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Lee Child Books in Order

Lee Child is an author that really doesn’t need any introductions. Who hasn’t heard of (or read at least some) the Jack Reacher books? Who hasn’t watched at least one of the Jack Reacher movies with the controversial Tom Cruise?

The Lee Child books have been constantly zooming to the top of various best-seller lists, and the novels have sold a hundred million copies all over the world so far. Jack Reacher is a hero that many newer authors in the genre are trying to emulate or at least use as a role model or idea. Jack Reacher is really a household name.

The name Lee Child for many is equivalent to Jack Reacher because the author has only written this one series, and he wrote it well. The Jack Reacher series is one of the most successful thrillers in print of all times.

Here are the Lee Child Jack Reacher books in order. With almost 25 books out so far, for anyone new to the series, there is one heck of a ride in the months to come.

New Jack Reacher Books

In Too Deep

In Too Deep, ( Jack Reacher #29), 2024

Jack Reacher Books In Publication Order

To read the books in the order they have been published, follow the list below.

  1. Killing Floor (Jack Reacher #1), 1997
  2. Die Trying (Jack Reacher #2),  1998
  3. Tripwire (Jack Reacher #3), 1999
  4. Running Blind / The Visitor (Jack Reacher #4), 2000
  5. Echo Burning (Jack Reacher #5), 2001
  6. Without Fail (Jack Reacher #6), 2002
  7. Persuader (Jack Reacher #7), 2003
  8. The Enemy (Jack Reacher #8), 2004
  9. One Shot (Jack Reacher #9), 2005
  10. The Hard Way (Jack Reacher #10), 2006
  11. Bad Luck And Trouble (Jack Reacher #11), 2007
  12. Nothing To Lose (Jack Reacher #12), 2008
  13. Gone Tomorrow (Jack Reacher #13), 2009
  14. 61 Hours (Jack Reacher #14), 2010
  15. Worth Dying For (Jack Reacher #15), 2010
  16. Second Son (Jack Reacher #15.5), 2011
  17. The Affair (Jack Reacher #16), 2011
  18. Guy Walks Into a Bar (Jack Reacher #16.1), 2011
  19. Deep Down (Jack Reacher #16.5), 2012
  20. A Wanted Man (Jack Reacher #17), 2012
  21. High Heat (Jack Reacher #17.5), 2013
  22. Never Go Back (Jack Reacher #18), 2013
  23. Not a Drill (Jack Reacher #18.5), 2014
  24. Personal (Jack Reacher #19), 2014
  25. Good and Valuable Consideration (Jack Reacher #19.1), 2014
  26. Small Wars (Jack Reacher #19.5), 2015
  27. Make Me (Jack Reacher #20), 2015
  28. Night School (Jack Reacher #21), 2016
  29. The Midnight Line (Jack Reacher #22), 2017
  30. The Christmas Scorpion (Jack Reacher #22.5), 2018
  31. Past Tense (Jack Reacher #23), 2018
  32. The Fourth Man (Jack Reacher #23.5), 2019
  33. Cleaning the Gold (Jack Reacher short story), 2019 (with Karin Slaughter)
  34. Blue Moon (Jack Reacher #24), 2019
  35. The Sentinel (Jack Reacher #25), 2020 (with Andrew Child)
  36. Better Off Dead (Jack Reacher #26), 2021 (with Andrew Child)
  37. No Plan B (Jack Reacher #27), 2022 (with Andrew Child)
  38. The Secret (Jack Reacher #28), 2023 (with Andrew Child)
  39. In Too Deep (Jack Reacher #29), 2024 (with Andrew Child)

Jack Reacher Novels In Chronological Order

To read the books in the proper chronological order, starting from a young Jack Reacher of age 13 until today, follow the order below.

  1. Second Son (Jack Reacher #0.5), 2011 (Jack is 13-years old)
  2. High Heat (Jack Reacher #0.6), 2013 (Jack is around 16-years old)
  3. Deep Down (Jack Reacher #0.7), 2012 (Jack is in the Military Intelligence in the late 1980s)
  4. Small Wars (Jack Reacher #0.8), 2015 (Jack is a young lieutenant colonel)
  5. The Enemy (Jack Reacher #1), 2004 (Jack is a military cop in the 1990s)
  6. Night School (Jack Reacher #2), 2016 (1996 in the Army)
  7. The Affair (Jack Reacher #3), 2011 (happens 6 months before Killing Floor)
  8. Killing Floor (Jack Reacher #4), 1997
  9. Die Trying (Jack Reacher #5),  1998
  10. Tripwire (Jack Reacher #6), 1999
  11. Running Blind / The Visitor (Jack Reacher #7), 2000
  12. Echo Burning (Jack Reacher #8), 2001
  13. Without Fail (Jack Reacher #9), 2002
  14. Persuader (Jack Reacher #10), 2003
  15. One Shot (Jack Reacher #11), 2005
  16. The Hard Way (Jack Reacher #12), 2006
  17. Bad Luck And Trouble (Jack Reacher #13), 2007
  18. Nothing To Lose (Jack Reacher #14), 2008
  19. Guy Walks Into a Bar (Jack Reacher #14.5), 2011
  20. Gone Tomorrow (Jack Reacher #15), 2009
  21. 61 Hours (Jack Reacher #16), 2010
  22. Worth Dying For (Jack Reacher #17), 2010
  23. A Wanted Man (Jack Reacher #18), 2012
  24. Never Go Back (Jack Reacher #19), 2013
  25. Not a Drill (Jack Reacher #19.5), 2014
  26. Good and Valuable Consideration (Jack Reacher #19.1), 2014
  27. Personal (Jack Reacher #20), 2014
  28. Make Me (Jack Reacher #21), 2015
  29. The Midnight Line (Jack Reacher #22), 2017
  30. The Christmas Scorpion (Jack Reacher #22.5), 2018
  31. Past Tense (Jack Reacher #23), 2018
  32. The Fourth Man (Jack Reacher #23.5), 2019
  33. Cleaning the Gold (Jack Reacher short story), 2019 (co-authored with Karin Slaughter)
  34. Faking a Murderer (Jack Reacher short story), 2019 (co-authored with Kathy Reichs)
  35. Blue Moon (Jack Reacher #24), 2019
  36. The Sentinel (Jack Reacher #25), 2020
  37. Better Off Dead (Jack Reacher #26), 2021 (with Andrew Child)
  38. No Plan B (Jack Reacher #27), 2022 (with Andrew Child)
  39. The Secret (Jack Reacher #28), 2023 (with Andrew Child)
  40. In Too Deep (Jack Reacher #29), 2024 (with Andrew Child)

Jack Reacher Mentioned by Other Authors

  • Under the Dome by Stephen King, 2009
  • Hunt for Reacher series by Diane Capri
  • In Session by M.J. Rose, Lee Child, Barry Eisler, and Steve Berry, 2011 – short story collection

Other Lee Child Books in Publication Order

Non-Fiction Books in Publication Order

  • The Hero, 2019 (non-fiction book)
  • How To Write a Mystery, 2021 (with Laurie R King)

Short Story Collections in Publication Order

Anthologies in Publication Order

Read more

Who is Jack Reacher?

Jack Reacher is an American loner, a former MP (Military Police), as opposed to Lee Child, the author, who is, in fact, British.

The name Reacher came through a joke Lee Child’s wife once made that in case his author career doesn’t pan out, he can always go a supermarket working as a reacher since he is quite tall. The author figured the name Reacher is quite appealing, so Jack Reacher was born.

Physically towering, measuring in at 6ft 5in, Jack Reacher drifts from one town to the other looking for trouble, looking for people in need of help. He is not drinking, has no addiction problems, and is not gambling. Some readers call him a cowboy, others a knight serving justice in the most unlikely places.

Jack is smart, he is strong, and he is an introvert. He is mysterious with apparently no past or future. But he is not damaged, at least he doesn’t believe he is. This means he has no alcohol-laden bouts of self-pity. Due to his massive size, he does look intimidating to people, however. When Jack walks into a room, bad people are getting uneasy.

He never stays in one place for too long, which means he can never have long-lasting meaningful relationships. He loves women, he likes women, and women are drawn to him, but he never stays with them long enough. He is the perfect drifter. The only thing he carries with him is his trusted toothbrush.

He did what he always did. He let her go. He understood. No apology required. He couldn’t live anywhere. His whole life was a visit. Who could put up with that? He drank his coffee, and then hers, and took his toothbrush from the bathroom glass, and walked away, through a knot of streets, left and right, toward the bus depot.

At the depot he did what he always did. He bought a ticket for the first bus out, no matter where it was going. (The Midnight Line)

This is Jack Reacher’s life from book to book, of course, with a lot of added complexity in between.

Lee Child is known to characterize the Jack Reacher novels as revenge novels. Sometimes revenge for himself, but more often than not, revenge for another person who has been wronged.

Lee Child Biography

Lee Child Jack Reacher seriesThe author Lee Child was born in Coventry, the United Kingdom in 1954 under the real name James D. Grant. He has three additional siblings, one of which is another thriller writer, Andrew Grant.

At the age of four, he relocated with his family to Handsworth Wood in Birmingham, so the kids can get a better education in school. After leaving Cherry Orchard Primary School in Handsworth Wood at the age of 11, James went to King Edward’s School, Birmingham, following which he enrolled at the University of Sheffield with a major in law. However, he never really wanted to become a lawyer by profession, so during his time in college, he worked backstage in a theater.

After he graduated from college, he started working in commercial TV in 1977. He also got his Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Sheffield in 1977, and then several years later, an Honorary Doctor of Letters in 2009, when he also funded 52 Jack Reacher scholarships for students at the university.

The first TV job he had, from 1977 to 1995 was with Granada Television, where he worked as a presentation director, where he not only helped with the transmission of more than 40,000 hours of TV programmes but also wrote commercials and news pieces.

After the company did some restructuring, James Grant was laid off, basically because of Rupert Murdoch. He was 39 by then, a well-paid veteran with benefits, and new, junior employees would get much less income. This, however, freed him the time to start writing books.

He always loved entertainment and wanted to work in the field, and writing entertaining thriller novels was the next logical step for him. He wrote Killing Floor, which was published in 1997 in the UK and 1998 in the US. By this time, the author took the pseudonym Lee Child, a name that stuck until today. In fact, I have spoken over the years with several Jack Reacher lovers, and many believed the author’s real name is Lee Child.

From the first time he sat down to write his first book, which was on a September first, Lee Child keeps this yearly habit. Every year on September 1, he sits down and begins work at a new Jack Reacher novel. He doesn’t actually sit down with a plot, and he doesn’t have an outline created. He just starts writing. He gets his first paragraph done, and then the plot unfolds organically, naturally.

Andy Martin, a Lecturer at the University of Cambridge, has the proof. He once sat next to Lee Child and watched him write a novel from scratch. He can confirm that Lee Child had no structure, not even a clue on where the book would start writing was going. He had not even an idea of a plot before he sat down to write the first sentence.

In an interview, Lee Child mentioned that around the world with millions of people reading his series in books translated into 50 languages, a Reacher book is literally sold every nine seconds.

The Fourth Man is a short Jack Reacher story where he is tracked down by the FBI   and told that during a raid in Sydney, Australia, a list was found which includes also his name.  So far, he is the only survivor on that list. Could he be next?

While British, Lee Child is married to a New Yorker, so he spends most of his time in the US.

Currently, there are two Jack Reacher movies out starring Tom Cruise, and there is word that Lee Child is now adapting his series of books into a television show – with a taller actor this time.

Someone asked through email whether Lee Child and Lincoln Child (the author of the Special Agent Pendergast thriller series co-authored with Douglas Preston) are brothers. Despite the same last name, the two authors are not brothers. In fact, since Lee Child ‘s real name is James Grant, his real brother is another thriller author, Andrew Grant.

In 2019, two short stories featuring Jack Reacher were published, one co-authored with Karin Slaughter titled Cleaning the Gold, and the other with Kathy Reichs, titled Faking a Murderer. The second short story is part of an anthology published in 2017 in Match Up, where various authors collaborate with others to match up their main characters. The anthology was edited by Lee Child.

Lee Child Books Received Awards and Nominations Over the Years

  • Killing Floor, nominated for the Macavity Award for Best First Novel in 1998
  • Killing Floor, nominated for the Dilys Award for Best Book in 1998
  • Killing Floor, awarded the Barry Award for Best First Novel in 1998
  • Killing Floor, awarded the Anthony Award for Best First Novel in 1998
  • Running Blind, nominated for the Barry Award for Best Novel in 2001
  • Without Fail, shortlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger in 2002
  • Without Fail, nominated for the Dilys Award for Best Book in 2003
  • Without Fail, nominated for the Barry Award for Best Novel in 2003
  • Persuader, shortlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger in 2003
  • The Enemy, nominated for the Dilys Award for Best Book in 2005
  • The Enemy, awarded the Nero Award in 2005
  • The Enemy, awarded the Barry Award for Best Novel in 2005
  • One Shot, nominated for the Macavity Award for Best Novel in 2006
  • Bad Luck and Trouble, nominated for the Anthony Award for Best Novel in 2008
  • Bad Luck and Trouble, nominated for the BCA Crime Thriller of the Year in 2008
  • Bad Luck and Trouble, nominated for the CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award in 2008
  • Bad Luck and Trouble, shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year in 2009
  • 61 Hours, shortlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger in 2010
  • Gone Tomorrow, nominated for the CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award in 2010
  • Worth Dying For, nominated for the Sainsbury’s Popular Fiction Award in 2010
  • Worth Dying For, nominated for the CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award in 2011
  • 61 Hours, awarded the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year in 2011
  • The Affair, nominated for the CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award in 2012
  • The Affair, shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year in 2013
  • CWA Diamond Dagger, awarded in 2013
  • Never Go Back, nominated for the ITW Award for Best Hardcover Novel in 2014
  • A Wanted Man, shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year in 2014
  • Personal, nominated for the CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award in 2015
  • Personal, shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year in 2015
  • Make Me, shortlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger in 2016
  • Make Me, nominated for the CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award in 2016
  • Night School, shortlisted for the British Book Award Crime and Thriller Book of the Year in 2017
  • Night School, nominated for the CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award in 2017
  • Night School, shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year in 2017
  • Thrillermaster, awarded in 2017
  • Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award, awarded in 2017
  • The Midnight Line, shortlisted for the British Book Award Crime and Thriller Book of the Year in 2018
  • The Midnight Line, nominated for the CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award in 2018
  • The Midnight Line, shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year in 2018
  • British Book Award Author of the Year, awarded in 2019
  • Blue Moon, shortlisted for the British Book Award Crime and Thriller Book of the Year in 2020
  • Blue Moon, shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year in 2020
  • Blue Moon, awarded the CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award in 2020
  • The Sentinel, shortlisted for the British Book Award Crime and Thriller Book of the Year in 2021
  • The Sentinel, nominated for the CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award in 2021
  • Better off Dead, nominated for the CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award in 2022
  • Better off Dead, nominated for the CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award in 2023
  • Safe Enough, shortlisted for the Short Story Dagger in 2024

Praise for Lee Child’s Books

There’s a reason Child is considered the best of the best in the thriller genre. (Associated Press)

Jack Reacher is today’s James Bond, a thriller hero we can’t get enough of. (Ken Follett)

I just read the new Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child. . . . It is as good as they always are. I read every single one. (Malcolm Gladwell)

Each year Lee Child comes up with another Reacher. Each year I lap it up. Love it . . . Here, there is something subversive as well as page-turning. . . . I don’t know another author so skilled at making me turn the page, at putting me in the thick of it all. (The Times)

Reacher is the purest distillation of the white knight in contemporary mystery fiction. This novel is a tightly plotted ride with characters who will break your heart and linger after you close the book. (Mystery Scene)

References

Books Reading Order » Thriller Authors » Lee Child Books in Order

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Comments

  1. Val Victoria Stone says

    I also have read almost all and some more than once. Not sure I like the co-writing with other authors as I DID not like the bad language no matter what the content. I did not watch any Reacher movies because Tom Cruise was the actor. Very wrong for the part. Hope Lee Child can clean up future dialog with non- dirty language.

    Reply

  3. Kamren says

    Angie, I disagree with you, and others, in your choice of Dwayne Johnson. Reacher is not just all about height, weight and muscle….it is also about attitude. Dwayne Johnson looks angry when he is angry. You can see it in the furrow of his brow and the intensity of his stare. But, Reacher, on the other hand, even when in extreme anger remains stoic. You never see what he is about to do. He does not ever show a “tell” in his face, expression or eyes. He does not walk around with an angry chip on his shoulder as does Dwayne as if he is just itching for a fight. That is not Reachers way. Whatever he does he does it coolly, calmly and sometimes fatally. Yes, we love the fact that he is tall, strong and even blonde, but I think we all love more the fact that he is a cool cucumber while being a white knight come to the rescue. And agree with everyone that Tom Cruise was the worst choice for the part of Reacher. He is a shrimp at 5”8” tall, half the size of Reacher. They had to shoot from the camera at the bottom pointed up to make him seem taller. He also, like Dwayne, always has an angry expression on his face. He knows no other or is incapable of any other expression. He is not an expressive actor and his acting abilities have gross limitations. I wish I knew how he was not rejected by Lee Childs as a choice for the part of Reacher. I cannot even watch the movie with Cruise in the part of Reacher. It would simply ruin the book for me as it did when he played the role of Lestat in “Interview with a Vampire”who was tall and blond and also cool and calm. All you saw was short, dark and angry. The one and only perfect person who fits this description in acting, attitude and appearance to play Reacher is Chris Hemsworth. He played the part of Thor, the big, blonde god of war. That is Reacher exactly.

    Reply

  4. Dick says

    some of the best mystery novels and jack reacher is terrific.I have all your books and just can’t

    wait for the next one to come out!!!!!!

    Reply

  5. Marilyn L Carter says

    Love the books, excellent reading. ………and Tom Cruise? That ruined the movie. You should have had The Rock or someone big and strong.

    Reply

  7. Ron Plant says

    I have read almost all of the Reacher books and never been disappointed. Some are better than others, some a bit implausible, some embroiled in minutiae but all are page turners.
    The film’s staring Tom Cruise really don’t cut the mustard, he just isn’t Reacher.
    Keep them coming Lee, can’t get too much of a good thing.

    Reply

  9. Jeanne Maxwell says

    I have read all of is books but two. Excellent writing. I am surprised at the info he is not really Lee Child. He is still a very good writer. Can’t wait for more.

    Reply

    • admin says

      Yes indeed, and he has a brother, Andrew Grant, also an author of thriller books.

      Reply

    • admin says

      Honestly, I’ve been found to read some first books out of order, and for the most part, I could follow the story. However, there is a storyline about Jack that continues from book to book about his family and past, so reading the Jack Reacher books is order is recommended. Not necessary, but recommended.

      Reply

  11. Angie says

    I love this series. As for the movies, I definitely agree, Tom Cruise was definitely a terrible choice for the part of Jack Reacher, what were they thinking…Jack Reacher is 6’5″ and 250 lbs of muscle (as per description in “Blue Moon” ) and Tome Cruise is??? not even close. I vote for Dwayne Johnson, hands down….I love that guy!

    Reply

  12. Karen says

    I LOVE the books but will not watch the movies. Tom Cruise is NOT Jack Reacher material. Height and build for a couple of reasons.

    Reply

  14. basil eves says

    I cant get the books quick enough started reading Lee Childs book on board one of Fred Olsens cruise boats in 2117 I have read 22 books since. Keep up the good work iam now looking out for his latest book. MANY THANKS FOR THE GOOD READING BOOKS..

    Reply

  15. David Daglish says

    Absolutely fantastic. I have read 23 and have begun 24. Not read any of the short stories but there is always time. Only downside was picking Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. I like Tom Cruise but wrong actor to play Jack.

    Reply

  16. Maureen Eddleman says

    I absolutely love them! Have read several but many more to go! Have to read LARGE print on account of my eyesight, but my library seems to get them for me often. Thanks to Lee Child for great stories!!!

    Reply

  17. Charles Gilbert says

    Mr. Grant and Lee Child remind me of John D McDonalds Travis McGee and the Busted Flush. I’m enjoying Jack and his exploits very much, I put Mr. Grant right up there with Jack London. Thank him for me that I’m waiting for his next release.

    Reply

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