Jack Reacher Books in Order (UK): The Complete List and the Best Box Sets to Collect Them

The short answer: there are 31 Jack Reacher novels. Lee Child wrote the first 24, from Killing Floor (1997) to Blue Moon (2019). He co-wrote the series with his brother Andrew Child from The Sentinel (2020) onwards, and the latest book, Chain Reaction, was published on 20 October 2026. You do not have to read Jack Reacher in order, as nearly every book stands alone, but starting with Killing Floor and reading in publication order is the most rewarding way to do it.

Jack Reacher is one of the most popular characters in British bookshops. He is a former US Army military police major who drifts across America with no fixed address, no phone and a habit of finding trouble. Lee Child, the creator of Reacher, is British, born in Coventry, which is one reason the series is so loved in the UK. This guide gives you the complete list of Jack Reacher books in order, a chronological reading order for fans, the books that make the best starting points, and the box sets that make collecting them simple.

Jack Reacher books in order: the complete list

Here is every Jack Reacher novel in publication order, using UK titles. Book four was published in the US as Running Blind.

As well as the novels, there are a number of Reacher short stories and novellas, many collected in No Middle Name. They are fun extras, but none of them is essential to the main series.

Do you need to read Jack Reacher in order?

No. Lee Child designed the books so that a reader can pick up any one of them and understand it. Reacher arrives somewhere new, gets drawn into a problem, solves it and moves on. There is no long-running villain, and very few side characters return.

That said, there are good reasons to read in publication order if you can:

• Killing Floor introduces Reacher and tells you about his past, his brother Joe and why he lives as he does.
• A few books connect directly. The most important is 61 Hours, which ends on a cliffhanger resolved in Worth Dying For. Read those two back to back.
• Some characters recur. Major Susan Turner appears in 61 Hours, takes centre stage in Never Go Back and returns in the latest book, Chain Reaction. Frances Neagley, from Reacher's old military police unit, appears in Without Fail and Bad Luck and Trouble.
• You see Reacher age. Reading in order lets you follow small changes in the character and in how the books are written, especially when Andrew Child joins.

Jack Reacher books in chronological order

Several books are prequels set during Reacher's time in the army, before he became a drifter. If you want to follow his life from the beginning, this is the order most fans use. It mixes the prequels in where they fall in his timeline.

1. The Enemy, set in 1990, while Reacher is a military police officer.
2. Night School, set in 1996, still in the army.
3. The Affair, set in 1997, the case that leads Reacher to leave the army, just before Killing Floor.
4. Killing Floor and the rest of the series in publication order, skipping the three books above.

We would only suggest chronological order for a reread. The prequels are richer when you already know who Reacher becomes, and The Affair in particular is written with long-time fans in mind.

A printable Jack Reacher checklist

Many readers like to tick the books off as they go. You can print the full table above, or use this shorter version. Here are the books grouped the way our box sets are, so you can see at a glance which set fills which gap:

• Books 1–5: Killing Floor, Die Trying, Tripwire, The Visitor, Echo Burning.
• Books 6–10: Without Fail, Persuader, The Enemy, One Shot, The Hard Way.
• Books 11–15: Bad Luck and Trouble, Nothing to Lose, Gone Tomorrow, 61 Hours, Worth Dying For.
• Books 16–20: The Affair, A Wanted Man, Never Go Back, Personal, Make Me.
• Books 21–25: Night School, The Midnight Line, Past Tense, Blue Moon, The Sentinel.
• Books 26–30: Better Off Dead, No Plan B, The Secret, In Too Deep, Exit Strategy.
• Book 31: Chain Reaction.

Why the books are so easy to binge

Part of Reacher's appeal is that every book follows a satisfying pattern. He arrives with nothing but a toothbrush and cash, notices something others miss, and refuses to walk away from an injustice. The settings change constantly, from small towns in the American South to New York, the Pentagon and remote farmland, and the series switches between first-person and third-person narration from book to book. That variety, combined with short chapters and clear, direct writing, is why so many readers finish one Reacher and immediately start the next.

Where to start with Jack Reacher

If you want to start at the beginning, Killing Floor is the obvious choice. Reacher steps off a bus in a small town in Georgia and is promptly arrested for murder. It is also the book adapted for the first series of the Reacher TV show, so it is perfect if you have watched that.

If you would rather jump in with one of the strongest books, these are popular starting points:

Jack Reacher on screen

Reacher has been adapted twice, and each version is based on specific books:

• Jack Reacher (2012), starring Tom Cruise, based on One Shot.
• Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016), also with Tom Cruise, based on Never Go Back.
• Reacher on Prime Video, starring Alan Ritchson, who is much closer in size to the six-foot-five Reacher of the books. Series one is based on Killing Floor, series two on Bad Luck and Trouble and series three on Persuader.

Many viewers who loved the TV series go on to read the books, and they are often surprised by how much of the humour and detail comes from Reacher's inner voice on the page.

Lee Child and Andrew Child: who wrote which books?

Lee Child is the pen name of Jim Grant, who grew up in Birmingham and worked in television in Manchester before writing Killing Floor. He wrote the first 24 Reacher novels alone. In 2020 he announced that he would hand the series to his younger brother, Andrew Child, also a thriller writer. Books 25 to 31 are credited to both brothers, with Andrew taking on the main writing role.

Fans are divided on the co-written books. Some feel they have a slightly different rhythm, while others are simply glad that Reacher continues. Our suggestion is to read at least the first 24 to get to know Lee Child's Reacher, then carry on and decide for yourself.

The best Jack Reacher box sets to collect the series

Because our Reacher sets follow the series numbering, collecting the books in order is straightforward. Buy the sets in sequence and you will have the series in the right order on your shelf.

Five-book sets, in order

• Jack Reacher books 1–5 collection: Killing Floor, Die Trying, Tripwire, The Visitor and Echo Burning.
• Jack Reacher books 6–10 collection: Without Fail, Persuader, The Enemy, One Shot and The Hard Way.
• Jack Reacher books 11–15 collection: from Bad Luck and Trouble to Worth Dying For, including both halves of the 61 Hours story.
• Jack Reacher books 16–20 collection: The Affair, A Wanted Man, Never Go Back, Personal and Make Me.
• Jack Reacher books 21–25 collection: Night School, The Midnight Line, Past Tense, Blue Moon and The Sentinel.
• Jack Reacher books 26–30 collection: Better Off Dead, No Plan B, The Secret, In Too Deep and Exit Strategy.

Ten-book sets for faster collecting

If you want to fill a big gap at once, the Jack Reacher books 11–20 collection covers ten books in one set, and the Jack Reacher books 21–30 collection takes you from Night School to Exit Strategy.

Chain Reaction, book 31, is brand new and is not part of any of these sets yet. Formats vary between sets, with some including hardbacks, so check each product page for details.

Is Jack Reacher suitable for teenagers?

The Reacher books are written for adults. They contain frequent violence, some of it graphic, plus strong language and occasional sexual content. Older teenagers who enjoy action thrillers often read them, but we would suggest 16 and up as a guide. Parents can judge by the TV series, which matches the books' tone fairly closely.

What to read after Jack Reacher

If you love a puzzle as much as a fight, try the original detective stories: our guide to where to start with Agatha Christie sets out Poirot and Miss Marple in order. For twisty modern thrillers, Freida McFadden is a fast-paced choice. You will find both, and many more, in our crime, thriller and mystery collection.

Frequently asked questions

How many Jack Reacher books are there?

There are 31 Jack Reacher novels as of October 2026, the latest being Chain Reaction. There are also several short stories and novellas, many collected in No Middle Name.

Do you have to read the Jack Reacher books in order?

No, almost every book works on its own. The main exception is 61 Hours, which ends on a cliffhanger and continues in Worth Dying For, so read those two together.

What is the first Jack Reacher book?

Killing Floor, published in 1997, is the first Jack Reacher novel. Reacher arrives in a small Georgia town and is arrested for a murder he did not commit.

Which Jack Reacher books did Andrew Child co-write?

Andrew Child co-wrote every Reacher novel from The Sentinel (book 25, 2020) onwards, including Better Off Dead, No Plan B, The Secret, In Too Deep, Exit Strategy and Chain Reaction.

Which Jack Reacher books are the TV series based on?

The Prime Video series Reacher adapted Killing Floor for series one, Bad Luck and Trouble for series two and Persuader for series three. The two Tom Cruise films were based on One Shot and Never Go Back.

What is The Visitor called in the US?

The Visitor, book four, was published in the United States as Running Blind. It is the same story, so you only need one of them.

Start your Reacher collection

Whether you are starting with Killing Floor or filling the gaps on your shelf, our numbered sets make it easy. Browse our complete author sets or our best value bundles for your next box set.