Die Trying Characters: Full List & Analysis

Who drives the story

Main characters

Jack Reacher

A former military policeman and drifter who helps a stranger with her dry cleaning and gets kidnapped for it. He kills to protect Holly, survives a militia death sentence, and saves two cities before walking away again.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Dry Cleaning Kidnapping; Part 2: The Night Reacher Broke; Part 3: Trial, Crucifixion, Grave Digging; Part 4: Sniper, Moles, and the Truck to San Francisco
Themes:: The cost of refusing help; Institutions versus individuals; Nepotism and proving yourself; Fanaticism and the seduction of secession; The drifter's code

Holly Johnson

An FBI agent from the Chicago Field Office, secretly the daughter of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and goddaughter of the President. She insists on handling things alone until Reacher saves her life, then kills two men to save his.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Dry Cleaning Kidnapping; Part 2: The Night Reacher Broke; Part 3: Trial, Crucifixion, Grave Digging; Part 4: Sniper, Moles, and the Truck to San Francisco
Themes:: The cost of refusing help; Nepotism and proving yourself; Fanaticism and the seduction of secession; The drifter's code

Beau Borken

The fanatical commander of a Montana militia that wants to secede from the United States. He kidnaps Holly for leverage, crucifies an undercover agent, and dies under Reacher's stolen sniper rifle.

Appears in:: Part 2: The Night Reacher Broke; Part 3: Trial, Crucifixion, Grave Digging; Part 4: Sniper, Moles, and the Truck to San Francisco
Themes:: Nepotism and proving yourself; Fanaticism and the seduction of secession

Paul 'Mack' McGrath

Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago FBI Field Office, who first suspects Reacher of the kidnapping and later defies the President to rescue Holly himself. He is rescued by the man he suspected, and falls for Holly.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Dry Cleaning Kidnapping; Part 3: Trial, Crucifixion, Grave Digging; Part 4: Sniper, Moles, and the Truck to San Francisco
Themes:: Institutions versus individuals; The drifter's code

Brogan and Milosevic

Two agents on McGrath's Chicago team, one of them a mole selling information to Borken for money. Brogan is exposed and killed by Reacher; Milosevic takes Holly hostage and dies at her hands.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Dry Cleaning Kidnapping; Part 3: Trial, Crucifixion, Grave Digging; Part 4: Sniper, Moles, and the Truck to San Francisco

Jackson

An FBI agent undercover inside the militia who offers Holly an escape and is refused because she will not leave Reacher. Borken crucifies him.

Appears in:: Part 2: The Night Reacher Broke; Part 3: Trial, Crucifixion, Grave Digging
Themes:: The cost of refusing help

Tony Loder, Stevie Stewart, and Peter Wayne Bell

The three-man militia team that kidnaps Reacher and Holly, led by Loder. Bell drives the van and dies trying to rape Holly; Stevie survives to carry Borken's truck bomb toward San Francisco.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Dry Cleaning Kidnapping; Part 2: The Night Reacher Broke; Part 3: Trial, Crucifixion, Grave Digging
Themes:: The cost of refusing help

Also in the story

Supporting characters

General Leon Garber

Reacher's former commanding officer, brought into the investigation to defend him against the kidnapping suspicion.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Dry Cleaning Kidnapping

General Johnson

Holly's father, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the man Borken tries to pressure through his hostage daughter while watching the crisis via a spy plane camera feed.

Harland Webster

The Director of the FBI during the investigation into Holly's abduction.

Odell Fowler

Second-in-command of the Montana militia under Beau Borken.

Joseph 'Joe' Ray

A militia guard whom Holly kills to escape her courthouse room.

Appears in:: Part 3: Trial, Crucifixion, Grave Digging

How they are connected

Key relationships

Jack Reacher Holly Johnson
He kills to protect Holly, survives a militia death sentence, and saves two cities before walking away again.
Beau Borken Jack Reacher
He kidnaps Holly for leverage, crucifies an undercover agent, and dies under Reacher's stolen sniper rifle.
Beau Borken Holly Johnson
He kidnaps Holly for leverage, crucifies an undercover agent, and dies under Reacher's stolen sniper rifle.
Paul 'Mack' McGrath Jack Reacher
Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago FBI Field Office, who first suspects Reacher of the kidnapping and later defies the President to rescue Holly himself.
Paul 'Mack' McGrath Holly Johnson
Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago FBI Field Office, who first suspects Reacher of the kidnapping and later defies the President to rescue Holly himself.
Brogan and Milosevic Beau Borken
Two agents on McGrath's Chicago team, one of them a mole selling information to Borken for money.
Brogan and Milosevic Paul 'Mack' McGrath
Two agents on McGrath's Chicago team, one of them a mole selling information to Borken for money.
Brogan and Milosevic Jack Reacher
Brogan is exposed and killed by Reacher; Milosevic takes Holly hostage and dies at her hands.
Brogan and Milosevic Holly Johnson
Brogan is exposed and killed by Reacher; Milosevic takes Holly hostage and dies at her hands.
General Leon Garber Jack Reacher
Reacher's former commanding officer, brought into the investigation to defend him against the kidnapping suspicion.
General Johnson Holly Johnson
Holly's father, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the man Borken tries to pressure through his hostage daughter while watching the crisis via a spy plane camera feed.
General Johnson Beau Borken
Holly's father, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the man Borken tries to pressure through his hostage daughter while watching the crisis via a spy plane camera feed.

Go deeper

Die Trying themes & symbols

The cost of refusing help · Institutions versus individuals · Nepotism and proving yourself · Fanaticism and the seduction of secession

Themes explained

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The full story act by act, the ending explained and a quick quiz.

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