Jack Reacher Series Books in Order

Curated by Emma Hartley Last reviewed October 5, 2026

Mystery Thriller Action

Jack Reacher is a thriller series created by Lee Child about a former military policeman travelling from place to place. Start with Killing Floor (1997) and use the publication-order list for a first read. Many novels have self-contained investigations, but recurring people and some connected journeys reward reading in order. Andrew Child joins the author credits from The Sentinel (2020). The list covers the main novels, including Exit Strategy (2025), rather than counting short-story collections or screen adaptations as extra novels.

Sources

Official Links

Where to Start with Jack Reacher

Killing Floor is the publication-order starting point. It introduces Reacher after his military career. A later novel can work as an individual investigation, but starting at the beginning avoids having to decide which references or returning characters matter before you know the series.

Publication order is not the same as Reacher's timeline

Some later-published novels return to his army years, including The Enemy, The Affair, Night School, and The Secret. Read them where they appear in the publication list on a first pass. Their place in Reacher's life is earlier than their place on the bookshelf; a prequel is not an additional version of Killing Floor.

Why does book four have two names?

Running Blind and The Visitor are the US and UK titles of the same fourth novel. You do not need both to complete the sequence. New covers, paperback releases, and television tie-in editions likewise do not add new numbered adventures.

Main novels, short stories, and the next release

No Middle Name is a Reacher short-story collection, not another numbered novel. Keep it separate from the main list when tracking your progress. Exit Strategy is novel 30, published in 2025 and credited to Lee and Andrew Child.

Release status checked October 5, 2026: Penguin lists Chain Reaction as novel 31, scheduled for October 20, 2026 in its New Zealand catalogue. It was not yet published at this review date; edition and regional dates can differ. Check the publisher link in this page's official sources before buying.

For the creator and the change in author credits, see Lee Child's author page. For the character rather than the book sequence, see Jack Reacher.

Publication Order Chronological Order

Books Listed 30

Main Author Lee Child

1. Killing Floor (1997) ✓ Check Price
2. Die Trying (1998) ✓ Check Price
3. Tripwire (1999) ✓ Check Price
4. Running Blind / The Visitor (2000) ✓ Check Price
5. Echo Burning (2001) ✓ Check Price
6. Without Fail (2002) ✓ Check Price
7. Persuader (2003) ✓ Check Price
8. The Enemy (2004) ✓ Check Price
9. One Shot (2005) ✓ Check Price
10. The Hard Way (2006) ✓ Check Price
11. Bad Luck and Trouble (2007) ✓ Check Price
12. Nothing to Lose (2008) ✓ Check Price
13. Gone Tomorrow (2009) ✓ Check Price
14. 61 Hours (2010) ✓ Check Price
15. Worth Dying For (2010) ✓ Check Price
16. The Affair (2011) ✓ Check Price
17. A Wanted Man (2012) ✓ Check Price
18. Never Go Back (2013) ✓ Check Price
19. Personal (2014) ✓ Check Price
20. Make Me (2015) ✓ Check Price
21. Night School (2016) ✓ Check Price
22. The Midnight Line (2017) ✓ Check Price
23. Past Tense (2018) ✓ Check Price
24. Blue Moon (2019) ✓ Check Price
25. The Sentinel (2020) ✓ Check Price
26. Better off Dead (2021) ✓ Check Price
27. No Plan B (2022) ✓ Check Price
28. The Secret (2023) ✓ Check Price
29. In Too Deep (2024) ✓ Check Price
30. Exit Strategy (2025) ✓ Check Price

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