pages) drops Jack Reacher into a fresh conspiracy or crooked operation, standalone by design like every Reacher novel -- part of what let Lee Child's series sell well over 100 million copies without demanding readers start from book one. Alternative text for cover: Cover of One Shot - Book 10:
The Hard Way
In "The Hard Way" (2006-05-16), Lee Child sends his six-foot-five ex-military-police drifter into another town with trouble under its respectable surface, narrated in the alternating first- and third-person style the series uses throughout. It runs 448 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Hard Way - Book 11:
Bad Luck and Trouble
"Bad Luck and Trouble" (2007-05-15) follows Lee Child's drifter Jack Reacher -- a former U.S. Army military police major with no home, no luggage and an unerring instinct for arriving in towns where something is badly wrong -- into another self-contained mystery, written to be picked up on its own. It runs 439 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bad Luck and Trouble - Book 12:
Nothing to Lose
Published 2008-06-03, "Nothing to Lose" is one of Lee Child's original run of Reacher novels, delivered at Child's steady one-book-a-year pace after the series launched with "Killing Floor" in 1997. Reacher investigates here with the same cold Army logic and, when talking stops working, sudden decisive violence. It runs 439 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Nothing to Lose - Book 13:
Gone Tomorrow
"Gone Tomorrow" (2009-05-19, 448 pages) drops Jack Reacher into a fresh conspiracy or crooked operation, standalone by design like every Reacher novel -- part of what let Lee Child's series sell well over 100 million copies without demanding readers start from book one. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Gone Tomorrow - Book 14:
61 Hours
"61 Hours" (2010-03-18, 445 pages) ends on a cliffhanger that carries straight into the next novel, "Worth Dying For" -- the one deliberate exception to Lee Child's usual standalone-by-design Reacher format, so the two are best read back to back. Alternative text for cover: Cover of 61 Hours - Book 15:
Worth Dying For
"Worth Dying For" (2010-10-19, 440 pages) picks up directly after the cliffhanger ending of "61 Hours" -- the one mild exception to the rule that any Reacher novel can be read first, so newcomers are steered to read the two together. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Worth Dying For - Book 16:
The Affair
"The Affair" (2011-09-27, 543 pages) is set in March 1997, in the final days of Jack Reacher's Army career -- the chronological bridge, alongside "The Enemy," "The Secret" and "Night School," that leads directly into "Killing Floor" and the start of Reacher's life on the road. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Affair - Book 17:
A Wanted Man
In "A Wanted Man" (2012-09-11), Lee Child sends his six-foot-five ex-military-police drifter into another town with trouble under its respectable surface, narrated in the alternating first- and third-person style the series uses throughout. It runs 445 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Wanted Man - Book 18:
Never Go Back
"Never Go Back" (2013-09-03, 440 pages) is one of Lee Child's standalone Reacher novels, adapted into the second Tom Cruise Reacher film -- part of the run of self-contained mysteries that let readers join the series at nearly any point. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Never Go Back - Book 19:
Personal
"Personal" (2014-09-02) follows Lee Child's drifter Jack Reacher -- a former U.S. Army military police major with no home, no luggage and an unerring instinct for arriving in towns where something is badly wrong -- into another self-contained mystery, written to be picked up on its own. It runs 432 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Personal - Book 20:
Make Me
Published 2015-09-08, "Make Me" is one of Lee Child's original run of Reacher novels, delivered at Child's steady one-book-a-year pace after the series launched with "Killing Floor" in 1997. Reacher investigates here with the same cold Army logic and, when talking stops working, sudden decisive violence. It runs 432 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Make Me - Book 21:
Night School
"Night School" (2016-11-08, 472 pages) takes place in 1996, during Jack Reacher's final stretch in Army CID -- one of the series' chronological outliers, alongside "The Enemy," "The Secret" and "The Affair," set before "Killing Floor" begins Reacher's drifting years. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Night School - Book 22:
No Middle Name
"No Middle Name" (2017-05-16, 448 pages) collects Lee Child's Jack Reacher short stories rather than a single novel-length case -- generally recommended as a book to save for after you already know the character, rather than a starting point. Alternative text for cover: Cover of No Middle Name - Book 23:
The Midnight Line
"The Midnight Line" (2017-11-07, 416 pages) drops Jack Reacher into a fresh conspiracy or crooked operation, standalone by design like every Reacher novel -- part of what let Lee Child's series sell well over 100 million copies without demanding readers start from book one. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Midnight Line - Book 24:
The Christmas Scorpion
"The Christmas Scorpion" (2018-10-02, 43 pages) is a short Reacher story, a brief detour from the novel-length entries that make up most of Lee Child's series but built around the same standalone, drop-Reacher-into-trouble formula. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Christmas Scorpion - Book 25:
Cleaning the Gold
"Cleaning the Gold" (2019-04-15, 129 pages) is a Jack Reacher short story co-written by Lee Child with fellow thriller author Karin Slaughter, a shorter one-off outside the main novel sequence but keeping Reacher's same investigative instincts and taste for sudden violence. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cleaning the Gold - Book 26:
Past Tense
In "Past Tense" (2018-11-05), Lee Child sends his six-foot-five ex-military-police drifter into another town with trouble under its respectable surface, narrated in the alternating first- and third-person style the series uses throughout. It runs 410 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Past Tense - Book 27:
Blue Moon
"Blue Moon" (2019-10-29) follows Lee Child's drifter Jack Reacher -- a former U.S. Army military police major with no home, no luggage and an unerring instinct for arriving in towns where something is badly wrong -- into another self-contained mystery, written to be picked up on its own. It runs 444 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blue Moon - Book 28:
The Sentinel
"The Sentinel" (2020-10-27, 404 pages) marks the handover point in the Reacher series -- the first novel co-written by Lee Child's brother Andrew Child, who has led the series since, keeping Reacher's drifting, standalone-mystery format and its annual autumn release rhythm intact. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Sentinel - Book 29:
Better Off Dead
"Better Off Dead" (2021-10-26, 460 pages) is one of the Jack Reacher novels co-written by Lee Child and his brother Andrew Child, who took over leading the series from "The Sentinel" (2020) onward, keeping Reacher's annual autumn release rhythm and self-contained mystery format going past thirty novels. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Better Off Dead - Book 30:
No Plan B
"No Plan B" (2022-10-25, 384 pages) is one of the Jack Reacher novels co-written by Lee Child and his brother Andrew Child, who took over leading the series from "The Sentinel" (2020) onward, keeping Reacher's annual autumn release rhythm and self-contained mystery format going past thirty novels. Alternative text for cover: Cover of No Plan B - Book 31:
The Secret
"The Secret" (2023-10-24, 304 pages) is set during Jack Reacher's Army career, around 1992 -- one of the handful of chronological flashbacks, alongside "The Enemy," "Night School" and "The Affair," that precede "Killing Floor" in Reacher's own timeline even though they were published decades later. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Secret - Book 32:
In Too Deep
"In Too Deep" (2024-10-22, 376 pages) is written solely by Andrew Child, who now leads the Jack Reacher series after co-writing it with his brother Lee Child from "The Sentinel" (2020) onward -- continuing Reacher's drifting, standalone-mystery format and the series' annual autumn release rhythm. Alternative text for cover: Cover of In Too Deep - Book 33:
Exit Strategy
"Exit Strategy" (2025-11-11, 336 pages) is written solely by Andrew Child, who now leads the Jack Reacher series after co-writing it with his brother Lee Child from "The Sentinel" (2020) onward -- continuing Reacher's drifting, standalone-mystery format and the series' annual autumn release rhythm. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Exit Strategy
The order the story's events happen in, novellas slotted where they belong.
- Book 1:
The Enemy
"The Enemy" (2004-05-11, 472 pages) is one of the Reacher novels set during his Army career rather than his later drifting years, taking place around 1990 -- part of the small cluster of chronological outliers, alongside "The Secret," "Night School" and "The Affair," that show Reacher before "Killing Floor" begins his life on the road. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Enemy - Book 2:
The Secret
"The Secret" (2023-10-24, 304 pages) is set during Jack Reacher's Army career, around 1992 -- one of the handful of chronological flashbacks, alongside "The Enemy," "Night School" and "The Affair," that precede "Killing Floor" in Reacher's own timeline even though they were published decades later. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Secret - Book 3:
Night School
"Night School" (2016-11-08, 472 pages) takes place in 1996, during Jack Reacher's final stretch in Army CID -- one of the series' chronological outliers, alongside "The Enemy," "The Secret" and "The Affair," set before "Killing Floor" begins Reacher's drifting years. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Night School - Book 4:
The Affair
"The Affair" (2011-09-27, 543 pages) is set in March 1997, in the final days of Jack Reacher's Army career -- the chronological bridge, alongside "The Enemy," "The Secret" and "Night School," that leads directly into "Killing Floor" and the start of Reacher's life on the road. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Affair - Book 5:
Killing Floor
"Killing Floor" (1997) is the book that started it all -- Lee Child's introduction of Jack Reacher, the former U.S. Army military police major who walks away from his uniform to drift across America with no home, no luggage, and an unerring instinct for trouble. It set the template Child would follow for a book a year over the next two decades. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Killing Floor - Book 6:
Die Trying
"Die Trying" (1998-07-07) follows Lee Child's drifter Jack Reacher -- a former U.S. Army military police major with no home, no luggage and an unerring instinct for arriving in towns where something is badly wrong -- into another self-contained mystery, written to be picked up on its own. It runs 434 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Die Trying - Book 7:
Tripwire
Published 1999-06-28, "Tripwire" is one of Lee Child's original run of Reacher novels, delivered at Child's steady one-book-a-year pace after the series launched with "Killing Floor" in 1997. Reacher investigates here with the same cold Army logic and, when talking stops working, sudden decisive violence. It runs 422 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Tripwire - Book 8:
Running Blind
"Running Blind" (2000-07-10, an unlisted page count) drops Jack Reacher into a fresh conspiracy or crooked operation, standalone by design like every Reacher novel -- part of what let Lee Child's series sell well over 100 million copies without demanding readers start from book one. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Running Blind - Book 9:
Echo Burning
In "Echo Burning" (2001-06-05), Lee Child sends his six-foot-five ex-military-police drifter into another town with trouble under its respectable surface, narrated in the alternating first- and third-person style the series uses throughout. It runs an unlisted page count. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Echo Burning - Book 10:
Without Fail
"Without Fail" (2002-05-09) follows Lee Child's drifter Jack Reacher -- a former U.S. Army military police major with no home, no luggage and an unerring instinct for arriving in towns where something is badly wrong -- into another self-contained mystery, written to be picked up on its own. It runs 416 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Without Fail - Book 11:
Persuader
Published 2003-05-13, "Persuader" is one of Lee Child's original run of Reacher novels, delivered at Child's steady one-book-a-year pace after the series launched with "Killing Floor" in 1997. Reacher investigates here with the same cold Army logic and, when talking stops working, sudden decisive violence. It runs 465 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Persuader - Book 12:
One Shot
"One Shot" (2005-06-14, 436 pages) drops Jack Reacher into a fresh conspiracy or crooked operation, standalone by design like every Reacher novel -- part of what let Lee Child's series sell well over 100 million copies without demanding readers start from book one. Alternative text for cover: Cover of One Shot - Book 13:
The Hard Way
In "The Hard Way" (2006-05-16), Lee Child sends his six-foot-five ex-military-police drifter into another town with trouble under its respectable surface, narrated in the alternating first- and third-person style the series uses throughout. It runs 448 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Hard Way - Book 14:
Bad Luck and Trouble
"Bad Luck and Trouble" (2007-05-15) follows Lee Child's drifter Jack Reacher -- a former U.S. Army military police major with no home, no luggage and an unerring instinct for arriving in towns where something is badly wrong -- into another self-contained mystery, written to be picked up on its own. It runs 439 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bad Luck and Trouble - Book 15:
Nothing to Lose
Published 2008-06-03, "Nothing to Lose" is one of Lee Child's original run of Reacher novels, delivered at Child's steady one-book-a-year pace after the series launched with "Killing Floor" in 1997. Reacher investigates here with the same cold Army logic and, when talking stops working, sudden decisive violence. It runs 439 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Nothing to Lose - Book 16:
Gone Tomorrow
"Gone Tomorrow" (2009-05-19, 448 pages) drops Jack Reacher into a fresh conspiracy or crooked operation, standalone by design like every Reacher novel -- part of what let Lee Child's series sell well over 100 million copies without demanding readers start from book one. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Gone Tomorrow - Book 17:
61 Hours
"61 Hours" (2010-03-18, 445 pages) ends on a cliffhanger that carries straight into the next novel, "Worth Dying For" -- the one deliberate exception to Lee Child's usual standalone-by-design Reacher format, so the two are best read back to back. Alternative text for cover: Cover of 61 Hours - Book 18:
Worth Dying For
"Worth Dying For" (2010-10-19, 440 pages) picks up directly after the cliffhanger ending of "61 Hours" -- the one mild exception to the rule that any Reacher novel can be read first, so newcomers are steered to read the two together. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Worth Dying For - Book 19:
A Wanted Man
In "A Wanted Man" (2012-09-11), Lee Child sends his six-foot-five ex-military-police drifter into another town with trouble under its respectable surface, narrated in the alternating first- and third-person style the series uses throughout. It runs 445 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Wanted Man - Book 20:
Never Go Back
"Never Go Back" (2013-09-03, 440 pages) is one of Lee Child's standalone Reacher novels, adapted into the second Tom Cruise Reacher film -- part of the run of self-contained mysteries that let readers join the series at nearly any point. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Never Go Back - Book 21:
Personal
"Personal" (2014-09-02) follows Lee Child's drifter Jack Reacher -- a former U.S. Army military police major with no home, no luggage and an unerring instinct for arriving in towns where something is badly wrong -- into another self-contained mystery, written to be picked up on its own. It runs 432 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Personal - Book 22:
Make Me
Published 2015-09-08, "Make Me" is one of Lee Child's original run of Reacher novels, delivered at Child's steady one-book-a-year pace after the series launched with "Killing Floor" in 1997. Reacher investigates here with the same cold Army logic and, when talking stops working, sudden decisive violence. It runs 432 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Make Me - Book 23:
The Midnight Line
"The Midnight Line" (2017-11-07, 416 pages) drops Jack Reacher into a fresh conspiracy or crooked operation, standalone by design like every Reacher novel -- part of what let Lee Child's series sell well over 100 million copies without demanding readers start from book one. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Midnight Line - Book 24:
The Christmas Scorpion
"The Christmas Scorpion" (2018-10-02, 43 pages) is a short Reacher story, a brief detour from the novel-length entries that make up most of Lee Child's series but built around the same standalone, drop-Reacher-into-trouble formula. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Christmas Scorpion - Book 25:
Cleaning the Gold
"Cleaning the Gold" (2019-04-15, 129 pages) is a Jack Reacher short story co-written by Lee Child with fellow thriller author Karin Slaughter, a shorter one-off outside the main novel sequence but keeping Reacher's same investigative instincts and taste for sudden violence. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cleaning the Gold - Book 26:
Past Tense
In "Past Tense" (2018-11-05), Lee Child sends his six-foot-five ex-military-police drifter into another town with trouble under its respectable surface, narrated in the alternating first- and third-person style the series uses throughout. It runs 410 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Past Tense - Book 27:
Blue Moon
"Blue Moon" (2019-10-29) follows Lee Child's drifter Jack Reacher -- a former U.S. Army military police major with no home, no luggage and an unerring instinct for arriving in towns where something is badly wrong -- into another self-contained mystery, written to be picked up on its own. It runs 444 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blue Moon - Book 28:
The Sentinel
"The Sentinel" (2020-10-27, 404 pages) marks the handover point in the Reacher series -- the first novel co-written by Lee Child's brother Andrew Child, who has led the series since, keeping Reacher's drifting, standalone-mystery format and its annual autumn release rhythm intact. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Sentinel - Book 29:
Better Off Dead
"Better Off Dead" (2021-10-26, 460 pages) is one of the Jack Reacher novels co-written by Lee Child and his brother Andrew Child, who took over leading the series from "The Sentinel" (2020) onward, keeping Reacher's annual autumn release rhythm and self-contained mystery format going past thirty novels. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Better Off Dead - Book 30:
No Plan B
"No Plan B" (2022-10-25, 384 pages) is one of the Jack Reacher novels co-written by Lee Child and his brother Andrew Child, who took over leading the series from "The Sentinel" (2020) onward, keeping Reacher's annual autumn release rhythm and self-contained mystery format going past thirty novels. Alternative text for cover: Cover of No Plan B - Book 31:
In Too Deep
"In Too Deep" (2024-10-22, 376 pages) is written solely by Andrew Child, who now leads the Jack Reacher series after co-writing it with his brother Lee Child from "The Sentinel" (2020) onward -- continuing Reacher's drifting, standalone-mystery format and the series' annual autumn release rhythm. Alternative text for cover: Cover of In Too Deep - Book 32:
Exit Strategy
"Exit Strategy" (2025-11-11, 336 pages) is written solely by Andrew Child, who now leads the Jack Reacher series after co-writing it with his brother Lee Child from "The Sentinel" (2020) onward -- continuing Reacher's drifting, standalone-mystery format and the series' annual autumn release rhythm. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Exit Strategy - Book 33:
No Middle Name
"No Middle Name" (2017-05-16, 448 pages) collects Lee Child's Jack Reacher short stories rather than a single novel-length case -- generally recommended as a book to save for after you already know the character, rather than a starting point. Alternative text for cover: Cover of No Middle Name
Key facts about the Jack Reacher series
The Jack Reacher series has 33 books on our list. Since all 33 are out now, you can read the whole list today. 30 are novels, while the rest are a collection and 2 short stories.
Start with Killing Floor, since it opens the publication order in 1997. Die Trying is book 2, from 1998. Tripwire is book 3, from 1999.
Running Blind is book 4, from 2000. Echo Burning is book 5, from 2001. Without Fail is book 6, from 2002.
Persuader is book 7, from 2003, while The Enemy is book 8, from 2004. One Shot is book 9, from 2005.
The Hard Way is book 10, from 2006, while Bad Luck and Trouble is book 11, from 2007. Nothing to Lose is book 12, from 2008. Since the list above shows all 33, you can find the rest there.
However, the story's own timeline begins with The Enemy. Use the order switch above to see that timeline.
Exit Strategy is the latest book with a full release date, out on 11 November 2025. The catalogue marks it as ongoing, yet no next book has a date so far.
The books came out between 1997 and 2025, while their length runs from 43 to 543 pages. That is a run of 28 years.
Lee Child has 32 books on our list. This is the only series by them we track, while the author page lists the rest. We shelve the books under thriller.
About the Jack Reacher series
Jack Reacher is a former U.S. Army military police major who walks away from his uniform and, ultimately, from settled life altogether. He drifts across America with no home, no luggage and no plans — just a folding toothbrush, an ATM card and an unerring instinct for arriving in towns where something is badly wrong. Each novel drops this six-foot-five drifter into a self-contained mystery: a small-town conspiracy, a kidnapping, a crooked operation hiding behind respectable faces. Reacher investigates the way he was trained to, with cold logic and total recall of Army procedure, and when talking stops working he settles matters with sudden, decisive violence.
Lee Child launched the series with Killing Floor in 1997 and delivered a book a year for over two decades; since The Sentinel (2020) his brother Andrew Child has co-written and now leads the series, keeping the annual autumn release rhythm going past thirty novels. The books alternate between first-person and third-person narration and jump freely around Reacher's timeline — some are set during his Army career in the 1990s, others in the present day. Standalone by design, they reward binge-reading but almost never require it: you can pick up nearly any entry cold, which is a large part of why the series has sold well over 100 million copies and spawned two Tom Cruise films and the hit Amazon Reacher television series.
Frequently asked questions
Who writes the Jack Reacher series?
Lee Child wrote the series; books 25-28 were co-written with Andrew Child, who has continued the series alone from book 29.
How many Jack Reacher books are there?
There are 30 Jack Reacher novels as of Exit Strategy (2025), plus the short-story collection No Middle Name, the standalone e-short The Christmas Scorpion (2018) and the Karin Slaughter crossover novella Cleaning the Gold (2019). Book 31, Chain Reaction, is due 20 October 2026.
What order should I read the Jack Reacher books in?
Publication order, starting with Killing Floor, is the recommended default — every book stands alone. If you prefer story chronology, start with The Enemy, The Secret, Night School and The Affair, which are set during Reacher's Army years before Killing Floor.
Do I need to read the Jack Reacher books in order?
No. The novels are deliberately self-contained. The only real pairing to respect is 61 Hours followed by Worth Dying For, which resolves its cliffhanger.
Who writes the Jack Reacher books now?
Lee Child wrote books 1-24 solo (1997-2019). Books 25-28 (The Sentinel through The Secret, 2020-2023) were genuinely co-written with his brother Andrew Child. Starting with book 29, In Too Deep (2024), Andrew Child has written the novels entirely solo -- Lee Child has confirmed on record that he did not write In Too Deep or Exit Strategy (2025) himself, even though both are still marketed under both names.
Is the Reacher TV series based on the books?
Yes. Each season of Amazon's Reacher adapts one novel: season 1 is Killing Floor, season 2 is Bad Luck and Trouble, season 3 is Persuader.
If you like the Jack Reacher series
Last updated