‘Reacher’ Is Ripped From the Pages of This Popular Book Series

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PRIME VIDEO'S HIT show right now is Reacher, starring Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher, a former military officer who wanders the country, solving mysteries wherever he comes across them. The show is now airing its second season, and has already been renewed for a third. It's got everything television fans love: intrigue, action, and a fun protagonist to root for.

So far the show has followed Reacher as he happens upon a small town in Georgia and decides to help two police officers trying to find the truth behind a local conspiracy. Season 2 digs into Reacher's past and forces him to partner up with his former military colleagues when they discover someone from their unit has been murdered under mysterious circumstances.

With only two seasons and 16 total episodes of Reacher so far, there's bound to be a demand for even more of the character and his exploits. Thankfully, for eager fans, there's more than just the television show (and previous movie adaptations) to consume.

Reacher is actually based on a series of books by acclaimed author Lee Child. The Prime Video series takes direct inspiration from the novels, with both seasons of the show pulled from two of Child's books. If you're an impassioned fan of Reacher and want to dive into the books, there are 28 and counting available for you to read.

For everything you need to know about where to start with the long-running Reacher book series, here's what you should know.

How to Read the Jack Reacher Book Series

Technically, you can start anywhere for the most part. The books are largely disconnected from one another, save for a few ongoing references to Reacher's past. It is worth noting the book 61 Hours, however, has a four book arc that you'll want to read in a particular order.

For the best experience, however, we recommend reading from the beginning. Killing Floor (which Reacher Season 1 was based on) is a strong introduction to the series, and will get you excited to learn more about Reacher without diving too deep into his backstory too quickly. Reacher Season 2 actually skipped to the eleventh book in the series, Bad Luck and Trouble, for its story, and the book is one of the high points in the series as well.

Overall, you can't go wrong no matter where you start—but we're big proponents of going in order of publication.

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