Stuart Woods Books in Order (Updated September 10, 2026)

Stuart Woods was an American thriller and mystery writer whose interconnected fictional world includes Stone Barrington, Will Lee, Holly Barker, Ed Eagle, Rick Barron, Teddy Fay, and several recurring supporting characters. He died in July 2022, but the Stone Barrington and Teddy Fay series continue under authorized successor writer Brett Battles.

Stone Barrington is by far the largest branch of Woods’s bibliography. Many characters from his earlier series eventually cross into Stone’s books, which means readers interested in the wider Woods universe can gain extra context by reading Will Lee, Holly Barker, and Ed Eagle as well.

Pick a Stuart Woods series before trying to read everything

• For Stone Barrington: Begin with New York Dead.
• For political thrillers: Start Will Lee with Chiefs.
• For Holly Barker: Begin with Orchid Beach.
• For Teddy Fay: Start the dedicated series with Smooth Operator, after his earlier appearances if you want full continuity.
• For Santa Fe legal thrillers: Start Ed Eagle with Santa Fe Rules.
• For 1930s and 1940s Hollywood: Start Rick Barron with The Prince of Beverly Hills.

Stone Barrington books in publication order

Stone Barrington begins as a New York police detective and becomes an attorney handling sensitive matters for the prestigious firm Woodman and Weld. Over the decades his world expands into international finance, politics, intelligence work, Hollywood, aviation, luxury travel, and a large circle of recurring friends.

1. New York Dead (1991): NYPD detective Stone Barrington investigates the apparent death of television personality Sasha Nijinsky and becomes increasingly convinced that the case is not what it first appeared to be.
2. Dirt (1996): Stone is hired after a prominent society figure becomes the target of anonymous attacks and malicious disclosures that threaten both reputation and personal safety.
3. Dead in the Water (1997): While in the Caribbean, Stone becomes involved with a woman accused of murdering her wealthy husband aboard a yacht and agrees to help defend her.
4. Swimming to Catalina (1998): Stone travels to Hollywood after Arrington Calder disappears and discovers that finding her means entering the dangerous world surrounding wealthy producer Vance Calder.
5. Worst Fears Realized (1999): A series of murders appears connected to Stone and his former police partner Dino Bacchetti, forcing them to confront an enemy targeting people in their lives.
6. L.A. Dead (2000): Stone returns to Los Angeles after Vance Calder’s death and becomes caught in the legal, romantic, and financial consequences surrounding Arrington.
7. Cold Paradise (2001): A trip to Palm Beach brings Stone face to face with someone he believed dead and into another case involving hidden identities and wealthy clients.
8. The Short Forever (2002): Stone travels to London on behalf of a client and becomes involved in intelligence work, international crime, and secrets that cross the Atlantic.
9. Dirty Work (2003): A routine matrimonial assignment turns deadly when Stone encounters a highly skilled assassin who refuses to disappear quietly.
10. Reckless Abandon (2004): Holly Barker enters Stone’s world while pursuing fugitive former CIA operative Teddy Fay, creating an important crossover between two Woods series.
11. Two-Dollar Bill (2005): Stone encounters a strange con man carrying unusual two-dollar bills and becomes involved in fraud, murder, and a criminal scheme with increasingly high stakes.
12. Dark Harbor (2006): Stone travels to Maine after several members of a wealthy family die under suspicious circumstances and begins investigating whether the deaths are connected.
13. Fresh Disasters (2007): Stone helps with a legal problem involving organized crime and soon finds that representing the wrong person can make him a target.
14. Shoot Him If He Runs (2007): Stone and Holly Barker join a search for Teddy Fay after evidence suggests the supposedly dead former CIA operative is still alive.
15. Hot Mahogany (2008): A stranger with memory problems and connections to international crime leads Stone into a case involving money, identity, and dangerous people.
16. Loitering with Intent (2009): Stone travels to Key West to help locate someone connected to a valuable estate and discovers that local disputes hide a larger threat.
17. Kisser (2010): Stone becomes involved with an actress and her troubled daughter while helping navigate legal and personal danger in New York.
18. Lucid Intervals (2010): A former intelligence officer asks Stone for help and brings him into a case involving old secrets, assassination, and international interests.
19. Strategic Moves (2011): Stone’s legal career advances while a major business deal and dangerous clients pull him deeper into the worlds of Woodman and Weld and national politics.
20. Bel-Air Dead (2011): Stone returns to Hollywood when Arrington needs help protecting her property and interests from aggressive developers and rivals.
21. Son of Stone (2011): Stone’s relationship with his son Peter becomes central as Peter’s future in Hollywood and Arrington’s place in the family change dramatically.
22. D.C. Dead (2011): Stone and Dino are asked to revisit a politically sensitive murder in Washington, D.C., where powerful people have reasons to keep old secrets buried.
23. Unnatural Acts (2012): Herbie Fisher takes on greater importance while Stone becomes involved in legal trouble surrounding wealthy clients and dangerous personal relationships.
24. Severe Clear (2012): A major gathering at Arrington’s luxury hotel attracts political leaders and becomes the target of an international terrorist plot.
25. Collateral Damage (2013): Stone and Holly face the aftermath of terrorism and discover that surviving conspirators are still pursuing revenge.
26. Unintended Consequences (2013): Stone wakes in Paris with little memory of how he arrived there and must reconstruct events involving international finance, intelligence, and danger.
27. Doing Hard Time (2013): Stone’s son Peter and his friends become targets, forcing Stone and his allies to confront enemies connected to earlier criminal conflicts.
28. Standup Guy (2014): A former convict asks Stone for legal help involving hidden money, and the secret attracts criminals who believe the fortune belongs to them.
29. Carnal Curiosity (2014): Stone’s relationship with a new woman becomes complicated when theft and violence reveal that she may be connected to dangerous people.
30. Cut and Thrust (2014): A presidential convention places Stone near national political power while personal relationships and political maneuvering intersect.
31. Paris Match (2014): Stone returns to France and becomes entangled with intelligence agencies and enemies who have not forgotten earlier conflicts.
32. Insatiable Appetites (2015): Stone faces political intrigue, personal loss, and threats that reach into the highest levels of his social and professional circle.
33. Hot Pursuit (2015): Stone meets a pilot whose apparently glamorous life is connected to dangerous international interests and people pursuing her.
34. Naked Greed (2015): A confrontation in a restaurant draws Stone into a conflict with organized criminals who refuse to let a public humiliation go unanswered.
35. Foreign Affairs (2015): Stone travels to Europe and becomes involved with a woman whose family and financial history expose him to organized crime.
36. Scandalous Behavior (2016): Stone acquires property in England and encounters local secrets, suspicious deaths, and people determined to protect their interests.
37. Family Jewels (2016): A wealthy divorce case leads Stone toward a murder investigation involving valuable jewelry and competing heirs.
38. Dishonorable Intentions (2016): Stone’s romance with a wealthy woman brings him into conflict with a possessive ex-partner who refuses to accept the relationship.
39. Sex, Lies, and Serious Money (2016): Sudden wealth transforms the lives of people around Stone and attracts both opportunity and criminals seeking access to the money.
40. Below the Belt (2017): A politically sensitive piece of information makes Stone a target in a fight among ambitious figures seeking control of Washington power.
41. Fast and Loose (2017): Stone confronts a billionaire whose business ambitions and personal vendettas put several of Stone’s friends in danger.
42. Indecent Exposure (2017): Political ambition, media attention, and scandal surround Stone as people close to the presidency face a carefully engineered attack.
43. Quick and Dirty (2017): A stolen painting connects Stone to wealthy collectors, criminals, and a mystery involving whether the artwork is what everyone believes it to be.
44. Unbound (2018): Stone helps an old friend whose life is transformed by tragedy and revenge after a personal loss.
45. Shoot First (2018): Stone meets a technology entrepreneur whose company and fortune have made her the target of people willing to use murder to gain control.
46. Turbulence (2018): Political and international threats follow Stone from New York to other locations as a dangerous enemy attempts to strike his circle.
47. Desperate Measures (2018): Stone becomes involved with a woman under threat and discovers that protecting her means confronting a highly persistent killer.
48. A Delicate Touch (2018): Sensitive information about a powerful family places Stone in conflict with people whose wealth and connections make ordinary legal tactics inadequate.
49. Wild Card (2019): Stone and his political allies confront new threats while a dangerous criminal from earlier events refuses to disappear.
50. Contraband (2019): Stone’s travels expose him to smuggling and criminal networks operating behind legitimate wealth and luxury.
51. Stealth (2019): A visit to England draws Stone into intelligence work and a covert struggle involving people whose true loyalties are difficult to determine.
52. Treason (2020): Stone becomes involved in a national-security investigation after evidence suggests that an American official may be working with a hostile foreign power.
53. Hit List (2020): Stone discovers that his name appears on an assassin’s list and must identify who wants him dead before the killer reaches him.
54. Choppy Water (2020): Political violence targets President Holly Barker and people around her, drawing Stone into an investigation involving domestic extremists.
55. Shakeup (2020): A new presidential administration creates political opportunity and danger while Stone helps allies navigate Washington intrigue.
56. Hush-Hush (2021): Stone tries to help a woman whose past makes her dangerous enemies, but protecting her draws him into another lethal conspiracy.
57. Double Jeopardy (2021): Two wealthy brothers with a history of criminal behavior become a threat to Stone and people close to him.
58. Class Act (2021): Stone encounters a charismatic stranger whose rise into elite society conceals criminal ambitions and a dangerous past.
59. Foul Play (2021): An apparently ordinary missing-person problem exposes Stone to business intrigue, hidden identities, and people willing to kill to protect their interests.
60. Criminal Mischief (2021): Stone pursues a sophisticated financial criminal whose ability to stay ahead of authorities turns the case into an international chase.
61. A Safe House (2022): Stone shelters a woman whose knowledge of a powerful man makes her the target of an organized effort to silence her.
62. Black Dog (2022): Stone becomes involved with a wealthy widow and the disputes surrounding her inheritance, placing him between greed, deception, and murder.
63. Distant Thunder (2022): A mysterious man washes ashore near Stone’s home in Maine, drawing him into a case involving espionage and dangerous secrets.
64. Near Miss (2023, completed with Brett Battles): Stone’s relationship with a new woman brings him into conflict with her dangerous former husband, creating the transitional novel between Woods’s own manuscripts and the estate continuation.
65. Stuart Woods’ Smolder (2024, by Brett Battles): Stone becomes involved in an art investigation connected to paintings by his mother, Matilda Stone, while a vengeful enemy targets the people around him.
66. Stuart Woods’ Finders Keepers (2025, by Brett Battles): A friend’s request to help his recently divorced niece settle in New York develops into a dangerous pattern when people from her past begin getting hurt.
67. Stuart Woods’ Deep Water (2026, by Brett Battles): Stone survives the sinking of a friend’s yacht and investigates evidence that the disaster was deliberate while attacks against people close to him intensify.
68. Stuart Woods’ Hostile Intent (scheduled November 17, 2026, by Brett Battles): The next Stone Barrington adventure continues the authorized estate series and is forthcoming as of this update.
69. Stuart Woods’ Fool Proof (scheduled 2027, by Brett Battles): Stone returns in another successor-authored adventure after Hostile Intent.
70. Stuart Woods’ Knifepoint (scheduled June 1, 2027, by Brett Battles): Stone becomes the target of an international manhunt in the seventieth announced installment.

Sixty-seven Stone Barrington novels have been released through Deep Water. Hostile Intent, Fool Proof, and Knifepoint are successor-written continuations announced beyond that point.

Where Stuart Woods ends and Brett Battles begins

Stuart Woods died in 2022 while Near Miss was still in development. Brett Battles completed that novel with Woods and subsequently became the authorized continuation writer for the Stone Barrington series.

The important authorship boundary is therefore clear: books one through sixty-three were written by Woods, Near Miss is the transition, and the later books are written by Brett Battles under the Stuart Woods estate branding.

Will Lee novels trace a political career across decades

1. Chiefs (1981): Across several decades in a Georgia town, generations of police chiefs investigate a string of disappearances while the Lee family becomes part of Woods’s developing political world.
2. Run Before the Wind (1983): Young Will Lee becomes involved in danger surrounding sailing, Ireland, and people whose political and criminal interests collide.
3. Deep Lie (1986): Intelligence activity in Europe and Soviet military planning draw Will’s world into a Cold War conspiracy.
4. Grass Roots (1989): Will enters a major political campaign while racial violence and hidden crimes from the South complicate his rise.
5. The Run (2000): Senator Will Lee launches a presidential campaign and becomes the target of extremists determined to prevent him from reaching the White House.
6. Capital Crimes (2003): President Will Lee faces a killer targeting political figures while federal investigators race to identify the pattern.
7. Mounting Fears (2009): President Lee confronts crises surrounding a new vice president, international tensions, and political secrets capable of destabilizing his administration.

Will Lee later appears throughout Stone Barrington’s world, so his seven novels provide useful political background even though Stone’s series can be read independently.

Holly Barker’s rise from police chief to intelligence power

1. Orchid Beach (1998): Former Army major Holly Barker becomes police chief in Orchid Beach, Florida, and immediately confronts corruption and violence within the community.
2. Orchid Blues (2001): A violent robbery and personal tragedy pull Holly into an investigation involving extremist criminals and organized planning.
3. Blood Orchid (2002): Holly faces organized crime and dangerous forces operating in and around Orchid Beach as her responsibilities broaden.
4. Iron Orchid (2005): Holly has moved into CIA work and joins the pursuit of former Agency operative Teddy Fay.
5. Hothouse Orchid (2009): Holly returns to Florida and becomes involved in another investigation while balancing her intelligence career with local ties.

Reckless Abandon, a Stone Barrington novel published between Blood Orchid and Iron Orchid, is an important Holly crossover and helps explain her pursuit of Teddy Fay.

Teddy Fay moves from adversary to lead character

Teddy Fay first enters the wider Woods universe as a former CIA operative using disguises and assassination skills outside official authority. Over time he becomes an ally and eventually the protagonist of his own Hollywood-based series.

1. Smooth Operator (2016, with Parnell Hall): Teddy’s dedicated series begins as his talents for disguise and covert action are redirected toward protecting people rather than simply evading capture.
2. The Money Shot (2018, with Parnell Hall): Teddy becomes involved in Hollywood intrigue where money, celebrity, and criminal schemes demand his unusual abilities.
3. Skin Game (2019, with Parnell Hall): Teddy uses deception and disguise against another threat emerging from the entertainment world.
4. Bombshell (2020, with Parnell Hall): A Hollywood production becomes the center of danger as Teddy tries to protect people threatened by a lethal plot.
5. Jackpot (2021, with Bryon Quertermous): Teddy becomes entangled in another high-stakes operation involving money, deception, and people who underestimate him.
6. Obsession (2023, with Brett Battles): Teddy becomes involved in Hollywood danger after a fixation turns threatening and requires his covert skills.
7. Stuart Woods’ Golden Hour (2024, by Brett Battles): Teddy returns in an estate-authorized adventure involving Hollywood clients, hidden enemies, and the identity-shifting skills that define him.
8. Stuart Woods’ Blown Away (2025, by Brett Battles): A Palm Springs birthday celebration turns into a murder investigation after Teddy witnesses a confrontation shortly before one of the participants is found dead.

Ed Eagle’s Santa Fe books

1. Santa Fe Rules (1992): Attorney Ed Eagle becomes involved in murder, Hollywood money, and deception in Santa Fe.
2. Short Straw (2006): Eagle’s dangerous ex-wife Barbara disappears with his money and begins a cat-and-mouse struggle that becomes central to the later books.
3. Santa Fe Dead (2008): Ed again confronts the consequences of Barbara’s schemes while legal and criminal threats surround him.
4. Santa Fe Edge (2010): Barbara’s return forces Ed into another confrontation involving murder, manipulation, and cross-border criminal interests.

Rick Barron’s Hollywood novels

1. The Prince of Beverly Hills (2004): Former Beverly Hills police officer Rick Barron enters the film industry in the 1930s and becomes involved in studio politics, crime, and the machinery of Hollywood power.
2. Beverly Hills Dead (2008): Now established in the movie business, Rick confronts the Red Scare and the House Un-American Activities Committee as friends and colleagues come under political suspicion.

Standalone Stuart Woods novels

1. Under the Lake (1987): A journalist visiting a Georgia lake becomes caught in a mystery involving the past, local secrets, and events that seem impossible to explain.
2. White Cargo (1988): A man’s family is destroyed by drug traffickers, driving him into an international search for revenge.
3. Palindrome (1991): A photographer escapes an abusive relationship and retreats to a Georgia island where family secrets and violence await her.
4. L.A. Times (1993): A writer’s success in Hollywood brings him into the darker side of the entertainment business and organized crime.
5. Dead Eyes (1994): An actress targeted by a stalker finds that wealth and fame offer little protection against someone determined to reach her.
6. Heat (1994): An operative infiltrates an extremist group in the American West and finds himself caught between ideology, violence, and covert objectives.
7. Imperfect Strangers (1995): Two men meet by chance and make a dangerous arrangement that echoes the logic of exchanging murders.
8. Choke (1995): A Florida doctor becomes involved in murder, deception, and relationships where no person’s motives are as simple as they appear.

Stuart Woods’s current series status

Stuart Woods’s own bibliography is complete because he died in July 2022. Stone Barrington and Teddy Fay continue as authorized estate series.

Stuart Woods’ Deep Water is the latest released Stone Barrington novel as of September 10, 2026. Stuart Woods’ Hostile Intent is scheduled for November 17, 2026, with further Brett Battles continuations already announced for 2027.

Questions readers ask when navigating Stuart Woods

What is the first Stone Barrington book?

New York Dead, published in 1991, introduces Stone Barrington.

How many Stone Barrington books are released?

Sixty-seven novels have been released through Stuart Woods’ Deep Water.

Who writes Stone Barrington now?

Brett Battles is the authorized continuation writer for the Stuart Woods estate. He completed Near Miss with Woods and writes the subsequent installments.

Are Holly Barker and Stone Barrington connected?

Yes. Holly crosses extensively into Stone’s series, and Reckless Abandon is particularly important to both character histories.

What is Stuart Woods’s first novel?

Chiefs, published in 1981, was his first novel and began the Will Lee family storyline.

A practical route through the interconnected Woods universe

Start with Chiefs if you want to see the universe develop from the beginning, or go directly to New York Dead if Stone Barrington is your priority. Read Stone in publication order because relationships with Arrington, Peter, Holly Barker, Dino Bacchetti, Teddy Fay, and political figures accumulate over dozens of books.

Keep Holly Barker, Ed Eagle, Rick Barron, and Teddy Fay in their own sequences while recognizing their crossovers. After Near Miss, clearly label the newer Stone and Teddy books as authorized successor-written continuations by Brett Battles rather than novels personally written by Stuart Woods.