"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.

You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

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.