Three Endings: Lee Child officially reveals plans for Jack Reacher stories
A long-running Reacher series
Child created Jack Reacher, whose adventures have appeared in 31 books. The character has also been adapted for two feature films starring Tom Cruise and Prime Video’s series, led by Alan Ritchson.
Across the stories, Reacher is a hard-hitting hero who travels between locations, solves mysteries and confronts villains. He does not settle in one place.
Three possible endings
In an interview with USA Today, Child discussed three ways the character’s story might conclude. One came from a final project that was later scrapped, called Die Lonely.
That scenario gives Reacher a choice between saving a stranger and dying in a motel bathroom. Another possibility leaves him aboard a bus, with his destination unknown.
A quieter possibility
The third option would have Reacher stop on his way to the bus depot and consider staying. Child described him thinking, “I kind of like it here,” before weighing an apartment and adopting a dog.
The alternatives range from a violent ending to an unresolved departure or a settled life. Child presented them as possibilities for how Reacher’s story could end.
Key points
- Lee Child outlined three possible endings for Jack Reacher in an interview with USA Today.
- The series spans 31 books and has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.
- One ending involves Reacher saving a stranger or dying in a motel bathroom.
- Other possibilities leave Reacher on a bus or considering an apartment and a dog.