Alan Ritchson on the phone in 'Reacher.'Image via Prime Video
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Dyah Ayu Larasati
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Dyah (pronounced Dee-yah) is a Senior Author at Collider, responsible for both writing and transcription duties. She joined the website in 2022 as a Resource Writer before stepping into her current role in April 2023. As a Senior Author, she writes Features and Lists covering TV, music, and movies, making her a true Jill of all trades. In addition to her writing, Dyah also serves as an interview transcriber, primarily for events such as San Diego Comic-Con, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival.
Dyah graduated from Satya Wacana Christian University in October 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, concentrating on Creative Writing. She is currently completing her Master's degree in English Literature Studies, with a thesis on intersectionality in postcolonial-feminist studies in Asian literary works, and is expected to graduate in 2026.
Born and raised between Indonesia and Singapore, Dyah is no stranger to different cultures. She now resides in the small town of Kendal with her husband and four cats, where she spends her free time cooking or cycling.
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Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
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Content Warning: This list features brief mentions of sexual assault and human trafficking.Wherever Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) goes, trouble follows. The Prime Video series might've premiered in 2022, but the Reacher universe has been building since 1997. Army veteran and former military police officer Reacher only has his pension and whatever clothes on his back. With no sense of direction, he goes from town to town in search of a simple life, only to be pulled into an array of investigations. Some of them on the more personal end, while others by coincidence.
From the subways of New York City to the fictional town of Bolton, South Dakota, Reacher's previous working experience has come in handy. Over the years, he's fought everyone from terrorists to human traffickers, both alone and with companions by his side. Looking back on the famous novels by Lee Child, here are the best Jack Reacher books, ranked.
10 'Bad Luck and Trouble' (2007)
Four people walk down a deserted highway on the book cover for Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child.Image via Penguin Publishing Group/Lee Child
Bad Luck and Trouble doesn't waste time with the killings. Seventeen days after a man with two broken legs is thrown from a corporate helicopter, Reacher receives a coded bank deposit from Frances Neagley, signaling urgent help. Together, the team reunites their elite ex-Army team to investigate the murder of one of their own, Calvin Franz, and several other members.
Although some argue that Season 2 of Reacher doesn't live up to expectations, it's refreshing to watch him reuniting with his old unit. What makes the book version more interesting is that readers can deeply understand Reacher's reasoning, planning, and deductive process. With the show's understandably fast-paced nature, especially with only eight episodes per season, it's a privilege to digest how he processes every clue, observation, and calculation.
9 'One Shot' (2005)
The book cover for One Shot by Lee Child with a van in a parking garage.Image via Bantam/Lee Child
A ruthless sniper is lurking in One Shot. In a small Indiana city, five people are massacred, and Army veteran James Barr is to blame. But Reacher's heart says otherwise. Believing Barr innocent, Reacher steps in to find the real killer. Discovering falsified evidence and tracking sniper practice records, Reacher is led to a Russian gang helmed by the elusive Zec.
Although Reacher is better known for his fists, One Shot shows his impressive firing skills. At one point, he must hit a paper target dead center at 300 yards with one shot, which he succeeds in doing. Before Reacher could get to Zec, he had to infiltrate a literal fortress, where he dispatched five henchmen himself. Although the mysterious Zec comes off as the unlikeliest villain, he's the real mastermind behind the killings.
8 'The Enemy' (2004)
A man stands outside a motel on the book cover of The Enemy by Lee Child.Image via Penguin Publishing Group/Lee Child
Set in 1989, The Enemy looks into Major Reacher's military police days. Someone in the military has blood on their hands. Following the suspicious death of Major General Kenneth Kramer, Reacher looks into a string of murders within the institution. From Delta Force soldier Christopher Carbone, Colonel David Brubaker, and eventually Mrs. Kramer herself, it's only a matter of time before more people get killed.
The Enemy blurs the lines between good and evil. The army is known to dedicate its lives to protecting people, but as this book shows, some soldiers are just as vicious, if not more, than their villains. The Enemy also shows how the Army hierarchy works, and it is the reason why certain majors and colonels are complicit in their actions.
7 'Tripwire' (1999)
The book cover of the Jack Reacher series book Tripwire by Lee Child.Image via Penguin Publishing Group/Lee Child
Things get very trippy in Tripwire. Somewhere on the beaches of Key West, the simple-living Reacher learns about the death of Victor "Hook" Hobie, a soldier missing in action in Vietnam. But Hobie apparently wasn't alone. Another survivor by the name of Carl Allen has been assuming the late Hobie's name, using his identity to commit financial fraud and extortion.
There's a reason why people dislike business people in general. Sure, they come off smart and charismatic. But sometimes, their work ethic is questionable. Tripwire takes that idea to the extreme. By day, Carl is a legitimate entrepreneur. But he's cunning and willing to kidnap and torture innocent people. Some secret identities are meant to be exposed, and Carl is one of them.
6 'Never Go Back' (2013)
A man walks by a deserted city on the book cover for Never Go Back by Lee Child.Image via Penguin Publishing Group/Lee Child
It's about to get personal for Reacher. In Never Go Back, Reacher returns to the 110th Military Police to find Major Susan Turner relieved and facing fabricated charges, while he is accused of an old homicide and a false paternity claim. Fleeing pursuers, obtaining resources from a deceased meth dealer, and investigating a smuggling operation tied to Afghan warlords, it's all in a day's work for Reacher.
Reacher has seen everything from bomb terrorists to human traffickers. But nothing could've prepared him for a paternity claim. Candice Dayton alleges that Reacher had an affair with her while he was stationed in South Korea and claims he is the father of her fifteen-year-old daughter. As Never Go Back shows, if you can't hit Reacher with your fists, go in for the kill with a fake child.
5 '61 Hours' (2010)
A figure with a car driving away on a road with snow on the book cover for 61 Hours by Lee Child.Image via Penguin Publishing Group/Lee Child
In exactly 61 hours, someone is about to get killed. Not if Reacher has anything to do with it. Set in icy Bolton, South Dakota, 61 Hours begins with Reacher aiding victims of a bus accident, leading him to a town dominated by its massive prison and a volatile biker gang. Tasked with protecting witness Janet Salter from a Mexican crime lord's assassin, Reacher discovers a buried WWII-era meth stash.
61 Hours puts the word "dead" in "deadline." Reacher's no stranger to working under time crunches. But with less than three days to help a woman testify against a possible murderer, someone's life is in Reacher's hands. With bodies dropping every hour or so all around Bolton, the pressure's on for Reacher. When he finally comes face to face with Mexican kingpin Plato, what ensues is a literally explosive conclusion, all thanks to a bunker filled with airplane fuel.
4 'Die Trying' (1998)
A man holding a gun walks toward trees with smoke on the book cover for Die Trying by Lee Child.Image via Penguin Publishing Group/Lee Child
It's not every day Reacher gets to save the goddaughter of the U.S. President. Set in chilly Chicago, Die Trying starts off with Reacher trying to help a woman with her laundry. All of a sudden, Reacher's good deed escalates into an unwanted kidnapping. With both Reacher and the woman, Holly Johnson, rendered helpless at gunpoint, the two are taken as hostages to a secret mountain facility.
Not everyone in the military ends up like Reacher. The Army vet is guided by a strong code of conduct and moral compass — unlike the main villain in Die Trying, Beau Borken, who is the leader of a radical militia planning to secede from the U.S. Knowing how the political-military game works, he has no qualms about launching a missile attack during one of America's biggest holidays.
3 'Worth Dying For' (2010)
A figure on a lonely road with a barn in the distance on the book cover for Worth Dying For by Lee Child.Image via Penguin Publishing Group/Lee Child
Investigations like the one in Worth Dying For require Reacher to really stick his neck out. Stopping at a Nebraska motel, Reacher discovers the Duncans, a brutal family using ex-football enforcers to intimidate locals. The Duncans also have a knack for violence, exploiting local farms to cover up their human-trafficking operation. Following the disappearance of Margaret Duncan, Reacher is caught between ambushes and assassination attempts.
Worth Dying For features one of the most despicable criminal rings in the series. The Duncans' operation involved women and girls from Southeast Asia, taking advantage of the region's fragility to lure in unsuspecting victims. They're either sold to the prostitution trade in Las Vegas or kept for sexual abuse locally. It's a book that can be difficult to stomach, but eerily enough, it's also a reflection of real-life human trafficking crimes.
2 'Gone Tomorrow' (2009)
The cover art for the Jack Reacher book 'Gone Tomorrow' by Lee ChildImage via Penguin Random House/Lee Child
Gone Tomorrow begins with Reacher taking the subway in New York, where he spots Pentagon employee Susan Mark showing signs of being a suicide bomber. Before Reacher could de-escalate the situation, she unexpectedly killed herself. Driven by guilt, Reacher teams up with Detective Theresa Lee and Susan's brother to investigate. The group uncovers a conspiracy tied to Congressman Sansom and two Hoths siblings posing as victims.
As the source material for the upcoming Reacher Season 4, Gone Tomorrow is one of the riskier Reacher stories. While it is fictional, it references real terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda, which may pose issues when it comes to sensitivity. It's also a hush-hush conspiracy that certain government officials have secret dealings with these groups, be it for political or other non-political endeavors. Gone Tomorrow just dares to make it into a story.
1 'Killing Floor' (1997)
A bus drives away from a figure on a lonely road on the book cover of Killing Floor by Lee Child.Image via Bantam/Lee Child
The classics always hit the spot. Fans of Reacher Season 1 can get more of the action in Killing Floor. Set in the small town of Margrave, Georgia, Reacher is framed for a murder he didn't commit. As he tries to clear his name, he learns that this sleepy town is home to a counterfeiting operation by a nearby industrial factory.
On television, the adrenaline of the show is more obvious. With the non-stop fight scenes and bloody payoffs, it's satisfying to see Reacher beat the living lights out of criminals. But Killing Floor emphasizes the bigger theme that becomes the thread that binds the entire Reacher franchise. The real villains aren't henchmen doing the dirty work — it's the higher-ups using their money to oppress innocent bystanders and get people to do their bidding.
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Reacher
TV-MA
Crime
Drama
Action
Thriller
9
10
Release Date
February 3, 2022
Network
Prime Video
Showrunner
Nick Santora
Directors
Omar Madha, Carol Banker, Julian Holmes, Lin Oeding, M.J. Bassett, Norberto Barba, Stephen Surjik, Thomas Vincent
Cast
See All-
Alan Ritchson
Jack Reacher
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Maria Sten
Frances Neagley
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