The 10 Best Jack Reacher Books
Special Honors
Lee Child Official Lee Child has put out a new Jack Reacher novel roughly every year since 1997, which means there are dozens of installments currently available. If you're new to the series and want to learn more about the protagonist before committing to such a long reading list, the author's website is a good place to start. There you'll find handy biographies and descriptions of the Jack Reacher character and his family, a fully updated list of the novels and related short stories, information on movie and TV adaptations, answers to frequently asked questions, and how to locate limited and signed editions. leechild.com
Editor's Notes
April 01, 2020:
While fans of the Jack Reacher series are in heated disagreement as to which novel is the best, our list ranks them based on purposeful plotting, tight pacing, well-developed characters, engaging descriptions, and other literary merits, as well as how entertaining they are when all is said and done. You'll notice that the most recent installment, "Blue Moon" did not make the latest update due to it falling short of our criteria. Many avid readers and critics agree that it doesn't perform as well as the most acclaimed Reacher novels, but that isn't to say it's not worth picking up at some point.
When updating this list, we said goodbye to Without Fail and 61 Hours, two well-received, yet slightly obscure, additions to the Reacher lineup. We felt Lee Child's "Persuader" and The Midnight Line were strong contenders to fill these vacant spots thanks to a few standout qualities. Persuader takes one of Jack's best-loved traits — his sense of justice — and puts it to the test when his personal feelings threaten to get in the way of his moral compass. As for The Midnight Line, in addition to the usual action-packed plot, it also explores Reacher's softer side, following him on an altruistic mission spurred by his military pride and desire to do the right thing. Naturally, this benevolent inclination puts him on a crash course with nefarious baddies, but the reader still gets to experience a mystery novel and interesting character profile in one.
Lee Child and Jack Reacher fans who have finished the entire series but are still yearning for more suspenseful thrillers with daring heroes should check out our selection of Tom Clancy novels.