Agatha Raisin
cozy mystery
Series · mystery
Stone Barrington
The Stone Barrington series by Stuart Woods has 69 books and is best read in publication order, starting with New York Dead (1991). The next book, Stuart Woods' Hostile Intent, is due 17 November 2026.
- Books
- 69 books
- First published
- 1991
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: New York Dead (1991) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
New York Dead
Alternative text for cover: Cover of New York Dead - Book 2:
Dirt
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dirt - Book 3:
Dead in the Water
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dead in the Water - Book 4:
Swimming to Catalina
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Swimming to Catalina - Book 5:
Worst Fears Realized
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Worst Fears Realized - Book 6:
L.A. Dead
Alternative text for cover: Cover of L.A. Dead - Book 7:
Cold Paradise
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cold Paradise - Book 8:
The Short Forever
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Short Forever - Book 9:
Dirty Work
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dirty Work - Book 10:
Reckless Abandon
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Reckless Abandon - Book 11:
Two Dollar Bill
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Two Dollar Bill - Book 12:
Dark Harbor
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dark Harbor - Book 13:
Fresh Disasters
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Fresh Disasters - Book 14:
Shoot Him If He Runs
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Shoot Him If He Runs - Book 15:
Hot Mahogany
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hot Mahogany - Book 16:
Loitering with Intent
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Loitering with Intent - Book 17:
Kisser
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Kisser - Book 18:
Lucid Intervals
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Lucid Intervals - Book 19:
Strategic Moves
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Strategic Moves - Book 20:
Bel-Air Dead
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bel-Air Dead - Book 21:
Son of Stone
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Son of Stone - Book 22:
D.C. Dead
Alternative text for cover: Cover of D.C. Dead - Book 23:
Unnatural Acts
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Unnatural Acts - Book 24:
Severe Clear
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Severe Clear - Book 25:
Collateral Damage
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Collateral Damage - Book 26:
Unintended Consequences
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Unintended Consequences - Book 27:
Doing Hard Time
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Doing Hard Time - Book 28:
Standup Guy
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Standup Guy - Book 29:
Carnal Curiosity
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Carnal Curiosity - Book 30:
Cut and Thrust
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cut and Thrust - Book 31:
Paris Match
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Paris Match - Book 32:
Insatiable Appetites
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Insatiable Appetites - Book 33:
Hot Pursuit
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hot Pursuit - Book 34:
Naked Greed
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Naked Greed - Book 35:
Foreign Affairs
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Foreign Affairs - Book 36:
Scandalous Behavior
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Scandalous Behavior - Book 37:
Family Jewels
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Family Jewels - Book 38:
Dishonorable Intentions
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dishonorable Intentions - Book 39:
Sex, Lies, and Serious Money
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sex, Lies, and Serious Money - Book 40:
Below the Belt
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Below the Belt - Book 41:
Fast and Loose
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Fast and Loose - Book 42:
Indecent Exposure
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Indecent Exposure - Book 43:
Quick & Dirty
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Quick & Dirty - Book 44:
Unbound
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Unbound - Book 45:
Shoot First
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Shoot First - Book 46:
Turbulence
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Turbulence - Book 47:
Desperate Measures
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Desperate Measures - Book 48:
A Delicate Touch
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Delicate Touch - Book 49:
Wild Card
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Wild Card - Book 50:
Contraband
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Contraband - Book 51:
Stealth
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Stealth - Book 52:
Treason
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Treason - Book 53:
Hit List
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hit List - Book 54:
Choppy Water
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Choppy Water - Book 55:
Shakeup
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Shakeup - Book 56:
Hush-Hush
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hush-Hush - Book 57:
Double Jeopardy
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Double Jeopardy - Book 58:
Class Act
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Class Act - Book 59:
Foul Play
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Foul Play - Book 60:
Criminal Mischief
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Criminal Mischief - Book 61:
A Safe House
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Safe House - Book 62:
Black Dog
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Black Dog - Book 63:
Distant Thunder
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Distant Thunder - Book 64:
Near Miss
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Near Miss - Book 65:
Stuart Woods' Smolder
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Stuart Woods' Smolder - Book 66:
Stuart Woods' Finders Keepers
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Stuart Woods' Finders Keepers - Book 67:
Stuart Woods' Deep Water
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Stuart Woods' Deep Water - Book 68:
Stuart Woods' Hostile Intent
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Stuart Woods' Hostile Intent - Book 69:
Stuart Woods' Fool Proof
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Stuart Woods' Fool Proof
About the Stone Barrington series
Stone Barrington is a former NYPD homicide detective turned Manhattan attorney whose real career is trouble: expensive trouble, glamorous trouble, and a body count most law firms would find alarming. Introduced in New York Dead (1991), Stone left the force after a shooting left him with a permanent limp and a pension, and was pulled into private practice by his old partner Dino Bacchetti (who stayed a cop and became his lifelong friend and NYPD contact) and the powerful law firm Woodman & Weld, which uses him for the cases too delicate or too well-connected for its regular partners. What follows across six-plus decades of books is less a detective series than a lifestyle fantasy with a body count: Stone accumulates houses, airplanes, cars, tailored suits, and an ever-revolving cast of glamorous women alongside the actual plots, which mix legal thriller, espionage, and old-fashioned New York crime as Stone's connections (to the CIA, to old money, to Held Barrington family wealth inherited mid-series) pull him into ever-higher stakes.
Stuart Woods wrote the first 63 novels over three decades, developing an easily recognizable house style: short chapters, brisk dialogue, a lot of fine dining and private aviation, and a plot engine built more on incident and connection than deep mystery-plotting. Several other Woods series -- Holly Barker, Ed Eagle, the Rick Barron novels, and the Teddy Fay books -- share Stone's world and cross over with him directly. Woods died in July 2022 partway through what became Near Miss (2023), which credits both Woods and Brett Battles, the thriller novelist who finished it and has written every Stone Barrington novel since under the 'Stuart Woods' name and estate, continuing the character, cast and template with the Woods estate's blessing.
Frequently asked questions
How many Stone Barrington books are there?
69 novels are published or formally announced as of August 2026, running from New York Dead (1991) through the forthcoming Stuart Woods' Fool Proof (March 2027).
What order should I read the Stone Barrington books in?
Publication order, starting with New York Dead (1991). The series is heavily serialized around Stone's relationships and status, so reading in sequence matters even though most individual cases are self-contained.
Who writes Stone Barrington now that Stuart Woods has died?
Brett Battles has written every novel since Stuart Woods's death in July 2022. He co-completed Near Miss (2023), which Woods left unfinished, and has written every entry since solo, published under the 'Stuart Woods' name with the blessing of the Woods estate.
When did Stuart Woods die?
Stuart Woods died in July 2022, partway through writing Near Miss, which Brett Battles completed.
Is the Stone Barrington series finished?
No, it is ongoing under Brett Battles. Stuart Woods' Hostile Intent is due November 2026 and Stuart Woods' Fool Proof is announced for March 2027.
If you like the Stone Barrington series
Reading order last verified .