Reading Order
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Start with New York Dead and continue through all 64 books in the listed reading order.
About This Series
The Stone Barrington series, crafted by the talented Stuart Woods, is a captivating collection of novels that delves into the world of crime, intrigue, and the high-stakes life of a former NYPD detective turned attorney. With its blend of mystery and adventure, this series has garnered a loyal following, offering readers a thrilling escape into the glamorous yet dangerous realms of New York City and beyond.
What makes the Stone Barrington series truly special is its ability to weave complex narratives filled with rich characters and unexpected twists. Each book not only unravels a new mystery but also explores themes of justice, morality, and the intricacies of human relationships. Ideal for readers who enjoy a fast-paced narrative infused with wit and sophistication, this series has something for everyone—from mystery aficionados to those drawn to the allure of legal drama and the high life.
Starting with Book 1, "New York Dead," is essential for diving into the series as it establishes the foundation of Stone Barrington's character and backstory. While each book can be enjoyed independently, the character development and overarching storylines benefit from experiencing the series in order, allowing readers to fully appreciate the evolution of Barrington and the recurring cast of characters.
Thought leaders like Michael Pollan and Stewart Brand have recommended the Stone Barrington series for its engaging storytelling and its exploration of themes that resonate with today's readers. Entrepreneurs and creative thinkers will find Woods's work not only entertaining but also reflective of the complexities of modern life, making it a perfect addition to any reading list.
Start Here
Start with New York Dead
Book 1 by Stuart Woods
Use the reading order above to move through the series in the intended sequence.
Complete List
Stone Barrington reading order
Ends with Deep Water
- 1
Book 1:New York Dead
Stuart Woods
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- 2
Book 2:Dirt
Stuart Woods • 2 recommendations
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- 3
Book 3:Dead in the Water
Stuart Woods
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- 4
Book 4:Swimming to Catalina
Stuart Woods
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- 5
Book 5:Worst Fears Realized
Stuart Woods • 1999
Stone Barrington thinks he has seen every kind of scam, until a new client pulls him into a plan with deadly consequences. With enemies closing in, he has to pick allies carefully and move faster than the people hunti...
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Book 6:L.A. Dead
Stuart Woods
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Book 7:Cold Paradise
Stuart Woods • 2001
A supposedly peaceful getaway becomes anything but when Stone Barrington lands in a beautiful place with a nasty underside. A sudden crime makes him the person asking the wrong questions, and the answers come with rea...
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Book 8:The Short Forever
Stuart Woods • 2002
Stone is pulled into a politically sensitive mess that reaches far beyond the courtroom. As powerful people scramble to control the story, he has to protect his client and himself while figuring out who is really call...
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Book 9:Dirty Work
Stuart Woods • 2003
Stone Barrington gets handed a job that looks straightforward, until it drifts into murder, betrayal, and a disappearing act. With friends in law enforcement at his side, he follows the trail through New York’s elite.
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Book 10:Reckless Abandon
Stuart Woods • 2004
Stone Barrington agrees to help Holly Barker track a dangerous fugitive, and the chase pulls them into New York’s darker corners. With the clock running, they have to spot the trap before it snaps shut.
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Book 11:Two Dollar Bill
Stuart Woods • 2004
Stone takes on a new client with deep pockets and deeper secrets, and the case quickly turns personal. The closer he gets to the truth, the more he realizes someone is determined to keep him from finishing the story.
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Book 12:Dark Harbor
Stuart Woods
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Book 13:Fresh Disasters
Stuart Woods • 2007
Stone Barrington’s plans go sideways when a new problem comes with a familiar pattern: charm first, trouble second. As the stakes rise, he has to decide who he can trust, and whether he’s already too late.
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Book 14:Shoot Him If He Runs
Stuart Woods • 2007
A fugitive on the move, a deadline, and enemies who don’t play by the rules, that’s a typical week for Stone Barrington. Tracking the target means stepping into a fight where the wrong move could end everything.
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Book 15:Hot Mahogany
Stuart Woods • 2008
Stone thinks he’s taking on a simple assignment, until it drags him into a dangerous circle of wealth and obsession. With a new romance in the mix, he has to keep his head clear long enough to survive the fallout.
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Book 16:Loitering with Intent
Stuart Woods • 2009
Stone Barrington meets a client who seems to have it all, and quickly learns that appearances are expensive. The job pulls him into a web of betrayal, and the people around Stone start getting hurt.
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Book 17:Kisser
Stuart Woods • 2009
Stone gets tangled in a case where the crime is brazen and the motive is slippery. As pressure mounts from every side, he leans on his instincts as a former cop to spot the pattern before it’s too late.
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Book 18:Lucid Intervals
Stuart Woods • 2010
Stone Barrington is drawn into a situation that feels almost unreal, until the threat turns physical. With enemies circling and motives unclear, he tries to stay one step ahead of a plot meant to throw him off balance.
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Book 19:Strategic Moves
Stuart Woods • 2010
A high-stakes chess game plays out around Stone Barrington, with clients, rivals, and hidden agendas moving at once. One wrong alliance could cost him everything, and the people pulling strings are better at it than h...
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Book 20:Bel-Air Dead
Stuart Woods • 2011
Stone heads to Bel-Air and finds the kind of trouble that comes with big houses and bigger secrets. As a murder investigation closes in, he realizes someone is using him as a pawn, and the next move could be fatal.
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Book 21:Son of Stone
Stuart Woods • 2011
Stone Barrington faces a threat that hits close to home, with someone targeting his world from the inside out. As his circle tightens, he has to act fast, because the enemy isn’t interested in second chances.
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Book 22:D.C. Dead
Stuart Woods • 2011
Washington, D.C. brings Stone into a world where favors are currency and secrets have bodyguards. When a case turns violent, he has to move through politics and paranoia to find the person behind it.
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Book 23:Unnatural Acts
Stuart Woods • 2012
Stone is pulled into a scandal that turns into something much darker. The deeper he digs, the more he learns that some people will do anything to keep their private lives private, including making sure Stone doesn’t w...
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Book 24:Severe Clear
Stuart Woods • 2012
Stone Barrington tries to keep a new situation under control, but the danger escalates with every step. With enemies circling and allies stretched thin, he has to figure out what’s real and what’s a setup before time...
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Book 25:Collateral Damage
Stuart Woods • 2012
A mission that starts as a favor spirals into a chain reaction of threats and unintended victims. Stone has to balance loyalty with survival, and he quickly learns that one mistake can hit everyone he knows.
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Book 26:Unintended Consequences
Stuart Woods • 2013
Stone thinks he’s cleaned up one mess, only to discover it was connected to something bigger. Old grudges and new money collide, and the consequences land right on his doorstep.
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Book 27:Doing Hard Time
Stuart Woods • 2013
Stone Barrington finds himself locked in and cut off, surrounded by people who would love to see him fail. To get out alive, he has to outthink both the system and the criminals who control it.
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Book 28:Standup Guy
Stuart Woods • 2014
Stone returns to his favorite places to relax, and quickly discovers someone else has plans for his time. A new scheme puts his friends in the crosshairs, and Stone has to hit back before the joke is on him.
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Book 29:Carnal Curiosity
Stuart Woods • 2014
A glamorous world and a brutal crime collide when Stone takes a closer look at a case that won’t behave. As the pressure rises, he has to stay focused on the facts, because someone is counting on distraction.
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Book 30:Cut and Thrust
Stuart Woods • 2014
Stone Barrington’s next adventure comes with charm and sharp edges. A new entanglement leads him into a dangerous mix of money, influence, and sudden violence, and he has to cut through the noise before he becomes the...
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Book 31:Paris Match
Stuart Woods • 2014
Stone’s trip to Paris should be all good food and good company, until a threat follows him overseas. In a city built on secrets, he has to figure out who is playing him, and why the stakes feel so personal.
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Book 32:Insatiable Appetites
Stuart Woods • 2015
Stone’s world of rich friends and risky favors takes another sharp turn when a new job comes with too many temptations. The deal looks sweet, but the people behind it are hungry for something far more dangerous.
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Book 33:Hot Pursuit
Stuart Woods • 2015
Stone Barrington is enjoying the perks of success, including a new private jet, when a high-speed problem lands in his lap. The chase pulls him across borders and into a plot that won’t slow down.
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Book 34:Naked Greed
Stuart Woods • 2015
Stone helps a Texas friend launch a new beer, and the celebration doesn’t last long. Competition turns nasty, bodies start to appear, and Stone has to find who is behind the sabotage before it hits again.
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Book 35:Foreign Affairs
Stuart Woods • 2015
Stone’s work takes him to Rome, where a glamorous invitation quickly turns into a dangerous obligation. With criminals and power brokers watching his every move, he has to solve the problem fast and get out intact.
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Book 36:Scandalous Behavior
Stuart Woods • 2016
Stone travels to England and winds up in the middle of arson and murder. With local police suspicious and the real culprit bold, he has to unravel the case before the chaos spreads.
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Book 37:Family Jewels
Stuart Woods • 2016
A wealthy divorcee hires Stone Barrington to handle a delicate problem involving her family’s jewels. What starts as protection turns into a sharper kind of threat, and Stone has to figure out who wants the fortune.
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Book 38:Dishonorable Intentions
Stuart Woods • 2016
Stone Barrington makes a powerful enemy who refuses to stay in the past. As attacks come from unexpected angles, Stone and his friends have to spot the betrayal and shut the threat down before it turns lethal.
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Book 39:Sex, Lies & Serious Money
Stuart Woods • 2016
Stone gets pulled into a scandal where sex and money are used as weapons, and the people involved are experts at hiding their tracks. To protect his client, he has to follow the lies to the source.
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Book 40:Below the Belt
Stuart Woods • 2017
A favor for a friend drags Stone into another high-end mess, with someone fighting dirty from the start. The hits keep coming below the belt, and Stone has to strike back without losing the people he’s trying to protect.
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Book 41:Fast and Loose
Stuart Woods • 2017
A late-night collision between two yachts sets off a chain of suspicion, blame, and violence, and Stone Barrington can’t resist digging in. The investigation pulls him into waterfront power games where the truth is sl...
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Book 42:Indecent Exposure
Stuart Woods • 2017
Stone Barrington tries to help a client keep a private life private, but the situation turns into blackmail and danger. As secrets spread, Stone learns someone is using them as leverage, and they won’t stop at embarra...
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Book 43:Quick & Dirty
Stuart Woods • 2017
When a Van Gogh painting is stolen, Stone Barrington is drawn into a fast-moving hunt that mixes art, greed, and hard criminals. The job looks simple, until it’s clear the thieves planned for every move.
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Book 45:Shoot First
Stuart Woods • 2018
Stone heads to Key West expecting an easy stretch, then a tech-fueled problem follows him from Silicon Valley to Florida. When someone winds up dead, he has to move quickly, because the killer isn’t waiting for questi...
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Book 46:Turbulence
Stuart Woods • 2018
A massive storm hits Florida just as Stone Barrington and his friends are trying to keep a low profile. In the chaos of Hurricane Irma, a new crime takes shape, and Stone has to separate bad luck from a trap.
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Book 48:A Delicate Touch
Stuart Woods • 2018
Stone thinks he’s handling a delicate favor, until it turns into a dangerous test of loyalty. The people involved have polished manners and sharp knives, and Stone has to keep his touch light while he digs out the truth.
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Book 49:Wild Card
Stuart Woods • 2019
A chance encounter becomes a wild card in Stone Barrington’s carefully managed life. When a new player enters the game with a hidden agenda, Stone has to learn the rules fast, because the penalty for losing is permanent.
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Book 50:Contraband
Stuart Woods • 2019
Stone Barrington is drawn into a case that starts with contraband and ends with violence. As he follows the trail, he runs into criminals who are better organized than expected, and he has to decide whether to fight o...
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Book 51:Stealth
Stuart Woods • 2019
Stone Barrington faces an enemy who prefers stealth over headlines. The attacks are quiet, the motives are murky, and Stone has to rely on his instincts and his contacts to find the source before the next strike lands.
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Book 52:Treason
Stuart Woods • 2020
A whisper of treason pulls Stone Barrington into a world of spies, double-crosses, and people who know how to vanish. He has to find out who is betraying whom, while making sure he isn’t the one left holding the bag.
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Book 53:Hit List
Stuart Woods • 2020
Stone learns that someone has a hit list, and his name is too close for comfort. With friends helping him connect the dots, he has to stop the killer before the list gets any shorter.
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Book 54:Choppy Water
Stuart Woods • 2020
Stone Barrington is forced to navigate choppy water, both literal and personal, when a new problem erupts during what should have been a smooth trip. The danger comes in waves, and Stone has to keep his balance.
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Book 55:Shakeup
Stuart Woods • 2020
A shakeup hits Stone’s world when a sudden event changes who has power and who is exposed. As the dust settles, he finds himself in the middle of a fight he didn’t start, and the new rules are brutal.
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Book 56:Hush-Hush
Stuart Woods • 2020
A hush-hush assignment pulls Stone into a situation where nobody wants paper trails and everyone has leverage. The secrecy makes it hard to know who is on his side, and one wrong call could turn a quiet job into disas...
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Book 57:Double Jeopardy
Stuart Woods • 2021
Stone Barrington takes on a case with double jeopardy written all over it, legally and personally. As the same danger surfaces twice, he has to keep his client safe and keep himself from becoming collateral.
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Book 58:Class Act
Stuart Woods • 2021
In a world of private jets and private grudges, Stone Barrington runs into someone who may be too good to be true. As trouble spreads through his social circle, he has to uncover what’s being hidden behind good manners.
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Book 60:Criminal Mischief
Stuart Woods • 2021
Stone Barrington runs into criminal mischief that starts small and quickly turns dangerous. A seemingly minor incident points to a bigger scheme, and Stone has to move before he becomes the easiest loose end to cut.
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Book 61:A Safe House
Stuart Woods • 2022
When a threat forces someone close to Stone Barrington into a safe house, he learns that hiding is its own kind of trap. With enemies pressing in, Stone has to turn protection into a counterattack before the walls close.
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Book 62:Black Dog
Stuart Woods • 2022
Stone Barrington’s quiet moment is interrupted by a problem that won’t let go. As he chases answers, he realizes the threat is tied to someone who knows his habits, and is using them against him.
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Book 63:Distant Thunder
Stuart Woods • 2022
Distant thunder turns into real trouble for Stone Barrington when a new case arrives with warnings he can’t ignore. The danger feels far off at first, then hits close, and Stone has to decide how much he’s willing to...
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Book 64:Near Miss
Stuart Woods • 2023
Stone Barrington survives a near miss, then realizes it wasn’t an accident. Tracking who took the shot leads him into a fresh tangle of wealth, crime, and secrets, and the only way out is straight through.
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Book 65:Smolder
Laurell K. Hamilton • 2023
Engaged to Jean-Claude, Anita Blake is trying to plan a wedding—until a brutal murder links to the nationwide Sunshine Murders. As an ancient evil moves against the vampire king, Anita and her triumvirate must face a...
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Book 66:Finders Keepers
Stuart Woods • 2025
Stone Barrington tries to help a friend, only to find himself caught between an old ally and a secret enemy who has been waiting for the right moment. As threats escalate, Stone has to protect his circle and expose th...
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Book 67:Deep Water
Stuart Woods • 2026
After a series of brutal attacks hits people connected to Stone Barrington, he and his allies decide to strike back. The search pulls him into deeper water, where the enemy has planned for every move and wants Stone f...
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Stone Barrington FAQ
What is the best order to read the Stone Barrington series?
The recommended reading order is the numbered order shown on this page, starting with New York Dead.
How many books are in the Stone Barrington series?
There are 64 books currently listed in the Stone Barrington series on GurusReads.
Where should I start with the Stone Barrington series?
New readers should start with New York Dead, the first book in the reading order.
Is the Stone Barrington series complete?
Based on the publication years we have, the series appears possibly ongoing and spans releases from 1999 to 2026.