Lee Child
British author Lee Child, whose real name is Jim Grant, is famous for the series of books featuring Jack Reacher. Lee Child started writing in 1997, and all his solo novels to date have featured Jack Reacher. Lee has however, contributed to numerous short story collections which are also listed here.

Lee Child made his debut as a published author in 1997 with the novel Killing Floor, which began his Jack Reacher series. Below is a list of Lee Child’s books in order of when they were originally published:

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Publication Order of Jack Reacher Books

Killing Floor (1997)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Die Trying (1998)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Tripwire (1999)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Running Blind / The Visitor (2000)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Echo Burning (2001)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Without Fail (2002)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Persuader (2003)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Enemy (2004)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
One Shot (2005)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Hard Way (2006)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Bad Luck and Trouble (2007)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Nothing to Lose (2008)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Gone Tomorrow (2009)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
61 Hours (2010)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Worth Dying For (2010)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Affair (2011)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
A Wanted Man (2012)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Never Go Back (2013)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Personal (2014)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Make Me (2015)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Night School (2016)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Midnight Line (2017)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Past Tense (2018)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Blue Moon (2019)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Sentinel (With: Andrew Child) (2020)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Better Off Dead (With: Andrew Child) (2021)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
No Plan B (With: Andrew Child) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Secret (With: Andrew Child) (2023)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
In Too Deep (With: Andrew Child) (2024)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

Chronological Order of Jack Reacher Books

In chronological order, The Enemy would be the first book to read, as it takes place while Reacher is still in the Military followed by The Secret then Night School.The Affair would be the next book to read, as it covers the end of Reachers Military career, and leads into Killing Floor.The short stories have Second Son(Reacher is 13) and High Heat(Reacher is 16).After that, all books would go by the order that they were published.Persuader also had flashbacks to during Reacher’s military career.The Secret takes place in 1992.

Chronological Order of Jack Reacher Books

The Enemy(2004)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Secret (With: Andrew Child)(2023)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Night School(2016)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Affair(2011)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Killing Floor(1997)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Die Trying(1998)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Tripwire(1999)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Running Blind / The Visitor(2000)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Echo Burning(2001)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Without Fail(2002)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Persuader(2003)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
One Shot(2005)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Hard Way(2006)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Bad Luck and Trouble(2007)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Nothing to Lose(2008)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Gone Tomorrow(2009)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
61 Hours(2010)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Worth Dying For(2010)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
A Wanted Man(2012)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Never Go Back(2013)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Personal(2014)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Make Me(2015)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Midnight Line(2017)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Past Tense(2018)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Blue Moon(2019)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Sentinel (With: Andrew Child)(2020)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Better Off Dead (With: Andrew Child)(2021)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
No Plan B (With: Andrew Child)(2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
In Too Deep (With: Andrew Child)(2024)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

Publication Order of Jack Reacher Short Stories/Novellas

Second Son (2011)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Deep Down (2012)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
High Heat (2013)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Not a Drill (2014)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Good and Valuable Consideration: Jack Reacher vs. Nick Heller (With: Joseph Finder) (2014)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Small Wars (2015)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Too Much Time (2017)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Christmas Scorpion (2018)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Fourth Man (2019)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Cleaning the Gold (With: Karin Slaughter) (2019)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Fourth Man is not available for purchase.

Publication Order of Jack Reacher Collections

No Middle Name (2017)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

Publication Order of Jack Reacher Miscellaneous Books

Jack Reacher's Rules (2012)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

I Heard a Romantic Story (2012)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
James Penney's New Identity (2019)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Jack Reacher's Rules (2012)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Hero (2019)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Safe Enough: And Other Stories (2024)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

Publication Order of Akashic Drug Chronicles Books

The Cocaine Chronicles (With: Laura Lippman,Ken Bruen,Jervey Tervalon,Bill Moody) (2005)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Marijuana Chronicles (By: Jonathan Santlofer) (2013)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Nicotine Chronicles (With: Joyce Carol Oates,Hannah Tinti,Christopher Sorrentino,Cara Black,Lauren Sanders,Bernice L. McFadden,Jonathan Ames) (2020)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

Publication Order of Harold Middleton Books

The Chopin Manuscript (2007)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Copper Bracelet (2009)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Starling Project: An Audible Drama (2014)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Serial thrillers written by multiple authors.

Publication Order of Mysterious Profiles Books

Elvis Cole and Joe Pike (By: Robert Crais) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Jack Taylor (By: Ken Bruen) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Jack Reacher (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Charlie Parker (By: John Connolly) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Hieronymus Bosch (By: Michael Connelly) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Lincoln Rhyme (By: Jeffery Deaver) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Alex Delaware (By: Jonathan Kellerman) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Tess Monaghan (By: Laura Lippman) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Charlie Resnick (By: John Harvey) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus (By: Faye Kellerman) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Inspector Morse (By: Colin Dexter) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Dismas Hardy (By: John Lescroart) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Bob Lee Swagger (By: Stephen Hunter) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Aloysius X. L. Pendergast (By: Douglas Preston) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Lou Boldt (By: Ridley Pearson) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Spenser (By: Robert B. Parker) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Charlotte and Thomas Pitt (By: Anne Perry) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
John Rebus (By: Ian Rankin) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Mallory (By: Carol O'Connell) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Jane Whitefield (By: Thomas Perry) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Ian Rutledge: A Mysterious Profile (By: Charles Todd) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Amos Walker (By: Loren D. Estleman) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Precious Ramotswe (By: Alexander McCall Smith) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Maisie Dobbs (By: Jacqueline Winspear) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Lincoln Lawyer (By: Michael Connelly) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Ben Kincaid (By: William Bernhardt) (2023)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Repairman Jack (By: F. Paul Wilson) (2023)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

Publication Order of The MatchUp Collection Books

Honor & ... (By: C.J. Box,Sandra Brown) (2017)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Deserves to Be Dead (By: John Sandford,Lisa Jackson) (2017)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Getaway (By: Lisa Scottoline,Nelson DeMille) (2017)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Midnight Flame (By: Christopher Rice,Lara Adrian) (2018)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Short Story (By: Karin Slaughter,Michael Koryta) (2019)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Past Prologue (By: Diana Gabaldon,Steve Berry) (2019)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Faking a Murderer (With: Kathy Reichs) (2019)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Dig Here (By: Charlaine Harris,Andrew Gross) (2019)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Taking the Veil (By: J.A. Jance,Eric Van Lustbader) (2019)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Rambo on Their Minds (By: Gayle Lynds,David Morrell) (2019)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Footloose (By: Val McDermid,Peter James) (2019)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

Publication Order of Anthologies

Like a Charm(2004)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Greatest Hits(2005)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Cocaine Chronicles(2005)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Death Do Us Part(2006)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Best British Mysteries IV(2007)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Killer Year: Stories to Die For...(2008)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Phoenix Noir(2009)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
First Thrills(2010)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Dark End of the Street(2010)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Best American Mystery Stories 2010(2010)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Rich and the Dead(2011)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
First Thrills: Volume 2(2011)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
First Thrills: Volume 3(2011)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
First Thrills: Volume 4(2011)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
A Study in Sherlock(2011)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Vengeance(2012)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Love is Murder(2012)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Interrogator and Other Criminally Good Fiction(2012)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
USA Noir(2013)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Inherit the Dead(2013)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Crimespree Magazine #52(2013)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Reader's Digest: Today's Best Fiction(2014)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
FaceOff(2014)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Belfast Noir(2014)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Manhattan Mayhem(2015)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Best American Mystery Stories 2015(2015)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
In Sunlight or In Shadow(2016)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
MatchUp(2017)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories - Part VII(2017)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Alive in Shape and Color(2017)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Ten Year Stretch(2018)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Best American Mystery Stories 2018(2018)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Exit Wounds(2019)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Invisible Blood(2019)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Dear NHS(2020)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America(2021)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year: 2021(2021)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
UEA MA Crime Fiction Anthology(2022)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
An Unnecessary Assassin(2023)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

Note: Running Blind had a different title in the UK, going by the name The Visitor. The Harold Middleton series is a collaborative series that includes contributions from many different authors.

If You Like Lee Child Books, You’ll Love…

  • Andy McNab: Particularly, the Nick Stone series of books.
  • Vince Flynn: Vince Flynn has a series of books featuring the character Mitch Rapp. While they often feature a fair amount of politics, Rapp is an ass-kicking machine just like Reacher, and the type of hero character you want to put your faith in!
  • Michael Connelly

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Order of Books » Authors » Order of Lee Child Books

16 Responses to “Order of Lee Child Books”

  1. Guy C Hearn: 2 years ago

    I, like many was disappointed in Tom Cruise as reacher, it was a ridiculous choice. I pictured Liam Neeson but maybe he’s a little old. The Amazon guy is perhaps too young but I enjoyed Season One.

    Reply

  2. Robert Perry: 3 years ago

    I tried to picture an earlier stephen seagall as Reacher, but he’s too large physically for the role. I haven’t yet seen someone who could measure up, but I hope casting crew experts can find a physique and age and capability for a new Jack Reacher. An American actor with the physical capabilities to match Lee Child’s creation. Also, can anyone suggest someone to portray the Butcher’s Boy from Thomas Perry’s novels?

    Reply

  3. Pat Chambers: 3 years ago

    I thought Tom Cruise was miscast as Reacher, of all the ones suggested I think Gerard Butler is the best choice. Even though I didn’t like Tom Cruise in this role I will always read the books. I even watched the movies just doesn’t feel as good as the books, because of this.

    Reply

    • Kathy: 3 years ago

      for sure Cruise is SOOOOO wrong – short stuff etc how can Cruise own the movie rights what the what the. too bad I will read the books but never watch another movie

      Reply

  4. David Cederholm: 3 years ago

    Whoever plays him needs to be 6’5″ and physically fit but not buff. Probably hard to cast given those parameters. Here’s my top three: 3. Alexander Skarsgard 2. Josh Duhamel 1. Armie Hammer I might have included Joe Maganiello but his hair is kinda perfect.

    Reply

  5. Bibliophile babe: 4 years ago

    I see Gerald Buttler.
    He is tough, he is tall, and he can play rough.

    I like Tom Cruise in the Mission Impossible movies, but NOT in the role of Jack Reacher. Every time I see that $1000 hair cut, I want to throw up.
    Reacher with every hair in place!

    And yes, it stopped me from buying the books.

    Reply

  6. Mark: 6 years ago

    The Rock should play Reacher .Same height and weight. Same temperment .

    Reply

  7. Doris Taylor: 6 years ago

    Lee Child does not own the movie rights…. TOM CRUISE DOES…. SAD, SAD, SAD………

    Reply

  8. Ian Upwood: 7 years ago

    Well the idiots have done it again Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher in Never Go Back, surely Lee Child must have something to say about casting. Even with lifters in his shoes he will never be the person portrayed in the book.

    Reply

    • Steve Roberts: 7 years ago

      Reply

  9. Kay Dohm: 8 years ago

    Oh, my goodness. Who in the world chose Cruise to be Jack Reacher.? I agree. Liam Neeson came to mind whild reading the very first book and I just picture him iin all others as I read. I came late to the Reacher series and I want to know what Mr. childs really thinks about Cruise. Reacer isn’t a cocky, angry little guy like Cruise portrayed him. PERIOD

    Reply

    • Dan: 3 years ago

      They need to cast the guy that played Bulvie in the 13th warrior.

      Reply

  10. Retired InPeace: 8 years ago

    Jason Statham should be Reacher. End of story!

    Reply

  11. Not1knowsme: 9 years ago

    You’re not kidding Pinto. Not to mention the damage its done to the potential readers of his books. I suggest to someone “Try a Jack Reacher book” and they say to me, “a pansy Tom Cruise can play, NO THANKS, I’ll pass.” Getting your book made into a movie is good, settling for jumping on Oprah’s couch Tom Cruise is NOT. Not to mention the last book sucked. Jack didn’t even get…err romanced I’ll call it. I’m a woman and I look forward to his bedroom scenes.

    Pure drivel and if the new one coming out isn’t any better I’ve read my last one. I sure do miss Jack Reacher of olden days.

    Did anyone see Liam Neeson in Lawrence Block’s movie adaptation of “http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_walk_among_the_tombstones/trailers/11200797″ At 6’4” he’s built to be Jack Reacher..

    Reply

  12. Pinto Flounder: 9 years ago

    Liam Neeson should be playing Jack Reacher in the movies. If Neeson plays anymore “Taken” movies he’ll get stereotyped as this brain dead character who let’s his simpleton daughter and sometimes loving wife roam the world apparently to see if he’s man enough to rescue them from expected death. Neeson certainly casts better than granny Tom Cruise. Spare me Tom Cruise as Jach Reacher.

    Reply

  13. Dfg: 11 years ago

    Look for the keith calder books by hammond

    Reply

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