Looking for Jack Reacher series books in order with summary? You’ve come to the right place!
Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the series, this is your ultimate reading list for the iconic ex-military drifter turned vigilante hero.
Discover the Complete Jack Reacher Book in Order by Publication Date (With Summaries!)
Below is the list of Jack Reacher novels in the order they were published, which is also the best reading order to follow with release dates.
1. Killing Floor (1997)
SUMMARY: Jack Reacher gets off a bus in a small town in Georgia and is immediately arrested for a murder he didn’t commit. He must clear his name and uncover a vast counterfeiting operation.
2. Die Trying (1998)
SUMMARY: Reacher is kidnapped in Chicago with a young woman who claims to be an FBI agent, and they are transported across the country to a remote separatist compound.
3. Tripwire (1999)
SUMMARY: In Key West, Reacher is working digging swimming pools when a private investigator comes looking for him, and is then found dead. Reacher finds himself embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy involving a former military criminal.
4. Running Blind (also published as The Visitor) (2000)
SUMMARY: Two women who were sexually harassed in the Army are found dead, identically murdered in baths filled with paint. Reacher, having known both women, is a suspect and helps the FBI hunt a serial killer.
5. Echo Burning (2001)
SUMMARY: Hitchhiking in Texas, Reacher is picked up by a woman who needs his help because her violent husband is about to be released from jail and she fears he will kill her.
6. Without Fail (2002)
SUMMARY: A woman asks Reacher for help protecting the Vice President of the United States. She wants him to find a way to kill the Vice President, so she can then protect against it.
7. Persuader (2003)
SUMMARY: Reacher sees a man he thought he killed years ago and becomes entangled in a dangerous undercover operation to take down a powerful crime boss.
8. The Enemy (2004)
SUMMARY: A prequel set in 1990. Major Reacher is the duty officer when a two-star general is found dead in a motel. The investigation spirals into a complex conspiracy within the military.
9. One Shot (2005)
SUMMARY: A lone sniper shoots five people dead in a heartland city. The accused man, James Barr, only says “Get Reacher.” Reacher, who knows Barr from his military days, believes him to be guilty but is convinced to investigate further.
10. The Hard Way (2006)
SUMMARY: In New York City, Reacher witnesses a man observing a woman and follows him, leading to a brutal shootout and the discovery of a kidnapped family and a ruthless organization.
11. Bad Luck and Trouble (2007)
SUMMARY: Reacher learns that a member of his old elite military police team has been brutally murdered. He reunites with the surviving members of his team to uncover who is targeting them.
12. Nothing to Lose (2008)
SUMMARY: Reacher enters a small, secretive town in Colorado called Despair (next to a town called Hope), and quickly discovers a dangerous conspiracy and a community with dark secrets.
13. Gone Tomorrow (2009)
SUMMARY: On a New York City subway, Reacher notices a woman exhibiting all the signs of being a suicide bomber. He intervenes, leading him into a dangerous world of international espionage.
14. 61 Hours (2010)
SUMMARY: Stranded in a bus crash during a South Dakota blizzard, Reacher finds himself protecting a witness in a major drug trial, counting down the hours until her protective custody is over.
15. Worth Dying For (2010)
SUMMARY: Reacher stumbles upon a small, isolated Nebraska town terrorized by a powerful local family, the Duncans, and gets involved in their criminal activities and an old cold case.
16. The Affair (2011)
SUMMARY: A prequel set in March 1997, six months before Killing Floor. Major Reacher is sent undercover to a small Mississippi town to investigate the murder of a woman, uncovering a web of corruption.
17. A Wanted Man (2012)
SUMMARY: Reacher is picked up by a suspicious car on a desolate highway. He soon realizes he’s in the middle of a dangerous plot involving terrorists and a covert operation.
18. Never Go Back (2013)
SUMMARY: Reacher finally arrives at his old military police headquarters in Virginia to meet his commanding officer, Susan Turner, but finds himself accused of a sixteen-year-old homicide and paternity.
19. Personal (2014)
SUMMARY: Someone has taken a shot at the French president from an impossible distance. Reacher is called upon to find the only man who could have made the shot, a former sniper Reacher put away years ago.
20. Make Me (2015)
SUMMARY: Reacher gets off a train at a remote railroad stop called Mother’s Rest, a seemingly peaceful town that turns out to be hiding a horrific secret.
21. Night School (2016)
SUMMARY: Another prequel, set in 1996. Reacher is still in the Army when he’s sent to a covert “night school” along with a female FBI agent and a CIA analyst to investigate a suspicious exchange involving terrorists.
22. The Midnight Line (2017)
SUMMARY: Reacher spots a West Point class ring in a pawn shop. He buys it and sets out to find its owner, leading him into the dark world of opioid addiction and illegal drug rings.
23. Past Tense (2018)
SUMMARY: Reacher decides to visit the town where his father was born, but when he arrives, he finds no record of his father ever existing there, leading him to uncover a sinister secret.
24. Blue Moon (2019)
SUMMARY: Reacher steps into a volatile situation in a nameless city where two rival criminal gangs are warring for control, and he finds himself caught in the middle.
25. The Sentinel (2020)
SUMMARY: An unassuming town has been shut down by a cyberattack, and a seemingly innocent IT guy, Rusty Rutherford, is at the center of it. Reacher steps in just as Rutherford is being kidnapped. (Co-authored with Andrew Child)
26. Better Off Dead (2021)
SUMMARY: Reacher stumbles upon a woman in the Arizona desert who is searching for her twin brother, leading them into a dangerous confrontation with a powerful, ruthless crime lord. (Co-authored with Andrew Child)
27. No Plan B (2022)
SUMMARY: Reacher witnesses a woman seemingly throw herself under a bus, but something about the incident doesn’t sit right with him, leading him to investigate a dangerous cover-up. (Co-authored with Andrew Child)
28. The Secret (2023)
SUMMARY: A prequel set in 1992. Reacher, still a military policeman, is involved in a top-secret investigation into a possible mole within the US government selling highly sensitive information. (Co-authored with Andrew Child)
29. In Too Deep (2024)
SUMMARY: Reacher wakes up handcuffed to a bed in a makeshift hospital, having been attacked. He realizes his captors don’t know who they’re dealing with, and he soon turns the tables. (Co-authored with Andrew Child)
30. Exit Strategy (Forthcoming: November 2025)
SUMMARY: 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.
