The Sailing Thrillers
thriller
Series · thriller
Will Lee
The Will Lee series by Stuart Woods has 7 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Chiefs (1981).
- Books
- 7 books
- First published
- 1981
- Status
- deceased
- Last checked
Start here: Chiefs (1981) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Chiefs
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Chiefs - Book 2:
Run Before the Wind
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Run Before the Wind - Book 3:
Deep Lie
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Deep Lie - Book 4:
Grass Roots
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Grass Roots - Book 5:
The Run
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Run - Book 6:
Capital Crimes
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Capital Crimes - Book 7:
Mounting Fears
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Mounting Fears
About the Will Lee series
Will Lee is a Georgia lawyer and politician -- state legislator, U.S. Attorney, and eventually President of the United States over the course of the series -- introduced in Stuart Woods's Edgar Award-winning debut novel Chiefs (1981), a multi-generational small-town mystery centered on a string of unsolved murders in fictional Delano, Georgia, spanning several decades and three police chiefs before Will, as a young lawyer, helps crack the case. The series that grew out of it follows Will's rise through Georgia and then national politics, mixing legal thriller and political intrigue with the espionage plotting Woods favored throughout his career; by Capital Crimes (2003) Will is a sitting U.S. President navigating both domestic conspiracy and his own past. Mounting Fears (2009) is a direct crossover with Woods's Holly Barker series, pairing Will's presidency with Holly's Secret Service-adjacent security work.
Frequently asked questions
How many Will Lee books are there?
Seven novels, from Chiefs (1981) to Mounting Fears (2009).
What order should I read the Will Lee books in?
Publication order, starting with Chiefs, which won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1982.
Is Mounting Fears part of another series too?
Yes -- it's a direct crossover with Stuart Woods's Holly Barker series, following both characters through the same events.
If you like the Will Lee series
Reading order last verified .