How To Watch The Jesse Stone Movies In Order

You may know him best as the leading man behind the original "Magnum P.I." and his later role as Frank Reagan on "Blue Bloods," but Tom Selleck — who has his heart set on retiring after "Blue Bloods" is over — has made a name for himself as another TV lawman that has soared in television ratings and won the hearts of older viewers: Jesse Stone. Originally appearing in a series of mystery novels by author Robert B. Parker, the character first hit television screens in 2005 in the made-for-TV feature "Jesse Stone: Stone Cold." A fun blend of cop drama and detective mystery, the "Jesse Stone" flicks are generally faithful adaptations to the source material. 

"Stone Cold" effectively kickstarted a series of subsequent television flicks (there are nine of them now) that Selleck himself has been overjoyed to make. "I am not going to do it for a payday," the actor once told Parade, revealing his intention to keep making more "Jesse Stone" adventures at the time. Parker himself once said, "Tom [Selleck] nails the character," which is about what you'd expect. But what's the best order to watch these made-for-TV mysteries? Well, there are a few different ways one could watch Jesse Stone, but whichever way you choose, know that you're in good hands. 

Traditionally speaking, release order is often the easiest way to break into any new franchise, especially when there are more than a few entries under its belt. In the case of the Jesse Stone movies, this is certainly true. For a while there, CBS was putting out about one "Jesse Stone" flick a year until a hiatus divorced the series from the network. In 2015, the Hallmark Channel took over for the final installment. Here's the order in which the films were first released on television.

• "Jesse Stone: Stone Cold" (2005)
• "Jesse Stone: Night Passage" (2006)
• "Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise" (2006)
• "Jesse Stone: Sea Change" (2007)
• "Jesse Stone: Thin Ice" (2009)
• "Jesse Stone: No Remorse" (2010)
• "Jesse Stone: Innocence Lost" (2011)
• "Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt" (2012)
• "Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise" (2015)

With nine entries so far in the "Jesse Stone" saga (the same number of novels Robert B. Parker wrote for the character), the release order may be the most straightforward way to jump into this mystery franchise. However, it's not the only way to do so.

One might think that the "Jesse Stone" flicks are automatically in chronological order. That's a common mistake, but that assumption would be wrong. It's unclear why "Stone Cold" was adapted first since the novel traditionally takes place after "Night Passage," but that's what happened. The second film, which is technically a prequel, better establishes Jesse's drinking problem and why he left California for New England in the first place. Thus, some viewers might want to swap the first two entries upon viewing. Here's how the films are arranged chronologically in-universe.

• "Jesse Stone: Night Passage" (2006)
• "Jesse Stone: Stone Cold" (2005)
• "Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise" (2006)
• "Jesse Stone: Sea Change" (2007)
• "Jesse Stone: Thin Ice" (2009)
• "Jesse Stone: No Remorse" (2010)
• "Jesse Stone: Innocence Lost" (2011)
• "Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt" (2012)
• "Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise" (2015)

If the "Jesse Stone" films (and the fact many of Tom Selleck's best TV and movie roles have him playing lawmen) appeal to you, then it's certainly worth checking out Robert B. Parker's original mystery novels as well. First published in 1997, "Night Passage" kicked off the Jesse Stone saga. Due to Parker's death in 2010, the Jesse Stone story has continued with new authors in his place, including Michael Brandman, Reed Farrel Coleman, and Mike Lupica. Here's the order in which one should read the complete "Jesse Stone" catalog:

• "Night Passage" (1997) by Robert B. Parker
• "Trouble In Paradise" (1998) by Robert B. Parker
• "Death In Paradise" (2001) by Robert B. Parker
• "Stone Cold" (2003) by Robert B. Parker
• "Sea Change" (2006) by Robert B. Parker
• "High Profile" (2007) by Robert B. Parker
• "Stranger In Paradise" (2008) by Robert B. Parker
• "Night And Day" (2009) by Robert B. Parker
• "Split Image" (2010) by Robert B. Parker
• "Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues" (2011) by Michael Brandman
• "Robert B. Parker's Fool Me Twice" (2012) by Michael Brandman
• "Robert B. Parker's Damned If You Do" (2013) by Michael Brandman
• "Robert B. Parker's Blind Spot" (2014) by Reed Farrel Coleman
• "Robert B. Parker's The Devil Wins" (2015) by Reed Farrel Coleman
• "Robert B. Parker's Debt To Pay" (2016) by Reed Farrel Coleman
• "Robert B. Parker's The Hangman's Sonnet" (2017) by Reed Farrel Coleman
• "Robert B. Parker's Colorblind" (2018) by Reed Farrel Coleman
• "Robert B. Parker's The Bitterest Pill" (2019) by Reed Farrel Coleman
• "Robert B. Parker's Fool's Paradise" (2020) by Mike Lupica
• "Robert B. Parker's Stone's Throw" (2021) by Mike Lupica
• "Robert B. Parker's Fallout" (2022) by Mike Lupica

As one can tell based on the titles, not every "Jesse Stone" movie is actually based on a book. After the fourth film, "Sea Change," all subsequent installments were original stories penned directly by Tom Selleck himself, with help from co-writer (and Parker's immediate successor) Michael Brandman.

Given that we haven't had a new "Jesse Stone" movie since 2015 or a book since 2022, fans have been wondering if that's it for the beloved Paradise police chief. A soft fade into the background isn't quite the sort of ending anyone expected for the character, and fans of the books and Tom Selleck films want more. Thankfully, we have some good news.

Following the release of the last picture, "Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise," in 2015, Selleck revealed to the Wall Street Journal that Hallmark bought the rights to two movies. The actor also confirmed that, so long as he can physically play the character, he aims to keep doing so, which is good news for fans. Unfortunately, "Blue Bloods" kept Selleck from Jesse Stone for years, but now that CBS' premiere cop drama is officially ending (which Selleck has his own thoughts about), it may just be time to return to Paradise. "If 'Blue Bloods' doesn't [get uncanceled], there is room for a Jesse Stone because I've written them," the actor told Parade in 2024. "I love Jesse. And he'd be different. He's older. It's been a while since the last one."

Book fans ought also to rejoice, as Penguin Random House has confirmed that the 22nd entry in the Jesse Stone novels, "Robert B. Parker's Buried Secrets" by series newcomer Christopher Farnsworth, is set to hit bookshelves in February 2025. We may have waited ten long years, but it seems as if a Jesse Stone renaissance has finally begun.

If this has all gotten you excited about seeing Tom Selleck as Paradise police chief Jesse Stone, then you ought to head over to Prime Video to start your next binge. All nine films in the saga are available for streaming (and rent and purchase) on Amazon's platform, but that's not the only place. You can also stream each installment on The Roku Channel.

• "Jesse Stone: Stone Cold" (2005) on Prime Video and The Roku Channel
• "Jesse Stone: Night Passage" (2006) on Prime Video and The Roku Channel
• "Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise" (2006) on Prime Video and The Roku Channel
• "Jesse Stone: Sea Change" (2007) on Prime Video and The Roku Channel
• "Jesse Stone: Thin Ice" (2009) on Prime Video and The Roku Channel
• "Jesse Stone: No Remorse" (2010) on Prime Video and The Roku Channel
• "Jesse Stone: Innocence Lost" (2011) on Prime Video and The Roku Channel
• "Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt" (2012) on Prime Video and The Roku Channel
• "Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise" (2015) on Prime Video and The Roku Channel