Summary

• The hit Amazon Prime Video series takes its inspiration from Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels.
• All 28 novels chronicle the action-packed adventures of the military investigator turned drifter.
• Newcomers to Jack Reacher can take what the full canon offers.

Reacher expertly takes its inspiration from Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels. For decades, all 28 novels chronicle the action-packed adventures of the military investigator turned drifter. Although not every book in the series is a masterpiece, it has consistently delivered incredible page-turners. Lee Child’s enduring character has transcended the page through movie and television adaptations, including a Tom Cruise film franchise and most recently the hit Amazon Prime Video Reacher starring Alan Ritchson. Movies lifted plot lines directly from printed chapters, further cementing the literary stories’ cinematic promise through the adaptation process itself.

Now with over 20 books chronicling his exploits, Reacher’s world provides extensive terrain for mining the taciturn veteran’s mysterious background and death-defying escapades going back to his military police days. For newcomers inspired by fiery explosions onscreen or devotees debating each book’s place among the intricate mythos, taking measure of the full canon offers guidance through exhilarating moments testing one man’s wits and will from small towns to the global stage. Whether these books are an introduction or an old favorite, gauging the most essential embodiment of Reacher’s blunt force justice provides a blueprint into the wandering character’s iconic appeal.

28 Blue Moon (2019)

A Convoluted And Gratuitous Installment

The 24th novel in the Jack Reacher series, Blue Moon, was released in 2019 and is widely considered to be the worst of the bunch. Unfortunately, the plot of Blue Moon involving Albanian and Ukrainian mobsters in a small town was more convoluted than previous installments. The action aligns with Reacher's character, but the frequent violence and loss of life comes across as gratuitous.

Many critics felt that Blue Moon relied too much on recurring elements of Child's series.

Reacher works through moral dilemmas as usual, but his white knight persona feels unrealistic. While still delivering on series staples, aspects of this entry didn't fully captivate. The frequent deaths and do-goodery are hallmarks of the series, but in Blue Moon, they fail to compel. Many critics felt that Blue Moon relied too much on recurring elements of Child's series, which — by the 24th entry — had more-or-less become tropes. Blue Moon was a Jack Reacher novel that tried to play it safe, but unfortunatley this just led to it feeling formulaic.

27 The Sentinel (2020)

An Uninteresting Story

Released during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, The Sentinel was the 25th Jack Reacher novel. While it was an improvement on 2019's Blue Moon, it still failed to live up to earlier entries in the franchise as far as many readers and critics were concerned. The main flaw found in The Sentinel is the awkward writing, since Lee Child co-wrote this book with his brother Andrew (the pair are named James and Andrew Grant, though they write under the pseudonyms of Lee and Andrew Child).

The plot about criminals tampering with elections is too similar to real-life news, taking readers out of the fantasy elements.

The story doesn't create interest like other Reacher books, making it less enjoyable. Also, the plot about criminals tampering with elections is too similar to real-life news, taking readers out of the fantasy elements. Those who know Reacher's Rules well can see inconsistencies in the story. Due to the odd writing, unrealistic plot, and errors, this book ranks low in the series.

26 Nothing To Lose (2008)

Simplistic Writing

Released in 2008, Nothing To Lose is the 12th novel in the Jack Reacher series, and by far the worst one released in the 2000s — and many critics found that it was far too similar to the 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell, upon which the first Rambo movie was based. Situated in the fictional twin towns of Hope and Despair, Colorado, the setting in this installment fails to fully pull the reader into the narrative. The recycling plant disguising the criminals' questionable operation is written as too simplistic to be believable as a thoroughly guarded base of operations.

While the scale of the antagonists' enterprise is acknowledged as vast, their thin disguise detracts from the story's ability to immerse the reader in a world of high intrigue and high stakes. Where past books in the series have expertly combined setting, characters, and other elements, this addition misses the mark.

25 Make Me (2015)

The Partnership Between Jack Reacher And Michelle Chang Fails To Resonate

2015 saw the 20th novel in the Jack Reacher series — Make Me — and, sadly, the story failed to live up to how much an important milestone for the franchise reaching 20 books was. In Make Me, the relationship between Reacher and Change follows expected lines, with Reacher, typically morally upright, teaming up routinely with Chang, an ex-FBI agent. There is also a lackluster romantic subplot between the two characters. As a result, this part of the book is largely forgettable.

It would likely be difficult to recall specific details about this story.

While Child is far from a one-trick-pony as far as authors go, Make Me definitely left the impression that he's stronger when writing tense action than he is at writing romance. Despite the extensive book, it would likely be difficult to recall specific details about this story. This underscores the narrative's overall lack of impact, especially when contrasted with more compelling installments like Night School. The unremarkable nature of Reacher's time with Chang contributes heavily to Make Me's weak attempt at engagement.

24 The Midnight Line (2017)

Interesting Characters, But It Ultimately Falls Short

The 22nd Jack Reacher novel was 2017's The Midnight Line, and in this story Reacher finds himself caught in an investigation into an illegal opioid trade in the American Midwest. In The Midnight Line, the story falls short, as Lee Child's attempt to experiment with a different approach ultimately doesn't pay off. It attempted to incorporate aspects of real-life critiques of pharameceutical companies, which many readers and critics felt didn't quite work.

While sharing a similar feeling to Nothing to Lose, this book distinguishes itself with the introduction of the character Rose, who is acknowledged as a positive aspect. However, the deviation from the traditional Reacher narrative seems to be the book's downfall, as the experimentation with a new style fails to resonate. The effort to innovate doesn't yield the anticipated results, impacting the overall quality and reception of the book in comparison to others in the series.

23 Past Tense (2018)

Unorthodox Storytelling Misses The Mark

2018's Past Tense was the 23rd Jack Reacher novel. While it was a slight improvement on 2017's The Midnight Line, it was also quite experimental as far as Child's Jack Reacher books go — a decision that both helped and hindered it, but on the whole didn't quite pay off as well as it could have. Despite having a somewhat dry tone and some notably creepy segments that are riveting to read, Past Tense faces criticism mainly due to its unorthodox creative direction.

The inclusion of a bonus backstory, a compelling woodland setting, and the presence of a group of human game-hunting antagonists elevates the book above some later works.

However, the installment manages to salvage its shortcomings through notable strengths. The inclusion of a bonus backstory, a compelling woodland setting, and the presence of a group of human game-hunting antagonists elevates the book above some later works. Additionally, the narrative benefits from Reacher's adept close combat skills, showcased in suspenseful nighttime encounters, and the incorporation of well-executed Reacher point-of-view kills.

22 No Plan B (2022)

Not As Good As Earlier Novels

No Plan B, the 27th novel in the Jack Reacher series, was released in 2022. Much like 2019's Blue Moon, No Plan B fell short of reader and critic expectations because it played things too safe, relying too much on what had made earlier novels successful without trying anything new (when it came to both the plot and the writing style).

No Plan B delivers what is expected: an action-packed and plot-driven Jack Reacher thriller. However, this installment falls short of recapturing the magic of earlier releases when the character first debuted. While still an objectively strong and fast-paced story, it lacks the spark that made readers fall for Child's almost self-parodying style. For a subjective ranking system tapping into that nostalgia, No Plan B ranks lower than hoped, even though it objectively hits the Reacher marks.

21 A Wanted Man (2012)

A Necessary Story, But Unable To Stand On Its Own

2012's A Wanted Man is the 17th Jack Reacher novel, and while it's not one of the worst, it's definitely not one of the best either. A Wanted Man delivers an energetic plot continuing the Nebraska storyline — picking up after the events of Worth Dying For following a slight muddying of the timeline in 2011's The Affair — but is ultimately a low point in the series when the franchise is appraised as a whole.

Despite the high stakes involving a burnt corpse and threats reaching the highest levels, the story itself feels missable.

A Wanted Man starts strong, with Reacher decoding blinks from a kidnapping victim to uncover a conspiracy. Despite the high stakes involving a burnt corpse and threats reaching the highest levels, the story itself feels missable. While needed to transition Reacher out of Nebraska after previous installments, this sequel lacks the impact to truly grab readers. As a result, A Wanted Man comes across more as a bridge in the broader series rather than a story able to stand on its own.

20 Personal (2014)

Fails To Fully Captivate Despite Delivering All The Expected Jack Reacher Thrills