Killing Floor
1997
View book detailsJack Reacher
By Lee Child
The Jack Reacher series follows a former US Army Major and military police investigator who travels light, moves from place to place, and repeatedly steps into dangerous situations. Start with Killing Floor and follow publication order for the numbered books; this preserves the original character introductions and reveals. Four military-era prequels appear in publication position. The collected short stories, a crossover novella, and the Neagley spin-off have separate routes, so they do not interrupt the main sequence.
Start with Killing Floor, then follow publication order through the 31 numbered books. The short-story collection and crossovers have separate routes.
Related reading guides
Best Book to Start With
New readers should start with Killing Floor. It is the first published Jack Reacher novel and introduces the character clearly without requiring any previous knowledge.
If You Watched the TV or Film Adaptation
If you watched the TV series first, start with Killing Floor. It is the first Jack Reacher novel and the basis for the first season of the show. After that, continue in publication order unless you specifically want to follow the books connected to each season.
Reading Order Notes
Recommended: For most readers, the best way to read the Jack Reacher books is in publication order, starting with Killing Floor. The books are mostly standalone, but publication order gives the best sense of how the series develops over time.
Publication Order: Publication order is best for most readers because it follows the way the series originally developed.
Chronological Order: Chronological order can be interesting on a reread, but it may reveal background details earlier than intended.
