The affair a jack reacher novel mass market paperback march 27 2012 by lee child author 45 out of 5 stars 3508 ratings book 16 of 26 in the jack reacher series. A novel of unrelenting suspense that could only come from the pen of 1 new york times bestselling author lee child the affair is the start of the reacher saga a thriller that takes reacher and his readers right to the edge and beyond. The affair is the sixteenth book in the jack reacher series written by lee child but is a prequel set chronologically before most of them it was published on 29 september 2011 in the united kingdom and was published on 27 september 2011 in the usa. Lee childs 16th jack reacher novel is set back in 1997 shortly before the events depicted in killing floor the first book in the series and covers reachers final days as a military policeman in the us army its a really good adventure for the character and reveals a lot about his past thats been secret before now reacher is not quite the character weve come to know from the earlier