Books from Lee Child

Kane and Abel

Jeffrey Archer's thrilling historical fiction novel, Kane and Abel, is a global phenomenon that has captivated readers worldwide, spawning two sequels and dominating bestseller charts the world over.Two strangers born worlds apart with one destiny that will define them both.William Lowell Kane, the son of a Boston millionaire, and Abel Rosnovski, the son of a penniless Polish immigrant, are born on the same day on opposite sides of the world and brought together by fate and the quest of a dream.Locked in a relentless struggle spanning sixty years and three generations, the two men battle for supremacy in pursuit of an empire, fuelled only by their hatred for the other and the knowledge it will end in triumph for one, and destruction of the other . . .‘If there were a Nobel Prize for storytelling, Archer would win’ - The Daily Telegraph
Lee Child
Writer
I even enjoyed Jeffrey Archer’s “Kane and Abel.”
Books from Lee Child

The Lost

Soon to be featured in the Ken Burns documentary The U.S. and the Holocaust, premiering on PBS September 18thA New York Times Notable Book • Winner of the National Jewish Book Award • Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award • A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist“A gripping detective story, a stirring epic, a tale of ghosts and dark marvels, a thrilling display of scholarship, a meditation on the unfathomable mystery of good and evil, a testimony to the enduring power of the ancient archetypes that haunt one Jewish family and the greater human family, The Lost is as complex and rich with meaning and story as the past it seeks to illuminate. A beautiful book, beautifully written.”—Michael ChabonIn this rich and riveting narrative, a writer's search for the truth behind his family's tragic past in World War II becomes a remarkably original epic—part memoir, part reportage, part mystery, and part scholarly detective work—that brilliantly explores the nature of time and memory, family and history.The Lost begins as the story of a boy who grew up in a family haunted by the disappearance of six relatives during the Holocaust—an unmentionable subject that gripped his imagination from earliest childhood. Decades later, spurred by the discovery of a cache of desperate letters written to his grandfather in 1939 and tantalized by fragmentary tales of a terrible betrayal, Daniel Mendelsohn sets out to find the remaining eyewitnesses to his relatives' fates. That quest eventually takes him to a dozen countries on four continents and forces him to confront the wrenching discrepancies between the histories we live and the stories we tell. And it leads him, finally, back to the small Ukrainian town where his family's story began, and where the solution to a decades-old mystery awaits him.Deftly moving between past and present, interweaving a world-wandering odyssey with childhood memories of a now-lost generation of immigrant Jews and provocative ruminations on biblical texts and Jewish history, The Lost transforms the story of one family into a profound, morally searching meditation on our fragile hold on the past. Deeply personal, grippingly suspenseful, and beautifully written, this literary tour de force illuminates all that is lost, and found, in the passage of time.
Lee Child
Writer
What was the last truly great book you read? The words “truly great book” set a very high bar, don’t they, in the context of the last couple of centuries. Therefore I’d have to pick “The Lost,” by Daniel Mendelsohn. Nonfiction, but only incidentally.
Books from Lee Child

Live by Night

Joe Coughlin is nineteen when he meets Emma Gould. A smalltime thief in 1920s Boston, he is told to cuff her while his accomplices raid the casino she works for. But Joe falls in love with Emma - and his life changes for ever.That meeting is the beginning of Joe's journey to becoming one of the nation's most feared and respected gangsters. It is a journey beset by violence, double-crossing, drama and pain. And it is a journey into the soul of prohibition-era America...A powerful, deeply moving novel, Live By Night is a tour-de-force by Dennis Lehane, writer on The Wire and author of modern classics such as Shutter Island, Gone, Baby, Gone and The Given Day.
Lee Child
Writer
So my version of the question would be: What book is on your kitchen counter now, waiting to be picked up in the morning while the first pot of coffee brews? And today’s answer is: “Live by Night,” by Dennis Lehane. I always read for an hour or two in the morning, before I do anything else. And Lehane was in my graduating class, so to speak, in that we came up together, and in some ways he’s the best of us.
Books from Lee Child

A Treachery of Spies

THRILLER OF THE MONTH ‘Superb . . . a blend of historical imagination and storytelling verve reminiscent of Robert Harris.’ The Sunday Times'The most exciting, involving thriller I've read in an age, and I can't recommend it highly enough.' Mick Herron *A Treachery of Spies is an espionage thriller to rival the very best, a high stakes game of cat-and-mouse, played in the shadows, which will keep you guessing every step of the way.A body has been found. The elderly victim’s identity has been cleverly obscured but one thing is clear: she has been killed in the manner of traitors to the Resistance in World War Two.To find answers in the present, police inspector Inès Picaut must look to the past; to 1940s France, a time of sworn allegiances and broken promises, where the men and women of the Resistance fought for survival against Nazi invaders.But, as Picaut soon discovers, there are those in the present whose futures depend on the past remaining buried, and who will kill to keep their secrets safe. Old fashioned espionage might be a thing of the past but treachery is as dangerous as ever.*'This is a rich vein for fiction, and Scott does it more than justice, with this beautifully imagined, beautifully written, smart, sophisticated - but fiercely suspenseful - thriller.' Lee Child'The most exquisite story of heroism, deception, love and treachery you’ll find this year.' Simon Mayo 'A fast-moving tightly-wrought thriller. The destination is in fact as unexpected as it’s satisfying - and very thought-provoking.' Robert Goddard'A Treachery of Spies is a masterclass in thriller-writing. It is a heart-racing, heart-wrenching read, conceived with passion and executed with frightening skill. An awe-inspiring achievement.' Giles Kristian
Lee Child
Writer
“This is a rich vein for fiction, and Scott does it more than justice, with this beautifully imagined, beautifully written, smart, sophisticated – but fiercely suspenseful – thriller.” -LC
Books from Lee Child

Orphan X

THE FIRST INSTALMENT IN THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING EXPLOSIVE THRILLER SERIES'Outstanding in every way' LEE CHILD'The page turner of the season' THE TIMES__________TRAINED TO KILL, NOW HE HELPS THOSE IN TROUBLEEvan Smoak was an orphan raised in a secret government programme. When he lost faith in it, he got out and now uses his training to help the desperate and deserving who've nowhere left to run - if you can find him.But no one can escape their past for ever. Someone is on Evan's trail. Someone with the same skills and training.And who knows the weaknesses of the boy who became Orphan X . . .__________'A Masterpiece of suspense and thrills' Daily Mail'Pure nail-biting stay-up-all-night suspense' Harlan Coben
Lee Child
Writer
“Outstanding in every way.” -LC
Books from Lee Child

Last to Die

'Suspense doesn't get much smarter than this' Lee ChildMurder. That's what they all have in common.A high-security boarding school has been set up to provide a place of sanctuary for children whohave lost their families in violent circumstances. But even locked gates and acres of forestcannot keep out a gathering threat.Detective Jane Rizzoli and Forensic Pathologist Maura Isles find themselves locked inside the school along with the students. They are told it's for their own safety.But does the threat come from outside...or from within?'Crime-writing at its unputdownable, nerve-tingling best' Harlan CobenThe latest Rizzoli and Isles thriller by Tess Gerritsen, LISTEN TO ME, is out now.
Lee Child
Writer
“Suspense doesn’t get much smarter than this.” -LC
Books from Lee Child

Girl On Fire

ALMOST HOME. BUT NOWHERE TO HIDE. From the number one bestselling crime-writer comes a brilliant, page-turning new DC Max Wolfe thriller.'Remarkably moving' The TimesWhen terrorists use a drone to bring down a plane on one of London's busiest shopping centres, it ignites a chain of events that will draw in the innocent and guilty alike.DC Max Wolfe finds himself caught in the crossfire in a city that seems increasingly dangerous and hostile.But does the danger come from the murderous criminals that Max is tracking down? Or the people he's trying to protect?Or does the real threat to Max lie closer to home?'Tony Parsons puts you right there in every scene he writes. I love that kind of storytelling and I’m a D.C. Max Wolfe fan.' James Patterson 'A relentless plot, evocative prose and compelling characters conspire to make this a must-read.' Jeffery Deaver'I've long been a fan of Tony Parsons' writing, and this is brilliant stuff.' Peter James‘Spectacular! Tense and human, fast and authentic’ Lee Child 'Great plotting, great characters and at least two eye-widening twists I didn't see coming’ Sophie Hannah'Simply superb plot and characters’ Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Lee Child
Writer
“Spectacular! Tense and human, fast and authentic.” -LC
Books from Lee Child

The Deep Blue Good-by

From a beloved master of crime fiction, The Deep Blue Good-by is one of many classic novels featuring Travis McGee, the hard-boiled detective who lives on a houseboat. Travis McGee is a self-described beach bum who won his houseboat in a card game. He’s also a knight-errant who’s wary of credit cards, retirement benefits, political parties, mortgages, and television. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He’ll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half. “John D. MacDonald was the great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller.”—Stephen King McGee isn’t particularly strapped for cash, but how can anyone say no to Cathy, a sweet backwoods girl who’s been tortured repeatedly by her manipulative ex-boyfriend Junior Allen? What Travis isn’t anticipating is just how many women Junior has torn apart and left in his wake. Enter Junior’s latest victim, Lois Atkinson. Frail and broken, Lois can barely get out of bed when Travis finds her, let alone keep herself alive. But Travis turns into Mother McGee, giving Lois new life as he looks for the ruthless man who steals women’s spirits and livelihoods. But he can’t guess how violent his quest is soon to become. He’ll learn the hard way that there must be casualties in this game of cat and mouse. Features a new Introduction by Lee Child
Lee Child
Writer
“MacDonald had a huge influence on me… Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee.” -LC
Books from Lee Child

Panic Room

‘Is this his best yet?...Full of sinister menace and propulsive pace with twisty plotting’ Lee ChildWHAT REALLY LIES WITHIN?High on a Cornish cliff sits a vast uninhabited mansion. Uninhabited except for Blake, a young woman of mysterious background, currently acting as housesitter. The house has a panic room. Cunningly concealed, steel lined, impregnable – and apparently closed from within. Even Blake doesn’t know it’s there. She’s too busy being on the run from life, from a story she thinks she’s escaped. But her remote existence is going to be threatened when people come looking for the house’s owner, rogue pharma entrepreneur, Jack Harkness. Soon people with questionable motives will be asking Blake the sort of questions she can’t – or won’t - want to answer.WILL THE PANIC ROOM EVER GIVE UP ITS SECRETS?
Lee Child
Writer
“Is this his best yet?… Full of sinister menace and propulsive pace with twisty plotting.” -LC
Books from Lee Child

The House Swap

‘I read The House Swap in one breathless sitting. Dark, smart, sexy, gripping, totally brilliant.’ Erin Kelly, author of He Said She Said'Sinister and compelling' Woman & Home'You'll be whipping through the pages' Stylist**********‘No one lives this way unless they want to hide something.’When Caroline and Francis receive an offer to house swap, they jump at the chance for a week away from home. After the difficulties of the past few years, they’ve worked hard to rebuild their marriage for their son’s sake; now they want to reconnect as a couple.On arrival, they find a house that is stark and sinister in its emptiness – it’s hard to imagine what kind of person lives here. Then, gradually, Caroline begins to uncover some signs of life – signs of her life. The flowers in the bathroom or the music in the CD player might seem innocent to her husband but to her they are anything but. It seems the person they have swapped with is someone she used to know; someone she’s desperate to leave in her past.But that person is now in her home – and they want to make sure she’ll never forget . . .**********‘This is very much a heart-thumping, read-in-one-sitting story, and absolutely delivers on its smart and original hook’ Heat‘A fantastic thriller – dead-on domestic noir, full of tension and surprises. I loved it.’ Lee Child‘An enthralling thriller that lives up to its chilling premise.’ Renee Knight, author of Disclaimer‘Rebecca Fleet has created a perfectly contained cast of credible characters in a story so intriguing that you will be guessing right up to the last page. And it’s beautifully written too. I loved this book.’ Liz Nugent, author of Lying in Wait
Lee Child
Writer
“A fantastic thriller – dead-on domestic noir, full of tension and surprises. I loved it.” -LC
Music from Lee Child

Dido

Lee Child
Writer
I’m pretty much a classic rock type of guy, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, blues. But I’m a bit of a sucker for Adele, Dido, people like that.
Music from Lee Child

Adele

Lee Child
Writer
I’m pretty much a classic rock type of guy, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, blues. But I’m a bit of a sucker for Adele, Dido, people like that.
Music from Lee Child

Pink Floyd

Lee Child
Writer
A good piece of music untangles thoughts and points a direction for what I should write tomorrow. I’m pretty much a classic rock type of guy, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, blues.
Music from Lee Child

Led Zeppelin

Lee Child
Writer
A good piece of music untangles thoughts and points a direction for what I should write tomorrow. I’m pretty much a classic rock type of guy, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, blues.
Music from Lee Child

Naked Blue

Lee Child
Writer
When Lee was touring for Gone Tomorrow he wrote about meeting two musicians he admired and ended the entry with "... I was a total fanboy all night."
Goods from Lee Child

Restoration Hardware Blackhawk Desk



Lee Child
Writer
There was something about Restoration Hardware for a long time — maybe ten years — when everything that they sold just was my exact taste. It was like my personal fantasy museum: that slightly old-fashioned, slightly distressed, casual but sophisticated look. I’m actually probably their best customer in the history of the world. I love this desk, where I do my writing, so of course it’s completely essential, but I also have Restoration side tables and clocks and a Sorensen sofa that’s perfectly distressed. I love it all.
Goods from Lee Child

The New Yorker



Lee Child
Writer
When I’m not reading books, I’m reading magazines. I really regret that print magazines are going more and more online. Even though I read a lot of books, I love bite-size magazine journalism. Both New York and The New Yorker get into long-form writing with real depth and coverage.
Goods from Lee Child

Baltimore Coffee Jack Reacher Coffee



Lee Child
Writer
Coffee is the second-most traded commodity in the world, but in my house it’s the first-most. Once, I was sent a sample from the Baltimore Coffee & Tea Company, and I liked it so much we went into business. If you read the Jack Reacher books, you know about his love of coffee, and it was kind of a literary decision because most of the guys in thrillers are recovering alcoholics, but I thought it’d be nice to have a guy who just loves plain coffee because I love it so much. I haven’t bought coffee for maybe ten years because people are always sending it to me. Now Jack Reacher Coffee is my favorite blend, though.
Goods from Lee Child

606 Universal Shelving System | Vitsœ

The 606 Universal Shelving System, made by Vitsœ and designed by Dieter Rams, is timeless, adaptable, and constantly evolving.
Lee Child
Writer
I don’t know how you pronounce Vitsoe, but they make my idea of the perfect office shelves. I love how they look, but they were designed in 1959, which means they’re not totally practical. Back then, you never had to account for wires, of course, but now, I have electronics with wires down the back and nowhere for them to go. I do love the elegant look they have, though, if not their practicality.
Goods from Lee Child

Classic Silver-Plated Frames from the Pottery Barn

My grandma has seven grandchildren and two children and she has her living room full of photos with every one of us. So when she misses us she looks at
Lee Child
Writer
I actually ran into a problem with the mat boards, though, because they’re very thick (like an eighth of an inch), so the frames I had on hand were too thin. Pottery Barn has great-looking things at a decent price that blend well with practically anything. They’re just a plain, polished metal that’s silver-plated I believe, which suits an old traditional home as well as a modern one. Now, I can display my photos with mats and with nice frames
Places from Lee Child

Arthur Ross Pinetum

The Arthur Ross Pinetum is a four-acre arboretum north of the Great Lawn, featuring a collection of 17 species of pine trees. A walk through this hushed landsca
Lee Child
Writer
And then you come back and walk through the Pinetum, which is very grand and majestic. And then the walk becomes a real New York walk.
Places from Lee Child

Summit Rock

Lee Child
Writer
You can have a little detour to Summit Rock, which is this immense geological thing that reminds me of what the island must have looked like before civilization hit.
Restaurants from Lee Child

La Mirabelle, New York City

Lee Child
Writer
Sometimes I will go to a restaurant called La Mirabelle, on 86th and Columbus, which is a completely authentic middlebrow French restaurant and therefore not quite as popular with the casual Sunday brunch crowd. That’s my favorite cuisine in the whole world, what in France they call a family restaurant. It’s not Michelin-star, it’s not a bistro, it’s somewhere in the middle.