Increasing Order: A Comprehensive Guide to Jack Reacher's Novels
Discover the ultimate guide to the thrilling Jack Reacher series, featuring all the books and short stories in perfect chronological order Dive into the gripping world of Jack Reacher as he takes on dangerous missions, uncovers shocking conspiracies, and delivers justice like no other Get ready for non-stop action and suspense in this must-read collection
As Season 2 of Prime Video's Reacher approaches, you might be interested in exploring the source material. To assist you, here is a comprehensive guide to all the books and short stories in the popular Jack Reacher series, as well as the recommended reading order.
The Jack Reacher book series, penned by British author James Dover Grant under the pseudonym Lee Child, has achieved a global sales record of over 100 million copies.
The crime-thriller books have inspired two live-action adaptations. The first is a two-film series starring Tom Cruise, while the second is a streaming series called Reacher, with Alan Ritchson in the lead role. The second season of the latter just started on Prime Video, so if you want to catch up on all things Jack Reacher, take a look at this comprehensive list of the books in order.
How many Jack Reacher books are there?
Currently, there are 28 Jack Reacher books available with a 29th installment, In Too Deep, scheduled for release on October 21, 2024. In addition, there are 15 Jack Reacher short stories and novellas.
Jack Reacher books in release order
You can find some of these tales in the 2017 anthology volume No Middle Name: The Complete Collected Stories. However, others may be more challenging to locate (refer to the official Jack Reacher website for additional guidance).
Die Trying (1998)
Tripwire (1999)
Running Blind (UK: The Visitor) (2000)
Echo Burning (2001)
Without Fail (2002)
Persuader (2003)
The Enemy (2004)
One Shot (2005)
The Hard Way (2006)
Bad Luck and Trouble (2007)
61 Hours (Spring 2010)
Worth Dying For (Fall 2010)
The Affair (2011)
A Wanted Man (2012)
Never Go Back (2013)
Personal (2014)
Make Me (2015)
Night School (2016)
No Middle Name: The Complete Collected Short Stories (2017)
The Midnight Line (2017)
The Sentinel (2020)
Better Off Dead (2021)
No Plan B (2022)
The Secret (2023)
In Too Deep (2024)
Jack Reacher books in chronological order
The chronological order of the Jack Reacher books differs from their release order. Below is the breakdown of the in-universe timeline, with the setting of In Too Deep not yet known:
The Enemy (2004)
The Affair (2011)
Killing Floor (1997)
Die Trying (1998)
Tripwire (1999)
Running Blind (UK: The Visitor) (2000)
Echo Burning (2001)
Without Fail (2002)
Persuader (2003)
One Shot (2005)
The Hard Way (2006)
Gone Tomorrow (2009)
61 Hours (Spring 2010)
Worth Dying For (Fall 2010)
A Wanted Man (2012)
Never Go Back (2013)
Personal (2014)
Make Me (2015)
No Middle Name: The Complete Collected Short Stories (2017)
The Midnight Line (2017)
Past Tense (2018)
Better Off Dead (2021)
No Plan B (2022)
Killing Floor
Penguin Random House
Die Trying
Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher is a transient. He's just passing through Margrave, Georgia, and within an hour, he's taken into custody for a murder he didn't commit. It's not much of a warm welcome. All Reacher knows is that he's innocent. At least of this crime. But he's not going to convince anyone in Margrave, Georgia. There's no chance in hell.
Penguin Random House
As Jack Reacher innocently stands by, he is shocked to witness a woman being kidnapped off a busy Chicago street in broad daylight. Unluckily, he becomes a target himself and is taken along with her. Chained together and trapped in the stifling confines of a van, they are hurried across the country with no knowledge of their destination or the motives behind the abduction. Their lives are now in the hands of a group of men demanding an impossible ransom, and it becomes clear that the woman is far more valuable than Reacher had ever imagined. Now, he must find a way to rescue them both from the inside out, even if it means risking his own life in the process.
Tripwire
Penguin Random House
Penguin Random House
Women across the country are being murdered by a meticulous and cunning killer who manages to leave no trace evidence, fatal wounds, signs of struggle, or apparent motive. These are truly perfect crimes. The only common thread among the victims is their connection to Jack Reacher - and now he's left running blind.
Echo Burning
Penguin Random House
Thumbing across the scorching Texas desert, Jack Reacher finds himself with nowhere to go and all the time in the world to get there. Cruising the same stretch of two-lane blacktop is Carmen Greer. For Reacher, the lift comes with a hitch. Carmen’s got a wild story to tell – all about her husband, her family secrets, and a hometown that’s purely gothic. She’s also got a plan. Reacher’s part of it. And before the sun sets, this ride could cost them both their lives.
Without Fail
Penguin Random House
Skilled, cautious, and anonymous, Jack Reacher is the perfect candidate for the task of assassinating the vice president of the United States – at least in theory. A female Secret Service agent enlists Reacher's help in identifying weaknesses in her security system, as a covert group has already targeted the vice president. Despite their careful planning, they overlooked one thing: Reacher.
Jack Reacher lives in the present, without ties or commitments, driven by a desire to correct injustices and come to terms with his own painful history. DEA agent Susan Duffy, on the other hand, is focused on the future, deeply regretting a decision that has left one of her female agents in a perilous situation in a heavily guarded Maine mansion.
In a daring move, Reacher plunges into the heart of a vast criminal operation to rescue the endangered agent, facing off against a powerful crime lord and reckoning with unresolved personal matters from his past in the process.
The Enemy
Penguin Random House
Jack Reacher: Hero. Loner. Soldier. A brilliant military cop faced with a case that will alter everything. It's New Year's Day, 1990. A two-star general is found dead in a North Carolina motel, and Reacher is tasked with taking charge. As the situation escalates, with the general's wife soon found murdered, Reacher is quickly drawn into a web of mystery and danger.
One Shot
Deep within the expansive global stronghold of the U.S. Army, Reacher is being framed as a scapegoat by some of the most dangerous adversaries a person could face. However, Reacher refuses to give up. He is waging a different kind of battle – against an enemy he wasn't aware existed. And against a conspiracy that is more chilling, cunning, and deceitful than anyone could have imagined.
Penguin Random House
A heartland city is thrown into terror when six shots result in five dead. The cops quickly solve the case, but one thing stands in the way: the accused insists they have the wrong guy and demands to bring in Reacher to clear his name.
The Hard Way
Penguin Random House
Alone in the hot, electric New York City night, Jack Reacher watched as a man drove away in a parked Mercedes containing 1 million dollars in ransom money. Edward Lane, desperate to get his family back, had paid the money, willing to do anything to save them.
Lane, who runs an illegal soldiers-for-hire operation, would stop at nothing to find his wife and child. And Jack Reacher, known as the best manhunter in the world, was determined to stop him.
On the trail of ruthless kidnappers, Reacher uncovers the disturbing truths about his employer’s past… and a harrowing event at the core of a brutal conflict. It’s clear to Reacher that Edward Lane is concealing something. Something unsavory. Something significant. Yet Reacher is also aware of one thing: he’s already too deeply involved to walk away now. And if he has to tackle it head-on, he will.
Bad Luck and Trouble
A man is sent free-falling into the night from a helicopter high above the California desert. Jack Reacher is pulled out of his wandering life on the streets of Portland and plunged into the heart of a conspiracy that is killing old friends and the people he once trusted with his life.
Reacher, the ultimate loner, has no phone, no ties, and no address. However, a woman from his old military unit has managed to track him down using a signal that only the eight members of their elite team would recognize. She shares a terrifying story with him about the brutal death of a man they both served with. This leads Reacher to reunite with the survivors of his team and urgently search for answers regarding the sudden disappearance of two other comrades.
Determined not to give up, Reacher and his team face the challenge head-on. In a world filled with bad luck and trouble, anyone who targets Jack Reacher and his team better be prepared for the consequences that will come right back at them.
In the middle of nowhere are two small towns: Hope and Despair. A 12-mile stretch of deserted road separates them. Unable to hitch a ride, Jack Reacher decides to walk, hoping for a simple cup of coffee. Instead, he encounters four unfriendly locals, a vagrancy charge, and a demand to leave. Little do they know, they've targeted the wrong man.
Reacher is a tough individual with no job, address, or belongings. He only possesses an unyielding curiosity. What is it about Despair that they are so eager to keep hidden?
With only a solitary ally – a enigmatic female police officer from Hope – and a multitude of adversaries, Reacher confronts an entire town, pursuing the wealthy man at its center, unraveling his nefarious agenda, and pondering: Who holds the advantage – a man with everything to gain, or a man with nothing to lose?
Gone Tomorrow
Penguin Random House
At two in the morning in New York City, a subway car is headed uptown with Jack Reacher and five other passengers. Four of them are okay, but the fifth is not. And if you think Reacher isn't going to get involved... then you don't know Jack.
Susan Mark, the fifth passenger, harbored a significant secret, and her unremarkable existence was under surveillance in Washington, California, and Afghanistan – by numerous individuals united by one commonality: they are all deceiving Reacher. To varying degrees. A race has commenced in the bustling streets of Manhattan, a labyrinth teeming with adept, hostile soldiers from all factions engaged in a covert conflict. For Jack Reacher, a man who trusts no one and prefers it that way, the ultimate goal is attained when you come face-to-face with your deadliest adversary and lock eyes.
61 Hours
Penguin Random House
Worth Dying For
"Reacher's Next 61 Hours"
Reacher had initially intended to continue traveling, but the upcoming 61 hours will completely alter his plans. The hidden truths are even more dangerous and his adversaries are more formidable than he had anticipated - yet, the woman he is willing to put his life on the line for is equally resilient.
The Penguin Random House publisher presents a gripping tale of deadly trouble in the corn country of Nebraska as Jack Reacher walks right into it. Upon encountering the fearsome Duncans, a local clan that has cowed an entire county into submission, Reacher finds himself in a perilous predicament. However, it is the unsolved case of a missing child, already decades old, that Reacher cannot let go.
The Duncans are eager to get rid of Reacher, and their motives go beyond concealing past secrets. They are expecting a delayed secret delivery with high-stakes customers they can't afford to anger. The Duncans may be dangerous, but they only represent a fraction of a global criminal network.
It would have been wiser for Reacher to move on and escape the impending danger. However, that option is simply not feasible for him.
The Affair
Penguin Random House
It all begins somewhere. For Jack Reacher, an elite military cop, that place was Carter Crossing, Mississippi in 1997.
He is assigned to go undercover and look into the murder of a young woman, with the evidence pointing to a U.S. soldier with influential connections. Upon arriving in Carter Crossing, Reacher encounters Sheriff Elizabeth Deveraux, who is dedicated to justice and eager to uncover hidden truths. Despite their initial distrust, they reluctantly team up to work together.
Penguin Random House
A group of four individuals in a vehicle, aiming to reach Chicago by daybreak. One person behind the wheel, another spinning tales that don't quite align. A woman seated in the rear, silent and anxious. And a hitchhiker with a fractured nose.
The FBI arrives at an old pumping station an hour after the man was stabbed to death, with the murder appearing to be professionally done and the killers nowhere in sight.
Jack Reacher only wanted a ride to Virginia and all he did was hitchhike. However, he soon realizes that he has unwittingly become involved in a major conspiracy, where nothing is as it appears and no one is being honest.
Never Go Back
Penguin Random House
After traveling from snowbound South Dakota to northeastern Virginia, near Washington, D.C., former military cop Jack Reacher finally arrives at the headquarters of the 110th MP, his old unit. The old stone building holds a special place in his heart, serving as the closest thing to a home he ever had.
Reacher's purpose in visiting the headquarters is to meet the new commanding officer, Major Susan Turner, whom he has only spoken to over the phone. However, when he arrives, he discovers that Turner is not present. Instead, he is met with two shocking pieces of news - one carrying serious criminal implications, and the other hitting far too close to home for Reacher to even comprehend.
Personal
Penguin Random House
After leaving the army, the impact of military life remains part of Jack Reacher. Soon, the retired military cop is pulled back into service, this time for the State Department and the CIA. A shot was taken at the president of France in Paris, with the bullet being American. The exceptional distance between the gunman and the target raises questions about the shooter's skill, with John Kott, an American marksman gone rogue, being identified as a potential threat. After 15 years in prison, Kott is now unaccounted for and poses a danger to the G8 summit filled with world leaders.
If anyone can put a stop to Kott, it's the man who previously defeated him: Reacher. Despite his preference for working alone, Reacher is paired up with Casey Nice, a new analyst who remains calm with the help of Zoloft. Together, they're up against a treacherous journey, filled with merciless mobsters, Serbian thugs, close calls, double-crosses - and no support if they get caught.
Throughout it all, Reacher can't shake the memory of the woman he once failed to rescue. But he's determined not to let history repeat itself. Not this time. Not with Nice. Reacher never gets too attached. However, now a killer is making things personal.
Make Me
Penguin Random House
"What's the reason behind this town being named Mother's Rest?" Reacher is eager to find out, but he's met with silence. Mother's Rest is a small town surrounded by vast wheat fields, with unfriendly locals and a concerned woman named Michelle Chang who mistakes him for her missing partner in a dangerous investigation. With no set destination and plenty of time, Reacher decides to assist Chang and dig deeper, wondering just how dangerous the situation might be.
Night School
Penguin Random House
The year is 1996, and Reacher is still serving in the army. He is awarded a medal in the morning and then promptly sent back to school in the afternoon. That night, he disappears off the grid, out of sight and out of mind.
Joining him in the classroom are two other men – an FBI agent and a CIA analyst. Both are highly skilled operatives fresh from major successes, and both are perplexed by their unexpected presence in the classroom.
Upon discovering a Jihadist sleeper cell in Hamburg, Germany, it is revealed that a Saudi courier seeking safe haven has delivered a chilling message overheard by a CIA asset. The message: "The American wants 100 million dollars." Reacher and his two new allies are tasked with locating the American, prompting Reacher to enlist Sergeant Frances Neagley, the finest soldier he's ever worked with. As their mission intensifies, the stakes are high - failure to capture their target could result in a catastrophic act of terrorism.
From Langley to Hamburg, Jalalabad to Kiev, Night School races through a perilous terrain of betrayal, false personas, and formidable new foes, as Reacher navigates within the system and beyond the boundaries of the law.
No Middle Name: The Complete Collected Short Stories
Discover the ultimate Jack Reacher experience with a heart-pounding new novella and a collection of eleven previously published stories, all brought together for the first time by bestselling author Lee Child.
Reacher attempts to take a break in "Not a Drill," but a leisurely hike in Maine takes a dark turn. "High Heat" transports readers to 1977, where a teenage Reacher navigates a blackout in New York City. "Second Son" unfolds in Okinawa, where a young Reacher learns to trust his instincts, and in "Deep Down," Reacher confronts a deadly spy and a group of formidable females.
The collection is completed with stories such as "Guy Walks into a Bar," "James Penney’s New Identity," "Everyone Talks," "The Picture of the Lonely Diner," "Maybe They Have a Tradition," and "No Room at the Motel."
Reacher travels without a suitcase, destination, or even a middle name. Trouble seems to always find him, no matter how far off the beaten path he goes. It's almost as if trouble feels sorry for itself.
The Midnight Line
Penguin Random House
While on a casual stroll through a small Wisconsin town, Reacher notices a class ring in a pawn shop window that catches his attention. The ring, bearing the inscription "West Point 2005," belonged to a woman due to its small size and personalized initials on the inside. Reacher ponders the unfortunate situation that led her to part ways with a hard-earned possession and decides to embark on a mission to track her down and return the ring. After all, why not?
Reacher embarks on a challenging journey through the upper Midwest, from a seedy bar in a small, desolate town to a windswept crossroads in the wilderness. Along the way, he encounters bikers, law enforcement, criminals, hired muscle, and a private investigator searching for a missing person in the remote Wyoming wilderness.
As Reacher delves deeper and gains more knowledge, the landscape becomes increasingly perilous. It becomes clear that the ring he initially encountered is just a small part of a much darker network. Powerful entities are protecting a sprawling criminal operation. Certain boundaries should never be crossed, but Reacher is no exception.
Jack Reacher starts his journey by hitchhiking, aiming to traverse the entire United States from Maine to California. However, his plans take an unexpected turn when he comes across a sign leading to his father's hometown in the New England woods. Despite the detour, he decides to visit the town.
Meanwhile, in the same remote area, two young Canadians experience car trouble while en route to New York City to sell a valuable item. Stranded at a desolate motel, they are met by overly hospitable owners in this peculiar and unfamiliar setting.
The following day, Reacher visits the city clerk's office to inquire about the old family home. He is informed that no one with the name Reacher had ever resided in the town. This revelation leads Reacher to question whether his father had ever been there at all, as he had always known that his father had left and never returned.
As Reacher delves into his father's past and the Canadians confront life-threatening risks, various storylines start to intersect. Eventually, Reacher uncovers a startling truth: while the present may be challenging, the past can be fraught with tension and danger.
Blue Moon
Penguin Random House
"This universe is unpredictable," Reacher remarks. "Occasionally, things work out perfectly." Unfortunately, this isn't one of those times. Reacher is on a Greyhound bus, keeping to himself, without a specific destination and plenty of time to get there. However, when he intervenes to assist an elderly man who appears to be a potential target, he quickly realizes that good intentions can lead to unexpected consequences. Now, Reacher is determined to set things right.
The Sentinel
Penguin Random House
With no specific destination in mind and endless time on his hands, Reacher finds himself in a town near Pleasantville, Tennessee. However, the town is anything but pleasant. In the middle of the day, Reacher witnesses a person walking into an ambush by four others. Without hesitation, Reacher steps in to handle the situation in his own unique way.
The man Reacher saves is Rusty Rutherford, a low-key IT manager who was recently terminated following a cyberattack that compromised the town's data, records, information... and secrets. Rutherford is determined to remain in the area, appear innocent, and prove his innocence.
Reacher is fascinated. There is a deeper, darker side to the situation. The individuals who targeted Rutherford are connected to a dangerous and deadly plot, encompassing a conspiracy, a cover-up, and murder – all revolving around an unassuming man in a coffee-stained shirt who is oblivious to the grave danger he is facing.
Better Off Dead
Penguin Random House
Reacher travels on his own terms, and that morning he was making his way west, braving the relentless desert sun – until he stumbles upon a strange sight. A Jeep has collided with the only tree for miles. A woman is slumped over the wheel. Dead? Not quite. Nothing is as it appears.
The woman is Michaela Fenton, a former army vet turned FBI agent searching for her twin brother, who may be involved with dangerous individuals. Many of them are fiercely loyal to their menacing leader, who has extended his influence deep into the nearby border town, a rundown place that has seen better days. The enigmatic Dendoncker operates in secrecy, hidden from view and off the grid, conducting his business in the shadows. He holds the key to Fenton's brother's fate.
In Gerrardsville, Colorado, a woman is fatally struck by a bus. The authorities determine it to be a suicide. However, Jack Reacher witnessed the true sequence of events: a figure clad in a gray hoodie and jeans cunningly shoves the victim to her death, snatches her purse, and casually disappears into the distance.
When Reacher realizes that another murder has been falsely labeled an accident, he becomes convinced that it's not a coincidence. With a dangerous killer on the loose, Reacher is determined to quickly find those responsible.
Unbeknownst to Reacher, these crimes are just a small part of a much larger and more widespread scheme. This includes an arsonist seeking revenge, a runaway foster child, and a powerful group of people involved in a secret conspiracy with many intricate components. Despite the high stakes, they underestimate Reacher and fail to see him as a threat. "There's too much at stake to start running from shadows," he warns.
But Reacher isn’t a shadow. He is flesh and blood. And relentless when it comes to making things right.
The Secret
In 1992, a string of mysterious deaths is plaguing the United States. Initially thought to be unrelated accidents, a fatal fall from a high-floor window sparks unexpected interest and raises questions about the true cause of these respectable citizens' deaths.
The Secretary of Defense has suddenly called for an interagency task force to investigate, with Jack Reacher appointed as the army’s representative. Whether Reacher succeeds or not, he may end up as a scapegoat. However, office politics is not Reacher's forte. As he navigates through this situation, three questions arise: Who will support him, who will oppose him, and what kind of justice will he deliver - official or his own?
Jack Reacher found himself in an unfamiliar place, unaware of how he got there or who brought him. He was shackled, and whoever was responsible would definitely regret it. This is the complete list of all Jack Reacher books in chronological order. For more details on Reacher, explore Dexerto’s comprehensive coverage.
Editor's P/S
As a hard fan of the Jack Reacher series, I am thrilled to see the release of the comprehensive guide to the books and short stories in chronological order. This will make it easier for new readers to discover the series and for existing fans to revisit their favorite stories. I have been a fan of Jack Reacher since the first book, "Killing Floor," and have read every book in the series multiple times. I love the character of Jack Reacher, a former military policeman who is a loner and a drifter, but who always gets involved in helping people in need. The books are full of action, suspense, and intrigue, and I always find myself on the edge of my seat when I'm reading them. I highly recommend the Jack Reacher series to anyone who loves a good thriller.
I am also excited about the upcoming second season of the Reacher streaming series on Prime Video. I thought the first season was excellent, and I can't wait to see what they do with the second season. Alan Ritchson is a great Jack Reacher, and I think he captures the character perfectly. I'm also looking forward to seeing what new stories they will adapt for the series. Overall, I am very happy with the current state of the Jack Reacher franchise. The books are still going strong, and the TV series is a great adaptation. I can't wait to see what the future holds for Jack Reacher.
