Jack Reacher: A Mysterious Profile

By Lee Child

The #1 New York Times–bestselling author reveals the story behind "one of this century's most original, tantalizing pop-fiction heroes" (The Washington Post).

In this short piece, the creator of Jack Reacher shares the origins of the ex-military cop who now makes use of his skills in the civilian world—a place where he never feels quite at home. In addition, Lee Child reflects on writing and his own life story: the importance of character; making the transition from a television career to a literary career; how his famous character was almost named Franklin—and how he wound up being called Reacher instead.


"Jack Reacher is today's James Bond, a thriller hero we can't get enough of. I read every one as soon as it appears." —Ken Follett, international-bestselling author of The Pillars of the Earth

"Every Reacher novel delivers a jolt to the nervous system." —Kirkus Reviews

• Language: English
• Publisher: MysteriousPress.com Open Road
• Release date: Apr 26, 2022
• ISBN: 9781504074377

Lee Child

Lee Child is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Jack Reacher thrillers. All his novels have been optioned for major motion pictures, and foreign rights in the Jack Reacher series have sold in one hundred territories. He lives in New York City.

Book preview

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Jack Reacher

A Mysterious Profile

Lee Child

Jack Reacher

How far back should I go with this? Reacher made his first appearance in print on March 17, 1997—Saint Patrick’s Day—when Putnam published Killing Floor in the US, which was Reacher’s—and my—debut. But I can trace his genesis backward at least to New Year’s Eve 1988. Back then I worked for a commercial television station in Manchester, England. I was eleven years into a career as a presentation director, which was a little like an air traffic controller for the network airwaves. In February of 1988, the UK commercial network had started twenty-four-hour broadcasting. For a year before that, management had been talking about how to man the new expanded commitment. None of us really wanted to work nights. Management didn’t really want to hire extra people. End of