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The Enemy
Lee Child

The Enemy

Quick Answer

Read "The Enemy" as the 8th book in the Jack Reacher sequence. This follows the recommended publication order to preserve character development.

Sequence Warning

⚠️ Do NOT read before "REACHER: PERSUADER" (Book 7)

❓ Can I skip this book?
❌ No — Required

This book is essential to the core narrative and character development.

Verdict Insight: As the 8th installment, this volume is critical for following the central narrative progression and plot development.

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2016256 ppWikidataSource
Jack Reacher. Hero. Loner. Soldier. Soldier's son. An elite military cop, he was one of the army's brightest stars. But in every cop's life there is a turning point. One case. One messy, tangled case that can shatter a career. Turn a lawman into a renegade. And make him question words like honor, valor, and duty. For Jack Reacher, this is that case.New Year's Day, 1990. The Berlin Wall is coming down. The world is changing. And in a North Carolina "hot-sheets" motel, a two-star general is found dead. His briefcase is missing. Nobody knows what was in it. Within minutes Jack Reacher has his orders: Control the situation. But this situation can't be controlled. Within hours the general's wife is murdered hundreds of miles away. Then the dominoes really start to fall.Two Special Forces soldiers--the toughest of the tough--are taken down, one at a time. Top military commanders are moved from place to place in a bizarre game of chess. And somewhere inside the vast worldwide fortress that is the U.S. Army, Jack Reacher--an ordinarily untouchable investigator for the 110th Special Unit--is being set up as a fall guy with the worst enemies a man can have.But Reacher won't quit. He's fighting a new kind of war. And he's taking a young female lieutenant with him on a deadly hunt that leads them from the ragged edges of a rural army post to the winding streets of Paris to a confrontation with an enemy he didn't know he had. With his French-born mother dying--and divulging to her son one last, stunning secret--Reacher is forced to question everything he once believed...about his family, his career, his loyalties--and himself. Because this soldier's son is on his way into the darkness, where he finds a tangled drama of desperate desires and violent death--and a conspiracy more chilling, ingenious, and treacherous than anyone could have guessed.From the Hardcover edition.
Next Recommended Book

Enemy/one Shot

Book #9 of 26 in Series

Complete Series Reading Order

Publication Order

Preserves character reveals and plot twists exactly as the author intended.

Chronological Order

May spoil surprises but improves timeline clarity for deep lore fans.

Order Confidence

high Confidence

Why this order?

Our team of curators analyzes publication history, author interviews, and internal narrative continuity to establish the definitive reading sequence. This ensures zero spoilers and maximum narrative impact.

Why This Order Is Confusing

Many reading lists for Jack Reacher conflict because early publishers often labeled short story collections as standalone novels, or rearranged internal chronologies for marketing. This guide follows original author intent and narrative continuity to settle the debate for good.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I skip reading The Enemy?

This book is essential to the core narrative and character development.

Can I read The Enemy before REACHER: PERSUADER?

No. We recommend reading REACHER: PERSUADER first. The Enemy is the 8th book in the series and follows the core narrative established in earlier volumes.

Is The Enemy required reading for the Jack Reacher?

Yes, it is a core installment in the series reading order and contains critical character development and plot progression.

What comes after The Enemy in the reading order?

The next recommended book after The Enemy is Enemy/one Shot (Book #9).