Summary
- The Jack Reacher book series, which contains almost 30 novels, can be read in any order as most books function as standalone works.
- Reacher season 1 received positive reviews from critics and viewers, leading to its renewal for a second and third season.
- Lee Child has published 28 Jack Reacher books as of October 2023, with the 29th installment scheduled for release in late 2024.
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If viewers of Reacher on Amazon Prime Video crave more Jack Reacher stories, they are in luck because the show is based on a book series containing almost 30 novels. Thankfully, the series can be read in any order since most books function as standalone works (but with Reacher still as the main character). Lee Child created the franchise when he published the first novel — Killing Floor — in the late 1990s, and it was an immediate hit. The book would set up a beloved series that has been adapted for the screen multiple times, including the 2012 film Jack Reacher, starring Tom Cruise as the titular character, and the Amazon show.
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All eight episodes of Reacher season 1 dropped on February 4, 2022, and it received widespread love from critics and viewers alike. The week after its debut, the action crime television series was the most streamed show, marking the first time an Amazon original accomplished this feat. Unsurprisingly, Amazon renewed Reacher for another eight-episode second season, which premiered on December 15, 2023, and its finale is scheduled for January 19, 2024. Reacher season 2 has earned as much praise as the first, leading to an early season 3 renewal. Whereas the first season draws inspiration from the first Jack Reacher novel, Killing Floor, season 2 is based on the eleventh book, Bad Luck and Trouble.
Jack Reacher Book Series In Order Of Publication Date
As of October 2023, Lee Child has published 28 Jack Reacher books, and the 29th installment is scheduled to be released in late 2024. The author seemingly drops one novel a year (with a few exceptions, of course), and he is showing no signs of stopping, which is good news for fans of the series. The Jack Reacher book series in publication date order is as follows:
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- Killing Floor (1997)
- Die Trying (1998)
- Tripwire (1999)
- Running Blind (2000)
- Echo Burning (2001)
- Without Fail (2002)
- Persuader (2003)
- The Enemy (2004)
- One Shot (2005)
- The Hard Way (2006)
- Bad Luck and Trouble (2007)
- Nothing to Lose (2008)
- Gone Tomorrow (2009)
- 61 Hours (2010)
- Worth Dying For (2010)
- The Affair (2011)
- A Wanted Man (2012)
- Never Go Back (2013)
- Personal (2014)
- Make Me (2015)
- Night School (2016)
- The Midnight Line (2017)
- Past Tense (2018)
- Blue Moon (2019)
- The Sentinel (2020)
- Better Off Dead (2021)
- No Plan B (2022)
- The Secret (2023)
- In Too Deep (2024)
Killing Floor
Published in March 1997
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Although the Jack Reacher book series can technically be consumed in any order, it might be best to start with the first novel — Killing Floor. It would probably be easier to keep track of the books that have already been read if readers stick to the series' release order. Killing Floor introduced the character of Jack Reacher to the universe and revolved around the former U.S. Army Military Police Major being framed for a crime he didn't commit shortly after arriving in Margrave, Georgia. This story was depicted in Reacher season 1 on Amazon Prime Video.
Die Trying
Published in July 1998
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Following the success of his first book, Lee Child released the second installment in the Jack Reacher series, Die Trying, in July 1998. As mentioned above, Child wrote these novels so that each could be read as a standalone work, meaning that Die Trying could be the first book a fan consumes, and the story will still make sense. In the second novel, Jack Reacher travels to Chicago, where he and a woman are kidnapped and taken 2,000 miles away.
Tripwire
Published in July 1999
Tripwire, the third book in the Jack Reacher franchise, was released in July 1999. The story revolves around Jack Reacher in Key West, contemplating leaving his life as a drifter, but the death of a New York investigator hired to find Reacher ruins his plans. As it turns out, they were hired by the daughter of Reacher's mentor, who wants Reacher's help investigating a Vietnam MIA.
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Running Blind
Published in April 2000
The fourth novel in Lee Child's Jack Reacher series is Running Blind, published in April 2000. Alternatively, the book is titled The Visitor in the United Kingdom. Once again, Reacher is suspected of murder in Running Blind after the deaths of two female soldiers who left the army after they were sexually harassed. However, while he is in custody, another body is found, proving Reacher's innocence. He is then coerced into helping the murder investigation.
Echo Burning
Published in April 2001
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Echo Burning is the fifth installment in the Jack Reacher franchise and was released in April 2001. In the story, Reacher is hitchhiking in Texas when a woman gives him a ride. She explains that she is in an abusive marriage, and Reacher agrees to help her. But once he learns more about the situation, it's evident that there is more to it than meets the eye.
Without Fail
Published in April 2002
Lee Child published the sixth book in the Jack Reacher series, Without Fail, in April 2002. The novel continues painting Reacher as a drifter as he finds himself in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where the former Major is approached by a Secret Service agent asking for his help. The Vice President of the United States receives multiple threats, and the agent wants Reacher to tell her how he could kill the Vice President so that she can prepare for the worst.
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Persuader
Published in April 2003
Persuader, the seventh novel in the Jack Reacher series, debuted in April 2003 and featured Reacher running into someone he thought was dead. The man, Francis Xavier Quinn, murdered two of Reacher's former colleagues, and Reacher will stop at nothing to get Quinn behind bars, even teaming up with the DEA.
The Enemy
Published in April 2004
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Lee Child published the eighth Jack Reacher book in April 2004, and it serves as a prequel to Killing Floor (but the order in which fans read them still doesn't matter). The novel takes readers back to 1990 and centers around a general who has a heart attack and dies while he is with a sex worker. Reacher is called in to contain the situation and keep the circumstances surrounding the general's death a secret.
One Shot
Published in April 2005
One Shot debuted in April 2005 and is the ninth installment in the Jack Reacher franchise. The book tells the story of a man named James Barr, who is accused of killing five people as a sniper. He pleads that he is innocent, but when no one believes him, James instructs the police to get Jack Reacher. The 2012 film Jack Reacher pulled inspiration from One Shot for its plot, and Reacher implied that the book's events transpired between the season 1 finale and the season 2 premiere.
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The Hard Way
Published in May 2006
The tenth novel in Lee Child's Jack Reacher series is The Hard Way, released in May 2006. In The Hard Way, Reacher is hired to rescue the wife and stepchild of the director of a private military company after they are kidnapped. But, as always, the truth behind the tale isn't clear-cut.
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Bad Luck and Trouble
Published in April 2007
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Bad Luck and Trouble, published in April 2007, is the 11th installment in Lee Child's series. The book introduces readers to the 110th Special Investigations Unit — Reacher's elite team of army investigators. Former members start dying, leading to a reunion between the surviving characters, who band together to solve the case. Bad Luck and Trouble is the inspiration behind Reacher season 2 on Amazon Prime Video.
Nothing to Lose
Published in March 2008
The 12th book in the Jack Reacher series is Nothing to Lose, released in March 2008. Nothing to Lose revolves around Reacher's unwelcome arrival in the fictional town of Despair, Colorado. Curious as always, Reacher begins investigating why the town despises visitors.
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Gone Tomorrow
Published in April 2009
Gone Tomorrow is the 13th novel in the franchise and was published in April 2009. In the book, Jack Reacher happens upon who he believes is a suicide bomber on the subway during the late night hours. However, when he tries to reason with her, she shoots herself instead.
61 Hours
Published in March 2010
The 14th book in the Jack Reacher series is 61 Hours, published in March 2010. The story begins with a tourist bus accident in South Dakota during a snowstorm. Reacher was in the vehicle when it crashed, but the book takes an investigative turn when he starts searching for a murderer.
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Worth Dying For
Published in September 2010
Worth Dying For was released only a few months following 6 1 Hours, marking the first time Lee Child published two Jack Reacher books in one year. Worth Dying For serves as the 15th novel in the franchise, which features Reacher getting himself into some trouble when he defends a victim of domestic abuse. The story takes place in a rural town in Nebraska.
The Affair
Published in September 2011
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The Affair is the 16th installment in the Jack Reacher book series and was released on September 27, 2011. The Affair is another prequel that takes place in March 1997 — three months before the events of Killing Floor. But, as always, it doesn't matter the order in which fans read the series. In the novel, Reacher goes undercover during a military police investigation into the murder of a soldier's girlfriend.
A Wanted Man
Published in September 2012
The 17th novel in the Jack Reacher franchise is A Wanted Man, published on September 11, 2012. The book tells the story of another dangerous hitchhiking situation when Reacher finds himself in a car with two kidnappers and the woman they abducted. As always, it's up to Reacher to save the woman.
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Never Go Back
Published in September 2013
Never Go Back serves as the 18th installment in the Jack Reacher franchise and was released on September 3, 2013. The book is a continuation of 61 Hours (it might be best to read that one first, but it's not necessary). In the story, Reacher travels to the headquarters of the 110th Special Investigations Unit and discovers that the new commanding officer has been arrested. The 2016 film Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, a sequel to the 2012 movie starring Tom Cruise, is based on Never Go Back.
Personal
Published in August 2014
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The 19th novel in Lee Child's Jack Reacher series is Personal, published on August 28, 2014. Following an assassination attempt on the French President's life, Reacher is hired to locate the criminal. However, the lead suspect is someone from Reacher's past.
Make Me
Published in September 2015
Make Me is the 20th novel in the Jack Reacher franchise and was released on September 8, 2015. Reacher takes on another case in the book when he stops in the fictional town of Mother's Rest. A person has gone missing, and it's up to Reacher to find them.
Night School
Published in November 2016
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The 21st installment in the Jack Reacher book series is Night School, published on November 8, 2016. Night School serves as another prequel and is set in 1996 before the events of The Affair and Killing Floor. In the novel, Reacher is still in the army and is tasked with deciphering a CIA informant's cryptic message.
The Midnight Line
Published in November 2017
The Midnight Line was released on November 7, 2017, and is the 22nd work in the franchise. The book directly follows Make Me (but can still be understood without reading the 20th novel first). The story revolves around Reacher trying to locate the owner of a West Point Graduation ring that he found in a pawn shop.
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Past Tense
Published in November 2018
The 23rd installment in Lee Child's Jack Reacher book series is Past Tense, published on November 5, 2018. In the novel, Reacher travels to Laconia, New Hampshire — his father's hometown. There, he learns more about his father's mysterious past.
Blue Moon
Published in October 2019
Blue Moon is the 24th book in the Jack Reacher franchise and was released on October 29, 2019. Reacher accidentally finds himself in the middle of a turf war between two gangs in the novel. He was trying to help someone he believed to be a victim and had no idea what that would entail.
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The Sentinel
Published in October 2020
The Sentinel serves as the 25th novel in the Jack Reacher series and was released on October 29, 2020. Reacher continues his life as a drifter as it begins with him hitching a ride to a town called Pleasantville. However, there is nothing pleasant about it because Reacher is thrust into a kidnapping case upon arrival.
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Better Off Dead
Published in October 2021
The 26th installment in Lee Child's Jack Reacher franchise is Better Off Dead, published on October 26, 2021. In the book, Reacher is on his way to San Francisco when he stumbles upon a wrecked car in Arizona. He helps the woman inside and learns about her mission to find her twin brother, and Reacher, being Reacher, agrees to assist her.
No Plan B
Published in October 2022
No Plan B, released on October 25, 2022, is the 27th book in the Jack Reacher series. The novel revolves around the apparent suicide of a woman, but Reacher is convinced otherwise because he saw her get pushed in front of the bus. He tries to track the culprit down and learns the situation is much more complicated than it initially seemed.
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The Secret
Published in October 2023
The Secret is the 28th installment in the Jack Reacher book series and was published on October 24, 2023. The novel is another prequel, and it is set in 1992 when Reacher was still in the army. A string of murders appear to be connected in The Secret, and Reacher is tasked with investigating the baffling case.
In Too Deep
Set to be published in October 2024
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In Too Deep will serve as the 29th book in the Jack Reacher franchise and is set to be released on October 21, 2024. According to early descriptions, the story begins with Reacher waking up in a dark room without any recollection of how he got there. He is handcuffed to the bed, and his arm is badly wounded, but Reacher always manages to find his way out of precarious situations.
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Other Published Stories Featuring Jack Reacher
Aside from the 28 (soon to be 29) published books in the Jack Reacher series, Lee Child has also written a plethora of short stories and novellas that he has released over the years. These works include:
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- Second Son
- Deep Down
- Guy Walks into a Bar
- James Penney's New Identity
- High Heat
- Everyone Talks
- Not a Drill
- Good and Valuable Consideration
- Small Wars
- The Picture of the Lonely Diner
- No Middle Name: The Complete Collected Short Stories
- Faking a Murderer
- Too Much Time
- The Christmas Scorpion
- The Fourth Man
New episodes of Reacher season 2 premiere on Fridays on Amazon Prime Video.