Winchester News Online
Jack Reacher author sits down for an exclusive WINOL interview
Andrew Child, co-author of the Jack Reacher series, gave an exclusive interview with Mariella Southern during his current book tour.
Exit Strategy is the 30th book in the Jack Reacher series and the eighth that Andrew has written with his brother, Lee Child.
Andrew said “Exit Strategy, we hope, is just an absolutely classic Reacher adventure.”
The latest novel opens with Jack Reacher in a Baltimore coffee shop, when someone drops a note crying for help into his pocket.
“I think what you really want at the beginning of a book is something that either directly asks or implies a question, because humans are hard-wired to want to find out the answers to questions.”
When asked what the main inspiration is behind not only this book but the others in the series too, Andrew responded: “We want to give the readers of the series books that they will enjoy reading.
“It’s about providing that entertainment… that escapism.
“With crime fiction at least, even though it’s only on the page, the good guys can win and the bad guys do get their comeuppance.”
The first Jack Reacher book, ‘Killing Floor’ was published in 1997 and written by Andrew’s brother, Lee.
Since then, the books have inspired both TV and film adaptations- including the 2012 movie starring Tom Cruise.
When Lee announced plans to retire a few years ago, Andrew’s reaction was “what about Reacher?”
As a result, Andrew started writing the books with his brother to keep the character and his adventures alive.
“My brother always says he would just start with the first sentence and then try to come up with a second sentence and then keep going.
“We will work on that first scene… wait until we’re happy with that, and then stop and say: what happens next?
“What would Reacher do?”
“The goal would be – it’s three o’clock in the morning, somebody has to get up early the next day for work – they say to themselves: ‘just one more chapter'”
The brothers have been working together since 2019.