Jack Reacher's Rules

About this book

Jack Reacher’s Rules is the ultimate fan’s guide to the World of Reacher! Featuring selections from all seventeen electrifying Jack Reacher novels and an introduction from Lee Child himself, this one-of-a-kind book compiles timeless advice from maverick former army cop Jack Reacher, the hero of Lee Child’s blockbuster thrillers and now the star of a major motion picture. My name is Jack Reacher. No middle name, no address. I’ve got a rule: People mess with me at their own risk. You don’t have to break the rules if you make the rules. Case in point: Jack Reacher, the two-fisted, quick-witted, “current poster-boy of American crime fiction” ( Los Angeles Times ). The brainchild of #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child, Reacher is a freelance troubleshooter with a mysterious past—and a serious passion for justice. Now the hard-won knowledge and hard-hitting strategies of fiction’s toughest tough guy are within every thriller reader’s reach—in a rapid-fire rundown of the trade secrets, tried-and-true tricks, and time-honored tactics that separate the man in the street from the man to beat. Rule 1. When in doubt, drink coffee. Rule 2. Never volunteer for anything. Rule 3. Don’t break the furniture. Rule 4. Only one woman at a time. Rule 5. Show them what they’re messing with. Please note: Jack Reacher’s Rules is a compilation of advice, wisdom, and facts from the Jack Reacher series of novels by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child. It features an introduction by Lee Child, but is not a Jack Reacher novel. About the Author Jack Reacher is a former U.S. Army Military Police major. Since leaving the army, the authorities have not been able to locate him, although his name crops up mysteriously from time to time in connection with investigations into murders, terrorism, and other breaches of the law. Lee Child is the author of seventeen Jack Reacher thrillers, including the New York Times bestsellers Persuader, The Enemy, One Shot, and The Hard Way, and the #1 bestsellers The Affair, Worth Dying For, 61 Hours, Gone Tomorrow, Bad Luck and Trouble, and Nothing to Lose, as well as the short stories “Second Son” and “Deep Down.” His debut, Killing Floor, won both the Anthony and the Barry awards for Best First Mystery, and The Enemy won both the Barry and Nero awards for Best Novel. Foreign rights in the Reacher series have sold in more than forty territories. All titles have been optioned for major motion pictures, and Jack Reacher, based on the novel One Shot and starring Tom Cruise, will be released in December 2012. A native of England and a former television director, Child lives in New York City, where he is at work on his next thriller, Never Go Back . Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. BE PREPARED “Hope for the best, plan for the worst.” • Never count on anything except surprise and unpredictability and danger. • Ring doorbells with your knuckles or elbows to avoid leaving fi ngerprints. • Sit in diners or bars with your back to the wall so you cannot be surprised from behind. • Keep all exits in view. • Walk up the edge of stairs to minimize the chances of loud creaks. Stairs squeak at their centers where they’re weakest. • Go to bed fully clothed so you are always ready for action. • Never look through peepholes in doors. Someone could be on the other side, waiting to see the glass darken and shoot you in the eye. “We’re making an omelette here . . . we’re going to have to break some eggs.” “Optimism is good. Blind faith is not.” • Always lift a door handle upward. If a door squeaks, it’s because it’s dropped on its hinges. Upward pressure helps. • Climb through a hole feetfirst. If there’s an ax or a bullet waiting, better to take it in the legs than in the head. • If someone’s likely to shoot at you, plant yourself in the middle of a restaurant full of innocent people. “Most guys who don’t check new equipment are still alive, but by no means all of them.” • Never trust a weapon you haven

Author

Lee Child

Length

~48 pages

Reading time

57 min

Chapters

107

Released

October 22, 2026

Languages

🇬🇧 EN · 🇵🇱 PL · 🇩🇪 DE · 🇫🇷 FR · 🇪🇸 ES · 🇮🇹 IT · 🇧🇷 PT-BR · 🇲🇽 ES-MX · 🇵🇹 PT · 🇺🇦 UK · 🇨🇿 CS · 🇸🇰 SK · 🇬🇷 EL · 🇭🇺 HU · 🇹🇷 TR · 🇳🇱 NL · 🇷🇴 RO · 🇧🇬 BG · 🇭🇷 HR · 🇷🇸 SR · 🇸🇮 SL · 🇱🇹 LT · 🇱🇻 LV · 🇪🇪 ET · 🇸🇪 SV · 🇩🇰 DA · 🇳🇴 NB · 🇫🇮 FI · 🇯🇵 JA · 🇰🇷 KO · 🇨🇳 ZH · 🇹🇼 ZH-TW · 🇮🇩 ID · 🇻🇳 VI · 🇹🇭 TH · 🇮🇳 HI · 🇸🇦 AR · 🇮🇱 HE

Formats

eBook · Print edition

Print format

Paperback, 12 × 18 cm, 112 pages

ISBN

0345544293

Age rating

Teen 13+