I know many people will merely see Lee Child and Reacher on the cover and instantly grab it thinking this is a new Jack Reacher adventure. But that is not what this is. This is Lee Child revealing the stories behind his iconic character’s adventures. The how and why each story came about. While not likely to have the mass appeal of a new Reacher novel, for inquisitive fans of the character and writing in general, such as myself, this was an absolutely fascinating listen. Authors are always being asked where they get their ideas or come up with their stories, and in Reacher Lee Child gives a look behind the curtain. As someone who always finds ‘authors notes’ to be fascinating, I loved this and wished more of my favorite authors would release similar books. I’d like to thank HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for the chance to listen to an advanced audio copy of Reacher.

A must-listen for all fans of Lee Child, especially those who have never had the opportunity to hear Lee speak. He is a consumate stiry teler.

I love the Reacher series. There is something about the series that draws you in and keeps you going back for more.
It's interesting to hear from the author on how they wrote each book and the story of their life at the time and how it inevitably weeds itself into the story.

Because this is a collection of forewords there is some repetition between stories/books. If you don't know this is a collection of forewords then it will be annoying and feel too repetitive but once you know it makes perfect sense.

It is a nice collection that allows you to get to know more about the author whilst simultaneously learning very little that you don't already know. But the fun lies in the storytelling. The stories take you from book 1 to book 21 and includes a new short story at the end.

A good listen for Reacher fans but not something to read if you don't already love the Reacher series.

This is an interesting story told directly from Lee Child's perspective and narrated by the author himself. Mr. Childs is the author of the very famous Jack Reacher series. He actually goes book by book, starting with the idea and circumstances behind his very first book - The Killing Floor - all the way up until 2019's entry - Blue Moon. What makes this an interesting listen is that he also goes into pretty significant detail, telling the back stories of what was going on in his life and the world around him during that particular timeframe.

One of the reasons that I was particularly interested in this story was that I had been a fan of the Jack Reacher series. At the beginning of the series, I REALLY enjoyed it, but as time went on, I started having a harder time keeping up my level of investment. I never stopped liking Reacher as a character, but it became harder and harder to stop rolling my eyes at the circumstances he kept getting into.

There is a certain level of "suspension of belief" that we all have in this category- the thriller genre. I mean, we root for the good guy and are thrilled when he defeats the bad guys. But, when Reacher walks into a factory full of over 30+ cartel members who all have an arsenal of guns, machine guns, grenades....you get the picture...and walks out after killing every single one of them.....well, that's a bit much. If it happened once in a blue moon, that's one thing, but it became the norm. He also seemed to change attitudes - meaning for him, killing people was just another day. And he killed LOTS of people. When it got to the point that I was being pulled out of the story multiple times every book, I threw in the towel.

So, I was interested in the author's back story. I found it interesting that he went into each book without ANY idea of what the book was going to be about. Also, once he started, he had no idea where the story was going to go or how it was going to end. That's just crazy - but crazy in a good way.

There is also a never before published short story at the end of the narrative, and I found that story compelling. It felt like a nice way to drop back into the Jack Reacher world, and it was a good way to remember him by.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review this audio ARC. This book will be out for publication on September 9, 2025.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7880822955
I received an audio ARC of this book. I enjoyed hearing the histories of the writing of the Reacher books. the audio is read by Lee Chikd. I would recommend it for Reacher fans and Lee Child fans.

I have read all of the Reacher books in the series and I have enjoyed each of them and this book where it is not an addition to the series despite that the title may lead you to believe that it is, is a great read if one is interested in getting to the roots of Jack Reacher.

In this book, Lee Child, creator of the infamous Jack Reacher tells us how the famed character came about as well as how he got into writing. He then goes on to tell the tale of how each book came to him and the events that were taking place in his life at the time that each book was written. He does not go through all of the books in the series but he does get through a majority of them.

If you are looking at this read as the next installment of the series then this is not the book for you. It is a quick intimate read that gets into the mind of the creator and tells his story.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to other interested readers.

1997 saw the arrival of a new action hero, Jack Reacher. We soon came to know and love him and in this book we find out more about how Jack developed and how and when each novel was conceived. The writing of each novel starting on 1st September each year.

Well written and well narrated by the author, Lee Child (I listened to the audiobook). Jack for many has been a great character to follow and enjoy with each new novel. Nice to have a short story too.

This was not really what I expected. It is a book that will appeal to the die-hard Reacher fans who have read every single book, and we have one short story at the end of the book, but it was more about what was happening in Lee Child's life and in the world when he was writing each story and his opinions on some of the titles.

"On Monday September 5th, 1994, at home, at the dining room table, I sat down to write. An hour later, I gave the first chapter to my wife. I asked, "Should I continue?"

"Yes," she said. "I like it."

I enjoyed this so much! I know that when I inevitably do another reread of the Reacher books, I will be reading the dedicated chapter before I reread each book.

I've never hit the 'pre-order now' button for a book so quickly.

I am huge fan of lee childs reacher series and finding out how he went through writing each reacher books and the way lee childs tells each story

. I throughly enjoyed this book. I loved that we got a glimpse into the characters and stories. I love everything Reacher

So this was not exactly what I expected. Although it did allude to that in the preview…

This is NOT a Reacher book. Instead, it is basically a behind-the-scenes look at how Lee Child came about writing each of the books! And, if you are a Reacher Fan like I am, you will definitely enjoy this one!
Just know that it is not a Reacher Novel, so you want be disappointed…

That being said, I didn’t realize that Lee Child was originally from the UK, but then moved to NY!
We were virtual neighbors!

I also enjoyed reading about his writing process, and HOW he became a writer to start with!
Funny, because that was not his original dream, but, it seems to have worked out for him! 😊

And, where would all of us readers be without the tough, strong, pillar of a man… Jack Reacher?

Love his books! Love his story. Love Jack Reacher!

4 bold stars for me!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

#Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories by @LeeChild. Narrated nicely by the author and @JeffHarding.

*** THIS HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED YET!!! LOOK 👀 FOR IT SOON. RELEASE DATE IS 9/9/25!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #HighBridgeAudio for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

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This book is basically Lee Child sitting you down over a strong drink and saying, “Let me tell you how it really went down,” and then instead of wild confessions or top-secret FBI intel, he just tells you about the time he couldn’t figure out a book title so he pulled one out of a cereal box. And honestly? I'm into it.

“Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories” is not a Reacher novel. There are no necks snapped, no sheriffs intimidated into silence, no Greyhound bus routes recalculated mid-fight scene. What we get instead is a curated scrapbook of Lee Child’s intros, originally written for those bougie leather-bound special editions of the Reacher books, you know, the kind of box set that says “I own a humidor and I drink my whiskey neat.” This is the behind-the-scenes content that hardcore fans foam at the mouth for and casual fans will probably skim with one eyebrow raised like, “Huh. So he doesn’t outline?”

Each chapter pairs with a Reacher book, like a wine flight but for murder drifters, and walks you through what Lee was doing, thinking, or annoyed by when he wrote it. Some start with nothing more than a sentence. Others were born because he wanted to write about snow or New York or, in one case, absolutely nothing but vibes. Occasionally he dips into publishing gossip, muses about politics, or drops humble brags like "When I cameoed in the Tom Cruise movie..." (Sir. Flex.)

But here’s the thing: after twenty-something chapters of “I started writing on September 1,” “My desk is in Colorado,” and “I don’t plot ahead,” you do kind of want to shake him and scream, “Give me ONE spicy secret, Lee. Just one!” Because the man is fascinating, but he’s also a deeply consistent, wildly controlled chaos machine. It’s like watching a volcano that refuses to erupt but instead releases one perfectly shaped smoke ring every fall.

Emotionally, the most interesting thread is Lee Child’s own journey from out-of-work TV guy scribbling on paper to household name. There’s something sincerely moving about him passing the baton to his brother, about how much he respects his readers, about how Reacher, this unstoppable, justice-fueled enigma, gave him a new life. You can feel the gratitude baked into every “I didn’t plan this, it just happened,” like the man is still surprised anyone showed up to read.

This isn’t for newcomers to the series, and it sure as hell isn’t the place to start if you’re looking for action. But if you’ve ever sat up at 3AM whisper-screaming “GET OUT OF THE WAREHOUSE, REACHER” at your Kindle, this one’s for you.

3.5 stars. It’s not a thriller, it’s a literary hangout. Like loitering in the lobby of the Reacher Universe. Would I read a full memoir from Lee Child? Absolutely. Do I want it to include more dirt, wild fan stories, and maybe a secret vendetta against the British publishing industry? YES. But for now, I’ll take this anthology of methodical mayhem and Reacher-lore and call it a win.

Big thanks to Penzler Publishers, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for the ARC and the advanced audiobook, a true tag team of literary blessings. The audiobook, narrated by Jeff Harding and Lee Child himself? It’s giving “Reacher but make it storytime,” and honestly, it’s the way to go. If you’re gonna get deep into the Reacherverse, you might as well let the man who created him walk you through it like a very polite British GPS with opinions.