Everything you need to know about the Jack Reacher books. Learn about Lee and Andrew Child, figure out which order to read them and quiz your Reacher knowledge.
Jack Reacher is a mysterious man.
A brutal ex-military officer with a thirst for justice, he’s drop-out renegade crusader who lives by his own code and roams the country, investigating suspicious – and often dangerous – situations.
He first appears in Killing Floor, stepping off a bus and walking hundreds of miles simply because he had nowhere else to be.
Since the publication of the first Jack Reacher book in 1997, the series has expanded to 30 books, each a self-contained thriller yet always anchored by the same unshakeable presence that is the enigmatic icon: Jack.
Read on to learn more about the series, the author and quiz yourself on your Reacher knowledge.
A quick overview
- Jack Reacher: Ex-military policeman, loner, drifter, and vigilante hero.
- First appeared in Killing Floor (1997); now nearly 30 books strong.
- Each novel is a stand-alone thriller but always anchored by Reacher’s presence.
- Created by Lee Child, now co-written with Andrew Child.
- Over 100 million copies sold worldwide, making Reacher one of the most iconic characters in modern thriller fiction.
About the series
Created by Lee Child in 1997, the Jack Reacher series started with Killing Floor. Today, Lee Child is joined by his brother Andrew Child in continuing the series, which has become a global phenomenon.
With 30 books in the series as of February 2026, the Jack Reacher books consistently achieve the number one slot on bestseller lists, resulting in over a hundred million copies sold.
No matter where the series takes readers, Reacher is unmoored, always moving, carrying only the clothes on his back. Yet wherever he goes, trouble seems to follow, and justice is never more than a few steps behind.
About Lee Child and Andrew Child
Lee Child is one of the world’s leading thriller writers. He was born in Coventry, raised in Birmingham, and now lives in New York. It is said one of his novels featuring his hero Jack Reacher is sold somewhere in the world every nine seconds. His books consistently achieve the number-one slot on bestseller lists around the world and have sold over one hundred million copies. Lee is the recipient of many awards, most recently Author of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards. He was appointed CBE in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours.
Andrew Child is the author of nine thrillers written under the name Andrew Grant. He is the younger brother of Lee Child. Born in Birmingham, he lives in Wyoming with his wife, the novelist Tasha Alexander.
He has co-authored several Jack Reacher books with Lee Child, including:
The stories behind the books
In August 2025, the Penguin Random House imprint Bantam published Reacher: The Stories Behind The Stories.
The first-ever autobiographical collection by Lee Child, the book outlines the real-life experiences that shaped the Reacher series. From a moving account of meeting a fan to seeing his novels adapted for the big screen, it’s a must-read for any Jack Reacher fan.
The Reacher books in order
Here’s a quick visual overview of the best order to read the Jack Reacher books. For in-depth descriptions of each book, check out Jack Reacher books in order.
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The very first book by number one bestseller Lee Child, which introduces his iconic hero Jack Reacher.
The dynamic second thriller from the number one bestselling author of KILLING FLOOR
From the world's number one bestseller, the chilling and addictive thriller that saw Major Jack Reacher face off with a serial killer.
Another heartstopping page turner from the number one bestseller, starring Jack Reacher.
Jack Reacher is back: this time, he's in the line of fire, protecting the Vice President of the United States
You do not mess with Reacher, in Lee Child's irresistible number one bestseller.
Jack Reacher is back - facing his most implacable enemy yet. Coming soon to Amazon Prime Video.
Get ready for the most exciting count-down of your life! Winner of the prestigious Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year prize, and chosen by the Sunday Times as one of the 50 best crime/thrillers of the last five years, 61 Hours stars today's most admired action hero, the gallant and enigmatic loner Jack Reacher.
Worth Dying For is the kind of explosive thriller only Lee Child could write, and only Jack Reacher could survive.
From the world's number one bestseller - the punch-packing Reacher thriller that marked a turning point in Reacher's career . . .
The taut new thriller from the Sunday Times and New York Times number one bestseller, winner of the Specsavers Crime & Thriller Book of the Year
By addictive bestseller Lee Child, the brand new, action-packed, high-tension Jack Reacher thriller, which sees Reacher, at the end of his long journey, honing in on his target in Virginia at last...
The 21st Jack Reacher thriller by number-one bestselling author Lee Child takes Reacher back to his army days, but this time he’s not in uniform. With trusted sergeant Frances Neagley at his side, he must carry the fate of the world on his shoulders, in a wired, fiendishly clever new adventure that will make the cold sweat trickle down your spine.
Top action hero Jack Reacher is back, in a new chilling, deadly adventure.
'There's only one Jack Reacher. Accept no substitutes.' - Mick Herron: our hero Jack Reacher's quest into his father's past climaxes in the most stomach-clenching, hair-raising, blood-curdling ticking time bomb of an adventure yet.
The edge-of-your-seat, heart-in-mouth new Jack Reacher thriller - his 25th adventure. No one's bigger than Jack Reacher.
Jack Reacher, \"the coolest series character\" (Stephen King), returns in a brand new, pulse-pounding read from Lee and Andrew Child.
Jack Reacher, \"the coolest continuing series character\" (Stephen King), returns in a brand new, pulse-pounding read from Lee and Andrew Child.
Jack Reacher, \"the coolest continuing series character\" (Stephen King), returns in a brand new, pulse-pounding read from Lee and Andrew Child.
Jack Reacher, \"the coolest continuing series character\" (Stephen King), returns in 2025 with his 30th adventure - a brand new, pulse-pounding read from global No.1 bestselling authors Lee and Andrew Child.
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