6 Sep 2025

Lee Child sharpens his pencil for the stories behind the stories

From Saturday Morning, 8:13 am on 6 September 2025

Award-winning creator of Jack Reacher, Lee Child has published his first-ever autobiographical book. From urgently scribbling down his debut Killing Floor in pencil (he still has the stub), Reacher: The stories behind the stories is a collection of 24 reflections on his life and work over three decades.

Child is one of the world's most popular thriller writers. It's said a Reacher novel is sold somewhere in the world every nine seconds.

He was appointed CBE and awarded Author of the Year in 2019 at the British Book Awards. 

Saturday Morning spoke to Andrew Child last year, when he took over from his brother to write Reacher.

Photo: Penguin Random House