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Set in the Reacher universe by permission of Lee Child
About The Reacher Experiment series

Rock Wahlman: Forty-one years old, United States Navy Master at Arms, E-8, retired.

DOB 14 October 2057.

Grew up in an orphanage, recently discovered that he is the product of a human cloning experiment, an exact genetic duplicate of a former army officer named Jack Reacher.

Now someone wants all evidence of the experiment to be erased, which means that someone wants Wahlman to be erased.

He’s on the run, desperate to survive, desperate to learn the truth about why all this is happening…

The use of story situations and supporting characters from the Reacher universe authorized by Lee Child.


Also by Jude Hardin
The Nicholas Colt series:
AMERICAN P.I.
LADY 52
POCKET-47
CROSSCUT
SNUFF TAG 9
RATTLED (Short story)
KEY DEATH
BLOOD TATTOO
SYCAMORE BLUFF
THE REACHER FILES: FUGITIVE
THE REACHER FILES: VELOCITY (Short story)
THE BLOOD NOTEBOOKS

Note: Although published at a later date, the events in AMERICAN P.I. and LADY 52 precede those in Jude Hardin's debut thriller POCKET-47. All of the books listed work as stand-alone thrillers, depending on reader preference. Nicholas Colt also appears in several other short stories, including the one titled RACKED.

The Reacher Files standalone titles:
CHOKE
HOSTAGE
THE GIRL FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF CORDIAL

Note: While the name Jack Reacher and some of the supporting characters and story situations are used with author Lee Child’s permission, the Jack Reacher character remains offstage in The Jack Reacher Files thrillers and The Jack Reacher Experiment thrillers.

Other standalone titles:
FUSED
A THIN RIBBON OF SMOKE


Praise for Jude Hardin’s Thrillers:
POCKET-47 sucked me in and held me enthralled. Author Jude Hardin keeps the pace frantic, the thrills non-stop, but best of all is his hero, the wonderfully ironic Nicholas Colt. This is a character I'm eager to follow through many adventures to come.
—Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of DIE AGAIN: A RIZZOLI & ISLES NOVEL

The best PI debut I've read in years, fit to share shelf space with the best of Ross Macdonald, Sue Grafton, and Robert B. Parker. POCKET-47 is so hot you may burn your hands reading. Highly recommended.
—J.A. Konrath, author of the Jack Daniels mysteries

Hardin gets everything right in his powerhouse thriller debut, which introduces rock star–turned–PI Nicholas Colt.
—Publishers Weekly on POCKET-47

KEY DEATH is an exhilarating thriller that punches way above its weight. It hits you hard and fast with crackling suspense, hair-raising twists and stunning revelations. Word of advice: don't start on this one unless you're prepared to stay up all night.
—John Ling, author of THE BLASPHEMER

Colt is a physical, no-holds-barred PI, reminiscent of Robert B. Parker's Spenser and Lee Child's Jack Reacher, and his debut is action-packed. With a hefty toll of dead bodies, some described in cringe-inducing detail, this is crime fiction at its rawest. Hard-boiled connoisseurs should make Colt's acquaintance now.

103 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 24, 2018

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Jude Hardin

93 books84 followers

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5 stars
112 (37%)
4 stars
111 (36%)
3 stars
62 (20%)
2 stars
13 (4%)
1 star
4 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for Matt.
1,049 reviews
October 10, 2021
The story just gets better and better. Remember Dorland. What a scumball. Wahlman escapes again
704 reviews6 followers
May 11, 2018
Book six gets Rock a bit closer to why he is being hunted and who is behind the conspiracy. This is a quick read, I wish it was a bit longer. I do look forward to the next book, this series is like the serials from the old time cinema. Check it out.
Profile Image for Steven R. McEvoy.
3,898 reviews181 followers
March 23, 2026
First I want to state I did enjoyed this book and look forward to the rest in the series and the other two Reacher Series Jude has penned. Second a few years ago I read my first Reacher novel. I had picked up one for my dad, and after giving the back a read, I grabbed the eBook for myself. In under a year I had read all the Reacher Novels in print and all the books in the Hunt for Jack Reacher by Diane Capri. Since then I have read 58 books in the Reacher universe and am expanding out to the three series by Jude Hardin now.

The description of this book and same as some of the others is:

“About The Jack Reacher Experiment series

Rock Wahlman: Forty-one years old, United States Navy Master at Arms, E-8, retired.

DOB 14 October 2057.

Grew up in an orphanage, recently discovered that he is the product of a human cloning experiment, an exact genetic duplicate of a former army officer named Jack Reacher.

Now someone wants all evidence of the experiment to be erased, which means that someone wants Wahlman to be erased.

He’s on the run, desperate to survive, desperate to learn the truth about why all this is happening…

Note: The use of the name Jack Reacher, along with the use of story situations and supporting characters from the Jack Reacher universe, authorized by Lee Child. While sometimes referenced in the context of the story, the Jack Reacher character remains offstage in Kill Shot: The Jack Reacher Experiment Book 4.”

This volume like some of the others begins with:

“Rock Wahlman: Forty-one years old, United States Navy Master at Arms, E-8, retired. DOB 14 October 2057. Grew up in an orphanage, recently discovered that he is the product of a human cloning experiment, an exact genetic duplicate of a former army officer named Jack Reacher. Now someone wants all evidence of the experiment to be erased, which means that someone wants Wahlman to be erased. He’s on the run, desperate to survive, desperate to learn the truth about why all this is happening…”

This story is listed as 101 pages, not the shortest in the series and not the longest; but around the average. It felt shorter though, and a lot of the story was back story to a specific base called ‘The Box’. This was a based on the page count this volume is more of a novella, the book in this series are available as 9 stand-alone stories or in 3 omnibus editions. I will continue to read and review the stand-alone editions because that is how I started the series. Back to the book at hand. I read this on the last day of my March break vacation. I took an extra day after the kids were back in school to have some quiet and read through this over a couple mugs of coffee. It was finished far too soon.

Even death can’t keep Reacher down, in a manner of speaking. Rock Wahlman is a clone of Reacher, but he was not the only one. In the first volume, on the night his life goes sideways, he tries and saves a man after his rig goes off the road and into water. The man he pulls from the water looks just like him. Having been raised in an orphanage this raises some questions. After an attempt on his life, he starts putting together the pieces. His life may have been different than Reacher’s but his determination when he is threatened is the same.

Wahlman Is working to find info he needs to clear his name, and get his life back. He now has plans and hopes for a life. He wants a home a family, things he had never desired before. But before that can happen he needs evidence on the corrupt general that is trying to have him taken out. And now is he not only running from a rogue element in the Military, and the New Orleans’s Police.

Muck like his generic source material, trouble just seems to find Wahlman. And in this one it hits in again, but in a way that could really help him piece it all together. Can he find this secret base? Can he figure out what they are up to? Can he …? To find out read this excellent novella!

This is another well written novella. That stays true to the original character and universe. It is a good read in a fun series. Even if this volume had not been set in the Reacher Universe I would have enjoyed it. The fact that it is only adds to the mystique that is Jack Reacher. It was good read and leaves you desperate for the next instalment in this series. This is a book and series I can easily recommend to fans of Reacher or anyone who love a good action thriller.
Profile Image for Gilbert Stack.
Author 99 books79 followers
November 2, 2021
Rock Wahlman’s efforts to find the men in the government who have been trying to kill him really heats up in this novel as he makes tremendous progress and finally locates the secret base from which the operation against him is being run. He also learns a lot more about why the military feels it is necessary to kill him. This one is exciting from start to finish (that’s actually typical of this series) but I must admit to some confusion at the end. The storyline has advanced so far that I can’t see how Hardin is going to fill three more books with Rock’s struggle.

If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
1,477 reviews25 followers
December 27, 2020
Recline. Jude Hardin

Rock is barely staying one
step ahead of his pursuers. The Army is restarting the cloning experiments that were cancelled a long time ago. Too many mishaps and extremely costly. Now well into the future, the new backers are civilians, billionaire's. Anyone not directly involved is in the dark. Rock Wahlman is the only person standing in their way. The last surviving Reacher clone. Rock doesn't know the meaning of the word surrender. It's in his DNA. Another excellent read!!!
1,901 reviews16 followers
January 5, 2019
Jack Reacher Experiment # 6
Rock Walman is a Jack Reacher clone, part of a US Army experiment using cells from 100 years ago (1983) (Jack Reacher's cells)
The other clone has been killed by someone in the Army trying to erase all records and evidence of the experiment.
This is set in the future, not quite dystopian, but definitely a throwback (no cell phones, teleportation has been banned)
Profile Image for Glitter.
1,034 reviews5 followers
January 3, 2020
Goon 1!!! Thank you! My last review complained about human description and repeats of diners, ladies, and driving with hiccups along the way... We've finally got a different story!

Here's what I wonder? Why the bejesus is this fool heading straight into the people who he KNOWS want him dead or alive? Entering an additional government conspiracy to dig into his own? I'm pleased with the turns.
Profile Image for Don.
1,065 reviews5 followers
June 28, 2023
Somehow in this story Hardin forgets Wahlman is supposed to be on an island, yet she connects it to the mainland. Highway 30, a toll road on an island?- goes 20 miles inland? Ok, whatever. If you read these stories in sequence he just got $20,000 dollars and now he low on cash? What gives Hardin, did you lose it? Where are your editors? Still a trip of a story. 5
347 reviews2 followers
October 7, 2020
I'm not sure what more I can say about this book series that I haven't already said in my first five reviews. This book was more of the same with nothing new and significant to report. I'm on to book seven.
Profile Image for Denise.
1,771 reviews24 followers
November 27, 2020
'Redline' was a good addition to a fast paced series. Each book is a quick read. The story line is intriguing and the characters are pretty good. I'm already invested in Rock too much to quit now. On to the next book.
Profile Image for Tony Fecteau.
1,573 reviews7 followers
April 1, 2019
We can see the outline of all that has been done to Rock. Will we find out exactly why? Is there a new revolutionary technology for cloning?
Profile Image for Scott Leonard.
55 reviews3 followers
August 9, 2019
The story is getting really good now, can't wait to finish the last two books!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews