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Quick answer: If you liked 61 Hours, read Lee Child's Killing Floor, Die Trying and Never Go Back, then try The Black Echo, The Bourne Identity and The Terminal List. All offer tough heroes, fast plots and rough justice.
Lee Child's 61 Hours finds Jack Reacher in a South Dakota winter, helping protect a witness against a biker gang. The books below share that muscular, plot-driven style. Most are adult thrillers, and all are real, in-print books.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Killing Floor | Lee Child | Adult | the series starter |
| Die Trying | Lee Child | Adult | Reacher series |
| Tripwire | Lee Child | Adult | series readers |
| Never Go Back | Lee Child | Adult | a stand-alone feel |
| The Black Echo | Michael Connelly | Adult | police procedurals |
| The Poet | Michael Connelly | Adult | serial killer thrillers |
| The Bourne Identity | Robert Ludlum | Adult | spy action |
| Transfer of Power | Vince Flynn | Adult | political action |
| The Terminal List | Jack Carr | Adult | revenge thrillers |
| Rules of Prey | John Sandford | Adult | cop thrillers |
| No Country for Old Men | Cormac McCarthy | Adult | bleak crime |
| The Day of the Jackal | Frederick Forsyth | Adult | assassin thrillers |
| Slow Horses | Mick Herron | Adult | spy comedy |
| The Hunter | Richard Stark | Adult | tough noir |
| The Long Goodbye | Raymond Chandler | Adult | detective classics |
1. Killing Floor by Lee Child
The first Reacher novel, in which he arrives in a Georgia town and finds trouble. Fast and violent.
Best for: the series starter.
2. Die Trying by Lee Child
Reacher is kidnapped with a woman FBI agent and a militia plot unfolds. A tense follow-up.
Best for: Reacher series.
3. Tripwire by Lee Child
A private investigator draws Reacher into a hunt in New York. Fast and clever.
Best for: series readers.
4. Never Go Back by Lee Child
Reacher returns to his old unit and faces a charge. A good entry for newcomers.
Best for: a stand-alone feel.
5. The Black Echo by Michael Connelly
Detective Harry Bosch investigates a body in a storm drain. A tight, realistic LA procedural.
Best for: police procedurals.
6. The Poet by Michael Connelly
A reporter hunts a serial killer who leaves poetry. Dark and tense.
Best for: serial killer thrillers.
7. The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
A man with amnesia and a trained killer's skills runs across Europe. Fast and famous.
Best for: spy action.
8. Transfer of Power by Vince Flynn
A counterterrorism hero fights a siege in the White House. Fast and patriotic.
Best for: political action.
9. The Terminal List by Jack Carr
A Navy SEAL seeks revenge after his family is killed. Violent and direct.
Best for: revenge thrillers.
10. Rules of Prey by John Sandford
A Minneapolis detective hunts a killer who leaves notes. Dark, funny and quick.
Best for: cop thrillers.
11. No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
A hunter finds drug money and is chased by a killer. Tense and spare.
Best for: bleak crime.
12. The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
An assassin plans to kill Charles de Gaulle. Procedural, precise and a classic.
Best for: assassin thrillers.
13. Slow Horses by Mick Herron
Exiled MI5 agents work in a rundown office and stumble on a plot. Funny, cynical and current.
Best for: spy comedy.
14. The Hunter by Richard Stark
Parker, a professional thief, takes revenge on the gang that betrayed him. Cold and lean.
Best for: tough noir.
15. The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
Philip Marlowe befriends a drunk who becomes a suspect. Sad, witty and classic.
Best for: detective classics.
How to Choose
For more Reacher, begin with Killing Floor or Never Go Back. For procedurals, Michael Connelly. For spy action, Bourne. For gritty noir, The Hunter. Reacher novels can be read in any order, so pick a plot that appeals to you. Reacher novels are made for fast, easy reading. Start any one of them and you will usually be pulled in by the first chapter. If you enjoy audiobooks, the narrations by Jeff Harding and Dick Hill are popular, and the books are excellent for long drives.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is 61 Hours about?
Reacher is stranded in South Dakota during a blizzard and helps police protect a witness against a drug ring.
Do I need to read the Reacher books in order?
No. Most are standalone adventures, though characters recur.
How many Reacher books are there?
More than 25 novels, plus short stories.
Is Reacher on TV?
Yes. Amazon's series Reacher stars Alan Ritchson.
Which Reacher should I start with?
Killing Floor is the first, but Never Go Back and Persuader are popular entry points.
Is Lee Child a British author?
Yes. Lee Child is the pen name of Jim Grant, a British writer who lives in the United States.
Where is 61 Hours set?
In Bolton, South Dakota, in the middle of a harsh winter.
Do I need to read Reacher in order?
No, though characters sometimes appear in several books.
How long is 61 Hours?
About 400 pages.
Is Reacher violent?
Yes. The books include fights and killings, but they follow a hero's code.
What makes Reacher popular?
He is a physically strong, clever ex-military drifter who solves problems with force and logic, which readers find satisfying.
Is the Reacher TV series like the books?
The show follows the books' plots, with Alan Ritchson as a tall, imposing Reacher.
Can I read 61 Hours first?
Yes, but it ends on a cliffhanger that leads to the next book, Worth Dying For.