(Article is in Novel's storyline)
Joe Reacher is the brother of Jack Reacher.
Joe was born in 1958 in a military base in the Phillipines. He left home at 18 to attend The United States Military Academy (West Point), and his military career began in 1980 upon graduation. He worked in the field of Military Intelligence and was promoted to full Colonel by the time of his appearance in Small Wars which is set in the Spring of 1989. He separated from the Army in late 1989 or early 1990 and then was hired by the U.S. Treasury Department. While working for the Treasury Department, Joe was head of the Counterfeiting Division.
Joe was killed in 1997 while investigating a large counterfeiting operation in Margrave, GA
Personality and Traits[]
Reacher referred to Joe as the smart one. He was described as being very pedantic and a having a great mind for military intelligence.
Relationships[]
As a child, the two brothers were constantly moving from one Army base to another, rarely staying in one place for more than a year. Joe and his brother would frequently get into arguments and fights, but they would always have each other's back when others tried to bully or fight with them. As Jack was stronger, he felt the need to protect his older brother.
The two brothers drifted apart after West Point, with only occasional communication. When Joe got a call from Paris with news that their mother was very ill, the brothers reunited to visit her and then, when she died, they attended the funeral. Apparently, they fell out of touch again and it was not until Jack had been separated from the service and visited the small town of Margrave, GA, did their paths meet again. However, Joe had just been killed while investigating a large counterfeiting operation.
Joe never married, but it was known that he had a lengthy, serious relationship with Secret Service Agent M.E. (Mary Ellen) Froelich when he was with the Treasury Department. She had just transferred from the Treasury Department to the Secret Service. After Joe ended that relationship, he began dating Molly Beth Gordon who was a co-worker at the Treasury Department. Jack deduced that their relationship was serious since Joe had entrusted her with his password to the Treasury's system. After Joe was killed, Molly told Jack that she was almost his sister-in-law, but it isn't known whether they were officially engaged.
Appearances[]
- Second Son
- High Heat (mention)
- Small Wars
- Killing Floor - Joe is killed prior to the events of the book.
- Without Fail (mention)
- The Enemy
- The Affair (mention)
Appearance in TV Series[]
Christopher Russell appears as Joe Reacher in the first season of the Reacher Amazon Prime Video television series.
Gavin White appears as a young Joe Reacher in a flashback sequence