Jack Reacher novels in order with story lines

    Jack Reacher can be found in the following books by Lee Child:
Killing Floor (March 1997)
The story is a riveting one, focusing on Jack's involvement in a crime in a small town in Georgia. Boy, does he make a mistake in deciding to stop off in this little burg, just to find out about a blue singing legend named Blind Blake. But, what a story unfolds. The dialogue is brisk, economical, and very involving! Along with Jack, there are a ton of characters that are so remarkably fleshed out and described, you would think this was a true crime story!
read more Killing Floor (Jack Reacher, No. 1)

Exert chapter 1

I was arrested in Eno's diner. At twelve o'clock. I was eating eggs and drinking coffee. A late breakfast, not lunch. I was wet and tired after a long walk in heavy rain. All the way from the highway to the edge of town. 

The diner was small, but bright and clean. Brand-new, built to resemble a converted railroad car. Narrow, with a long lunch counter on one side and a kitchen bumped out back. Booths lining the opposite wall. A doorway where the center booth would be. 

I was in a booth, at a window, reading somebody's abandoned newspaper about the campaign for a President I didn't vote for last time and wasn't going to vote for this time. Outside, the rain had stopped but the glass was still pebbled with bright drops. I saw the police cruisers pull into the gravel lot. They were moving fast and crunched to a stop. Light bars flashing and popping. Red and blue light in the raindrops on my window. Doors burst open, policemen jumped out. Two from each car, weapons ready. Two revolvers, two shotguns. This was heavy stuff. One revolver and one shotgun ran to the back. One of each rushed the door.
 read more http://www.leechild.com/killingfloor1.php


Die Trying (July 1998)
If you haven't read Killing Floor I would recommend doing so before you read this book as it provides a basis for Reacher's character realism. As before the main character is Jack Reacher, ex military policeman and all round superhero. Reacher is intelligent, deductive and physically prodigous, so if you like heroes of the elite variety then this is the character for you.
 read more Die Trying (Jack Reacher, No. 2)

A Chicago street in bright sunshine. Jack Reacher, strolling nowhere, meets an attractive young woman, limping, struggling with her crutches, alone. Naturally he stops to offer her a steadying arm and then they turn together—to face twin handguns held level and motionless and aimed straight at their stomachs.

Chained to the woman, locked in a dark, stifling van racing 2,000 miles across America, Reacher needs to know who he's dealing with. The kidnappers are saying nothing and his companion claims to be Holly Johnson, FBI agent. She's fierce enough and tough enough, but he knows there must be more to her than that. And at their remote, hostile destination, they will need to act as a team and trust each other, pitting raw courage and cunning against insane violence and seemingly hopeless odds, with their own lives and hundreds more at stake.


Tripwire (June 1999)
In a Jack Reacher book expect exciting action scenes, plenty of fisticuffs, and a large dose of graphic violence. "Tripwire" is no exception. The book is an excellent read. Reacher finds himself caught up in the investigation of a star helicopter pilot missing in action in Vietnam and assumed dead. The boy's parents, in grief for thirty years, send a PI to find Reacher, only to have the PI killed hours after meeting with Reacher. From that point on, the plot twists and turns, always sustaining your interest. Although the ending is easily predictable from the start, it's fun readng
 read more Tripwire (Jack Reacher, No. 3)

In Tripwire, Child pits ex-military policeman Jack Reacher against his most deadly and merciless adversary yet. Kirkus Reviews noted that "Reacher swashbuckles with the best of them" and Booklist called Tripwire "edgy, exciting reading."

Jack Reacher washes up in the Florida Keys with his savings running out; he spends his days digging pools and his nights as the bouncer in the local strip club. But a private investigator intrudes upon his tropical refuge, seeking Reacher out. When he discovers the PI's lifeless beaten body lying in the street, Reacher heads north to determine who is trying to find him and why.

Tracing the dead man's trail to New York, Reacher discovers the PI was working for Reacher's former commanding officer, mentor and close friend Leon Garber. Reacher teams up with Garber's daughter Jodie, a sharp Wall Street lawyer, to find out why Leon needed Reacher's help and they find themselves embroiled in a life-threatening search for the truth—and the deeper they dig, the more dangerous and twisted their path becomes.

In this third novel featuring Jack Reacher, author Lee Child masterfully intertwines the domains of the underworld and the bureaucracy of the U.S. Army. Reacher and Jodie uncover 30 years of deceit—and their love for each other—in a thriller that reaches its heart-stopping, plot twisting climax on the 88th floor of the World Trade Center.



Running Blind (published as The Visitor in the UK and Australia) (April 2000)
Reacher is the suspect in a bizarre series of murders in which ex-army women (who left the force because of a variety of sexual harassment cases) are left naked in their bathtubs filled with green army paint. The killer leaves no clues and what is even more bizarre, they have no idea how the women died.
read more Running Blind (Jack Reacher, No. 4)

It's tough being a high-flying woman in the Army. Very tough. When Sergeant Amy Callan and Lieutenant Caroline Cook are found dead in their own homes—in baths filled with Army-issue camouflage paint, their bodies completely unmarked—Jack Reacher is under suspicion. He knew them both—and he knows that they both left the Army under dubious circumstances, both victims of sexual harassment. A former U.S. military policeman, a loner and a drifter, he matches the psychological profile prepared by the FBI, and is arrested by ambitious Special Agent, Julia Lamarr.

But when the body of another woman, Sergeant Lorraine Stanley, is discovered, killed with similar precision, Reacher is released. Everyone fears there is a serial killer on the loose. But the FBI have strong persuasive powers, and before long Reacher finds himself heavily involved in the murder investigation. What have these women got in common and why is someone out to do them harm?

In this magnificent and utterly ingenious thriller, Reacher once again saves the day, proving that he is a unique hero, capable of holding his own in any situation. Running Blind confirms that Lee Child is more than capable of challenging the established names currently writing in this genre



Echo Burning (ISBN 0-515-13331-0) (April 2001)
A former Army major assigned to the Military Police, Jack has been aimlessly roaming the United States through several novels, and attracting big trouble in each one. In ECHO BURNING, he's hitchhiked into sunburnt West Texas where he's given a ride by Carmen Greer, who's cruising the highways on the lookout for a Tough Guy. Carmen lives with her young daughter, Ellie, on an arid ranch with her hateful brother-in-law and mother-in-law while her husband, Sloop, serves time in a federal pen for tax evasion.
read more Echo Burning (Jack Reacher, No. 5)

Without Fail (April 2002)
Lee Child's books get better and better with each addition to the series. WITHOUT FAIL is a real page-turner with plenty of excitement all through it. Child has not only made a detailed study of his character, but he has delved into the workings of the military and government. Yes, on occasion Reacher and Neagley sometimes seem to have superhuman powers, but the readers will willingly forgive those moments to cheer on the heroes of this story
 read more Without Fail (Jack Reacher, No. 6)

Persuader (April 2003)
In "Persuader," Jack Reacher has the jolting discovery of evil nemesis Ouinn's existence, whom Reacher thought he had eliminated a decade ago. To be ultimately rid of Quinn, Reacher faces a dual challenge -- penetrate an organized crime operation and aid the Federal government in the rescue of one of its agents.
Persuader (Jack Reacher, No. 7)

The Enemy (Prequel, time frame occurs before Killing Floor) (April 2004)
Somewhere inside the vast worldwide fortress that is the U.S. Army, Reacher is being set up as a fall guy with the worst enemies a man can have. But Reacher won’t quit. He’s fighting a new kind of war–against an enemy he didn’t know he had. And against a conspiracy more chilling, ingenious, and treacherous than anyone could have guessed.
read more The Enemy: A Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher)

One Shot (ISBN 0-385-33668-3) (April 2005)
This is the best of the Reacher books
The story gets off to a hot start when a sniper mows down (with six rifle shots) five random people innocently leaving their place of work. The guy seems to have expertly planned his attack, yet leaves behind such a wealth of forensic evidence that even a CSI rookie could have followed the trail and snagged the killer, as did the local Indiana small city cops just hours later that night. The arrested man, James Barr, who turns out to be a Gulf War Army sniper, says almost nothing, but finally denies his guilt and asks for Jack Reacher. Reacher hears about the deed on national TV and sets out for the town before he knew he had been tangentially involved. Meanwhile Barr gets almost killed in prison overnight and is in a coma in the hospital. When Reacher shows up and sees the case from the police side, he is also convinced it's open and shut -- and we're left wondering where this is all going. Answer -- 
read more One Shot: A Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher)

The Hard Way (ISBN 0-385-33669-1) (May 2006)
I'm a big Lee Child fan. As far as I'm concerned, the tight-lipped, human arsenal Jack Reacher is the most compelling figure in contemporary escapist thriller fiction. So when I tell you that "The Hard Way" is the best novel of its kind to hit the shelves in the last few years, I'll admit I'm biased.
read more The Hard Way: A Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher)

Bad Luck and Trouble (ISBN 0-385-34055-9) (April 2)007
In "Bad Luck and Trouble," Reacher has a reunion of sorts with three of his buddies from the army, Frances Neagley, Karla Dixon, and David O'Donnell. They reunite because of a tragic event: Calvin Franz, who worked with them years ago in the military police, was thrown out of a helicopter in the California desert after suffering unspeakable torture. The victim left behind a wife and little boy. Three other MPs from the same special investigations unit, Jorge Sanchez, Tony Swan, and Manuel Orozco, have disappeared, as well. Reacher and his remaining ex-colleagues band together to find out what happened to these men and why. He is also plotting revenge: "There are dead men walking, as of right now. You don't throw my friends out of helicopters and live to tell the tale.
read more Bad Luck and Trouble (Jack Reacher, No. 11)

Nothing to Lose (ISBN 978-0593057025) (March 2008)
After reading about 8 of Child's Jack Reacher books, I finally found a dud. It started out thrilling, as expected, but quickly become almost boring. I can not believe I am typing those words.
read more Nothing to Lose (Jack Reacher, No. 12)

Gone Tomorrow (April 2009)
There is more than ample violence and gore to please the loyal Reacher fan, the plotting is tight, and Reacher continues to be fun to decipher as he analyzes people and events. As usual, Jack Reacher is NOT a character you want mad at you or to seek vengeance against you. And Child does a fasacinating job of describing Manhatten and the underbelly environs of NYC.
read more Gone Tomorrow (Jack Reacher, No. 13)

Hours61  (March 2010)
The book is set in freezing South Dakota in the middle of a snowstorm. Reacher has hitched a ride on a bus tour of senior citizens. When the bus crashes, he finds himself in Bolton, the location for a recently built prison and headquarters for a gang of meth dealers. A drug dealer is in prison, facing trial, and the key witness is under police protection. The deputy chief of police asks Reacher to help him figure out what's going on and to keep the witness safe. From the book's outset we are counting down 61 hours to a major event, although it is some time before it becomes clear what that will be.
read more 61 Hours: A Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher)

Worth Dying For (September 2010)
The Vegas villains seemed to be portrayed as if they were in a Cohen Brothers film. Stylish but stupid and incompetent. It made their outcomes fairly assured from the moment they were introduced. The ending tells us that the East Coast may be an eventful journey and personally I want to be on board. Jack Reacher is a character for our times. I've passed some time trying to work out who would play him on the big screen and the problem is there really isn't anyone who comes close. Russell Crowe? Too short and getting too old for the series (of films), but has the look. Making of the film would be fairly inexpensive as the action is real world, well, real Reacher world. Keep em' coming.
read more   Worth Dying For: A Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher)

Second Son, a Kindle exclusive short story (August 2011)
Excellent source of background material on Reacher. If you are a seasoned Reacher Creature or a new convert you will find this single shows you that Reacher was as he always will be.
read more Second Son (Kindle Single)

The Affair (September 27, 2011) Prequel to Killing Floor
However, the last two Reachers - though good - left me a bit cold because I was getting tired of the "Reacher stumbles into small-town corruption" formula. Fortunately, THE AFFAIR flashes back to his army career, where he faces his true arch-nemesis, the military bureaucracy, and we learn why he decided to drop out and become a toothbrush-packing drifter. Even though the novel is mainly set in yet another bleak small town, I'm happy to report that Reacher is back to form. This latest adventure delivers the expected page-turning excitement, plus a few other bonuses:
read more The Affair (Jack Reacher #16)

A Wanted Man (with bonus short story Deep Down): A Jack Reacher Novel

An enjoyable read with some good twists but moved a little slowly. Overall it's a decent story and one can't help wanting to know a bit more about Jack Reacher.

A Wanted Man (with bonus short story Deep Down): A Jack Reacher Novel

Never Go Back: A Jack Reacher Novel 

I don't know if the Reacher series can get any better, but it certainly isn't getting any worse or showing any author fatigue. The writing is crisp, the pacing brilliant, and the plot is deliciously convoluted and innovative. You simply cannot put this book down, it's that compelling and addictive.This is one of child's better Reacher books read it///

Never Go Back: A Jack Reacher Novel

High Heat is a fast-paced, action-filled short story (or short novella) that gives Jack Reacher fans a hint of what Reacher would become. The story ended with a very unexpected twist as young Jack leaves NYC and moves on to see his brother.

High Heat: A Jack Reacher Novella

Note: The earlier Jack Reacher short story, "Second Son," took place in 1974. "High Heat," set in 1977, is the second-youngest Jack Reacher story published by author Lee Child, with the exception of flashbacks and references to Jack's youth in his novels.

High Heat: A Jack Reacher Novella (Kindle Single)
Notes
One shot/bad luck and the hard way are the best of the Reacher novels out side of Echo burning all are top quality great reading echo is ok ,but the plot wanders to much,the affair is a great read also.Read them all but it is OK to pass on echo.

           
                     

High Heat: A Jack Reacher Novella (Kindle Single)