There are 31 books in the Jack Reacher series, starting with Killing Floor, which was published in 1997. The most recent published book was Exit Strategy, a Reacher novella that was published in 2025. The newest Jack Reacher book, Chain Reaction, will be published in October 2026.
Jack Reacher
by31 books in this series
Jack Reacher is a former major in the US Military Police who, since leaving the army, has drifted round the wide open spaces of America, hitchhiking or on buses, wherever the whim takes him. He has no permanent address, no job, no family ties, no car, no luggage, no mobile phone, no credit card - all he carries with him is a folding toothbrush.
Reacher is never looking for trouble, but somehow trouble always find him. He is the ultimate hero for our troubled times, with a keen moral compass and sense of justice, even if he is often prepared to take the law into his own hands: he says he doesn't want to put the world to rights, he just doesn't like people who put it to wrongs.
Reacher is never looking for trouble, but somehow trouble always find him. He is the ultimate hero for our troubled times, with a keen moral compass and sense of justice, even if he is often prepared to take the law into his own hands: he says he doesn't want to put the world to rights, he just doesn't like people who put it to wrongs.
#1 - Killing Floor
'This was the first Jack Reacher novel and with its lean, spare prose it has one of the most intriguing heroes of our times and displays a gift for explosive drama.' Daily Express
Jack Reacher jumps off a bus and walks fourteen miles down a country road into Margrave, Georgia. An arbitrary decision he's about to regret.
Reacher is the only stranger in town on the day they have had their first homicide in thirty years.The cops arrest Reacher and the police chief turns eyewitness to place him at the scene. As nasty secrets leak out, and the body count mounts, one thing is for sure.
They picked the wrong guy to take the fall.
Jack Reacher jumps off a bus and walks fourteen miles down a country road into Margrave, Georgia. An arbitrary decision he's about to regret.
Reacher is the only stranger in town on the day they have had their first homicide in thirty years.The cops arrest Reacher and the police chief turns eyewitness to place him at the scene. As nasty secrets leak out, and the body count mounts, one thing is for sure.
They picked the wrong guy to take the fall.
#2 - Die Trying
'Cunning, explosive . . . A thumping good read.' Time Out
Jack Reacher, alone, strolling nowhere.
A Chicago street in bright sunshine. A young woman, struggling on crutches. Reacher offers her a steadying arm.
And turns to see a handgun aimed at his stomach.
Chained in a dark van racing across America, Reacher doesn't know why they've been kidnapped. The woman claims to be FBI. She's certainly tough enough. But at their remote destination, will raw courage be enough to overcome the hopeless odds?
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Die Trying is the 2nd in the series.
Jack Reacher, alone, strolling nowhere.
A Chicago street in bright sunshine. A young woman, struggling on crutches. Reacher offers her a steadying arm.
And turns to see a handgun aimed at his stomach.
Chained in a dark van racing across America, Reacher doesn't know why they've been kidnapped. The woman claims to be FBI. She's certainly tough enough. But at their remote destination, will raw courage be enough to overcome the hopeless odds?
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Die Trying is the 2nd in the series.
#3 - Tripwire
‘If the final pages of this story don’t make your heart race, then you might want to make sure your heart is still working.’ KARIN SLAUGHTER
For Jack Reacher, being invisible has become a habit.
He spends his days digging swimming pools by hand and his nights as the bouncer in a local strip club in the Florida Keys.
He doesn't want to be found.
But someone has sent a private detective to seek him out. Then Reacher finds the guy beaten to death with his fingertips sliced off. It's time to head north and work out who is trying to find him and why.
_________
'Lee Child continues his meteoric rise and mastery of suspense with Tripwire. It's a tightly-drawn and swift thriller that gives new meaning to what a page-turner should be.' MICHAEL CONNELLY
'A slickly effective thriller which confirms Child's ability to keep the reader guessing - and sweating.' THE TIMES
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Tripwire is 3rd in the series.
For Jack Reacher, being invisible has become a habit.
He spends his days digging swimming pools by hand and his nights as the bouncer in a local strip club in the Florida Keys.
He doesn't want to be found.
But someone has sent a private detective to seek him out. Then Reacher finds the guy beaten to death with his fingertips sliced off. It's time to head north and work out who is trying to find him and why.
_________
'Lee Child continues his meteoric rise and mastery of suspense with Tripwire. It's a tightly-drawn and swift thriller that gives new meaning to what a page-turner should be.' MICHAEL CONNELLY
'A slickly effective thriller which confirms Child's ability to keep the reader guessing - and sweating.' THE TIMES
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Tripwire is 3rd in the series.
#4 - The Visitor
Two female army high-flyers. Both acquainted with Jack Reacher. Both forced to resign from the service.
Now they're both dead.
Found in their own homes, naked, in a bath full of paint. Apparent victims of an army man. A loner, a smart guy with a score to settle.
A ruthless vigilante.
A man just like Jack Reacher.
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, The Visitor is the 4th in the series.
Now they're both dead.
Found in their own homes, naked, in a bath full of paint. Apparent victims of an army man. A loner, a smart guy with a score to settle.
A ruthless vigilante.
A man just like Jack Reacher.
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, The Visitor is the 4th in the series.
#5 - Echo Burning
"Complete with crackling fast dialogue, an edgy ambivalent plot, and the capacity to make his readers turn the page, this feels like Child's breakthrough book into the mega-sellers. He is that good." (Daily Mail)
Jack Reacher, adrift in the hellish heat of a Texas summer.
Looking for a lift through the vast empty landscape. A woman stops, and offers a ride. She is young, rich and beautiful.
But her husband's in jail. When he comes out, he's going to kill her.
Her family's hostile, she can't trust the cops, and the lawyers won't help. She is entangled in a web of lies and prejudice, hatred and murder.
Jack Reacher never could resist a lady in distress.
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Echo Burning is 5th in the series.
Jack Reacher, adrift in the hellish heat of a Texas summer.
Looking for a lift through the vast empty landscape. A woman stops, and offers a ride. She is young, rich and beautiful.
But her husband's in jail. When he comes out, he's going to kill her.
Her family's hostile, she can't trust the cops, and the lawyers won't help. She is entangled in a web of lies and prejudice, hatred and murder.
Jack Reacher never could resist a lady in distress.
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Echo Burning is 5th in the series.
#6 - Without Fail
A Washington woman asks Reacher for help. Her job? Protecting the Vice-President. Discover the action-packed thriller from the global bestselling author.
'Lee Child's protagonist, Jack Reacher, is a hero in the Dirty Harry style, a man who lives by his own principles . . . Produces a surprising twist when it's least expected.' Sunday Telegraph
'If there is a more iconic character in modern fiction than Jack Reacher, I'd like to meet them.' Daily Mirror
_________
Jack Reacher walks alone.
No job, no ID, no last known address. But he never turns down a plea for help. Now a woman tracks him down. A woman serving at the very heart of US power. A woman who needs Reacher's assistance in her new job.
Her job?
Protecting the Vice-President of the United States.
Her problem?
Someone wants the VP dead.
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Without Fail is the 6th in the series.
'Lee Child's protagonist, Jack Reacher, is a hero in the Dirty Harry style, a man who lives by his own principles . . . Produces a surprising twist when it's least expected.' Sunday Telegraph
'If there is a more iconic character in modern fiction than Jack Reacher, I'd like to meet them.' Daily Mirror
_________
Jack Reacher walks alone.
No job, no ID, no last known address. But he never turns down a plea for help. Now a woman tracks him down. A woman serving at the very heart of US power. A woman who needs Reacher's assistance in her new job.
Her job?
Protecting the Vice-President of the United States.
Her problem?
Someone wants the VP dead.
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Without Fail is the 6th in the series.
#7 - Persuader
"Ballsy, dynamic and not for the faint-hearted." (Daily Mail)
Never forgive, never forget.
Jack Reacher lives for the moment. Without a home. Without commitment. But he has a burning desire to right wrongs - and rewrite his own agonizing past.
Never apologize. Never explain.
When Reacher witnesses a brutal kidnap attempt, he takes the law into his own hands. But a cop dies. Has Reacher lost his sense of right and wrong?
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Persuader is seventh in the series.
Never forgive, never forget.
Jack Reacher lives for the moment. Without a home. Without commitment. But he has a burning desire to right wrongs - and rewrite his own agonizing past.
Never apologize. Never explain.
When Reacher witnesses a brutal kidnap attempt, he takes the law into his own hands. But a cop dies. Has Reacher lost his sense of right and wrong?
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Persuader is seventh in the series.
#8 - The Enemy
'There's only one Jack Reacher. Accept no substitutes' Mick Herron
'The thing about Lee Child's books is that you can't put the damn things down. . .there's something about his writing that's addictive. The Enemy is no exception. . .Superb.' Independent on Sunday
_____________
North Carolina. New Year's Day, 1990. A soldier is found dead in a sleazy motel bed.
Jack Reacher is the officer on duty. The soldier turns out to be a two-star general.
The situation is bad enough, then Reacher finds the body of the general's wife.
This stomach-churning thriller turns back the clock to a younger Reacher, in dogtags. A Reacher who still believes in the service. A Reacher who imposes army discipline. Even if only in his own pragmatic way...
'The thing about Lee Child's books is that you can't put the damn things down. . .there's something about his writing that's addictive. The Enemy is no exception. . .Superb.' Independent on Sunday
_____________
North Carolina. New Year's Day, 1990. A soldier is found dead in a sleazy motel bed.
Jack Reacher is the officer on duty. The soldier turns out to be a two-star general.
The situation is bad enough, then Reacher finds the body of the general's wife.
This stomach-churning thriller turns back the clock to a younger Reacher, in dogtags. A Reacher who still believes in the service. A Reacher who imposes army discipline. Even if only in his own pragmatic way...
#9 - One Shot
Six shots. Five dead.
A heartland city thrown into terror. But within hours the cops have it solved. A slam-dunk case. Apart from one thing. The accused gunman refuses to talk except for a single phrase:
Get Jack Reacher for me.
Reacher lives off the grid. He's not looking for trouble. But sometimes trouble looks for him. What could connect the noble Reacher to this psychopathic killer?
_________
Although the Jack Reacher can be read in any order, One Shot is the 9th in the series.
A heartland city thrown into terror. But within hours the cops have it solved. A slam-dunk case. Apart from one thing. The accused gunman refuses to talk except for a single phrase:
Get Jack Reacher for me.
Reacher lives off the grid. He's not looking for trouble. But sometimes trouble looks for him. What could connect the noble Reacher to this psychopathic killer?
_________
Although the Jack Reacher can be read in any order, One Shot is the 9th in the series.
#10 - The Hard Way
Jack Reacher is alone, the way he likes it.
He watches a man cross a New York street and drive away in a Mercedes. The car contains $1 million of ransom money. Reacher's job is to make sure it all turns out right - money paid, family safely returned.
But Reacher is in the middle of a nasty little war where nothing is simple.
What started on a busy New York street explodes three thousand miles away, in the sleepy English countryside.
Reacher's going to have to do this one the hard way.
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, The Hard Way is the 10th in the series.
He watches a man cross a New York street and drive away in a Mercedes. The car contains $1 million of ransom money. Reacher's job is to make sure it all turns out right - money paid, family safely returned.
But Reacher is in the middle of a nasty little war where nothing is simple.
What started on a busy New York street explodes three thousand miles away, in the sleepy English countryside.
Reacher's going to have to do this one the hard way.
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, The Hard Way is the 10th in the series.
#11 - Bad Luck And Trouble
You do not mess with Jack Reacher.
He is as close to untraceable as a person can get. A loner comfortable in his anonymity and solitude. So when a member of his old Army unit finds a way to contact him, he knows this has to be serious.
You do not mess with the Special Investigators.
In the past the elite team always watched each other's backs. Now one of them has shown up dead in the California desert and six more are missing.
Reacher's old buddies are in big trouble, and he can't let that go.
He is as close to untraceable as a person can get. A loner comfortable in his anonymity and solitude. So when a member of his old Army unit finds a way to contact him, he knows this has to be serious.
You do not mess with the Special Investigators.
In the past the elite team always watched each other's backs. Now one of them has shown up dead in the California desert and six more are missing.
Reacher's old buddies are in big trouble, and he can't let that go.
#12 - Nothing To Lose
'A high-testosterone adventure . . . a page turner. Thrilling.' Observer
From Hope to Despair.
Between two small towns in Colorado, nothing but twelve miles of empty road.
All Jack Reacher wants is a cup of coffee. What he gets are four redneck deputies, a vagrancy charge and a trip back to the line.
But Reacher is a big man, and he's in shape.
No job, no address, no baggage. Nothing, except bloody-minded curiosity.
What are the secrets the locals seem so determined to hide?
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Nothing To Lose is 12th in the series.
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***
From Hope to Despair.
Between two small towns in Colorado, nothing but twelve miles of empty road.
All Jack Reacher wants is a cup of coffee. What he gets are four redneck deputies, a vagrancy charge and a trip back to the line.
But Reacher is a big man, and he's in shape.
No job, no address, no baggage. Nothing, except bloody-minded curiosity.
What are the secrets the locals seem so determined to hide?
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Nothing To Lose is 12th in the series.
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***
#13 - Gone Tomorrow
Enhances his status as a mythic avenger. . .You'll be left with a thumping heart and a racing pulse but, be warned, Chapter 63 will give you nightmares. (Evening Standard)
Suicide bombers are easy to spot.
They give out all kinds of tell-tale signs.There are twelve things to look for.No one who has worked in law enforcement will ever forget them.
New York City.The subway, two o'clock in the morning.
Jack Reacher studies his fellow passengers.Four are OK.The fifth isn't.
The train brakes for Grand Central Station.
Will Reacher intervene, and save lives?
Or is he wrong?Will his intervention cost lives - including his own?
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Gone Tomorrow is 13th in the series.
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***
Suicide bombers are easy to spot.
They give out all kinds of tell-tale signs.There are twelve things to look for.No one who has worked in law enforcement will ever forget them.
New York City.The subway, two o'clock in the morning.
Jack Reacher studies his fellow passengers.Four are OK.The fifth isn't.
The train brakes for Grand Central Station.
Will Reacher intervene, and save lives?
Or is he wrong?Will his intervention cost lives - including his own?
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Gone Tomorrow is 13th in the series.
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***
#14 - 61 Hours
GET READY FOR THE MOST EXCITING COUNT-DOWN OF YOUR LIFE
HOUR SIXTY-ONE
Icy winter in South Dakota. A bus skids and crashes in a gathering storm. On the back seat: Jack Reacher, hitching a ride to nowhere. A life without baggage has many advantages. And disadvantages too, like facing the arctic cold without a coat.
HOUR THIRTY-ONE
A small town is threatened by sinister forces. One brave woman is standing up for justice.If she's going to live to testify, she'll need help from a man like Reacher.Because there's a killercoming for her.
HOUR ZERO
Has Reacher finally met his match? He doesn't want to put the world to rights. He just doesn't like people who put it to wrongs.
_________
NOW READ THE SEQUEL: Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, the ending of 61 Hours is directly followed by Worth Dying For.
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***
HOUR SIXTY-ONE
Icy winter in South Dakota. A bus skids and crashes in a gathering storm. On the back seat: Jack Reacher, hitching a ride to nowhere. A life without baggage has many advantages. And disadvantages too, like facing the arctic cold without a coat.
HOUR THIRTY-ONE
A small town is threatened by sinister forces. One brave woman is standing up for justice.If she's going to live to testify, she'll need help from a man like Reacher.Because there's a killercoming for her.
HOUR ZERO
Has Reacher finally met his match? He doesn't want to put the world to rights. He just doesn't like people who put it to wrongs.
_________
NOW READ THE SEQUEL: Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, the ending of 61 Hours is directly followed by Worth Dying For.
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***
#15 - Worth Dying For
'If anyone can put down Worth Dying For after the first few pages, then they shouldn't really be reading thrillers at all' Independent
There's trouble in the deadly wilds of Nebraska . . . and Reacher walks right into it. He falls foul of the Duncans, a local clan that has terrified an entire country into submission.
But it's the unsolved case of a missing eight-year-old girl that Reacher can't let go.
Reacher - bruised and battered - should have just kept going. But for Reacher, that was impossible.
What, in this fearful county, would be worth dying for?
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Worth Dying For follows on directly from the end of 61 Hours.
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***
There's trouble in the deadly wilds of Nebraska . . . and Reacher walks right into it. He falls foul of the Duncans, a local clan that has terrified an entire country into submission.
But it's the unsolved case of a missing eight-year-old girl that Reacher can't let go.
Reacher - bruised and battered - should have just kept going. But for Reacher, that was impossible.
What, in this fearful county, would be worth dying for?
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Worth Dying For follows on directly from the end of 61 Hours.
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***
#16 - The Affair
'There's only one Jack Reacher. Accept no substitutes.' Mick Herron
March 1997. A woman has her throat cut behind a bar in Mississippi.
Just down the road is a big army base. Is the murderer a local guy - or is he a soldier?
Jack Reacher, still a major in the military police, is sent in undercover.
The county sheriff is a former U.S. Marine - and a stunningly beautiful woman. Her investigation is going nowhere. Is the Pentagon stonewalling her? Or is she trying not to find the killer?
Set just six months before the opening of Killing Floor, The Affair marks a turning point in Reacher's career.
If he does what the army wants, will he be able to live with himself? And if he doesn't, will the army be able to live with him?
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, The Affair is 16th in the series.
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***
March 1997. A woman has her throat cut behind a bar in Mississippi.
Just down the road is a big army base. Is the murderer a local guy - or is he a soldier?
Jack Reacher, still a major in the military police, is sent in undercover.
The county sheriff is a former U.S. Marine - and a stunningly beautiful woman. Her investigation is going nowhere. Is the Pentagon stonewalling her? Or is she trying not to find the killer?
Set just six months before the opening of Killing Floor, The Affair marks a turning point in Reacher's career.
If he does what the army wants, will he be able to live with himself? And if he doesn't, will the army be able to live with him?
_________
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, The Affair is 16th in the series.
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***
Frequently asked questions
How many Jack Reacher books are there?
Do you need to read the Jack Reacher books in order?
No, you don’t need to read the Jack Reacher books in order. Each book typically starts with Reacher alone, in a new US city, and stumbling across a crime or conspiracy that only he can solve. As such, these books are standalone thrillers that can be read in any order. That being said, there are four exceptions: 61 Hours, Worth Dying For, A Wanted Man and Never Go Back form a mini-series that follows Reacher attempting to reach Virginia to meet an old friend.
Which books are in the Reacher Amazon Prime series?
Reacher first came to Amazon Prime in 2022 and the fourth season came out in 2026. The series is based on Lee Child’s books but, as proof that they can be read in any order, they have not been adapted chronologically:
- Season One is based on Killing Floor (1997), the first book in the Reacher series.
- Season Two is based on Bad Luck and Trouble (2007), the 11th book in the series.
- Season Three is based on Persuader (2003), the 7th book in the series.
- Season Four will be based on Gone Tomorrow (2009), the 13th book in the series.
What is Lee Child’s latest book?
Exit Strategy is the latest Jack Reacher story by Lee Child and Andrew Child and was published in November 2025 (but came out in paperback March 2026). The story sees Reacher return as a vigilante for the vulnerable, responding to an urgent plea for help from a stranger in need. The newest Jack Reacher novel, Chain Reaction, will be released in October 2026.
Pick and mix deal - Lee Child
Pick and mix any 6 for £30 from Lee Child's Jack Reacher series at the Penguin Shop