Lee Child is a renowned name in the mystery and thriller world. This English author, whose real name is James Dover Grant, has written under his famous pen name since his first book, Killing Floor, was published in 1997.
His novels follow the adventures of Jack Reacher. As a retired military police officer, Jack now spends his days wandering across the United States, solving mysterious crimes and taking down bad guys wherever he goes.
The Jack Reacher series spans more than three decades, and Child is still churning out action-packed novels about this American hero to this day.
In recent years, his brother and fellow author Andrew Child has stepped in to join him, and so far, fans can’t get enough of this sibling collaboration.
The Complete List of Lee Child’s Epic Jack Reacher Series in Order of Publication
With so many books in the collection, it can be hard to know where to begin. So, to make things a little easier, I’ve put together a complete list of Lee Child books in the order they were published. While some die-hard fans insist they should be read in order, each story is a tale of its own, meaning you can dive right in and pick any that takes your fancy. Enjoy!
| IMAGE | BOOK NAME | FEATURES | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Killing Floor (1997) | • Publication date: December 1, 2010 • Print length: 701 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Die Trying (1998) | • Publication date: September 15, 2010 • Print length: 677 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Tripwire (1999) | • Publication date: December 15, 2010 • Print length: 676 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Running Blind / The Visitor (2000)s | • Publication date: January 19, 2011 • Print length: 688 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Echo Burning (2001) | • Publication date: June 25, 2001 • Print length: 384 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Without Fail (2002) | • Publication date: May 13, 2002 • Print length: 374 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Persuader (2003) | • Publication date: May 13, 2003 • Print length: 352 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | The Enemy (2004)) | • Publication date: January 1, 2004 • Print length: 393 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | One Shot (2005) | • Publication date: June 14, 2005 • Print length: 384 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | The Hard Way (2006) | • Publication date: May 16, 2006 • Print length: 384 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Bad Luck and Trouble (2007) | • Publication date: May 15, 2007 • Print length: 384 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Nothing to Lose (2008) | • Publication date: June 3, 2008 • Print length: 416 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Gone Tomorrow (2009) | • Publication date: May 19, 2009 • Print length: 432 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | 61 Hours (2010) | • Publication date: May 18, 2010 • Print length: 400 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Worth Dying For (2010) | • Publication date: October 19, 2010 • Print length: 400 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | The Affair (2011) | • Publication date: September 27, 2011 • Print length: 416 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | A Wanted Man (2012) | • Publication date: January 1, 2012 • Print length: 432 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Never Go Back (2013) | • Publication date: January 1, 1672 • Print length: 416 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Personal (2014) | • Publication date: April 28, 2015 • Print length: 544 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Make Me (2015) | • Publication date: January 1, 2015 • Print length: 432 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Night School (2016) | • Publication date: November 7, 2016 • Print length: 384 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | The Midnight Line (2017) | • Publication date: November 7, 2017 • Print length: 384 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Past Tense (2018) | • Publication date: November 5, 2018 • Print length: 400 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Blue Moon (2019) | • Publication date: October 29, 2019 • Print length: 368 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | The Sentinel (with Andrew Child) (2020) | • Publication date: October 27, 2020 • Print length: 368 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | Better Off Dead (with Andrew Child) (2021) | • Publication date: October 26, 2021 • Print length: 336 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
 | No Plan B (with Andrew Child) (2022) | • Publication date: October 25, 2022 • Print length: 336 pages • Author: Lee Child | Check Price |
1. Killing Floor (1997)
Jack Reacher enters with a bang and starts as he means to go on in this No.1 New York Times bestselling debut.
After being arrested and accused of a murder he didn’t commit, Reacher knows he’s got a hell of a fight on his hands if he’s going to prove his innocence.
2. Die Trying (1998)
It’s the middle of the day, and standing on the sidewalk in downtown Chicago, Jack Reacher watches as a woman is thrown into the back of a van. Always in the wrong place at the wrong time, he’s kidnapped along with her.
The van hurtles across the United States to a destination unknown, and their captors demand a heavy ransom. Jack is about to find out that his fellow abductee is worth more than he could ever have imagined. Can he save them both from their seemingly inevitable fate?
3. Tripwire (1999)
After his most recent fill of action and danger, Jack Reacher is laying low in Key West, enjoying some well-needed rest and relaxation.
But his peaceful bubble is soon burst when a mysterious stranger arrives on the scene, looking for him. And when that stranger turns up dead, Reacher has no choice but to investigate.
He follows a trail of clues that lead him on a hair-raising journey to New York City. And when he arrives, it’s not just the bad guys he’ll have to confront, but also some long-buried secrets from his dark past.
4. Running Blind / The Visitor (2000)
Jack faces his toughest challenge yet as he tries to solve a series of perfectly executed crimes.
All across America, women are turning up dead. And with no apparent motive, no signs of a struggle, and no evidence to speak of, at first, the cops assume the murders are unconnected. But there is one thing these women all have in common; they all knew Jack Reacher.
Now, Jack finds himself in a desperate race against time to track down the perpetrator before he kills again.
Bonus Read: 20 Best Books to Read if You’re Obsessed With Serial Killers
5. Echo Burning (2001)
With nothing but the dry Texas planes ahead of him, Jack Reacher drives across the desert without a goal or destination in mind.
But there’s someone else on this lonely stretch of road. Carmen Greer is a woman with a plan, and whether he likes it or not, Jack is part of it.
But as their paths cross and their journey intertwines, danger awaits up ahead. The pair had better think on their feet if they were going to survive the night.
6. Without Fail (2002)
Reacher is tasked with his most high-profile mission to date; to foil a plot to kill the vice President of the United States. In order to stop this secret group of assassins in their tracks, Jack must think and act like a hitman, predicting their every move.
Can he find the flaws in their skillfully executed plans before it’s too late?
7. Persuader (2003)
While Jack Reacher is busy living in the present, trying to leave the agony of his painful past behind, DEA agent Susan Duffy is on a mission to change the future. She’s sent a lone female agent on a deadly mission into the heart of a notorious criminal ring, and now, she needs to pull out all the stops to save her.
Unable to shake the shadow of danger that follows wherever he goes, Reacher is thrust head-first into a high-profile crime lord’s secret inner circle. If he’s going to rescue this agent from certain death, he’ll have to face violence, bloodshed, and the long-buried secrets of his dark past.
8. The Enemy (2004)
Reacher has a new case on his hands; a general has been found dead in a North Carolina motel room, and now, his killer is on the loose with his briefcase. And, when the general’s wife’s body is discovered just a few hours later, Reacher knows he’s heading into dangerous territory.
Deep inside the inner fortress of the U.S. Army, a conspiracy is brewing, and all signs point to Reacher being the fall guy. But in order to confront his enemies, he’ll need to find out who they are first.
9. One Shot (2005)
The cops think they’ve got the case solved. There were six gunshots, five people left dead, and now, the perpetrator is safely in custody.
But there’s just one problem; the accused swears they’ve got the wrong guy, and he calls in Jack Reacher to prove it.
Reacher knows the suspect well, and this highly trained military sniper would never miss a shot. Something’s not right, and now, it’s down to him to uncover the truth. But to bring this unseen enemy to justice, he’ll have to be as cunning and ruthless as they are.
10. The Hard Way (2006)
Jack is in New York once again, when on a hot midsummer night, he witnesses a million-dollar ransom change hands. The money has been paid by Edward Lane, a man seemingly desperate to get his wife and child back.
Now, Reacher must use his elite skills to help Lane trace his family, but as he closes in on the kidnappers, he begins to question this man’s motives. He knows Lane is hiding something, and whatever secrets he holds, they’re leading him into the heart of the enemy territory.
Bonus read: Best John Grisham Books of All Time
11. Bad Luck and Trouble (2007)
Jack Reacher thought he’d left his military life far behind him. But one day, out of the blue, an old comrade tracks him down using a secret signal that only a handful of his elite team could ever know.
The agent gives him the news he never wanted to hear; his colleagues are dropping like flies, disappearing one by one and turning up dead. And if he doesn’t get to the bottom of it soon, he could be next.
12. Nothing to Lose (2008)
Reacher is traveling through a lonely corner of Colorado when he stops in an aptly named town called Despair.
It’s a cold, unwelcoming place that hides some dark and terrifying secrets. Every night, inside a heavily guarded top-secret compound, a team of highly trained military cops watches in wait as a small plane takes flight, only to return a few hours later. Reacher is watching, too, from the safety of the neighboring town of Hope. And with the help of the town’s beautiful police chief, he’s determined to find out what they’re up to.
But in a battle between Hope and Despair, who will win?
13. Gone Tomorrow (2009)
It’s two o’clock in the morning, and Jack Reacher is crammed into a New York City cab with five other passengers.
One of the passengers, Susan Mark, is a plain, unassuming woman who hides a dark secret. She’s being watched by a global network of elite criminals, some of whom are the very same people who want to see Reacher dead.
Now, Reacher and Susan are thrown into a deadly game of cat and mouse as they weave their way through the crowded city streets. Both sides possess the power, skills, and determination needed to finish their enemies off, and it’s a race against time to finish the line.
14. 61 Hours (2010)
In a small South Dakota town, a brave, lonely woman is battling against evil forces who threaten to take her life. And so, if she’s going to survive long enough to testify, she’ll need Reacher’s help.
Reacher never intended on sticking around in this forgotten corner of America, but unless he steps in, she won’t live to see another day.
And so, he risks his own life to save hers, coming face to face with the cold, calculating assassin who is on his way for blood.
15. Worth Dying For (2010)
Jack thought he could stay out of trouble in a quiet corner of rural Nebraska, but he’s already made enemies with the Duncans, a notorious local clan. And when he begins asking questions about an unsolved case of a missing child, they make it clear he’s outstayed his welcome.
But Reacher can’t let it go. Who are they working for, and what are they trying to hide? One thing is for sure; he’s not afraid to come face to face with danger to find out.
Bonus Read: 7 Best Crime Novels To Read This Summer
16. The Affair (2011)
It’s 1997, in Carter Crossing, Mississippi, and Jack Reacher is tasked with investigating a young woman’s murder. Going undercover, he joins forces with town sheriff Elizabeth Deveraux to trace a U.S. soldier with some powerful and unsavory connections.
But he embarks on his quest to find out the truth, others around him are actively trying to keep it concealed. Can he trust the sheriff, or is she working for the enemy?
Bonus Read: 8 Must-Read Young Adult Mystery Books and Thrillers
17. A Wanted Man (2012)
All Jack wanted to do was hitch a ride to Virginia and keep his head down. But, no matter how hard he tries to avoid it, danger always finds him, and this time, he’s stepped into the wrong car.
Now, he landed head first in the center of a dangerous conspiracy that’s already claimed one life. A man has been brutally executed on the very same road he’s traveling down, and the threat of death still hangs in the air.
Who are his fellow passengers, and are they telling the truth?
18. Never Go Back (2013)
Reacher has made the long journey across the country to his old Washington DC headquarters, the one place in the world that really feels like home.
He’s there to meet Major Susan Turner, a new commanding officer, for the first time. But when he arrives, it’s not Tuner he finds sitting at the officer’s desk. Something has happened to her, and Reacher knows he’s the one to find out what.
But with the FBI, the army, and the Washington D.C. metropolitan police on his trail, he’d better act fast.
19. Personal (2014)
John Kott is an elite U.S. army sniper gone rogue. And after fifteen years behind bars, he’s finally a free man, and his sights are set on his next target; the world leaders attending the upcoming G8 summit.
This sharpshooting assassin can only be stopped by one man; Jack Reacher. Reacher has taken him down once before, and now, it’s time to put an end to his reign of terror for good.
20. Make Me (2015)
Jack Reacher has arrived in the tiny settlement of Mother’s Rest with just one question; how did this town get its name? But the sullen and suspicious residents refuse to tell him.
One local, a troubled woman named Michelle Chang, mistakes Reacher for her missing partner. He’s not been seen since he embarked on a secret investigation, and now she fears he’s gone for good.
Reacher, never one to turn down the chance to solve a good mystery, decides to help Chang in her search. But this case runs deeper and darker than he could ever have imagined.
Bonus Read: 17 of the Best Mystery Books and Thrillers
21. Night School (2016)
Reacher is sent to locate a mysterious American embroiled in a million-dollar conspiracy involving an international terrorist ring.
Alongside him on his mission is a CIA analyst, an FBI agent, and Sergeant Frances Neagley, the most competent soldier Reacher has ever worked with.
Yet even for this elite team, it’s not going to be easy to find their man. But time is ticking, and if they don’t act fast, there could be a terror attack, unlike anything the world has ever seen before.
22. The Midnight Line (2017)
Reacher strolls casually through a small town in Wisconsin when in the window of a pawnshop, an interesting object catches his eye; a small 2005 class ring from West Point.
The ring is far too small to be a man’s, and with no place to be and time to kill, Reacher decides to investigate the whereabouts of its owner and return the ring to her.
But of course, there’s far more to this mystery than meets the eye. Now, Reacher is about to embark on a harrowing journey that will lead him into the depths of a vast, hidden criminal enterprise.
23. Past Tense (2018)
Jack is on the road again, hitchhiking across America, following the trail to his father’s New England hometown.
That’s when he comes across two young Canadians who are making their way to New York with a booty of treasure. Their car has broken down, and Reacher and the young travelers are forced to spend the night at a strange, isolated motel.
In the morning, this unlikely trio is about to step into a world of danger that none of them saw coming. It’s a world filled with hidden secrets that will challenge everything Reacher ever thought he knew about himself and his family’s past.
24. Blue Moon (2019)
Jack Reacher is many things to many people, and a hero is certainly one of them. And so, when he meets an elderly couple in need of help, he immediately comes to their aid.
They owe an awful lot of money to some very dangerous people, and Reacher has the knowledge, skills, and connections to set them free from their nightmare. But his good deed comes at a great cost, and now, he finds himself as enemy number one to some of the world’s most notorious assassins.
25. The Sentinel (with Andrew Child) (2020)
Reacher has arrived in a small Tennessee town named Pleasantville, but there’s nothing pleasant about it. And when he spots a meek-looking man wandering unknowingly into an ambush, Reacher is compelled to step in and save the day.
The man he’s saved goes by the name of Rusty Rutherford, a recently fired I.T. manager accidentally embroiled in the center of a top-secret cyber attack.
Rutherford has no idea what he’s up against, but luckily for him, Reacher is intrigued, and he’s prepared to walk head-first into this deadly conspiracy without a moment’s hesitation.
26. Better Off Dead (with Andrew Child) (2021)
Reacher was heading west across the baking hot desert planes when he happened upon a mangled Jeep. Inside, a woman is slumped lifelessly over the steering wheel.
The woman is FBI agent Michaela Fenton, on the hunt for her missing twin brother, who got involved with some very unsavory characters.
The only one who knows his whereabouts is a mysterious man named Dendoncker, the terrifying leader of these forgotten backwaters. But he’s not exactly the helpful type, and so Reacher steps in to help Fenton uncover the truth.
But coming up against a man like Dendoncker won’t be easy, not even for Jack Reacher.
27. No Plan B (with Andrew Child) (2022)
Due to hit the shelves in October 2022, Lee Child and his brother Andrew’s latest thriller takes Jack Reacher to Gerrardsville, Colorado, where two witnesses of the same tragedy have two very different versions of events.
Jack is one of those witnesses, and he saw what really happened when the woman collided with the bus. Despite the other’s guy’s testimony, he knows it wasn’t suicide. She was pushed, and now, Reacher is dead-set on finding her killer.
Conclusion
Lee Child’s epic Jack Reacher saga has kept readers on the edge of their seats for more than twenty years.
If you’re new to this author and his gripping Jack Reacher series, then you’re in for a real treat. There’s an incredible number of amazing books in the series, and now that Child has teamed up with his brother Andrew, this pair of prolific authors show no signs of slowing down.
Where will Reacher go next, and what danger, drama, and adventure await him?