Predicting Which Book Reacher Season 4 Will Adapt: 8 Lee Child Stories That Would Be Perfect

Reacher is one of Amazon’s most popular and successful shows, and each season is based on the original novels by Lee Child. For the first three seasons, the show has taken the reliable approach of tackling one specific novel for the entirety of the season, starting with the first book Killing Floor and most recently handling 2003’s Persuader. With the Reacher season 4 officially confirmed, it’s almost certain that the show will choose another of Child’s stories to adapt – but it hasn’t yet been announced which book that will come from.




Child’s novels have proven to be some of the most exciting and popular crime stories of the past few decades, and so far, Reacher has done an excellent job of adapting them for the screen. Alan Ritchson makes a brilliant protagonist, and the show understands exactly what it is about these stories that keep audiences coming back for more. Thankfully, there are 29 books in the Jack Reacher franchise, meaning the show won’t run out of material any time soon.


8 Tripwire

Released In 1999


Tripwire is the third book in the Jack Reacher series, and it’s understandably one of the most popular. After the high-octane adventures of the first two novels, Tripwire focuses more closely on the character of Reacher himself, giving him a simpler story that allows Child to delve deeper into his backstory and explain why he behaves the way he does. It would be an excellent story for the show to adapt, as it would help audiences relate to the character on an even deeper level.

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Alan Rictchson as Jack Reacher in Front of a Skyline Blurred

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Tripwire takes place in Florida and finds Jack Reacher embroiled in a mystery involving an allegedly missing Vietnam War veteran who’s returned to America and started causing trouble under a secret identity. It’s a gripping cat-and-mouse chase that sees Reacher at his most intellectual, which is an element of the character that the show doesn’t always focus on.


7 One Shot

Released In 2005

One Shot is an interesting Jack Reacher book, most notably because it’s much less driven by action than the rest of the franchise. The story follows Reacher’s attempts to track down a mysterious gunman responsible for killing several bystanders in Indiana City, who leaves clues for the authorities as he operates. The book features some of Jack Reacher’s most interesting characters and is most notable for being the inspiration for the first Jack Reacher movie, starring Tom Cruise as the titular character.


Seeing the differences between the show’s and the movie’s interpretations of this story would be extremely interesting, as the two properties have very different approaches to this popular franchise. Reacher has been much more driven by action and spectacle, so it would be fascinating to see how the writers could weave this slower, more investigative story into the show’s narrative.

6 Gone Tomorrow

Released In 2009

Book cover of Lee Child's Gone Tomorrow

Gone Tomorrow is the thirteenth book in the series, and while it’s fairly similar to some of the other stories that preceded it, it’s widely regarded as one of Lee Child’s best-written novels to date. The narrative follows Reacher’s attempts to intervene in a dangerous incident in New York City, which sets off intense consequences that he’s later forced to investigate and clean up. Some of Reacher’s best episodes are those with rich set pieces and thrilling action, which is found in every chapter of Gone Tomorrow.


It’s very fast-paced, the characters are memorable and commanding, and there’s enough narrative complexity to stretch the mystery throughout the entire season.

Gone Tomorrow is arguably the novel that comes the closest to the spirit of the Reacher series, which is exactly why it’s the perfect fit for season 4. It’s very fast-paced, the characters are memorable and commanding, and there’s enough narrative complexity to stretch the mystery throughout the entire season. As far as Child’s books go, this is easily one of the most page-turning and gripping from start to finish.

5 Worth Dying For

Released In 2010

Book cover of Worth Dying For by Lee Child


Although it’s more likely that Reacher will opt for something earlier in the franchise, Worth Dying For feels like the story that the show has been gradually moving towards since the beginning. It’s the fifteenth book in the series, and it’s an incredibly layered story that has several moving parts on the go at once. The narrative takes place in Nebraska, where Reacher encounters a dangerous gang that’s wreaking havoc on the local population – but his mind is occupied by the case of a missing girl.

What’s so impressive about Worth Dying For is its ability to juggle several different storylines at the same time, constantly jumping back and forth between these multiple plots without ever feeling jarring. This is something that could apply effectively to the TV show, which needs enough substance and material to keep the entire season moving at a steady momentum. Reacher has made several changes to the books to more neatly fit into a long-form configuration, but Worth Dying For wouldn’t require that much alteration.


4 61 Hours

Released In 2010

Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher, ready take on the hit squad in season 1's episode 7

61 Hours was released at the arguable high point of the Jack Reacher franchise, just months before Worth Dying For and less than a year after Gone Tomorrow. These stories were all excellent examples of how Lee Child can balance nuanced character work with thrilling, complex narratives – and 61 Hours does just that. The story is noted for its extremely atmospheric setting, which takes place in the aftermath of a bus crash during a heavy snowstorm.


Interestingly, 61 Hours is less focused on Jack Reacher’s 110th Special Investigations Unit and more closely interested in the protagonist himself, and his interactions with a group of strangers. It’s much more of a standalone adventure than most Reacher novels, but this could fit neatly into the world of the TV adaptation. It would be a slower season, but it could be crucial in giving Reacher the characterization that he needs to push this series into the future.

3 Past Tense

Released In 2018

Book cover of Past Tense by Lee Child

Past Tense is probably the most divisive Jack Reacher novel that’s ever been released. It’s much more experimental and boundary-pushing than the series typically opts for, giving a story that goes in unpredictable directions entirely unlike any of the other stories. It follows Reacher’s journey from Maine to San Diego, where he stops off en route to visit his father’s childhood home. It’s much more focused on the character’s backstory and his enigmatic past than what’s happening in the present, which would be fascinating to see play out on-screen.


Everything ties together neatly in the end, but for the majority of the story, it can be difficult to see the relevance in everything that’s being told.

Reacher has often been compared to James Bond, and Past Tense does nothing to dispel those comparisons. The book shares many similarities with the film Skyfall, exploring the character’s family history and discussing how that informs his current behavior. Everything ties together neatly in the end, but for the majority of the story, it can be difficult to see the relevance in everything that’s being told. While many readers took issue with this, it would undeniably be an interesting way of continuing the show.

2 Running Blind

Released In 2000

Book cover of Running Blind by Lee Child


Running Blind may be an obvious choice for the next season of Reacher to adapt, as it comes very early in the franchise, but it’s still an excellent story that deserves its time in the spotlight. The adventure follows Reacher’s search for an elusive serial killer who’s suspected of killing multiple women that the protagonist had known in the past. It’s a very personal story that’s closely tied to Reacher’s own journey, which are key details of the stories that Reacher has adapted so far.

The early Jack Reacher novels are very different from the later ones in the series: they’re much more simplistic and formulaic, but this certainly isn’t a criticism. The stories are easy to follow, and while they have twists and turns that are difficult to predict, readers know exactly what they’re getting with these books. They’re safe stories for Reacher to adapt, as they fit neatly with the world that’s already been created on-screen.


1 Echo Burning

Released In 2001

Book cover of Echo Burning by Lee Child

Echo Burning is set directly after Running Blind, and it’s another thrilling one-shot that furthers the world of Jack Reacher without making any glaring alterations to the character or his backstory. The narrative follows Reacher’s attempts to solve an elusive mystery surrounding two hikers, a greedy villain, and a complicated murder-kidnapping plot. It’s got all the high-stakes storytelling that readers have come to expect from Jack Reacher, and it features several intense action scenes that are immediately easy to picture playing out in the show.

Like many of the early Jack Reacher novels, it’s designed so that readers can jump in at any point: if this is the direction that
Reacher
wants to take, Echo Burning makes total sense.


Reacher season 3 may have lower stakes than previous ones, which suggests that the show is moving towards a more standalone, less complex method of storytelling with short-lived adventures rather than overarching narratives. If this is the case, Echo Burning is an excellent choice for season 4 given its tight, thrilling story that doesn’t require too much prior knowledge of the character to enjoy. Like many of the early Jack Reacher novels, it’s designed so that readers can jump in at any point: if this is the direction that Reacher wants to take, Echo Burning makes total sense.