| REACHER | Jack -; protagonist in a series of thriller novels by Lee Child (7) |
| DAVINCI | "The ______ Code" (first in a series of thrillers) |
| ISIDORE | Jack, protagonist of Philip K. Dick's novel Confessions of a Crap Artist (7) |
| DAN | _ Brown. US author of the Robert Langdon series of thriller novels (3) |
| ENDER | Protagonist in a series of books by 11-Down |
| BAUER | Surname of Jack, protagonist of the 2000s US series 24 (5) |
| BADLUCK | 2007 novel by Lee Child (3,4,3,7) |
| HARDWAY | The ___, 2006 novel by Lee Child (4,3) |
| HEROINE | Female protagonist in a novel or movie (7) |
| NIGHTSCHOOL | 2016 novel by Lee Child in which Jack Reacher joins a mission to find a soldier who's cut a deal with a terrorisst: 2 wds. |
| AIRPORT | Perhaps John Lennon tune on piano, or beginning of "Thriller" (7) |
| MANILLA | Paper report of thriller, here? (7) |
| FORSYTH | Frederick -; author of thrillers including The Day of the Jackal, The Fourth Protocol and The Cobra (7) |
| RENDELL | Ruth --, English author of thrillers and psychological murder mysteries (7) |
| GAMBLER | Good author of thrillers, I'll wager (7) |
| WORTHDYINGFOR | 2010 novel by Lee Child about Jack Reacher meets the Duncans and solves an old case of a missing child: 3 wds. |
| ECHOBURNING | 2001 novel by Lee Child in which Jack Reacher helps a woman named Carmen: 2 wds. |
| GONE | ___ Tomorrow 2009 novel by Lee Child in which Jack Reacher investigates the death of Susan Mark |
| LECARRE | John -, author of thrillers including The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2,5) |
| CUSSLER | Clive ___, American author of thrillers featuring the character Dirk Pitt |
