Series · thriller
Jack Reacher
The Jack Reacher series by Lee Child has 31 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Killing Floor (1997). The next book, Chain Reaction, is due 20 October 2026.
- Books
- 31 books
- First published
- 1997
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: Killing Floor (1997) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Killing Floor
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Killing Floor - Book 2:
Die Trying
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Die Trying - Book 3:
Tripwire
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Tripwire - Book 4:
Running Blind
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Running Blind - Book 5:
Echo Burning
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Echo Burning - Book 6:
Without Fail
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Without Fail - Book 7:
Persuader
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Persuader - Book 8:
The Enemy
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Enemy - Book 9:
One Shot
Alternative text for cover: Cover of One Shot - Book 10:
The Hard Way
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Hard Way - Book 11:
Bad Luck and Trouble
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bad Luck and Trouble - Book 12:
Nothing to Lose
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Nothing to Lose - Book 13:
Gone Tomorrow
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Gone Tomorrow - Book 14:
61 Hours
Alternative text for cover: Cover of 61 Hours - Book 15:
Worth Dying For
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Worth Dying For - Book 16:
The Affair
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Affair - Book 17:
A Wanted Man
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Wanted Man - Book 18:
Never Go Back
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Never Go Back - Book 19:
Personal
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Personal - Book 20:
Make Me
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Make Me - Book 21:
Night School
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Night School - Book 22:
No Middle Name
Alternative text for cover: Cover of No Middle Name - Book 23:
The Midnight Line
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Midnight Line - Book 24:
Past Tense
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Past Tense - Book 25:
Blue Moon
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blue Moon - Book 26:
The Sentinel
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Sentinel - Book 27:
Better Off Dead
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Better Off Dead - Book 28:
No Plan B
Alternative text for cover: Cover of No Plan B - Book 29:
The Secret
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Secret - Book 30:
In Too Deep
Alternative text for cover: Cover of In Too Deep - Book 31:
Exit Strategy
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
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Enemy - Book 2:
The Secret
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Secret - Book 3:
Night School
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Night School - Book 4:
The Affair
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Affair - Book 5:
Killing Floor
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Killing Floor - Book 6:
Die Trying
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Die Trying - Book 7:
Tripwire
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Tripwire - Book 8:
Running Blind
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Running Blind - Book 9:
Echo Burning
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Echo Burning - Book 10:
Without Fail
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Without Fail - Book 11:
Persuader
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Persuader - Book 12:
One Shot
Alternative text for cover: Cover of One Shot - Book 13:
The Hard Way
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Hard Way - Book 14:
Bad Luck and Trouble
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bad Luck and Trouble - Book 15:
Nothing to Lose
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Nothing to Lose - Book 16:
Gone Tomorrow
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Gone Tomorrow - Book 17:
61 Hours
Alternative text for cover: Cover of 61 Hours - Book 18:
Worth Dying For
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Worth Dying For - Book 19:
A Wanted Man
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Wanted Man - Book 20:
Never Go Back
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Never Go Back - Book 21:
Personal
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Personal - Book 22:
Make Me
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Make Me - Book 23:
The Midnight Line
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Midnight Line - Book 24:
Past Tense
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Past Tense - Book 25:
Blue Moon
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blue Moon - Book 26:
The Sentinel
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Sentinel - Book 27:
Better Off Dead
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Better Off Dead - Book 28:
No Plan B
Alternative text for cover: Cover of No Plan B - Book 29:
In Too Deep
Alternative text for cover: Cover of In Too Deep - Book 30:
Exit Strategy
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Exit Strategy - Book 31:
No Middle Name
Alternative text for cover: Cover of No Middle Name
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.
How to read this series
Publication order is the default and works perfectly — every Reacher novel is written as a standalone, and the books are numbered by publication. Start with Killing Floor to meet Reacher the way the world did.
Chronological (story) order is genuinely different here: The Enemy (set 1990), The Secret (1992), Night School (1996) and The Affair (March 1997) all take place during or just before the end of Reacher's Army career, before Killing Floor begins his drifting years. Purists who want Reacher's life in sequence should use the chronological list; everyone else can treat the Army-era books as welcome flashbacks. One mild exception to "read anything first": Worth Dying For picks up directly after the cliffhanger ending of 61 Hours, so read those two together. No Middle Name collects the short stories and is best saved for after you know the character.
Frequently asked questions
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. 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. From The Sentinel (2020) onward the novels are credited to Lee Child and Andrew Child (his brother), with Andrew progressively taking over the writing.
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.
Reading order last verified .