Interview with author Lee Child

Lee Child is the writer of Jack Reacher’s saga. The recent book are Night School (2016),  The Midnight Line (2017), Past Tense (2018). His book are in New York Times best-seller list.  

Q. In the novel “Jack Reacher, Never Go Back” the woman occupies an important role. Why?

A. Because women occupy important roles in all the Reacher books - indeed, in all our lives.  In this particular case, I wanted to explore the tension inside a relationship that was partly romantic and partly professional.  Reacher has to defer to Turner, partly out of politeness, and partly because of her status. 

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Books Jack Reacher, by Lee Child

Q. You have also worked on the movie with Tom Cruise? 

A. I had no official role in the production, but I visited the set many times, and have a small cameo role on screen.

Q. If you were a character in a novel, what action would you take?

A. If I could get away with it, I would do what Reacher does.

Q. Night School is the only recent novel on Jack Reacher set in years ago, in 1996. How come? 

A. It’s a prequel, set twenty years ago, in 1996.  Reacher is still in the army.  I wanted to explore that period when we knew we were facing a new type of security threat, but weren’t sure exactly what it was.  I find it very interesting that government agencies were prepared to admit they were facing something they didn’t yet understand, or know how to deal with.  In the story, a single sentence has been overheard: “The American wants a hundred million dollars.”  From who, and for what? 

Q. You're English, but you went to live in New York. Why? 

A. I love cities, and New York is the greatest of all. 

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Jack Reacher

Q. When you do not write, how do you spend your day? 

A. I’m very boring.  I have no hobbies except reading.  I am indifferent to food.  I never take exercise.  I’m always about ten years behind the curve when it comes to technology.

Q. At the beginning of your novels there are always actions, rather than descriptions (“I was arrested in Heno's diner. At twelve o'clock” - Killing floor; “Eventually they put Reacher in a car and drove him to a motel a mile away” - Never Go Back). Why?

A. Because I want to grab the reader at the beginning, with a sense of dynamic action, with the sense of questions to be answered. 

Q. What is your favourite movie and why?

A. That’s a difficult question.  Possibly “Seven”, which is very brave from the writing point of view.