Stuart Woods Books in Order
Browse every Stuart Woods book in order, with quick summaries, guides to Stone Barrington and other series, and simple advice on where to start.
Last updated: January 12, 2026
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Publication Order
104 books
Deep Water
by 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 finished.
Finders Keepers
by 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 the unseen hand.
Smolder
by Stuart Woods
2024
Stone Barrington is in Santa Fe for a friend’s art exhibition when the event collides with a ring of art thieves. A death turns the evening into a hunt, and Stone has to find who’s playing the long game before he’s next.
Golden Hour
by Stuart Woods
2024
Teddy Fay joins a European press tour as cover when the CIA asks him to investigate agent murders tied to a decades-old mission called Golden Hour. From Venice to Berlin, he has to stay ahead of assassins while uncovering who wants revenge.
Obsession
by Stuart Woods
2023
While Centurion Studios is filming on location in Santa Barbara, a deal with a young Croatian billionaire goes sideways when the man’s wife is kidnapped. Teddy Fay is brought in to assess the threat, and quickly finds darker forces at work.
Near Miss
by 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.
Distant Thunder
by 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 risk.
Black Dog
by 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.
An Extravagant Life
by Stuart Woods
2022
In this memoir, Stuart Woods looks back on a life that included advertising, years in Ireland, sailing races, flying, and a decades-long writing career. He shares how those adventures fed his fiction and what it took to keep producing new books.
A Safe House
by 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.
Jackpot
by Stuart Woods
2021
When Centurion executives come under threat at a film festival, Teddy Fay is lured to Macau to fix the problem. Among casinos and luxury deals, he finds a darker web of crime and politics, and the enemy may be closer than he thinks.
Foul Play
by Stuart Woods
2021
What looks like bad luck turns into foul play, and Stone Barrington can’t ignore it. The case forces him to dig into motives that don’t add up, and the closer he gets, the more someone wants him to stop.
Double Jeopardy
by 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.
Criminal Mischief
by 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.
Class Act
by 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.
Treason
by 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.
Shakeup
by 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.
Hush-Hush
by 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 disaster.
Hit List
by 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.
Choppy Water
by 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.
Bombshell
by Stuart Woods
2020
Back in Hollywood, Teddy Fay has to neutralize a nasty rumor campaign aimed at a rising Centurion star. At the same time, someone with a grudge comes after him personally, turning a publicity problem into a fight for survival.
Wild Card
by 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.
Stealth
by 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.
Skin Game
by Stuart Woods
2019
A freelance assignment sends Teddy Fay to Paris to track a treasonous criminal, but the puzzle refuses to fit. The deeper he digs, the more he uncovers layers of secrets and a threat that reaches far beyond one target.
Contraband
by 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 or disappear.
Unbound
by Stuart Woods
2018
Former CIA operative Teddy Fay takes center stage under a Hollywood alias, and Stone Barrington gets pulled into the fallout. A kidnapping and a deeper conspiracy force them to act fast, because the people behind it don’t negotiate.
Turbulence
by 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.
The Money Shot
by Stuart Woods
2018
Teddy Fay is working on a Centurion Studios film when the lead actress is blackmailed and the studio becomes a takeover target. Teddy’s mix of spy skills and show-business access makes him the one person who can stop the extortion in time.
Shoot First
by 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 questions.
Desperate Measures
by Stuart Woods
2018
With time short and options shrinking, Stone Barrington takes desperate measures to protect someone close to him. The plan only works if he can stay ahead of powerful enemies who are used to buying results.
A Delicate Touch
by 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.
Quick & Dirty
by 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.
Indecent Exposure
by 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 embarrassment.
Fast and Loose
by 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 slippery.
Below the Belt
by 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.
Barely Legal
by Stuart Woods
2017
Young lawyer Herbie Fisher is called in at the last minute to defend a client in a high-pressure New York case. Going up against a ruthless real-estate developer, Herbie’s law-school smarts are tested by threats that don’t follow rules.
Smooth Operator
by Stuart Woods
2016
Former CIA operative Teddy Fay has remade himself as a Hollywood fixer, until a new job pulls him back into espionage. Working alongside Stone Barrington, he has to use disguises and dirty tricks to stop a threat at the source.
Sex, Lies & Serious Money
by 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.
Scandalous Behavior
by 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.
Family Jewels
by 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.
Dishonorable Intentions
by 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.
Naked Greed
by 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.
Insatiable Appetites
by 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.
Hot Pursuit
by 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.
Foreign Affairs
by 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.
Standup Guy
by 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.
Paris Match
by 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.
Cut and Thrust
by 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 target.
Carnal Curiosity
by 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.
Unintended Consequences
by 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.
Doing Hard Time
by 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.
Unnatural Acts
by 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 walk away.
Severe Clear
by 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 runs out.
Collateral Damage
by 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.
Son of Stone
by 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.
D.C. Dead
by 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.
Bel-Air Dead
by 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.
Strategic Moves
by 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 he expects.
Santa Fe Edge
by Stuart Woods
2010
Ed Eagle is hired for a case that takes him to the edge, ethically, legally, and physically. The Southwest setting may look calm, but the people involved are ruthless, and Ed has to stay sharp to survive.
Lucid Intervals
by 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.
Loitering with Intent
by 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.
Kisser
by 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.
Hothouse Orchid
by Stuart Woods
2009
Holly Barker is pulled into a new case that mixes high-level threats with the hazards of everyday life in Orchid Beach. When an international plot brushes too close to home, she has to protect her town without becoming the target.
Santa Fe Dead
by Stuart Woods
2008
A murder in Santa Fe puts Ed Eagle back in the middle of an investigation where the legal system and local power don’t always agree. As he builds a defense, he uncovers secrets that make him the next target.
Mounting Fears
by Stuart Woods
2008
President Will Lee is confronted with a fast-moving threat that could turn deadly on American soil. With limited time and shifting information, he has to make hard calls before the next attack is already in motion.
Hot Mahogany
by 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.
Beverly Hills Dead
by Stuart Woods
2008
Rick Barron is deeper into studio life now, and a new death threatens to explode into scandal. Following clues through backlots and Beverly Hills mansions, he learns that in Hollywood, the cover-up can be the most dangerous part.
Shoot Him If He Runs
by 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.
Fresh Disasters
by 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.
Short Straw
by Stuart Woods
2006
Ed Eagle thinks he’s back on steady ground, until a new client and a new case drag him into danger. With Santa Fe gossip swirling and his personal life still complicated, he has to fight for the truth in and out of court.
Dark Harbor
by Stuart Woods
2006
A trip north drops Stone into a coastal world where old money and old grudges still matter. When violence erupts, he has to navigate small-town loyalties and big-city enemies, and the line between them keeps shifting.
Iron Orchid
by Stuart Woods
2005
Now working with the CIA, Holly Barker is sent after a master of disguise who keeps slipping away. The hunt takes her far from small-town Florida, and one mistake could make her the next casualty.
Two Dollar Bill
by 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.
The Prince of Beverly Hills
by Stuart Woods
2004
In 1940s Hollywood, former cop Rick Barron takes a job running security at Centurion Studios. When a star is killed and the studio wants it buried, Rick has to investigate in a world where everyone is acting, and some are deadly.
Reckless Abandon
by 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.
Dirty Work
by 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.
Capital Crimes
by Stuart Woods
2003
Newly in the White House, President Will Lee faces a crisis that mixes national security with personal risk. With CIA director Kate Lee close to the action, he has to expose the conspiracy before it topples his administration.
The Short Forever
by 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 calling the shots.
Blood Orchid
by Stuart Woods
2002
A tempting real-estate deal and a dangerous new relationship pull Holly Barker into a world she doesn’t control. As violence closes in and the wrong people take an interest, she has to decide how much risk she’s willing to live with.
Orchid Blues
by Stuart Woods
2001
Holly Barker is still reeling when her fiancé is killed in a shootout, and the case refuses to stay simple. Back in Orchid Beach, she follows a trail of dirty money and local secrets that turns painfully personal.
Cold Paradise
by 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 real consequences.
L.A. Dead
by Stuart Woods
2000
Stone’s work takes him to Los Angeles, where a favor for a friend turns into a murder investigation. In a city built on image, everyone has a story, and Stone needs the right one before he becomes the fall guy.
Worst Fears Realized
by 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 hunting him.
Swimming to Catalina
by Stuart Woods
1998
Stone heads west when a glamorous problem leads him toward Catalina Island. What looks like a simple search becomes a run through Hollywood egos and organized crime, with Stone caught between cops and crooks.
Orchid Beach
by Stuart Woods
1998
Former Army officer Holly Barker starts over as deputy police chief in Orchid Beach, Florida. When a fellow officer is murdered and corruption surfaces, she has to earn trust fast and stay alive long enough to expose the truth.
Dead in the Water
by Stuart Woods
1997
A trip on the water turns ugly when Stone Barrington stumbles into a crime tied to powerful people. Sorting out who’s lying, and who’s willing to kill again, becomes the only way to get back to shore alive.
Dirt
by Stuart Woods
1996
A high-profile case drops Stone Barrington into a messy tangle of ambition and hidden deals. As he digs for the truth, the danger keeps escalating, and Stone learns how quickly a New York favor can turn lethal.
The Run
by Stuart Woods
1995
Will Lee’s run for higher office puts his family and reputation under attack. As the race heats up, he has to handle political sabotage and threats that don’t stop at the campaign trail.
Imperfect Strangers
by Stuart Woods
1995
Two men trapped in bad marriages meet by chance and make a reckless agreement to remove each other’s problems. The pact seems like talk, until the first murder happens and suspicion starts to close in from every side.
Choke
by Stuart Woods
1995
In Key West, tennis pro Paul St. James begins an affair with the wife of a violent businessman. When the husband turns up dead, Paul becomes an obvious suspect and discovers that paradise is a bad place to run.
Heat
by Stuart Woods
1994
Former DEA agent Dennis Allen is railroaded into prison, then offered a way out: go undercover inside a violent cult in Idaho. Playing the role could clear his name, but one wrong move will get him killed long before the truth comes out.
Dead Eyes
by Stuart Woods
1994
Young Hollywood actress Chris Callaway starts getting unsettling notes signed Admirer. After a fall at her Malibu home leaves her nearly blind, she keeps the injury secret while trying to identify the stalker before the next move turns fatal.
L.A. Times
by Stuart Woods
1993
Small-time hood Vinnie Callabrese reinvents himself in Hollywood as producer Michael Vincent, turning a student film into a hit. Success comes with a body count, and his old life keeps reaching for him, one deadly demand at a time.
Santa Fe Rules
by Stuart Woods
1992
On his fortieth birthday, Santa Fe lawyer Ed Eagle wakes up to find his wife gone and his bank accounts emptied. Looking for answers pulls him into murder, scams, and trouble that follows money across borders.
New York Dead
by Stuart Woods
1991
Stone Barrington, a former NYPD detective, is starting over as a lawyer when a death in his circle pulls him into Manhattan’s mix of money and murder. To survive, he has to learn who he can trust in a city built on secrets.
Palindrome
by Stuart Woods
1990
After a violent assault by her celebrity husband, photographer Liz Barwick disappears to a private island off Georgia to recover and start over. Instead she’s pulled into a string of brutal murders, and the person stalking her may already be nearby.
Grass Roots
by Stuart Woods
1989
Will Lee runs for the U.S. Senate, and the campaign turns into a battle against dirty tricks, buried history, and outright violence. In Georgia politics, winning takes more than speeches, it takes surviving what opponents will do.
White Cargo
by Stuart Woods
1988
Electronics millionaire Wendell 'Cat' Catledge takes his family yachting along the South American coast, until pirates strike and his wife and daughter vanish. Refusing to accept the story he’s given, Cat heads into Colombia’s underworld to get them back.
Under the Lake
by Stuart Woods
1986
Former investigative journalist John Howell retreats to a cabin by a North Georgia lake to work on a book, and walks into a town full of secrets. When local power turns cruel, he has to choose between staying quiet and fighting back.
Deep Lie
by Stuart Woods
1986
CIA analyst Katharine Rule spots a troubling pattern: Russian submarines, a skilled spymaster, and signs of a planned move against Sweden. When her warnings are dismissed, she pushes the truth forward anyway, before the situation explodes.
Run Before the Wind
by Stuart Woods
1983
Will Lee walks away from Southern privilege to spend a quiet summer on Ireland’s coast, dreaming about ships and open water. An explosion of violence drags him into a lethal game of terror and revenge, with secrets buried in the hills.
Chiefs
by Stuart Woods
1981
In a small Georgia town, a string of brutal murders haunts three generations of lawmen. As decades pass and the bodies keep appearing, the local chiefs of police fight to uncover the killer, even when the truth threatens the town itself.
A Romantic's Guide to the Country Inns of Britain and Ireland
by Stuart Woods
1979
Woods tours country inns across Britain and Ireland, sharing practical notes on where to stay, what to expect, and why certain places feel special. It’s a traveler’s guide written with a storyteller’s eye.
Blue Water, Green Skipper
by Stuart Woods
1977
In this memoir, Stuart Woods tells the true story of teaching himself offshore sailing and entering the 1976 Observer Singlehanded Transatlantic Race. It’s part adventure, part crash course, and a clear look at how one race changed his life.
Where should I start?
If you want the classic Stone Barrington mix of law and danger: New York Dead → Dirt → Dead in the Water → Swimming to Catalina
If you want Florida-set police thrillers: Orchid Beach → Orchid Blues → Blood Orchid → Iron Orchid
If you like Southwest courtroom drama: Santa Fe Rules → Short Straw → Santa Fe Dead → Santa Fe Edge
If you prefer political suspense: Chiefs → Grass Roots → The Run → Capital Crimes
If you want spy capers with Hollywood gloss: Smooth Operator → The Money Shot → Skin Game → Bombshell
Author bio
Stuart Woods was born in 1938 in Manchester, Georgia, and he spent his career writing crime and suspense with a strong sense of forward motion. He wrote more than ninety novels, and he’s best known for his debut, Chiefs, and for the long-running Stone Barrington books. Woods died in 2022.
He grew up in Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia in 1959 with a B.A. in sociology. After a short stretch in the Air National Guard, he headed for New York City and went into advertising, a job that taught him pace, dialogue, and how to keep a reader turning the page.
Advertising also took him overseas. He lived and worked in London for several years, then decided he wanted a different kind of life, one with more time to write. He moved to Ireland and kept the lights on by doing commercial work in Dublin while he built a daily writing habit. It was a practical decision as much as a romantic one.
Ireland also turned him into a serious sailor. He learned to race, kept showing up for more, and eventually entered the 1976 Observer Singlehanded Transatlantic Race. That experience became his first published book, Blue Water, Green Skipper, a true story about learning a hard sport the hard way.
A second nonfiction project came from a twist of fate. When a planned yacht-race book didn’t pan out, Woods drove thousands of miles around Britain and Ireland, visiting country inns and restaurants and taking notes. The result was A Romantic's Guide to the Country Inns of Britain and Ireland, which shows the curious, observant side of his writing.
Then he started writing novels and never really stopped.
His first novel, Chiefs, drew on Georgia roots and stories about small-town law enforcement. It won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, and it was adapted as a TV miniseries in the early 1980s. Another early book, Grass Roots, also made it to television as a miniseries a few years later.
By 1991, Woods had launched the character who would define the second half of his career: Stone Barrington, introduced in New York Dead. Stone starts out as a former NYPD detective and becomes a Manhattan lawyer who keeps getting pulled into dangerous, high-dollar problems. Around that core, Woods built out other lanes, like Holly Barker’s Florida-set stories that begin with Orchid Beach, and Ed Eagle’s Southwest legal drama that kicks off in Santa Fe Rules. He also wrote political thrillers built around Will Lee, including Capital Crimes and Mounting Fears, and he enjoyed letting characters cross paths from one series to another.
Sailing and flying show up in his fiction, too.
Off the page, he kept the same appetite for movement. Woods split his time between Key West, Mount Desert Island in Maine, and Santa Fe, and he was also a licensed pilot. He married Jeanmarie Cooper in 2013, and near the end of his life he published An Extravagant Life, a memoir that looks back on the work, travel, and risk-taking that shaped him. Readers often come to Woods for fast chapters, sharp dialogue, and the feeling that a story can jump from a quiet lunch to real trouble in a heartbeat.
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