Jack Reacher is an iconic character. Even if you’ve never read a book in the series (28 books and counting) you may have heard of the two Tom Cruise movies where he played the antihero and divided a rabid fanbase. For me, Tom Cruise is no Reacher. Jason and I just finished season 2 of the Amazon series, Reacher, where Alan Richson deftly plays the larger than life killing machine with his own moral code. The series is good.
Jack Reacher is an ex-military cop who is roaming the United States, seeing the country he barely knows after a lifetime (36 years) spent on military bases around the world. From one of my reviews, “Jack Reacher is a man’s man, but one that women are drawn to because of his sheer masculinity and unavailability. He is who he is, take him or leave him and that confidence and physical presence makes him a force to be reckoned with.”
Why should you be reading the Jack Reacher series? Because he’s alpha male dreamy. He isn’t held back by rules but is ruled by what is good and just and he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty in the pursuit of justice. He’s a tall, commanding man who, if you count the number of women he’s charmed out of their clothes, knows his way around a woman’s body.
Read if you like – Drifters with a hero complex, larger than life characters who say as little as possible, justice being served no matter how many get hurt, and don’t mind lots of violence.
#27 No Plan B
#28 The Secret
#29 In Too Deep
Any other Reacher fans out there?
Stacy's Books 
I haven’t read many Lee Child books but I see they are very popular. Check Mate is on my tbr list too.
Harvee at https://bookdilettante.blogspot.com/
Stacy : I have read most of the Jack Reacher books. Some of the books are better than the others. I have also read 2 of the Reacher books written by Lee Child and his brother, Andrew. Their books are entertaining but they do not add to the canon of Jack Reacher.
I agree with you and your husband about the TV series. Alan Richson looks like Reacher and plays the part well. Tom Cruise had the Reacher attitude down pat but he is too short in stature and not really intimidating enough. I just watched the movie Jack Reacher with Tom Cruise again 2 weeks ago. Filmed in Pittsburg, the film still holds up well. However, Lee Child’s description of Reacher was in my head the whole time I was watching the movie.
I think the Tom Cruise Reacher movies were good, he just never felt like Reacher. My brain couldn’t make them the same as I was watching. Richson is definitely Reacher. I’ve read a few the brothers have done together and they’re ok.. like you said they aren’t really adding anything, just continuing a series people love.
I’ve only read one Jack Reacher book (The Killing Floor) and I remember gasping outloud while reading on a flight someone. I was worried the passengers sitting nearby thought I was gasping at something I saw out the window! 😉 My husband and I just finished the second season of Reacher and think Alan Richson is perfect in his role. I hear there’s a third season in the works. Yay!!
I remember how shocked by the violence I was with The Killing Floor! They don’t all reach that level of bloody disregard for life and for that I am thankful. I can’t wait to see what book they do for season 3.
My husband has read all the Reacher books and we’ve watched the TV series (well, almost through with the 2nd season – we’re watching that one slowly). He says that the Alan Richson is a good Reacher and that Tom Cruise wasn’t even to be thought about – ha! Will be interesting to see how the series goes with Andrew as the sole author as opposed to Lee.
It will be interesting to see where the series goes from here. I love Richson as Reacher. I loved the 2 Tom Cruise movies but he never really pulled off the character of Reacher. How could he?