You’ve reached the end of the Reacher universe, at least until the next book comes out. There are no more small towns left to explore. The villains have all been defeated, and Jack’s toothbrush is safely stowed away. What do you read next if you need a fix from the land of well-crafted thrillers? Something that’s a page-turner but thoughtful, populated by great plots and multidimensional characters who are easy to root for.
Here are six crime thrillers that promise to scratch the itch created by Lee Child’s iconic character.
The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding
While the story is simple and the characters few, the cliffhangers and plot twists are plentiful in this un-put-downable novel about friendship and betrayal. The setup is straightforward, a homeless person who’s recently lost her business and sense of self saves a battered woman from suicide. The two women become friends but nothing is as it seems, especially when a murder occurs. If this book was a TV show, you’d binge it over the weekend.
The Drifter by Nick Petrie
The first book in Petrie’s long running series introduces Peter Ashe, a veteran of America’s endless Middle Eastern war machine, and, depending how you look at it, a spiritual descendant of Reacher. Battling a monumental case of PTSD, Ashe lives as a loner, drifting from place to place as foreshadowed by the title. That is until a friend from his time in uniform commits suicide and Ashe finds himself pulled into a dark world he thought he’d left behind.
Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby
Considered an instant classic upon its release, Cosby’s novel about a former getaway driver who just wants to be a good husband and not be part of his old life, hits all the right notes, especially in its portrayal of rural Virginia and the people who live there. This novel has it all—great stakes, well-developed characters, and an edge-of-your-seat plot, everything backed up by Cosby’s excellent writing.
Every Dead Thing by John Connolly
Speaking of excellent writing, no one quite compares to master stylist Connolly when it comes to developing a sense of place intertwined with complex characters. (Notable exception: James Lee Burke.) In Every Dead Thing we first meet Charlie Parker, a disgraced NYC cop turned private detective who is haunted by the brutal murder of his wife and child. This is the first in a long-running series that is part procedural, part supernatural, and a hundred percent compulsively readable.
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
This book earned numerous accolades—the Edgar and Anthony Awards, New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, and too many “Best Book” lists to mention. It’s easy to understand why. Darren Mathews, the deeply conflicted Texas Ranger who serves as Locke’s protagonist, catches a case that pits him against his superiors, a town full of racists, and his own ethics.
The Deep Blue Good-by by John D. MacDonald
Can we call Travis McGee, the hero of this novel, Jack Reacher’s literary godfather? Lee Child has certainly intimated that without the Travis McGee books, there would be no Reacher. We’ll have to overlook MacDonald’s antiquated views on gender and concentrate on his main character, a beach bum who can fix most problems with his fists or his brains. Sound familiar?
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