There are not many fictional characters more popular than Jack Reacher. He has been appearing in books for almost 30 years and has become immortal with Prime Video’s hit series, “Reacher.”

Now, for the first time in print thanks to Otto Penzler’s Mysterious Press, a collection of essays penned by Lee Child discussing each of his Reacher novels is available for all of us to enjoy. REACHER goes behind the scenes, into Child’s mind at the time each book was written, and the results are the types of insights that readers crave.

"In the afterword, [Otto] Penzler praises Lee Child for speaking as effortlessly through his nonfiction as he does through his first-rate fiction. He also says that it was time to share these short essays about each Reacher novel with the public. Fans of the series definitely will concur!"

Here are some highlights:

KILLING FLOOR: I often lose sight of the fact that Lee Child is British. This is mainly because Reacher is an American character, and the action is set in the US. Child wrote his first Reacher novel after losing his job with Granada Television in Manchester, England. Talk about the old adage “When one door closes, another one opens.”

DIE TRYING: The release of this novel coincided with Child officially relocating from the UK to the US. He initially settled in upstate New York and absolutely loved it. His books began to grow quite a following, and his new career was taking off.

ECHO BURNING: This fifth Reacher novel was the first to be published without Child having to squabble with his publishers over the title. He and his family were now living in Pound Ridge, New York, and he was enjoying the tranquil country life.

ONE SHOT: This book ended up being especially big for Child as Hollywood decided to make a film out of it. The movie starred Tom Cruise, who is far shorter than the monstrous figure that Reacher is supposed to be, but Child was happy to get the global recognition and enjoyed spending time with Cruise.

61 HOURS: Child talks about how this book remains one of his favorite installments in the series. He was always a huge fan of Alistair MacLean and felt that he paid tribute to him with the story’s cold setting.

NEVER GO BACK: I respected Child’s honesty in saying that this was not his best book: “The central crime is supposed to be intriguing, but it comes across as weird.” However, he did love the storyline about Reacher’s possible daughter.

“A Better Place”: This was a special treat --- a never-before-published short story featuring Reacher. This time, he finds himself hitching a ride in Birmingham, Alabama, and spotting a woman who apparently is having car trouble. He helps her out, and she drives away without thanking him. He then makes the 2½-hour walk to a hamburger shack where, of course, he comes across some bad men. Karma plays a role in this story as Reacher will come across that same woman but in a completely different setting. This is typical Reacher and is quite enjoyable.

In the afterword, Penzler praises Lee Child for speaking as effortlessly through his nonfiction as he does through his first-rate fiction. He also says that it was time to share these short essays about each Reacher novel with the public. Fans of the series definitely will concur!