Social Proof

Jack Reacher books

Speechify is the #1 audio reader in the world. Get through books, docs, articles, PDFs, emails - anything you read - faster.
Try for free

Featured In

forbes logocbs logotime magazine logonew york times logowall street logo
Listen to this article with Speechify!
Speechify

Looking to read a Jack Reacher book but aren’t sure where to start? We’ll list Jack Reacher books and short stories in the correct order.

Jack Reacher is one of the most popular action characters in the world of fiction. He’s become even more prominent due to Tom Cruise’s recent Jack Reacher movie and the TV show featuring the same character. However, he’s also the protagonist of an expansive novel series.

This article will tell you more about the Jack Reacher books.

Jack Reacher books in order

Here’s an overview of the Jack Reacher books, the No Middle Name short story collection, and novellas you can find on Amazon and many other platforms.

Killing Floor

The first book introduces Jack Reacher as a former military police officer without a fixed address. He’s trained to think and act faster than his enemies, which is the central theme of the entire book series. His debut outing is set in Margrave, Georgia.

Die Trying

Die Trying sees Reacher kidnapped in a strange van in Chicago. He teams up with a mysterious woman as he tries to discover the reason for his kidnapping.

Tripwire

An unknown party sends a private detective to find Jack Reacher. Who’s tailing the protagonist, and why?

Running Blind (Title changed from The Visitor in the U.S.)
A drifter just like Jack Reacher kills two army high-fliers. The victims have one thing in common – they knew Jack Reacher.

Echo Burning

Reacher comes across a beautiful woman in Texas whose life is in danger. Will he help save her from her murderous husband, or will he walk away?

Without Fail

A secret service agent needs Jack Reacher’s help to protect the Vice President of the United States.

Persuader

After encountering an old enemy, Reacher is consumed with revenge and looks to settle a score.

The Enemy

Reacher finds a two-star general and his wife dead. This novel travels back to a time when Reacher was still a staunch believer in the conventional justice system, making for a compelling prequel to the first book.

One Shot

A man accused of killing five people won’t divulge the details of his crime. All he wants to do is talk to Jack Reacher.

The Hard Way

Reacher needs to ensure a large amount of money arrives at its destination. However, things go south, and he has to retrieve the sum 3,000 miles away from New York City with the help of a former FBI agent.

Bad Luck and Trouble

A former member of Reacher’s army group is found dead. Jack knows the rest of the crew is in danger and wants to stop the killer before it’s too late.

Nothing to Lose

The protagonist finds himself in a small town in Colorado as he uncovers the secrets of the local people.

Gone Tomorrow

Reacher detects many tell-tale signs of a suicide bomber after seeing a suspicious person on a subway. A race against time is underway.

61 Hours

The iconic vigilante is trapped in South Dakota due to a snowstorm. A woman seeking justice has to live long enough to testify. Reacher offers a helping hand.

Worth Dying For

Reacher can’t let go of an unsolved missing person’s case while being threatened by the Duncan clan that terrorizes the residents of a Nebraska town.

The Affair

In The Affair, Jack needs to go undercover to solve a case and disappear. It sounds simple for a man of his caliber, but someone keeps trying to bury the truth forever.

A Wanted Man

This page-turner follows Reacher as he hitchhikes to Virginia and is picked up by three strangers. They want to look kind, but Jack sees right through the bad guys and realizes they’re lying about everything.

Never Go Back

A commanding officer disappears and a sixteen-year-old is found dead. Reacher is the prime suspect, forcing him to plan a way out.

Personal

The army once again finds Reacher and assigns a critical task – find the person who took a shot at the president of France.

Night School

This Lee Child book follows Reacher in his army days. His mission is to track down a mystery American who makes a chilling demand for $100 million.

The Midnight Line

Jack Reacher happens upon a West Point ring and wants to return it to the owner. A swarm of crooks, cops, and bikers stand in his way.

Make Me

Most people would walk away from a chance investigation, but not Jack Reacher. He wants to help a troubled woman find answers in a town called Mother’s Rest.

Past Tense

Jack Reacher arrives in his father’s hometown, but he’s told no Reacher has ever lived there. His quest intertwines with that of two Canadians trapped in a deadly game.

Blue Moon

Two gangs fight a turf war, disrupting the lives of regular people along the way. Jack Reacher steps in to save the day.

The Sentinel

Reacher intervenes when a helpless person walks into an ambush. He employs his trademark conflict resolution tactics.

Better Off Dead

Better Off Dead is a novel about a legendary ex-military serviceman who wants to teach a shadowy crew a lesson.

No Plan B

Two witnesses provide different accounts of a woman’s death. One man claims she threw herself in front of a bus, but Reacher, the other witness, claims otherwise.

Jack Reacher’s Rules

This is the ultimate guide to Jack Reacher’s motto.

Second Son

This is a snapshot of Reacher’s life when he was stationed at a base in Okinawa.

Deep Down

This thriller sees Jack Reacher tracking down a spy in soldier’s clothes.

Small Wars

Jack Reacher wants to solve the murder of a young officer in the 1980s.

Not a Drill

A pleasant countryside walk turns into something much more menacing when Jack Reacher travels to a small town with two strangers.

High Heat

A 17-year-old Reacher helps a woman in the middle of a power outage.

What makes Jack Reacher so popular?

Jack Reacher is one of the most popular action characters for several reasons.

Primarily, his ability to solve mysteries rival those of Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes. He’s also a quick-witted vigilante who doesn’t mind putting himself in danger to help the innocent. Novels with such characters are always exciting.

Listen to more action novels with Speechify

If you’re a fan of Jack Reacher books, you’ll also enjoy thousands of similar audiobooks at Speechify.

The library is easy to explore, allowing you to find the desired title in no time. It contains action and crime works by many classic and contemporary authors, including Agatha ChristieAnthony HorowitzAnn Marie LeeAlex Michaelides, and Attica Locke.

Try Speechify Audiobooks and explore countless fascinating titles.

FAQ

In what order should I read the Jack Reacher books?

The first Jack Reacher book is Killing Floor, followed by Die Trying, and The Visitor. The most recent book is Jack Reacher’s Rules.

Are Jack Reacher books worth reading?

Yes. Jack Reacher books are worth reading, especially in chronological order. Andrew Child’s (Lee Child’s brother) books are also terrific.

Which is the best Jack Reacher book?

Many people consider the first Jack Reacher book, Killing Floor, as the best title from the Jack Reacher series.

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.