Lee Child has identified The Midnight Line as the Reacher novel he would most like Prime Video’s series to adapt. He said its compassionate portrayal of opioid addiction, particularly from an addict’s perspective, would suit Alan Ritchson’s socially conscious outlook and offer a deeper emotional storyline than a conventional action plot.

Published in 2017, the 22nd novel begins when Reacher finds a West Point ring in a Wisconsin pawn shop and investigates why its owner surrendered it. His search leads to Serena Rose Sanderson, a former Army officer whose injuries and oxycodone addiction have devastated her life; Child said the story was partly inspired by prescription-driven addiction he observed in Wyoming. Ritchson has also reportedly expressed interest in adapting the novel.