After nearly a dozen novels and nearly a monthly dose of reading Lee Child’s Jack Reacher stories throughout 2022, the end of the year/new year seemed like the best time to reach back to the book that started it all.

Or rather, didn’t start it all.

I started reading Child’s novels after watching the “Reacher” series on Amazon. Learning the first season of “Reacher” was based on the first novel, “Killing Floor,” I opted to start the book series with the second volume. I figured the series followed the book closely and I would wait a while before reading the first book.

The assumption was mostly correct.

“Reacher” season one follows Jack Reacher book one very closely. There are a few minor differences but very few.

What’s more notable is how much Reacher the character changes from the first book to the following book. I assumed some of the character quirks on display in the series – such as his deep interest in the blues and even a more human connection with the love interest – were developed specifically to make Reacher more interesting and human for TV. The quirks aren’t apparent in later novels but they are part of the first novel.

The series tie-in version of the “Killing Floor” includes an introduction written by Child, explaining how he first developed the character in the mid-1990s. Insightful stuff for Reacher fans or newcomers.

Anyone who has not read the series, or watched the series when it debuted in early 2022, should definitely start the books with “Killing Floor.” Given my introduction through the Amazon series, I’m glad I waited several months before returning to the first book.

It was worth the wait.