Can anyone recommend books similar to Lee Child's Reacher books?

[birkiekid]

I love them and have read them all.
They are my ultimate holiday read I'm away for the weekend and need something to read but not in the mood for anything too serious.

I'd like something quite fast paced, well written and with a heroic main character. (What I actually want is the new Reacher but it's not out til the Autumn)

Any suggestions?

[DueOct30th]

I love Jack Reacher too (not sure who castTom Cruise to play him in the films!) try the Ben Hope books by Scot Mariani they are similar but based on a British character.

[MonstersBalls]

You might like Andy McNab's Nick Stone series. The first one is called Remote Control. I really enjoyed them. Ex-special forces hero solves the world's problems

[birkiekid]

Do the Scot Mariani books venture a bit into Dan Brown territory as I wasn't keen on the Da Vinci Code? They do look like a possibility though and there are lots of them which would have me sorted for holidays to come.

The Andy McNab ones sound great. The first one is a bit pricey on Kindle though.

[birkiekid]

I agree that Tom Cruise was a disaster as Reacher. I believe he bought the rights to the books and cast himself. Lee Child seems happy enough although I suspect money has a lot to do with that.

If I suddenly became hugely wealthy I would right the wrong by getting the rights and finding someone great to play Reacher.

[ChocolateCherry]

I like the Reacher books, but haven't read them all. It's awful when you run out of books in a favourite series.

Who would be your Reacher in a film birkiekid? I imagine him as Liam Neeson. I don't mine Tom Cruise generally in films, but agree he in no way resembled Reacher's description at all . Bit of a wasted opportunity really

[agoodbook]

Bookseller here :) -
you may like :-
Matt Hilton
Vince Flynn
Tom Cain
Tom Wood

[Avonmore]

David Baldacci has a similar set. Can't think of the main characters name but they're pretty much a rip off of Reacher.
Have been disappointed with the last few Reacher books. In fact I didn't even buy the last one. Am hoping to see a return to form at some stage.

[Cocolepew]

Sean Black books are very similar.
Ive been disappointed in the last few Reachers too. I havent read the last couple.
You would probably like Robert Crais and Harlan Cobens Myron books.

[birkiekid]

I agree that the last Reacher books weren't as good as the earlier ones but there is something about them that I find addictive.

I think I like the combination of the American setting and English author.

I'm going to try the David Baldacci one for now as it is very cheap so nothing to lose.

I've spent the odd hour moment day dreaming about who I would cast as Reacher but I haven't come up with the perfect solution yet.

I think the thing that annoyed me most about the Tom Cruise casting is that Reacher's size is so important in the books. It's not just about the physical strength and what he does with it. It's that being so big shaped the way he thinks and influences how other people treat him.

[birkiekid]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm going to look through these on Amazon so I'll have a list to work through.

If you are a Reacher fan what other fiction do you like?

I read some English crime fiction but the Lee Child's are the only thrillers I've ever stuck with.

In other genres I like Donna Tartt, Barbara Kingsolver, Anne Tyler and a lot of older stuff too.

[agoodbook]

English Crime -
Peter Robinson (rubbish on the telly, but enjoy the books)
Elly Griffiths
Peter James

Other Genres
Margaret Forster
Alan Bennett
Bill Bryson

[SecretSquirrels]

I love Reacher and so does DS2 (17). We have in joke Reacher based conversations.
I like crime and thrillers in general. Just finished a Tess Gerritson.

In a similar vein to Reacher - the Spider Shepherd books by Stephen Leather (not to be confused with his supernatural series).
I also love Robert B Parker's Spenser series. Slower paced than Childs but witty and elegantly written.

[hooker29]

I LOVE Tim Weaver-easy to read,but well written.

[abigamarone]

I'd recommend the Stephen Leather books about Dan Shepherd, he's an ex policeman waging an almost one-man-war against gangs, drug dealers and terrorists. They're not deep but are a really easy read.

[abigamarone]

I hadn't scrolled down as far as secretsquirrels post

[adlw99]

Ive read all of the jack reacher books and love them. One of my other big favorites is David Baldacci, and although Im not a big fan of many of his other characters (John Puller, Camel Club etc - because he really does churn them out), I cannot recommend enough the Amos Decker series. I can honestly say that I enjoy these even more than Reacher (And the new one's out in a couple of weeks). The only disappointing thing about this is the fact that I know Ill finish it in under 3 days! Would love to hear if you agree.

[cdtaylornats]

Diane Capri series The Hunt for Jack Reacher

Hunting Jack Reacher is a dangerous business, as FBI Special Agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar are about to find out. Otto and Gaspar are by-the-book hunters who know when it's necessary to break the rules; Reacher is a stone cold killer. But is he their friend or their enemy? Only the secrets hidden in Margrave, Georgia will tell them.

[CromfordGreyhound]

Have you heard of Mason Cross? He's a Scottish author with a writing style close to Lee Child. The Killing Season is his first novel where he introduces Carter Blake to outfox an evasive killer who is wrecking havoc across America. This character then appears in the next four titles.

Other names to try Simon Kernick, Matt Hilton and Will Dean.

[DancelikeEmmaGoldman]

I second Robert B Parker’s Spenser novels, some of the funniest dialogue in a PI series ever.

Zoe Sharp’s Charlie Fox books are terrific, very intense and Charlie Fox is a wonderful heroine.

John Connolly’s Charlie Parker books action-packed and grimly compelling with a spooky, supernatural edge.

Dennis Lehane is better known for his gangster novels, but he started writing with a series featuring a Boston detective. Ignore the film, it doesn’t do the Patrick Kenzie series justice.

Also, although they might seem an outlier, Dick Francis’s Sid Halley novels are worth a look. All of Francis’s heroes share a kind of steely determination which is not unlike Reacher and Sid Halley is a good character. I think Francis, while popular, is over-looked sometimes when thrillers are discussed. Avoid the later books written by his son, I think they’re dire. I’m not looking forward to Reacher being passed over to Child’s brother-in-law either.

Peter Temple’s Jack Irish books are terrific. Everything Temple wrote is terrific, but the Jack Irish series tread the “down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. He is the hero; he is everything.” trope pretty well.

Carol O’Connell’s Kathy Mallory books don’t get enough love. Kathy Mallory is a sociopath on the side of justice, but maybe only just. The books are quirky and twisty.

You might also try Lawrence Block’s Matt Scudder books about an ex-hit man. Block is such a good writer.