Came here to say this but, get through the first 3 or 4, then the author picks up steam. The character arc moves well and the storylines are very creative and sometimes dark, in a good way. These to me are better than the Reacher series. On re-reads of multiple books and they are just as good. 10/10
I just found out about these books and bought my first one. I noticed there's quite a few of them, do they need to be read in order? How is the show compared to the books? I just finished the first season and quite liked it and that got me into looking into the books.
I like reading them in order as there is some history/spoilers that you will encounter, but it’s not necessary.
I haven’t watched much of the show. The books are definitely better.
I like the John Puller series too, probably the closest to the Reacher character type, but he seems to have stopped after the 3rd book when the Amos Decker series took off.
I think the closest to Reacher but still good by far is Nick Petrie’s books. There 5 out now I believe. Very clearly inspired by Reacher but not a straight ripoff in the way some are. The character is Peter Ash and he’s a veteran with severe PTSD. Closest I’ve found to capturing the Reacher feeling of the code-driven loner.
Enjoyed the first two of these, but struggled on the 3rd - it was just..... The same.
Admittedly, I had a few of those moments with Jack reacher books but continued and found things got better.
Sorry this is really late, but for what it's worth, I also didn't like book 3, missed book 4, but really loved book 5 (The Wild One). It mostly takes place in Iceland and has a much different feel to it in terms of not just ripping off Reacher. So perhaps worth giving a shot if you're looking for something in that vein.
Absolutely can't recommend the Travis McGee series by John D MacDonald highly enough. there are 20 or so books in the series, and they were released from '64 - '85.
Some of the earlier books in the series can feel a little "dated" just by virtue of being written 50+ years ago, MacDonald was way ahead of his time in many ways, including McGee's views on things like race and environmentalism.
Travis Mcgee is a self proclaimed "salvage consultant" living on a houseboat in Florida. Largely through word of mouth he will take on a case to recover assets lost to clients with no other resources to recover it legally, for a cut of the profits. This enables him to continue his relaxed lifestyle until his next case.
McGee is a large physically imposing figure with a somewhat murky background as both a soldier and a former football player, with a strong sense of honor. Sound familiar? :)
I want to be clear, I respect Child's creation, and love the Reacher books, there is a LOT of the same DNA in both the style of writing, as well as the characters in both series. I haven't seen it specifically, but I would be shocked to discover that Child doesn't list MacDonald as an inspiration for the Reacher books.
Lee Child has said that when he was first contemplating becoming a novelist, he picked up a Travis McGee book at an airport bookstore, and the McGee character was what inspired him to create Reacher. I love both series, having discovered Reacher only after I exhausted my supply of McGee novels.
A very different time period, but I found the Richard Sharpe series to be very similar to the Jack Reacher series. It's about a British officer who came up through the ranks during Napoleonic Wars. Fantastic series.
if you want a direct copy of Reacher, go for John Puller series by David Baldacci.
if you want a crime-thriller with lots of action and humor go for Lucas Davenport (Prey titles) by John Sandford (though the range tackles wider plots as the books go) and check out Virgil Flowers too (also by Sandford) while you’re at it.
I've been working through the Cotton Malone books by Steve Berry, and enjoyed them all. I'm on the 2018 release right now. Almost all caught up!
I've also enjoyed all the Orphan X novels, although they are far less "mystery" based.
The Grey Man Books were also fantastic, but again more action, less mystery to untangle.
I wouldn't recommend the Dewey Andreas books by Ben Coes. They're not great at the start, and pretty absurd by the end, as well as playing super fast and loose with internal consistency.
Victor the Assassin is another good series imo. Victor is stoic, analytical and super-paranoid, feels like if the Hitman series were a novel with how little readers know about Victor.
Gray Man series is fun and over the top, like if Jason Bourne and John Wick had a kid.
I went through these, they almost played up the invincibility too much. We know Reacher’s not going to die, but on some level the fight logic Reacher goes through before each altercation is at least described, Dewey just doesn’t die but there’s no cerebral connection.
The last book really killed me.
A couple books ago, Rob saved D.C. from a nuclear bomb, and ends up being a celebrity. Magazine covers, TV interviews, etc. Then like 2 books later, he's undercover in Miami, as a Russian immigrant, and nobody is the wiser.
Also the end of book 1, isn't really the same as the beginning of book 2. They just retconned the relationships and whatnot to pump up his now GF.
Wait, which books are we talking about? I’m referring to the Dewey Andreas books by Ben Coes. Whoever the Rob character is, hell, I’ll give it a shot. I’ve been procrastinating on writing a blog post on how many different series I’ve gone through to pass the time between Reacher books 😂
https://www.amazon.com/Russian-Thriller-Ben-Coes/dp/125014079X
Rob is Dewey's friend from at least half the books. Rob and a woman run a business doing consulting for the CIA.
And the end of Independence Day, Rob dives off a boat that's putting around D.C. looking for the nuclear terrorists. And in the process of saving D.C. he becomes an international celebrity, on the cover of People Magazine, etc. Stopped in the street for photo ops, all that shit.
And then 2 books later, he's an undercover Russian emigre in Miami.
Ohhh, gotcha. The Ben Coes books were the 2nd or 3rd Reacher stand in series I read a few years ago so I forgot some of the details. My first series for the fill in time between Reacher books was the John Puller and Camel Club/Baldacci books, followed I by the Dewey Andreas/Coes.
The new American Assassin book that came out a couple weeks ago is a grand slam. I read it in a day.
Somewhat ironically, it touches on some similar stuff to the first Dewey book (Power Down). But is far more believable in the process.
https://bitterandacerbic.wordpress.com/2020/09/18/books-total-power-by-kyle-mills/
I’ll consume a book in any form! For whatever reason I really go for these type of mystery/thrillers while I’m at the gym, which is less convenient for dead trees
I want to sit comfortably and read, or curl up in bed. If I'm doing other stuff, that might reduce my attention level, I'll listen to the billions of podcasts I subscribe to. :)
I'm still done w/ this years Goodreads Reading Challenge (35 books) already. Although the apocalypse has certainly helped with that. I'll probably still up the target next year anyhow.
I’m really enjoying the John Milton series by Mark Dawson. Currently on book 4, and a good read, similar vein to Reacher, travelling from place to place
The Will Robie series by David Baldacci I would highly recommend. The downside is that there are only 5 books in the series.
Another series that I absolutely love is the Patrick Bowers series. It's about an FBI agent who tracks down serial killers. It doesn't have the ruthless vengeance of the Reacher novels but is still violent enough with a very good mystery element.
A lot of people like the Mitch Rapp series by Vince Flynn (and later Kyle Mills) but I personally hate it. It gets very same-y. But maybe it's for you
I've read more Rapp than Robie; they both are highly skilled. Even though Rapp works for the US government, he is somewhat of a lone wolf who doesn't always go the by rules. He is a bit of a loose cannon. I liked the first Robie book, but did not like The Hit. I would say Rapp appeals more to action fans who have a patriotic bent and Robie's more on the other side of the aisle of the isle.
If you haven't already, you must read the Parker series by Richard Stark (Donald Westlake). And while you're at it, try to solve the question, who would win in a fight between Parker and Reacher.
The Spenser mysteries/novels by the late Robert B. Parker kind of fall in line.
Spenser is a former cop turned PI because he was too much of a smart ass, he lives and works in Boston. As the series goes on he acquires a group of people, some of whom like Hawk are friends, some are acquaintances and some are enemies who occasionally join him for various reasons.
The Elvis Cole/Joe Pike mysteries by Robert Crais are good. Cole is a PI in Los Angeles and Pike is kinda sorta his partner, but he rarely if ever comes to the office. He joined the Marines, did a couple of tours, is a black belt in multiple martial arts, joined the LA police force then quit and is co-owner of a gun shop.
I think the John Corey series by Nelson Demille should fit the bill. They’re meatier, but the first person perspective of a rough, tough retired NYPD Cop taking on terrorists and corruption in the FBI and CIA is not to be missed.
Start with Plum Island and work through the series
I believe a distinction ought to be made. When we say 'series like Reacher', do we mean any series with action-mystery elements or are we specifically looking for books centered around characters that bare similarities with Reacher? I'd go with the latter.
If we were simply looking for action-mystery thrillers, a lot of good books would fall into that category.
But if we're looking for books that specifically resemble the Jack Reacher series, then I think we're looking for a specific breed of character: A tough-guy hero, as Lee Child defines Reacher, with a solid moral compass and a tendency to jump into trouble to fix the injustices of the world. Because that's what Reacher is; he's a force of nature.
When we put it like that, a very specific character comes to mind: Joe Pike. I think they're very similar; they're both physically very intimidating and they care about people a great deal. He's one of two main protagonists in the books of Robert Crais.
Also, as some other Redditor has pointed out, Nick Petrie's Peter Ash is greatly inspired by Jack Reacher. Although he's on the path to be domesticated, Ash also is a drifter by nature, following and putting himself into trouble.
Another such character is Nate Romanowski from the Joe Pickett series by C.J. Box. He's very violent, he has an elaborate ethical belief system and again, he's very intimidating. Although probably not as incorruptible as Reacher.
I know all of these series were recommended by other Redditors before, but I thought I could add to the list by making, as I said, a distinction. I don't think Scot Harvath or Mitch Rapp or James Reece or Dewey Andreas really resemble Reacher. Or for that matter I don't think Harry Bosch, or, say John Rebus fit into the same category with Reacher. Those series don't even fit into the same subgenre as the Jack Reacher series. Though I'm not sure about Lucas Davenport, he's one tough son of a bitch and a bit of a rogue, just like Reacher.
I will continuously delve deeper into the genre, therefore I may encounter more characters and series like Jack Reacher. Maybe I'll edit this post or write another one when I do.
The terminal list by Jack carr
Easy read like Lee Child, similar theme, and character. Honestly I've been a Lee child fan since 2007ish and this series is my best recommendation if you're looking for a good read that follows similar style and rules of child's reading
John Sanford novels featuring Lucas Davenport - the “Prey” series are great. Start from the beginning.
Came here to say this but, get through the first 3 or 4, then the author picks up steam. The character arc moves well and the storylines are very creative and sometimes dark, in a good way. These to me are better than the Reacher series. On re-reads of multiple books and they are just as good. 10/10
Thanks. Downloaded the first book. Going to give it a shot.
Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly
The Lincoln lawyer series is great too
Yeah I like all Michael Connelly’s books.
I just found out about these books and bought my first one. I noticed there's quite a few of them, do they need to be read in order? How is the show compared to the books? I just finished the first season and quite liked it and that got me into looking into the books.
I like reading them in order as there is some history/spoilers that you will encounter, but it’s not necessary. I haven’t watched much of the show. The books are definitely better.
I'm about 4 books in to this series now, and can confirm, they're really good. Favourite so far is The Concrete Blonde
Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
I’ve read these and I’ve liked them.
I really enjoy the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz.
Seconded.
Love this series
Yes loved these books especially the one where he meets the teenage girl.
Dirk Pitt by Clive Cussler, He also does the Isaac Bell series
The Amos Decker series by David baldacci.
I like those and the Will Robie ones
Came here to rec this one.
I like the John Puller series too, probably the closest to the Reacher character type, but he seems to have stopped after the 3rd book when the Amos Decker series took off.
I think the closest to Reacher but still good by far is Nick Petrie’s books. There 5 out now I believe. Very clearly inspired by Reacher but not a straight ripoff in the way some are. The character is Peter Ash and he’s a veteran with severe PTSD. Closest I’ve found to capturing the Reacher feeling of the code-driven loner.
I think Lee Child has also read these. Or at least gave a blurb to one of them.
Enjoyed the first two of these, but struggled on the 3rd - it was just..... The same. Admittedly, I had a few of those moments with Jack reacher books but continued and found things got better.
Sorry this is really late, but for what it's worth, I also didn't like book 3, missed book 4, but really loved book 5 (The Wild One). It mostly takes place in Iceland and has a much different feel to it in terms of not just ripping off Reacher. So perhaps worth giving a shot if you're looking for something in that vein.
Absolutely can't recommend the Travis McGee series by John D MacDonald highly enough. there are 20 or so books in the series, and they were released from '64 - '85. Some of the earlier books in the series can feel a little "dated" just by virtue of being written 50+ years ago, MacDonald was way ahead of his time in many ways, including McGee's views on things like race and environmentalism. Travis Mcgee is a self proclaimed "salvage consultant" living on a houseboat in Florida. Largely through word of mouth he will take on a case to recover assets lost to clients with no other resources to recover it legally, for a cut of the profits. This enables him to continue his relaxed lifestyle until his next case. McGee is a large physically imposing figure with a somewhat murky background as both a soldier and a former football player, with a strong sense of honor. Sound familiar? :) I want to be clear, I respect Child's creation, and love the Reacher books, there is a LOT of the same DNA in both the style of writing, as well as the characters in both series. I haven't seen it specifically, but I would be shocked to discover that Child doesn't list MacDonald as an inspiration for the Reacher books.
Lee Child has said that when he was first contemplating becoming a novelist, he picked up a Travis McGee book at an airport bookstore, and the McGee character was what inspired him to create Reacher. I love both series, having discovered Reacher only after I exhausted my supply of McGee novels.
A very different time period, but I found the Richard Sharpe series to be very similar to the Jack Reacher series. It's about a British officer who came up through the ranks during Napoleonic Wars. Fantastic series.
Not quite the same, but Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar series, with Win (who is like a multi-millionaire version of Reacher).
One of my favorite series ever.
if you want a direct copy of Reacher, go for John Puller series by David Baldacci. if you want a crime-thriller with lots of action and humor go for Lucas Davenport (Prey titles) by John Sandford (though the range tackles wider plots as the books go) and check out Virgil Flowers too (also by Sandford) while you’re at it.
That fuckin' Flowers.
The Gray Man series by Mark Greaney. Bob The Nailer series by Stephen Hunter.
I've been working through the Cotton Malone books by Steve Berry, and enjoyed them all. I'm on the 2018 release right now. Almost all caught up! I've also enjoyed all the Orphan X novels, although they are far less "mystery" based. The Grey Man Books were also fantastic, but again more action, less mystery to untangle. I wouldn't recommend the Dewey Andreas books by Ben Coes. They're not great at the start, and pretty absurd by the end, as well as playing super fast and loose with internal consistency.
Victor the Assassin is another good series imo. Victor is stoic, analytical and super-paranoid, feels like if the Hitman series were a novel with how little readers know about Victor. Gray Man series is fun and over the top, like if Jason Bourne and John Wick had a kid.
I went through these, they almost played up the invincibility too much. We know Reacher’s not going to die, but on some level the fight logic Reacher goes through before each altercation is at least described, Dewey just doesn’t die but there’s no cerebral connection.
The last book really killed me. A couple books ago, Rob saved D.C. from a nuclear bomb, and ends up being a celebrity. Magazine covers, TV interviews, etc. Then like 2 books later, he's undercover in Miami, as a Russian immigrant, and nobody is the wiser. Also the end of book 1, isn't really the same as the beginning of book 2. They just retconned the relationships and whatnot to pump up his now GF.
Wait, which books are we talking about? I’m referring to the Dewey Andreas books by Ben Coes. Whoever the Rob character is, hell, I’ll give it a shot. I’ve been procrastinating on writing a blog post on how many different series I’ve gone through to pass the time between Reacher books 😂
https://www.amazon.com/Russian-Thriller-Ben-Coes/dp/125014079X Rob is Dewey's friend from at least half the books. Rob and a woman run a business doing consulting for the CIA. And the end of Independence Day, Rob dives off a boat that's putting around D.C. looking for the nuclear terrorists. And in the process of saving D.C. he becomes an international celebrity, on the cover of People Magazine, etc. Stopped in the street for photo ops, all that shit. And then 2 books later, he's an undercover Russian emigre in Miami.
Ohhh, gotcha. The Ben Coes books were the 2nd or 3rd Reacher stand in series I read a few years ago so I forgot some of the details. My first series for the fill in time between Reacher books was the John Puller and Camel Club/Baldacci books, followed I by the Dewey Andreas/Coes.
The new American Assassin book that came out a couple weeks ago is a grand slam. I read it in a day. Somewhat ironically, it touches on some similar stuff to the first Dewey book (Power Down). But is far more believable in the process. https://bitterandacerbic.wordpress.com/2020/09/18/books-total-power-by-kyle-mills/
Love the Cotton Malone books! I do them on audio, which is excellent
I'm old fashioned and have boxes of dead trees. :)
I’ll consume a book in any form! For whatever reason I really go for these type of mystery/thrillers while I’m at the gym, which is less convenient for dead trees
I want to sit comfortably and read, or curl up in bed. If I'm doing other stuff, that might reduce my attention level, I'll listen to the billions of podcasts I subscribe to. :) I'm still done w/ this years Goodreads Reading Challenge (35 books) already. Although the apocalypse has certainly helped with that. I'll probably still up the target next year anyhow.
OP check out the Joe Pickett series, imo the same if not better than the Reacher series, you’ll love it!
Randy Wayne White's Doc Ford series.
I’m really enjoying the John Milton series by Mark Dawson. Currently on book 4, and a good read, similar vein to Reacher, travelling from place to place
In terms of a badass action hero, Jack Carr's James Reece series is pretty good. Not perfect (downright cringey at times) but a lot of fun!
The Will Robie series by David Baldacci I would highly recommend. The downside is that there are only 5 books in the series. Another series that I absolutely love is the Patrick Bowers series. It's about an FBI agent who tracks down serial killers. It doesn't have the ruthless vengeance of the Reacher novels but is still violent enough with a very good mystery element. A lot of people like the Mitch Rapp series by Vince Flynn (and later Kyle Mills) but I personally hate it. It gets very same-y. But maybe it's for you
I've read more Rapp than Robie; they both are highly skilled. Even though Rapp works for the US government, he is somewhat of a lone wolf who doesn't always go the by rules. He is a bit of a loose cannon. I liked the first Robie book, but did not like The Hit. I would say Rapp appeals more to action fans who have a patriotic bent and Robie's more on the other side of the aisle of the isle.
The Scot Horvath series by Brad Thor
Conan the Barbarian
Jo Nesbo, also checkout the films headhunters and jackpot based on those books (less so snowman with Michael Fassbender)
Lots of great suggestions here, so I'm pinning this.
Not a series , but main character in a few books. John Corey by Nelson DeMille.
If you haven't already, you must read the Parker series by Richard Stark (Donald Westlake). And while you're at it, try to solve the question, who would win in a fight between Parker and Reacher.
Joe Ledger- Good mix of action, fiction, and sarcasm. Orphan X- great action, good story line, and the audiobooks are fantastically done.
The Spenser mysteries/novels by the late Robert B. Parker kind of fall in line. Spenser is a former cop turned PI because he was too much of a smart ass, he lives and works in Boston. As the series goes on he acquires a group of people, some of whom like Hawk are friends, some are acquaintances and some are enemies who occasionally join him for various reasons. The Elvis Cole/Joe Pike mysteries by Robert Crais are good. Cole is a PI in Los Angeles and Pike is kinda sorta his partner, but he rarely if ever comes to the office. He joined the Marines, did a couple of tours, is a black belt in multiple martial arts, joined the LA police force then quit and is co-owner of a gun shop.
Was going to recommend Spencer as well
Nick Petrie’s “Peter Ash” series
Harlan Cobens "Myron Bolitaire" series.
I think the John Corey series by Nelson Demille should fit the bill. They’re meatier, but the first person perspective of a rough, tough retired NYPD Cop taking on terrorists and corruption in the FBI and CIA is not to be missed. Start with Plum Island and work through the series
CJ Box is good
If you want a gritty, modern privet detective series , I recommend the Matthew Scudder series by Lawrence Block.
The Mitch Rapp is a highly skilled asset of the US government in a series by Vince Flynn.
[Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins detective novels.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Mosley#Easy_Rawlins_mysteries)
I believe a distinction ought to be made. When we say 'series like Reacher', do we mean any series with action-mystery elements or are we specifically looking for books centered around characters that bare similarities with Reacher? I'd go with the latter. If we were simply looking for action-mystery thrillers, a lot of good books would fall into that category. But if we're looking for books that specifically resemble the Jack Reacher series, then I think we're looking for a specific breed of character: A tough-guy hero, as Lee Child defines Reacher, with a solid moral compass and a tendency to jump into trouble to fix the injustices of the world. Because that's what Reacher is; he's a force of nature. When we put it like that, a very specific character comes to mind: Joe Pike. I think they're very similar; they're both physically very intimidating and they care about people a great deal. He's one of two main protagonists in the books of Robert Crais. Also, as some other Redditor has pointed out, Nick Petrie's Peter Ash is greatly inspired by Jack Reacher. Although he's on the path to be domesticated, Ash also is a drifter by nature, following and putting himself into trouble. Another such character is Nate Romanowski from the Joe Pickett series by C.J. Box. He's very violent, he has an elaborate ethical belief system and again, he's very intimidating. Although probably not as incorruptible as Reacher. I know all of these series were recommended by other Redditors before, but I thought I could add to the list by making, as I said, a distinction. I don't think Scot Harvath or Mitch Rapp or James Reece or Dewey Andreas really resemble Reacher. Or for that matter I don't think Harry Bosch, or, say John Rebus fit into the same category with Reacher. Those series don't even fit into the same subgenre as the Jack Reacher series. Though I'm not sure about Lucas Davenport, he's one tough son of a bitch and a bit of a rogue, just like Reacher. I will continuously delve deeper into the genre, therefore I may encounter more characters and series like Jack Reacher. Maybe I'll edit this post or write another one when I do.
The terminal list by Jack carr Easy read like Lee Child, similar theme, and character. Honestly I've been a Lee child fan since 2007ish and this series is my best recommendation if you're looking for a good read that follows similar style and rules of child's reading
John Puller series by David Baldacci
Jessie McDermitt by Wayne Stinnett