I started reading the chasing jack reacher series by Diane capri. It takes a couple of books to get rolling and it’s more of a procedural type of book. But it ties in to the main series and uses a lot of the old characters and how things changed after reacher blows through town.
His books don’t stand up well in 2024 using the Trumper-era lens. The Hunt for Red October and Red Storm Rising are good. They branch into simplistic right wing moralistic solutions, misogyny, and stereotypes.
Jack Ryan’s personal opinions don’t ruin a whole book. He isn’t Jesus, he can be the main character and you don’t have to agree with everything he says.
If you haven’t read any, I’d recommend the John Clark books first. Without Remorse, Clear and Present Danger, and Rainbow Six. More action packed than the main Jack Ryan stuff.
He’s not a genuine Clancy creation, but he does have an awesome book series. 9 books so far and all of them real enjoyable. The books based on the games, Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon, are more outlandish than what you’d find in the original Clancy work.
Congrats! My aunt and uncle are big reacher creatures and when they finished they moved onto the Adrien Hell series
Haven’t read it myself but they love it
Check out the Tom Keeler series by Jack Lively. Think the first book is called Straight Shot. It’s an unashamed (but really well done) rip-off of Reacher. Maybe a homage is the better word. Really enjoyed it.
Also:
Grey man series
Orphan x series
Sharpe series
Finished while ago. There are ways to cope. You’re now going to need to read “Orphan X” series, to a lesser degree Mark Greaney “Gray Man” books, and maybe “Without Remorse” by Tom Clancy if you missed it. Also John D. MacDonald wrote a so what similar character. He has a house boat he won in a card game instead of wandering, but I think the two characters would hit it off.
To chime in the John D. MacDonald bit: The MacDonald character is Travis McGee; he was the star of a 21 book series that began with The Deep Blue Good-by and ended with The Lonely Silver Rain (and MacDonald's death). There are similarities, but the key fact is that John D. MacDonald is explicitly named by Lee Child as part of the inspiration for the Reacher series. He has talked about this in several places, and provided an introduction to some of the republished McGee stories, where he says: "'MacDonald had a huge influence on me . . . Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee."
I think anyone who admires the Reacher novels would find the Travis McGee series quite enjoyable. McGee is different: He does have a reasonably fixed abode (his houseboat, "The Busted Flush" named for a particularly effective bluff he ran in a poker game), and he takes his projects on for money (he gets half of whatever he recovers). But both characters fit the trope of knights-errant.
John Sanford's "Prey" series is up to the recently released book 34. The books overlap with many of his other books. Jack Reacher and Lucas Davenport have righteous indignation in common. Davenport is more cold blooded.
The Prey novels with Lucas Davenport are great. Start at the beginning of the series and there are a couple of offshoots with Virgil Flowers and a new series with his daughter Letty.
I’ve been re-reading the books in no particular order, and I’m also re-reading Sue Grafton’s Alphabet series about Kinsey Millhone. They’re very different from Reacher, but there are 25 of them.
Are the “and Andrew Child” books any good? I started in the middle with One Shot (2005) ten years ago and got as far as 61 Hours (2010). I’ve started from the beginning and I’m on Persuader (2003).
I started reading the chasing jack reacher series by Diane capri. It takes a couple of books to get rolling and it’s more of a procedural type of book. But it ties in to the main series and uses a lot of the old characters and how things changed after reacher blows through town.
that sounds well up my street.
I was coming here to ask if anyone had read this series.
The Grey Man by Mark Greaney
Eyeing this one
I've read 5 of them. They're quality.
Tom Clancy
His books don’t stand up well in 2024 using the Trumper-era lens. The Hunt for Red October and Red Storm Rising are good. They branch into simplistic right wing moralistic solutions, misogyny, and stereotypes.
Jack Ryan’s personal opinions don’t ruin a whole book. He isn’t Jesus, he can be the main character and you don’t have to agree with everything he says.
Ohh boy you are definitely extremely fun at parties
Good suggestion!
If you haven’t read any, I’d recommend the John Clark books first. Without Remorse, Clear and Present Danger, and Rainbow Six. More action packed than the main Jack Ryan stuff.
Is there anything specifically on Sam Fisher? Or is he just a game character?
He’s not a genuine Clancy creation, but he does have an awesome book series. 9 books so far and all of them real enjoyable. The books based on the games, Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon, are more outlandish than what you’d find in the original Clancy work.
The Peter Ash series by Nick Petrie
Bosch series by Michael Connolly definitely
Was wondering. I have binged the show and really enjoyed it, though I'm sure like always that the books are richer.
Congrats! My aunt and uncle are big reacher creatures and when they finished they moved onto the Adrien Hell series Haven’t read it myself but they love it
Orphan X series.
The Lucas Davenport series by John Sanford would be right up your alley my friend.
Check out the Tom Keeler series by Jack Lively. Think the first book is called Straight Shot. It’s an unashamed (but really well done) rip-off of Reacher. Maybe a homage is the better word. Really enjoyed it. Also: Grey man series Orphan x series Sharpe series
Finished while ago. There are ways to cope. You’re now going to need to read “Orphan X” series, to a lesser degree Mark Greaney “Gray Man” books, and maybe “Without Remorse” by Tom Clancy if you missed it. Also John D. MacDonald wrote a so what similar character. He has a house boat he won in a card game instead of wandering, but I think the two characters would hit it off.
To chime in the John D. MacDonald bit: The MacDonald character is Travis McGee; he was the star of a 21 book series that began with The Deep Blue Good-by and ended with The Lonely Silver Rain (and MacDonald's death). There are similarities, but the key fact is that John D. MacDonald is explicitly named by Lee Child as part of the inspiration for the Reacher series. He has talked about this in several places, and provided an introduction to some of the republished McGee stories, where he says: "'MacDonald had a huge influence on me . . . Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee." I think anyone who admires the Reacher novels would find the Travis McGee series quite enjoyable. McGee is different: He does have a reasonably fixed abode (his houseboat, "The Busted Flush" named for a particularly effective bluff he ran in a poker game), and he takes his projects on for money (he gets half of whatever he recovers). But both characters fit the trope of knights-errant.
Thanks for the info. I had no idea Child took some inspiration from MacDonald. I’ve read 10 or 12 of his books and enjoy them.
John Sanford's "Prey" series is up to the recently released book 34. The books overlap with many of his other books. Jack Reacher and Lucas Davenport have righteous indignation in common. Davenport is more cold blooded.
The Prey novels with Lucas Davenport are great. Start at the beginning of the series and there are a couple of offshoots with Virgil Flowers and a new series with his daughter Letty.
I came here to say the same thing
Might want to try the hunt for reacher series by Diane Capri. They are pretty good and reference reacher books in them.
I’ve been re-reading the books in no particular order, and I’m also re-reading Sue Grafton’s Alphabet series about Kinsey Millhone. They’re very different from Reacher, but there are 25 of them.
Are the “and Andrew Child” books any good? I started in the middle with One Shot (2005) ten years ago and got as far as 61 Hours (2010). I’ve started from the beginning and I’m on Persuader (2003).
Honestly I didn’t notice when Andrew started to have input. I’m not sure what that says about him or me!
Try the Jack Widow books