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Interviews

‘Between real and mythic’: an oral history of Jack Reacher

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Shelf Life: Lee Child

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Lee Child on Jack Reacher: ‘His fear of loneliness will get the better of his love of solitude’

6 of our favourite author cameos in films – did you spot them?

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Features

(Jack Reacher 13)

Gone Tomorrow

"You'll be left with a thumping heart and a racing pulse but, be warned, Chapter 63 will give you nightmares." (Evening Standard) 
 
Suicide bombers are easy to spot. 
They give out all kinds of tell-tale signs. There are twelve things to look for. No one who has worked in law enforcement will ever forget them. 
 
New York City. The subway, two o'clock in the morning. 
Jack Reacher studies his fellow passengers. Four are OK. The fifth isn't. 
The train brakes for Grand Central Station. 
 
Will Reacher intervene, and save lives? 
Or is he wrong? Will his intervention cost lives - including his own? 
 
_________ 
 
The fourth series of the critically acclaimed Amazon Prime Reacher series will be based on Gone Tomorrow, the 13th in the series. 
 
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***

Lee Child is one of the world’s leading thriller writers. He was born in Coventry, raised in Birmingham, and now lives in England's Lake District. It is said one of his novels featuring his hero Jack Reacher is sold somewhere in the world every nine seconds. His books consistently achieve the number-one slot on bestseller lists around the world and have sold nearly two hundred million copies. Lee is the recipient of many awards including Author of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards. He was appointed CBE in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours.

"You'll be left with a thumping heart and a racing pulse but, be warned, Chapter 63 will give you nightmares." (Evening Standard) 
 
Suicide bombers are easy to spot. 
They give out all kinds of tell-tale signs. There are twelve things to look for. No one who has worked in law enforcement will ever forget them. 
 
New York City. The subway, two o'clock in the morning. 
Jack Reacher studies his fellow passengers. Four are OK. The fifth isn't. 
The train brakes for Grand Central Station. 
 
Will Reacher intervene, and save lives? 
Or is he wrong? Will his intervention cost lives - including his own? 
 
_________ 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Gone Tomorrow is 13th in the series. 
 
And be sure not to miss Reacher's newest adventure, no.29, In Too Deep! ***OUT NOW***

Reacher: The Stories Behind The Stories

From global bestseller and creator of Jack Reacher, comes Lee Child’s first-ever autobiographical collection. 
 
'Essential reading for all Reacher fans.' STEVE CAVANAGH 
 
'Need a Lee Child/Reacher fix? Of course you do . . . This book is perfect for rabid fans and unabashed addicts – like me.' JAMES PATTERSON 
 
‘Fans of the series (and would-be writers looking for tips) will relish this . . . engaging and instructive’ Sunday Times 
 
**** 
 
From urgently scribbling out his debut Killing Floor in pencil (the stub of which he still owns), to seeing his novels adapted for the big screen . . . here are Lee Child’s fascinating personal reflections on his life and work. 
 
Crafted across decades, this is the story of a man who once put pencil to paper in an attempt to turn his luck around . . . and who made every word count. 
 
**** 
 
Praise for Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories: 
 
'Whip-smart, gripping and chock-full of wit and charm, just like the author himself.' KARIN SLAUGHTER, No.1 bestselling author of the Will Trent series 
 
'A unique, fascinating insight into the creative and personal journey of one of the world’s finest authors. I loved it.' STEVE CAVANAGH, bestselling author of Fifty Fifty and Thirteen 
 
'A fascinating look at the brilliant mind that created the iconic Jack Reacher. Both inspiring and instructive, this is a must-read for both readers and writers.' TESS GERRITSEN, bestselling author of the Martini Club series 
 
'A terrific accompaniment to the books, and answers so many questions.' JOANNE HARRIS, bestselling author of Chocolat 
 
***

'Essential reading for all Reacher fans, or anyone who is remotely interested in reading and writing. A unique, fascinating insight into the creative and personal journey of one of the world’s finest authors. I loved it.'

‘It’s fascinating to pull back the curtain to see how one of the all-time greats gets his work done. REACHER: THE STORIES BEHIND THE STORIES is whip-smart, gripping, and chock-full of wit and charm, just like the author himself.’

KARIN SLAUGHTER, No.1 bestselling author of the Will Trent series

‘A fascinating look at the brilliant mind that created the iconic Jack Reacher. Both inspiring and instructive, this is a must-read for both readers and writers.’

TESS GERRITSEN, bestselling author of the Martini Club series

‘A terrific accompaniment to the books, and answers so many questions.’

JOANNE HARRIS, bestselling author of CHOCOLAT

'Need a Lee Child/Reacher fix? Of course you do. I did. Here’s everything you need to know about the Reacher novels. In chronological order. This book is perfect for rabid fans and unabashed addicts – like me.'

‘Fans of the series (and would-be writers looking for tips) will relish this . . . engaging and instructive’

On Monday September 5th, 1994, at home, at the dining room table, I sat down to write. An hour later, I gave the first chapter to my wife. I asked, “Should I continue?” 
 
“Yes,” she said. “I like it.” 
 
From global bestseller and creator of Jack Reacher, comes Lee Child’s first-ever autobiographical collection. 
 
From urgently scribbling out his debut Killing Floor in pencil (the stub of which he still owns), to taking a step back with Blue Moon, and everything in between, here are 24 fascinating personal reflections on his life and work, crafted across decades. 
 
Whether it is through Lee’s moving account of meeting a fan years after her mother brought her to a book signing, to facing his first computer and the coming of the internet, to writing about New York just before – and just after – 9/11, to later seeing his novels adapted for the big screen . . . each riveting piece deftly evokes where he was, psychologically and physically, when he wrote each novel. 
 
Lee has clearly felt unwavering gratitude for his readers since 1997. And these honest, witty and wise reflections were originally designed for fans of Reacher who may be interested in a ‘behind-the-scenes’ – or, in Lee’s words: ‘why the books turned out the way they did’. 
 
But this collection is also so much more. It is the story of a man who once put pencil to paper in an attempt to turn his luck around . . . and who made every word count.

Exit Strategy

Jack Reacher is a former major in the US Military Police who, since leaving the army, has drifted round the wide open spaces of America, hitchhiking or on buses, wherever the whim takes him. He has no permanent address, no job, no family ties, no car, no luggage, no mobile phone, no credit card - all he carries with him is a folding toothbrush. 
Reacher is never looking for trouble, but somehow trouble always find him. He is the ultimate hero for our troubled times, with a keen moral compass and sense of justice, even if he is often prepared to take the law into his own hands: he says he doesn't want to put the world to rights, he just doesn't like people who put it to wrongs.

'If there is a more iconic character in modern fiction than Jack Reacher, I'd like to meet them.' DAILY MIRROR 
 
THE NEW JACK REACHER THRILLER 
 
Jack Reacher will make three stops today. Not all of them were planned for. The 'gripping must-read' (Express) new Jack Reacher thriller featuring 'the best villain yet' (USA Today)! 
 
First – a Baltimore coffee shop. A seat in the corner, facing the door. Black coffee, two refills, no messing about. A minor interruption from two of the customers, but nothing he can’t deal with swiftly. As he leaves, a young guy brushes against him in the doorway. Instinctively Reacher checks the pocket holding his cash and passport. There's no problem. Nothing is missing. 
 
Second – a store to buy a coat. Nothing fancy. Something he can ditch when he heads to warmer climes. Large enough to fit a man the size of a bank vault. As he pulls out his cash, he finds something new in his pocket. A handwritten note. A desperate plea for help. 
 
Third – wherever this bend in the road takes him. Impressed by the guy's technique and intrigued by the message, Reacher makes it his mission to find out more . . . 
 
We all need Jack Reacher – a righteous avenger for our troubled times. 
 
'There's only one Jack Reacher. Accept no substitutes.' MICK HERRON 
 
'It's no wonder Jack Reacher is everyone's favourite rebel hero.' KARIN SLAUGHTER 
 
'These books are absolutely addictive. When you pick them up you can't put them down.' GEORGE R. R. MARTIN 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, EXIT STRATEGY is the 30th book in the internationally bestselling series. 
 
And don’t miss the hit Amazon Prime streaming series Reacher!

'If there is a more iconic character in modern fiction than Jack Reacher, I'd like to meet them.' Daily Mirror 
 
THE NEW JACK REACHER THRILLER 
 
Jack Reacher will make three stops today. Not all of them were planned for. 
 
First – a Baltimore coffee shop. A seat in the corner, facing the door. Black coffee, two refills, no messing about. A minor interruption from two of the customers, but nothing he can’t deal with swiftly. As he leaves, a young guy brushes against him in the doorway. Instinctively Reacher checks the pocket holding his cash and passport. There's no problem. Nothing is missing. 
 
Second – a store to buy a coat. Nothing fancy. Something he can ditch when he heads to warmer climes. Large enough to fit a man the size of a bank vault. As he pulls out his cash, he finds something new in his pocket. A handwritten note. A desperate plea for help. 
 
Third – wherever this bend in the road takes him. Impressed by the guy's technique and intrigued by the message, Reacher makes it his mission to find out more . . . 
 
We all need Jack Reacher – a righteous avenger for our troubled times. 
 
'There's only one Jack Reacher. Accept no substitutes.' MICK HERRON 
 
'It's no wonder Jack Reacher is everyone's favourite rebel hero.' KARIN SLAUGHTER 
 
'These books are absolutely addictive. When you pick them up you can't put them down.' GEORGE R. R. MARTIN

And Other Stories

Safe Enough

'An enticing snack-like book, full of jaunty tales, twists and violence.' INDEPENDENT 
 
I was the guy who always found a way. 
 
I was the guy that couldn't be stopped. 
 
From the world's number one thriller writer, twenty pulse-pounding short stories are collected for the first time in one edition, complete with an introduction from the author. 
 
Here are twenty meticulously plotted, intimate portraits of humanity at its best and worst, featuring assassins, CIA agents, gangsters, and more. A drug-dealing hit man unburdens his fears to a stranger. An overlooked rookie cop is assigned to the department’s file room. A ruthless killer only kills bad guys. A methodical bodyguard quits his job when he’s outsmarted. A military mission is planned to perfection… 
 
Each story is entirely distinct. And with their economical prose and unexpected twists, each could only have been written by the creator of Jack Reacher. 
 
'A great summer read. There is always a twist and always a different one. You’ll romp through them in a happy afternoon.' SPECTATOR 
 
 
The stories included in this collection are: 
 
The Bodyguard * The Greatest Trick of All * Ten Keys * Safe Enough * Natural in Every Way * The .50 Solution * Publica Transportation * Me and Mr. Rafferty * Section 7 (a) (Operational) * Addicted to Sweetness * The Bone-Headed League * I Heard a Romantic Story * My First Drug Trial * Wet with Rain * The Truth About What Happened * Pierre, Lucien & Me * New Blank Document * Shorty and the Briefcase * Dying for a Cigarette * The Snake-Eater by the Numbers

An enticing snack-like book, full of jaunty tales, twists and violence.

A great summer read. There is always a twist and always a different one. You’ll romp through them in a happy afternoon.

I was the guy who always found a way. 
 
I was the guy that couldn't be stopped. 
 
From the world's number one thriller writer, twenty pulse-pounding short stories are collected for the first time in one edition, complete with an introduction from the author. 
 
Here are twenty meticulously plotted, intimate portraits of humanity at its best and worst, featuring assassins, CIA agents, gangsters, and more. A drug-dealing hit man unburdens his fears to a stranger. An overlooked rookie cop is assigned to the department’s file room. A ruthless killer only kills bad guys. A methodical bodyguard quits his job when he’s outsmarted. A military mission is planned to perfection… 
 
Each story is entirely distinct. And with their economical prose and unexpected twists, each could only have been written by the creator of Jack Reacher. 
 
 
The stories included in this collection are: 
 
The Bodyguard * The Greatest Trick of All * Ten Keys * Safe Enough * Natural in Every Way * The .50 Solution * Publica Transportation * Me and Mr. Rafferty * Section 7 (a) (Operational) * Addicted to Sweetness * The Bone-Headed League * I Heard a Romantic Story * My First Drug Trial * Wet with Rain * The Truth About What Happened * Pierre, Lucien & Me * New Blank Document * Shorty and the Briefcase * Dying for a Cigarette * The Snake-Eater by the Numbers

(Jack Reacher 7)

Persuader

** REACHER SEASON 3: OUT NOW ON PRIME VIDEO** 
 
"Ballsy, dynamic and not for the faint-hearted." (Daily Mail) 
 
Never forgive, never forget. 
 
Jack Reacher lives for the moment. Without a home. Without commitment. But he has a burning desire to right wrongs - and rewrite his own agonizing past. 
 
Never apologize. Never explain. 
 
When Reacher witnesses a brutal kidnap attempt, he takes the law into his own hands. But a cop dies. Has Reacher lost his sense of right and wrong? 
 
INCLUDES A BONUS SHORT STORY BY LEE CHILD AND TESS GERRITSEN. 
_________ 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Persuader is the seventh in the series. 
 
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***

"Ballsy, dynamic and not for the faint-hearted." (Daily Mail) 
 
Never forgive, never forget. 
 
Jack Reacher lives for the moment. Without a home. Without commitment. But he has a burning desire to right wrongs - and rewrite his own agonizing past. 
 
Never apologize. Never explain. 
 
When Reacher witnesses a brutal kidnap attempt, he takes the law into his own hands. But a cop dies. Has Reacher lost his sense of right and wrong? 
 
_________ 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Persuader is seventh in the series. 
 
And be sure not to miss Reacher's newest adventure, no.29, In Too Deep! ***OUT NOW***

Jack Reacher, Book 28

The Secret

The gripping new Jack Reacher thriller from the No.1 bestselling authors Lee Child and Andrew Child. 
 
 
Chicago. 1992. A hospital patient wakes to find two strangers by his bed. 
 
They show him a list of names and ask a simple but impossible question. Minutes later he falls to his death from his twelfth-floor window - a fall which generates some unexpected attention. 
 
That attention comes from the Secretary of Defense, who calls for an inter-agency task force to investigate. Jack Reacher, recently demoted from Major, is assigned as the Army's representative. If he gets a result, great. If not, he's a convenient fall guy. 
 
Reacher may be an exceptional military investigator, but office politics aren't what gets him up in the morning. As he races to identify a cold-blooded killer and uncover a secret that stretches back 23 years, he must navigate around his new partners. 
 
Will Reacher bring the bad guys to justice the official way . . . or his way? 
 
 
PRAISE FOR THE JACK REACHER SERIES 
 
'There's only one Jack Reacher. Accept no substitutes.' MICK HERRON 
 
'Jack Reacher is today's James Bond, a thriller hero we can't get enough of.' KEN FOLLETT 
 
'Everyone needs to kick some butt sometimes, even if it's just imaginary.' JOJO MOYES 
 
 
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW*** 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, The Secret is the 28th book in the internationally bestselling series. 
 
The Secret was a No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller in October and November 2023.

The Secret is a corker . . . Fast and furious, this is classic Jack Reacher doing what he does best &ndash; busting heads and breaking rules to get to the bottom of a conspiracy

A flow to the fight scenes  . . . some flashes of humour . . . Welcome back, Jack

If there is a more iconic character in modern fiction than Jack Reacher, I&rsquo;d like to meet them

Jack Reacher is on good form . . . Cue classic laconic violence

Chicago. 1992. A hospital patient wakes to find two strangers by his bed. 
 
They show him a list of names and ask a simple but impossible question. Minutes later he falls to his death from his twelfth-floor window - a fall which generates some unexpected attention. 
 
That attention comes from the Secretary of Defense, who calls for an inter-agency task force to investigate. Jack Reacher, recently demoted from Major, is assigned as the Army's representative. If he gets a result, great. If not, he's a convenient fall guy. 
 
Reacher may be an exceptional military investigator, but office politics aren't what gets him up in the morning. As he races to identify a cold-blooded killer and uncover a secret that stretches back 23 years, he must navigate around his new partners. 
 
Will Reacher bring the bad guys to justice the official way . . . or his way?

(Jack Reacher 3)

Tripwire

&lsquo;If the final pages of this story don&rsquo;t make your heart race, then you might want to make sure your heart is still working.&rsquo; KARIN SLAUGHTER 
 
 
For Jack Reacher, being invisible has become a habit. 
 
He spends his days digging swimming pools by hand and his nights as the bouncer in a local strip club in the Florida Keys. 
 
He doesn't want to be found. 
 
But someone has sent a private detective to seek him out. Then Reacher finds the guy beaten to death with his fingertips sliced off. It's time to head north and work out who is trying to find him and why. 
_________ 
 
'Lee Child continues his meteoric rise and mastery of suspense with Tripwire. It's a tightly-drawn and swift thriller that gives new meaning to what a page-turner should be.' MICHAEL CONNELLY 
'A slickly effective thriller which confirms Child's ability to keep the reader guessing - and sweating.' THE TIMES 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Tripwire is 3rd in the series. 
 
And be sure not to miss Reacher's newest adventure, no.29, In Too Deep! **PRE-ORDER NOW**

A slickly effective thriller which confirms Child's ability to keep the reader guessing - and sweating

A fast-moving, violent and gripping mystery with a very bad baddie, and a tough, pragmatic hero in Jack Reacher

Lee Child continues his meteoric rise and mastery of suspense with Tripwire. It's a tightly-drawn and swift thriller that gives new meaning to what a page-turner should be

Establishes Child in the premier division.. Taut, with more than a touch of sweet romance, this is dangerously compulsive, so be warned - don't start it at bedtime or you'll be up all night

Good thrillers exist in a class of their own. The point of such a book is total escape and Tripwire fills the bill... includes a bang-up finale which makes the reader sit back and gasp with both wonder and understanding

Page for page, there's probably more fisticuffs in a Lee Child thriller than anywhere else

(Jack Reacher 11)

Bad Luck And Trouble

Coming soon to Prime Video

You do not mess with Reacher, in Lee Child's irresistible number one bestseller.

"The invincible Reacher is as irresistible as ever." (Sunday Telegraph) 
 
You do not mess with Jack Reacher. 
 
He is as close to untraceable as a person can get. A loner comfortable in his anonymity and solitude. So when a member of his old Army unit finds a way to contact him, he knows this has to be serious. 
 
You do not mess with the Special Investigators. 
 
In the past the elite team always watched each other's backs. Now one of them has shown up dead in the California desert and six more are missing. 
 
Reacher's old buddies are in big trouble, and he can't let that go. 
 
_________ 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Bad Luck and Trouble is the 11th in the series. 
 
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***

The invicible Reacher is as irresistible as ever

Almost overnight, British author Lee Child created one of the world's most enduring and popular fiction characters in Jack Reacher . . . Child is a great storyteller . . . the reader never feels conned . . . Another sure-fire hit

Jack Reacher has the manliness of John Wayne, the coping skills of Jack Bauer, the fieldcraft of John Rambo and the coolness of Dirty Harry

[Reacher] has long since gained mythical status...storytelling of the highest order: lean, laconic, laced with tension

Reacher is one of those characters who is admired by his male readers and lusted after by his female ones in equal measure . . . Child's tough-as-nails protagonist has become one of the most appealing of contemporary heroes

One of the truly memorable tough-guy heroes in recent fiction

Forget the A-team. If you're in a fix, and you want help, you need Jack Reacher....the twists come thick and fast, the false trails are cleverly laid and the surprise developments are genuinely unexpected...Child, as always, delivers

Perhaps there are action-lit writers more recognizable than Child, but the bet is that none of them will turn in a tighter-plotted, richer-peopled, faster-paced page-turner this year

As always, the action is intense, the pace unrelenting, and the violence unforgiving. Child remains the reigning master at combining breakneck yet brilliantly constructed plotting with characters who continually surprise us with their depth

It's his hero, hyper-tough ex-US army special investigator Jack 
Reacher, who keeps me coming back for more...never a dull moment

You do not mess with Jack Reacher. 
 
He is as close to untraceable as a person can get. A loner comfortable in his anonymity and solitude. So when a member of his old Army unit finds a way to contact him, he knows this has to be serious. 
 
You do not mess with the Special Investigators. 
 
In the past the elite team always watched each other's backs. Now one of them has shown up dead in the California desert and six more are missing. 
 
Reacher's old buddies are in big trouble, and he can't let that go.

No Plan B

The unputdownable new Jack Reacher thriller from the No.1 bestselling authors

The gripping new Jack Reacher thriller from the No.1 bestselling authors Lee Child and Andrew Child. 
 
When your name is Jack Reacher, the truth is always worth doing time for. 
 
Gerrardsville, Colorado. One tragic event. Two witnesses. Two conflicting accounts. One witness sees a woman throw herself in front of a bus - clearly suicide. The other witness is Jack Reacher. And he sees what really happened - a man in grey hoodie and jeans, swift and silent as a shadow, pushing the victim to her death, before grabbing her bag and sauntering away. 
 
Reacher follows the killer, not knowing that this was no random act of violence. It is part of something much bigger...a sinister, secret conspiracy, with powerful people on the take, enmeshed in an elaborate plot that leaves no room for error. If any step is compromised, the threat will have to be quickly and permanently removed. 
 
Because when the threat is Reacher, there is No Plan B... 
 
 
'Perfectly plotted, with bigger twists than ever before' KARIN SLAUGHTER 
 
'The world's favourite hero packs an even harder punch than ever' PETER JAMES 
 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, No Plan B is the 27th book in the internationally bestselling series. 
 
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW*** 
 
No Plan B was a No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller in May 2023.

Lee and Andrew Child nail it again with NO PLAN B

No Plan B is not to be missed. A perfectly plotted, fast paced thriller, with bigger twists than ever before. 
It's no wonder Jack Reacher is everyone's favourite rebel hero

The world's favourite hero packs an even harder punch than ever.

Contains more chases than James Bond could manage, a plot to keep the reader guessing, and enough bad guys to test Reacher's strength and guile. . .Destined to be another bestseller.

The gripping new Jack Reacher thriller from the No.1 bestselling authors Lee Child and Andrew Child. 
 
Gerrardsville, Colorado. One tragic event. Two witnesses. Two conflicting accounts. One witness sees a woman throw herself in front of a bus - clearly suicide. The other witness is Jack Reacher. And he sees what really happened - a man in grey hoodie and jeans, swift and silent as a shadow, pushing the victim to her death, before grabbing her bag and sauntering away. 
 
Reacher follows the killer, not knowing that this was no random act of violence. It is part of something much bigger...a sinister, secret conspiracy, with powerful people on the take, enmeshed in an elaborate plot that leaves no room for error. If any step is compromised, the threat will have to be quickly and permanently removed. 
 
But when the threat is Reacher, there is No Plan B...

(Jack Reacher 2)

Die Trying

The dynamic second thriller from the number one bestselling author of KILLING FLOOR

'Cunning, explosive . . . A thumping good read.' Time Out 
 
Jack Reacher, alone, strolling nowhere. 
 
A Chicago street in bright sunshine. A young woman, struggling on crutches. Reacher offers her a steadying arm. 
 
And turns to see a handgun aimed at his stomach. 
 
Chained in a dark van racing across America, Reacher doesn't know why they've been kidnapped. The woman claims to be FBI. She's certainly tough enough. But at their remote destination, will raw courage be enough to overcome the hopeless odds? 
 
_________ 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Die Trying is the 2nd in the series. 
 
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***

Jack Reacher is a wonderfully epic hero; tough, taciturn, yet vulnerable... Irresistible

Reacher combines the physique of the Commando-period Schwarzenegger with the analytical brilliance of Sherlock Holmes

The taut plot, set firmly in headline territory, lays bare the world of the rabid, worm-like militias crawling in the political underbelly of America... This is an action adventure that never gives you a moment's peace and quiet - an excellent read

Cunning and explosive...A thumping good read

Lee Child is one of the world's leading thriller writers. He was born in Coventry, raised in Birmingham, and now lives in England's Lake District. It is said one of his novels featuring his hero Jack Reacher is sold somewhere in the world every nine seconds. His books consistently achieve the number-one slot on bestseller lists around the world, and are published in over one hundred territories. He is the recipient of many prizes, most recently the CWA's Diamond Dagger for a writer of an outstanding body of crime fiction. 
 
Jack Reacher, the first Jack Reacher movie starring Tom Cruise, was based on the novel One Shot, and the second is Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.

'Cunning, explosive . . . A thumping good read.' Time Out 
 
Jack Reacher, alone, strolling nowhere. 
 
A Chicago street in bright sunshine. A young woman, struggling on crutches. Reacher offers her a steadying arm. 
 
And turns to see a handgun aimed at his stomach. 
 
Chained in a dark van racing across America, Reacher doesn't know why they've been kidnapped. The woman claims to be FBI. She's certainly tough enough. But at their remote destination, will raw courage be enough to overcome the hopeless odds? 
 
_________ 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Die Trying is the 2nd in the series. 
 
And be sure not to miss Reacher's newest adventure, no.29, In Too Deep! ***PRE-ORDER NOW**

(Jack Reacher 26)

Better Off Dead

Classic Reacher, great story. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

Thoroughly entertaining . . . it's good to have some of Reacher's brutal certainties back.

The one man revenge machine seems revitalised. Great stuff.

Jack Reacher is today's James Bond, a thriller hero we can't get enough of.

Everyone needs to kick some butt sometimes, even if it's just imaginary.

The Child brothers' superb second collaboration . . . Smart writing, vivid action scenes, and dramatic twists mark this seamless effort. Even those for whom this is their first Reacher novel will be clamouring for more.

Reacher never backs down from a problem. 
 
And he's about to find a big one, on a deserted Arizona road, where a Jeep has crashed into the only tree for miles around. Under the merciless desert sun, nothing is as it seems. 
 
Minutes later Reacher is heading into the nearby border town, a backwater that has seen better days. Next to him is Michaela Fenton, an army veteran turned FBI agent, who is trying to find her twin brother. He might have got mixed up with some dangerous people. 
 
And Reacher might just need to pay them a visit. 
 
Their leader has burrowed his influence deep into the town. Just to get in and meet the mysterious Dendoncker, Reacher is going to have to achieve the impossible. 
 
To get answers will be even harder. There are people in this hostile, empty place who would rather die than reveal their secrets. 
 
But then, if Reacher is coming after you, you might be better off dead. 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Better Off Dead is the 26th book in the internationally popular series. 
 
And be sure not to miss Reacher's newest adventure, no.29, In Too Deep! ***OUT NOW*** 
 
____ 
 
'Jack Reacher is today's James Bond, a thriller hero we can't get enough of.' KEN FOLLETT 
 
'If you haven't read any Jack Reacher, you have a treat in store . . . a hitchhiker without a phone, a one-man force for good.' The Times 
 
'A contemporary version of the knight in shining armour . . . Reacher is a mythic figure.' Literary Review 
 
'Jack Reacher is a wonderfully epic hero; tough, taciturn, yet vulnerable... Irresistible.' People 
 
'Jack Reacher has long since earned his prominent place in the pantheon of cool, smart-talking American heroes.' New York Times 
 
 
Lee Child & Andrew Child, Number 1 Sunday Times bestsellers, April 2024

(Jack Reacher 1): Coming Soon to Prime Video

Killing Floor

(Jack Reacher 1): Now a hit Prime Video series

(Jack Reacher, Book 1): Now a hit Prime Video series

(Jack Reacher 1)

The very first book by number one bestseller Lee Child, which introduces his iconic hero Jack Reacher.

**NOW A MAJOR PRIME VIDEO SERIES STARRING ALAN RITCHSON** 
 
'All [Reacher thrillers] are ripping yarns, but since this is the first, it seems the logical place to start' STEPHEN KING 
 
Killing Floor is the first book in the phenomenal bestselling Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. It introduces Reacher for the first time, as the tough ex-military cop of no fixed abode. Trained to think fast and act faster, he is the perfect action hero for when times get tough. 
 
Margrave is a no-account little town in Georgia. Jack Reacher steps off a bus and walks fourteen miles in the rain to reach it, in search of a dead guitar player. 
 
But Margrave has just had its first homicide in thirty years. And Reacher is the only stranger in town. He seems the obvious fall guy. As the body count mounts, only one thing is for sure: they picked the wrong guy to frame for murder. 
 
'Races along, spattering blood and body parts on the way' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 
 
'These books are absolutely addictive. When you pick them up you can't put them down' GEORGE R.R. MARTIN 
_________ 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Killing Floor is the first book in the internationally popular series. 
 
And be sure not to miss Reacher's newest adventure, no.29, In Too Deep! ***OUT NOW**

Lee Child is one of the world's leading thriller writers. He was born in Coventry, raised in Birmingham, and now lives in New York. It is said one of his novels featuring his hero Jack Reacher is sold somewhere in the world every nine seconds. His books consistently achieve the number-one slot on bestseller lists around the world and have sold over one hundred million copies. Lee is the recipient of many awards, most recently Author of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards. He was appointed CBE in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours.

'This was the first Jack Reacher novel and with its lean, spare prose it has one of the most intriguing heroes of our times and displays a gift for explosive drama.' Daily Express 
 
Jack Reacher jumps off a bus and walks fourteen miles down a country road into Margrave, Georgia. An arbitrary decision he's about to regret. 
 
Reacher is the only stranger in town on the day they have had their first homicide in thirty years.The cops arrest Reacher and the police chief turns eyewitness to place him at the scene. As nasty secrets leak out, and the body count mounts, one thing is for sure. 
 
They picked the wrong guy to take the fall.

Abridged Edition

Penguin Readers Level 4: Killing Floor (ELT Graded Reader)

Lee Child is one of the world's leading thriller writers. He was born in Coventry, raised in Birmingham, and now lives in New York. It is said one of his novels featuring his hero Jack Reacher is sold somewhere in the world every nine seconds. His books consistently achieve the number-one slot on bestseller lists around the world and have sold over one hundred million copies. Lee is the recipient of many awards, most recently Author of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards. He was appointed CBE in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours.

(Jack Reacher 25)

The Sentinel

The edge-of-your-seat, heart-in-mouth new Jack Reacher thriller - his 25th adventure. No one's bigger than Jack Reacher.

The edge-of-your-seat, heart-in-mouth new Jack Reacher thriller for 2021 - his 25th adventure. No one's bigger than Jack Reacher. 
 
Jack Reacher hitches a ride to a sleepy no-name town outside Nashville, Tennessee. He plans to grab a cup of coffee and move right along. 
 
Not going to happen. 
 
The town has been shut down by a cyber attack. At the centre of it all, whether 
he likes it or not, is Rusty Rutherford. He's an average IT guy, but he knows more than he thinks. 
 
As the bad guys move in on Rusty, Reacher moves in on them . . . 
 
And now Rusty knows he's protected, he's never going to leave the big man's side. 
 
Reacher might just have to stick around and find out what the hell's gone wrong . . . and then put it right, like only he can. 
 
*** 
 
'Jack Reacher is today's James Bond, a thriller hero we can't get enough of.' Ken Follett 
 
'If you haven't read any Jack Reacher, you have a treat in store . . . a hitchhiker without a phone, a one-man force for good.' - The Times 
 
'A contemporary version of the knight in shining armour . . . Reacher is a mythic figure.' Literary Review 
 
'Jack Reacher is a wonderfully epic hero; tough, taciturn, yet vulnerable... Irresistible.' People 
 
'Jack Reacher has long since earned his prominent place in the pantheon of cool, smart-talking American heroes.' New York Times 
 
_________ 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, The Sentinel is the 25th in the series. 
 
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***

I loved The Sentinel! Classic Reacher, great story. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

The Sentinel shows that two Childs are even better than one.

Thoroughly entertaining . . . when the world is crumbling, it's good to have some of Reacher's brutal certainties back.

It's great to be back in Reacher's company in a world where the bad guys get what's coming to them. A smooth transition for a much-loved character.

The collaboration here produces vintage Reacher.

Reacher is satisfyingly ice cold in combat and full of good human feelings when necessary. It works.

Lots of action . . . one of the most inventive action sequences in recent memory . . . [The Sentinel] continues the series without any sense that there's now a coauthor. In a year of drastic change, fans will welcome the consistency.

Fresh, perfectly plotted, and packed with action, The Sentinel is one of the year's best, must-read thrillers . . . and proves that this series is primed to continue on at the highest level for many years to come.

The Sentinel is a butt-kicking, take-no-prisoners thriller that satisfies on every page.

If this novel is a harbinger of what's to come, then Jack is in good hands.

The edge-of-your-seat, heart-in-mouth new Jack Reacher thriller for 2021 - his 25th adventure. No one's bigger than Jack Reacher. Shortlisted for Book of the Year - The British Book Awards. 
 
Jack Reacher gets off the bus in a sleepy no-name town outside Nashville, Tennessee. He plans to grab a cup of coffee and move right along. 
 
Not going to happen. 
 
The town has been shut down by a cyber attack. At the centre of it all, whether 
he likes it or not, is Rusty Rutherford. He's an average IT guy, but he knows more than he thinks. 
 
As the bad guys move in on Rusty, Reacher moves in on them . . . 
 
And now Rusty knows he's protected, he's never going to leave the big man's side. 
 
Reacher might just have to stick around and find out what the hell's gone wrong . . . and then put it right, like only he can.

(Jack Reacher 24)

Blue Moon

The bloodiest Jack Reacher thriller yet, with the highest ever body count. If you thought Jack Reacher ('the most reliable excellent basher of bad guys since Bond' - The Times) had limits, Blue Moon will prove you wrong.

It is tremendously comforting to be in the hands of Child and his hero - a good man who we know will save the day in the end before moving on, toothbrush in pocket, "just the clothes on his back. No particular place to go, and all the time in the world to get there."

Lee Child is the absolute master of the story of a lone stranger arriving in town to save the innocent, and this is one of the best of his series...as always, the violence is ferocious and fast-moving. Anyone feeling hard done by or facing insuperable odds will be comforted by this novel, which is also the best advertisement for the NHS I have ever seen.

Forget Marvel - we all know Jack Reacher is the only avenger that matters...Child has found his mojo again.

There's only one Jack Reacher. Accept no substitutes.

Jack Reacher, the 21st-century knight errant who over 23 books has proved himself the most reliable excellent basher of bad guys since [James]Bond...And good work, Lee Child. If you're at all partial to his revenge fantasies, this is one of the best for a while...your hands keep turning those pages, drawn in by storytelling that knows fancy words count for less than clarity and rhythm...It's nonsense. Yet it's compelling nonsense, a vicarious clearing away of life's obstacles via a hero who has no moral qualms, no physical or emotional vulnerability and no interest in what shampoo he uses.

There is a mythic heft to all this...Resolution will come, and Reacher will ride out of town once more, taking absolutely nothing with him. The body count, 24 books in, is into the hundreds...a fundamental part of the stories' appeal to women[is] their understated feminism. Reacher respects and likes women...In some ways, Blue Moon might be read...as female revenge drama...But do women fancy Jack Reacher?....the real point is that women want to be him. That's the fantasy: to abandon all responsibilities. To be physically invincible. To be justifiably fearless.

An über-thriller in which things turn out just right...it provides a satisfying climax and leaves you breathless, glad to be alive in a wicked world.

Drifter hero Jack Reacher on trigger-happy form in an action adventure which ramps up the violence and body count.

Reacher is nigh-invincible here (and certainly smarter than his thuggish opponents), and the body count is even more prodigious than in earlier books, which is saying something. Still, it is dispatched with the author’s customary panache.

AS FEATURED ON RICHARD & JUDY'S 'KEEP READING AND CARRY ON' 
 
'This is one of his best' - The Times 
 
Jack Reacher is back in a brand new white-knuckle read from Lee Child. 
 
It's a random universe, but once in a blue moon things turn out just right. 
 
In a nameless city, two rival criminal gangs are competing for control. But they hadn't counted on Jack Reacher arriving on their patch. 
 
Reacher is trained to notice things. 
 
He's on a Greyhound bus, watching an elderly man sleeping in his seat, with a fat envelope of cash hanging out of his pocket. Another passenger is watching too ... hoping to get rich quick. 
 
As the mugger makes his move, Reacher steps in. 
 
The old man is grateful, yet he turns down Reacher's offer to help him home. He's vulnerable, scared, and clearly in big, big trouble. 
 
What hold could the gangs have on the old guy? Will Reacher be in time to stop bad things happening? 
 
The odds are better with Reacher involved. That's for damn sure. 
 
 
'Everyone needs to kick some [butt] sometimes, even if it's just imaginary' JOJO MOYES 
 
_________ 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Blue Moon is the 24th in the series. 
 
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***

(Jack Reacher 23)

Past Tense

'There's only one Jack Reacher. Accept no substitutes.' - Mick Herron: our hero Jack Reacher's quest into his father's past climaxes in the most stomach-clenching, hair-raising, blood-curdling ticking time bomb of an adventure yet.

Absolutely loved Past Tense – Lee Child just gets better and better, which is a very rare quality in a writer of a long-run series. Whip smart, always compelling, always fun, he is dangerously addictive.

Jack Reacher is today's James Bond, a thriller hero we can't get enough of

It’s Lee Child. Why would you not read it?

Sometimes you just want someone who can beat the s*** out of people! I pick up Jack Reacher when I’m in the mood for someone big to solve my problems

Loved [Past Tense]! Nothing makes for a great weekend quite like quality time with Jack .

One of the best...hits the mark perfectly.

The pace picks up...the action becomes brutal, and we're led to an extremely satisfying conclusion...I'm becoming increasingly understanding of our appetite for fiction that features proper punishment for baddies. It's deeply comforting to escape into an imaginary world where we're all safe in Jack Reacher's gammon-joint sized hands.

Child's writing seems unusually expressive in this novel...a reminder that Child is one writer who should never be taken for granted.

Child is an excellent writer...As ever, the prose is precision-tooled.

Lee Child shows no signs of slowing down. . . . Reacher is a man for whom the phrase moral compass was invented: His code determines his direction. . . . You need Jack Reacher.

The concision, procedural chops and terse, surprising action of Past Tense make it a fantastic read.

With fast action, a smart plot and Reacher's laconic wit - as ever, it's pure pleasure

The only question is whether it's a superior instalment in the series - and the answer is yes.

Lee Child is a very good writer who happens to compose thrillers. He is a first-rate stylist...every landscape, street scene, room and person passing through the story is observed in clean, precise declarative sentences whose elegant simplicity belies the tremendous skill it took to craft them.

If you haven’t read any Jack Reacher, you have a treat in store. He excels at the art of the putdown, followed by a punch. But he is as sensitive as Sherlock Holmes to telling details in the way people present themselves, and to nuances of behaviour that lead him through mazes of lies to the truth...a hitchhiker without a phone, a one-man force for good.

JACK REACHER NEVER LOOKS BACK . . . UNTIL NOW. 
 
'There's only one Jack Reacher. Accept no substitutes.' - Mick Herron. 
 
The present can be tense . . . 
 
A young couple trying to get to New York City are stranded at a lonely motel in the middle of nowhere. Before long they're trapped in an ominous game of life and death. 
 
But the past can be worse . . . 
 
Meanwhile, Jack Reacher sets out on an epic road trip across America. He doesn't get far. Deep in the New England woods, he sees a sign to a place he has never been - the town where his father was born. But when he arrives he is told no one named Reacher ever lived there. Now he wonders: who's lying? 
 
As the tension ratchets up and these two stories begin to entwine, the stakes have never been higher for Reacher. 
 
That's for damn sure. 
 
 
_________ 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, Past Tense is the 23rd in the series. 
 
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***

A Jack Reacher short story

The Fourth Man

THE BRAND NEW JACK REACHER STAND-ALONE SHORT STORY THAT SEES REACHER GOING DOWN UNDER FOR THE TIME - BUT POSSIBLY NOT THE LAST.

THE BRAND NEW JACK REACHER STAND-ALONE SHORT STORY THAT SEES REACHER GOING DOWN UNDER FOR THE FIRST TIME - BUT POSSIBLY NOT THE LAST. It's a short read, but perfect for a coffee break. 
 
Jack Reacher, ex-military drifter of no fixed abode, is stalked and tracked down by an FBI agent. She tells him that in a house raid in Sydney, Australian law enforcement found a list. There were four people on it, including him. The other three are dead. 
 
 Hours later, Reacher is in the air, on his way to Sydney. What was the evil buried twenty-five years ago, that has now resurfaced? Will Reacher be able to find the killers, before they find him? 
 
_________ 
 
Don't miss Reacher's newest adventure, no.26, Better off Dead! ***COMING SOON and AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW***

A Jack Reacher Short Story

The Christmas Scorpion

A brand-new Jack Reacher short story, available exclusively as an ebook: can Reacher save a British cabinet minister from a feared assassin?

This short read (20 pages) is perfect for a coffee break and includes the first three chapters from Lee Child's new thriller - Past Tense. 
Jack Reacher likes to head south for the winter, to stay warm: so just before Christmas he arrives in a small town in Southern California. But the weather there is not warm and dry, as it's supposed to be: he arrives in a freak blizzard. Reacher finds refuge in a snowed-in roadhouse with four other strangers stranded by the storm. Two of them are British military police, separated by the weather from the VIP they are detailed to protect. Can Reacher help them find their guy, or will an undercover assassin find him first? 
 
_________ 
Don't miss Reacher's newest adventure, no.26, Better off Dead! ***COMING SOON and AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW***

Too Much Time

A new novella which sees Jack Reacher, hero of no fixed abode, finding himself on the wrong side of the law. Also available in the collection No Middle Name.

Roughly one significant crime is committed in the US every three seconds. So it's not unlikely to find yourself witnessing one. Jack Reacher is minding his own business in a town in Maine when he sees a youth snatching a woman's bag, and, like a good citizen, steps in to stop him. Politely invited by the cops to act as a witness, will Reacher be treated as the perfect patsy for a crime he didn't commit? 
 Too Much Time is a new novella which sees Jack Reacher, hero of no fixed abode, finding himself on the wrong side of the law. It is also available in No Middle Name, the complete Jack Reacher short story collection. 
 
_________ 
 
Don't miss Reacher's newest adventure, no.26, Better off Dead! ***COMING SOON and AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW***

(Jack Reacher 22)

The Midnight Line

Top action hero Jack Reacher is back, in a new chilling, deadly adventure.

Marks a real departure for Lee Child, who homes in on two hot issues (US military veterans with mental or physical scars, and a related social plague currently in the news) ...Alongside this topicality is a poignancy that was lacking in earlier books.

Each year Lee Child comes up with another Reacher. Each year I lap it up. Love it...Best one for a while...there is something subversive as well as page-turning...The sentences are short, but that doesn't mean the thinking is small....I don't know another author so skilled at making me turn the page, at putting me in the thick of it all.

I just read the new Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child….It is as good as they always are. I read every single one.

Addictive...Child's trademark staccato-style delivers all-action excitement as well as a sombre message about the hypocrisy of the US war on drugs.

An eccentric but winning blend of the serious and the playful, this modern western resembles a collaboration between the Coen brothers and Karl Ove Knausgaard.

The one that breaks your heart...Reacher has a reputation to live up to: drifter, loner, knuckles the size of walnuts, etc...[ yet has] more emotional heft than anything Child has written before.

A timely, affecting, suspenseful and morally complex thriller. In fact, it’s one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year.

Lee Child is showing no sign of flagging with this latest outing....You'll read this one in a single evening.

A contemporary version of the knight in shining armour: to Lee Child's many readers, Reacher is a mythic figure.

Lee Child is the master of plotting...full of action and adventure.. This is Child's most emotional book to date. There are issues concerning family loyalty,wounded veterans, disfigurement, the opioid explosion, and the habits of drug dealers...This is not just a good story; it is a story with a purpose and a message.

THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER 
 
A RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB 2018 PICK 
 
---------- 
 
Jack Reacher is having a bad day. 
 
It would be a dumb idea to make it worse. 
Reacher sees a West Point class ring in a pawn shop window. It's tiny. It's a woman cadet's graduation present to herself. Why would she give it up? Reacher was a West Pointer too, and he knows what she went through to get it. 
 
All he wants is to find the woman. 
 
He'll have to go through bikers, cops, crooks, and low-life muscle. 
If she's ok, he'll walk away. If she's not ... he'll stop at nothing. 
 
Best advice: stay out of his way. 
 
_________ 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, The Midnight Line follows on directly from the end of Make Me. 
 
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***

Lee Child

Andrew Child

(Jack Reacher 29)

Reacher had no idea where he was. No idea how he had got there. But someone must have brought him. And shackled him. And whoever had done those things was going to rue the day. That was for damn sure. 
 
Jack Reacher wakes up, alone, in the dark, handcuffed to a makeshift bed. His right arm has suffered some major damage. His few possessions are gone. He has no memory of getting there. 
 
The last thing Reacher can recall is the car he hitched a ride in getting run off the road. The driver was killed. 
 
His captors assume Reacher was the driver's accomplice and patch up his wounds as they plan to make him talk. 
 
A plan that will backfire spectacularly . . . 
 
'There's only one Jack Reacher. Accept no substitutes.' MICK HERRON 
 
Although the Jack Reacher novels can be read in any order, In Too Deep is the 29th book in the internationally bestselling series. 
 
And don’t miss Reacher's newest adventure, No.30, Exit Strategy! ***OUT NOW***

Lee Child

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Jack Reacher31 Books

Jack Reacher Short Stories7 Books

Articles featuring Lee Child

‘Between real and mythic’: an oral history of Jack Reacher

Shelf Life: Lee Child

Lee Child on Jack Reacher: ‘His fear of loneliness will get the better of his love of solitude’

6 of our favourite author cameos in films – did you spot them?

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Series by Lee Child

Jack Reacher31 Books

Jack Reacher Short Stories7 Books

Articles featuring Lee Child

‘Between real and mythic’: an oral history of Jack Reacher

Shelf Life: Lee Child

Lee Child on Jack Reacher: ‘His fear of loneliness will get the better of his love of solitude’

6 of our favourite author cameos in films – did you spot them?

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