Julie R
Julie R asked:

Can this be read as a stand alone or do I need to read all of the Jack Reacher books to be able to follow this one?

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Doug Moore Understand one thing Julie....
Reading one, any one, will commit you to many, many hours of enjoyment in the river of Reacher. Jump in wherever, for the river is wide, deep and fast moving.
Anthony Nope! I say jump right in; enjoy the read, and play catch-up later!
Pietro B. I've read some Jack Reacher and they go as stand-alone very well.
I think that "Make me" can be read without obstacles as stand-alone as well
Nita I've read all of the Reacher series and rarely were they in sequence. Each book stands alone. However there have been times I wish I had read the previous book when the villain is carried over.
Karen Nope - This can be read as a stand alone book. As others have said, Lee Child makes sure that the reader is up to speed on Reacher's background so this makes it a very easy series to read.
Emma Lee Yes it can be read as a stand alone book like all of the others but please don't start with this. It is the worst Jack Reacher book I have read. It takes three quarters of book to get going. I finished it because I kept telling myself it had to get better. It didn't. It felt as if he just had to write a book and didn't care what it was like. All of the others I have loved this was such a disappointment from a great author.
Joop Boom Pretty much any Jack Reacher novel can be read on its own without further preknowledge.
Richard Jr. It's a stand alone, but don't start with this one. Go back 10 years and pick up some of the older books that have the true vision of Jack Reacher as the knight of justice. When you're ready to quit, then read this one. it's certainly not his best by a long shot.
Randy Ogren Definitely stand alone. I read one of these books about four years ago and then rapidly got my hands on the rest. I am now waiting impatiently for the next Jack Reacher book.



Julie R Thank you, Pietro. I'm never sure if you really need to read the back story. Thanks for your help!
Dave Neary The books do refer to each other quite a bit (things like personal details, Reacher's brother's death, Reacher's foreign service, etc), but you can read pretty much any Jack Reacher book without having read all of the others.
Paul The novels themselves move backward and forward in time, so it really doesn't matter where you start. The first one you read might be Reacher in the present day. The next one might have him back in the Army, when he was still Major Reacher.
Sara Laor it's best to start with the first one. this way you will understand the psychological barriers of the main character.
James Weaver You don't have to, but I recommend it just so you can catch the periodic references he drops in. Like in this one, he talks about his brother, but if you don't read the first one, you don't know about his brother Joe and his background. Of course, he later does a book with an earlier adventure about Reacher and his brother so take it with a grain of salt.
Terrie Fox Erhardt I read the 2nd book of the Jack Reacher series, and then read the 1st one. They don't have to be read in order. Child always refreshes the reader with what Reacher is known for. I love all his books!
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by Lee Child (Goodreads Author)
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