Stuart Woods Books in Order

Stuart Woods was a New York Times bestselling author known for the Stone Barrington series, and other interconnected series set in the same fictional universe.

This page lists all Stuart Woods books in order, including the Stone Barrington series, related series, standalone novels, short stories, and non-fiction books, organized by publication order.

Stuart Woods passed away on July 22, 2022, at the age of 84.

Latest Stuart Woods Books

Stuart Woods’ Blown Away
Stuart Woods’ Blown Away (Teddy Fay #8), December 2025

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Stone Barrington Series (Books in Order)

The Stone Barrington series follows former NYPD detective Stone Barrington who becomes a lawyer for a prestigious New York law firm.

Starting with the novel Near Miss, the series has been written by Brett Battles.

Reading Order

  1. New York Dead, 1991
  2. Dirt, 1996
  3. Dead in the Water, 1997
  4. Swimming to Catalina, 1998
  5. Worst Fears Realized, 1999
  6. L.A. Dead, 2000
  7. Cold Paradise, 2001
  8. The Short Forever, 2002
  9. Dirty Work, 2003
  10. Reckless Abandon, 2004
  11. Two Dollar Bill, 2005
  12. Dark Harbor, 2006
  13. Fresh Disasters, 2007
  14. Shoot Him If He Runs, 2007
  15. Hot Mahogany, 2008
  16. Loitering With Intent, 2009
  17. Kisser, 2009
  18. Lucid Intervals, 2010
  19. Strategic Move, 2010
  20. Bel-Air Dead, 2011
  21. Son of Stone, 2011
  22. D.C. Dead, 2011
  23. Unnatural Acts, 2012
  24. Severe Clear, 2012
  25. Collateral Damage, 2012
  26. Unintended Consequences, 2013
  27. Doing Hard Time, 2013
  28. Standup Guy, 2014
  29. Carnal Curiosity, 2014
  30. Cut and Thrust, 2014
  31. Paris Match, 2014
  32. Insatiable Appetites, 2015
  33. Hot Pursuit, 2015
  34. Naked Greed, 2015
  35. Foreign Affairs, 2015
  36. Scandalous Behavior, 2016
  37. Family Jewels, 2016
  38. Dishonorable Intentions, 2016
  39. Sex, Lies, and Serious Money, 2016
  40. Below the Belt, 2017
  41. Fast and Loose, 2017
  42. Indecent Exposure, 2017
  43. Quick & Dirty, 2017
  44. Unbound, 2018
  45. Shoot First, 2018
  46. Turbulence, 2018
  47. Desperate Measures, 2018
  48. A Delicate Touch, 2018
  49. Wild Card, 2019
  50. Contraband, 2019
  51. Stealth, 2019
  52. Treason, 2020
  53. Hit List, 2020
  54. Choppy Water, 2020
  55. Shakeup, 2020
  56. Hush-Hush, 2020
  57. Double Jeopardy, 2021
  58. Class Act, 2021
  59. Foul Play, 2021
  60. Criminal Mischief, 2021
  61. A Safe House, 2022
  62. Black Dog, 2022
  63. Distant Thunder, 2022
  64. Near Miss, 2022
  65. Smolder, 2024
  66. Finders Keepers, 2025
  67. Deep Water, 2026 (June 2026)

Will Lee Series (Books in Order)

The Will Lee series follows small-town police chief Will Lee who later becomes President of the United States.

Reading Order

  1. Chiefs, 1981
  2. Run Before the Wind, 1983
  3. Deep Lie, 1986
  4. Grass Roots, 1989
  5. The Run, 1995
  6. Capital Crimes, 2003
  7. Mounting Fears, 2008

Ed Eagle Series (Books in Order)

The Ed Eagle series follows prominent defense attorney Ed Eagle who is practicing law in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Reading Order

  1. Santa Fe Rules, 1992
  2. Short Straw, 2006
  3. Santa Fe Dead, 2008
  4. Santa Fe Edge, 2010

Holly Barker Series (Books in Order)

The Holly Barker series follows small-town police chief Holly Barker who later becomes a CIA agent.

Reading Order

  1. Orchid Beach, 1998
  2. Orchid Blues, 2001
  3. Blood Orchid, 2002
  4. Reckless Abandon, 2004
  5. Iron Orchid, 2005
  6. Hothouse Orchid, 2009

Rick Barron Series (Books in Order)

The Rick Barron series, set in the 1930s, follows former police detective Rick Barron working as a senior executive at a Hollywood film studio.

Reading Order

  1. The Prince of Beverly Hills, 2004
  2. Beverly Hills Dead, 2008

Teddy Fay Series (Books in Order)

The Teddy Fay series follows former CIA operative Teddy Fay who is now a fixer within the entertainment industry.

Starting with the novel Obsession, the series has been written by Brett Battles.

Reading Order

  1. Smooth Operator, 2016 (with Parnell Hall)
  2. The Money Shot, 2018 (with Parnell Hall)
  3. Skin Game, 2019 (with Parnell Hall)
  4. Bombshell, 2020 (with Parnell Hall)
  5. Jackpot, 2021 (with Bryon Quertermous)
  6. Obsession, 2023
  7. Stuart Woods’ Golden Hour, 2024
  8. Stuart Woods’ Blown Away, 2025

Herbie Fisher Series (Books in Order)

The Herbie Fisher series follows Stone Barrington protégé Herbie Fisher, who eventually becomes his law partner.

Co-authored with Parnell Hall.

  1. Barely Legal, 2017

Short Story Anthologies

Standalone Novels

Non-Fiction Books

Stuart Woods Biography

Stuart Woods author

Stuart Woods was an American author of legal and political thrillers, best known for the Stone Barrington series and its related series set within the same fictional universe.
Official website: stuartwoods.com

Born in Manchester, Georgia, in 1938, Stuart Woods graduated from the University of Georgia in 1959 with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology. Before writing novels, he worked in advertising in the United States, followed by United Kingdom, and Ireland.

The first books written by Stuart Woods were non-fiction, including Blue Water, Green Skipper, based on his sailing experience, as well as A Romantic’s Guide to the Country Inns of Britain and Ireland. His first novel, Chiefs, was published in 1981, and it became a CBS TV drama. Chiefs also started the Will Lee series.

Next he created his longest-running series featuring the lawyer Stone Barrington, and several interconnected series, set in the same universe. During his last few years, several novels were co-authored and continued by Brett Battles.

Stuart Woods died on July 22, 2022, at the age of 84 at his Connecticut home.

Stuart Woods Book Adaptations

  • Chiefs – adapted into the CBS television mini series Chiefs (1983)

Stuart Woods Awards and Honors

Awards

  • Chiefs -Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel (1992)
  • Dead in the Water – Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Novel (1995)

Nominations and Shortlists

  • Palindrome – Edgar Award for Best Novel (1992)

Edited by

Marika

Founder of Mystery Sequels, a reference site focused on listing mystery and thriller books in the correct reading order. I maintain and update the site’s bibliographies as new titles are released, ensuring accuracy and consistency across author and series pages.

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30 Comments

  1. Barrington is one of the best characters ever. Right up there with the best of them .

  2. I’m not sure when I became a Stone Barrington fan as I’ve read over 50 of Wood’s novels with this character. He is the alter-ego of me and probably many of us readers of the series.

    1. I have read every Stone Barrington and Holly Barker book that was printed. The problem is once you start reading, you can not put the book down. You actually feel you are living with them and feel every emotion that the character does. Excellent writing.

  4. I’m 5 books behind. STEALTH, TREASON, HIT LIST, CHOPPY WATER, SHAKE UP, DEAD PARADISE

  5. Can’t get enough!!!!! Can’t put the books down!!! Hope there will be many more Stone Barrington novels !!!!!! This has been the best therapy for getting through this horrible COVID-19 virus!!!! Thank you so much Stuart Woods!!!! Keep writing! And please stay well!!!!

  6. Big fan but agree that Stone is becoming too much of a womanizer and those bits are awful! Lately I’ve wondered why we keep getting ” momentarily”. When he means in a moment and not ofcourse, for a moment.

  7. The very first book I read was Palindrome and I was instantly hooked from there on our. I have purchased everyone of his books and I have and 8 ft bookshelf I call my Stuart Woods library. I am forever grateful for the man’s talent to write books. When you want a vacation from life just pick up one of his books and forget life for just a little while….

  8. I have been your dedicated fan for over 20 years. I love everything about S.Barrington, especially when paired with Holly Barker. I want to commend you knowledge of intricate details of so many fields: art, aircraft, guns, electronics, and what a woman wants. I have you total collection and look forward to more!

  9. I got hooked on your books when a friend gave me Palindron to read.. Since then I have enjoyed all of the six different stories. I like it when the book list at in the order of how they are written., as well of the Series..Have tried to make it to one of your book signings but always am working. Keep writing . I love them. Thank you.

  10. I have started reading the Stuart Wood books and I am hooked I would like to know in what order should they be read so that each character is introduced into the story line instead of reading all of one character and they talk about another character please help thanks..I want to put my books in order to read them..

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