Lee Child has published 37 novels, 1 novella, 4 short story collections and 4 other books, beginning with Killing Floor (1997). The series is Jack Reacher (31 books, starting with Killing Floor). The latest is Chain Reaction (2026).
Updated September 2026
Jack Reacher books in order (31)Series page
Reading order: 1 Killing Floor (1997) · 2 Die Trying (1998) · 3 Tripwire (1999) · 4 Running Blind (2000) · 5 Echo Burning (2001) · 6 Without Fail (2002) · 7 Persuader (2003) · 8 The Enemy (2004) · 9 One Shot (2005) · 10 The Hard Way (2006) · … all 31 below
- 1.
Killing Floor (Mar 1997)
- 2.
Die Trying (Jul 1998)
- 3.
Tripwire (Apr 1999)
- 4.
Running Blind (Apr 2000), also published as The Visitor
- 5.
Echo Burning (Apr 2001)
- 6.
Without Fail (May 2002)
- 7.
Persuader (May 2003)
- 8.
The Enemy (May 2004)
- 9.
One Shot (2005)
- 10.
The Hard Way (May 2006)
- 11.
Bad Luck and Trouble (2007)
- 12.
Nothing to Lose (Mar 2008)
- 13.
Gone Tomorrow (Sep 2009)
- 14.
61 Hours (Mar 2010)
- 15.
Worth Dying For (Sep 2010)
- 16.
The Affair (Sep 2011)
- 17.
A Wanted Man (Aug 2012)
- 18.
Never Go Back (Sep 2013)
- 19.
Personal (Sep 2014)
- 20.
Make Me (Sep 2015)
- 21.
Night School (Nov 2016)
- 22.
The Midnight Line (2017)
- 23.
Past Tense (Nov 2018)
- 24.
Blue Moon (Oct 2019)
- 25.
The Sentinel (Oct 2020)
- 26.
Better Off Dead (Oct 2021)
- 27.
No Plan B (2022)
- 28.
The Secret (Oct 2023)
- 29.
In Too Deep (Oct 2024)
- 30.
Exit Strategy (2025)
- 31.
Chain Reaction (2026)
Where to start with Lee Child
Start here
Killing Floor
Lee Child's most-read book and the first of the 31 Jack Reacher books.
Newest
Chain Reaction
Published 2026.
Standalone novels in order
Jack Reacher's Rules (2012)
Vengeance (2012)
James Penney's New Identity (2017)
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2017)
Christmas Scorpion (2018)
How to Write a Mystery (2021)
Novellas in order
Cleaning the Gold (2019)
Short story collections in order
Killer Year (2008)
First Thrills (2010)
No Middle Name (May 2017)
Safe Enough (2024)
Other books in order
Jack Reacher (2012)
Three Jack Reacher Novellas (2014)
Three More Jack Reacher Novellas (2017)
Eleven Numbers (Feb 2025)
Film and TV adaptations
- Reacher, season 1TV · from Killing Floor
- Reacher season 3TV · from Persuader
- Jack Reacher (2012)Film · from One Shot
- Reacher season 2TV · from Bad Luck and Trouble
- Reacher season 4TV · from Gone Tomorrow
- Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)Film · from Never Go Back
About Lee Child
James Dover Grant, primarily known by his pen name Lee Child, is a British author who writes thriller novels and is best known for his Jack Reacher novel series. The books follow the adventures of a former American military policeman, Jack Reacher, who wanders the United States. His first novel, Killing Floor (1997), won the Anthony Award and the 1998 Barry Award for Best First Novel.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Lee Child FAQ
- How many books has Lee Child written?
- Lee Child has published 37 novels, 1 novella, 4 short story collections and 4 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Lee Child's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Jack Reacher with Killing Floor. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Lee Child's latest book?
- Chain Reaction (2026).
- What is Lee Child's most famous book?
- Killing Floor (1997) is Lee Child's most widely read book.
- Are Lee Child's books connected?
- 31 books belong to 1 series (Jack Reacher); the other 15 books stand alone.
- Which Lee Child books have been adapted?
- 6 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Killing Floor (as Reacher, season 1, TV), Persuader (as Reacher season 3, TV), One Shot (as Jack Reacher, film, 2012) and Bad Luck and Trouble (as Reacher season 2, TV).
Authors like Lee Child
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.