The Big Picture

• Tom Selleck has portrayed Jesse Stone in nine movies based on Robert B. Parker's novels, even while starring in the TV series Blue Bloods.
• The series follows the New England police chief as he investigates crimes, relying on his canine companions and battling personal struggles, including a drinking problem.
• The Jesse Stone movies have been released over the span of a decade, with the last installment premiering on the Hallmark Channel after high production costs led CBS to end their involvement.

It’s been over seven years since audiences could tune in for Tom Selleck’s latest turn as Jesse Stone in the ongoing series of movies based on Robert B. Parker’s novels. Nine installments in a decade is certainly a respectable run, especially considering a third of them were when Selleck was also a series regular on Blue Bloods. Despite the fact that the character is 35 in his debut novel, decision makers went with 60-year-old Selleck, a household name since the ‘80s thanks to Magnum, P.I. & Three Men and a Baby (among other things), for the role and it’s no mystery why. As for that bountiful police work, well, things can get pretty tough and that’s obviously where the canine companions and a drinking problem come in.

'Jesse Stone' Movies in Order of Release Date

• Stone Cold - February 20, 2005
• Jesse Stone: Night Passage - January 15, 2006
• Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise - April 30, 2006
• Jesse Stone: Sea Change - May 22, 2007
• Jesse Stone: Thin Ice - March 1, 2009
• Jesse Stone: No Remorse - May 9, 2010
• Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost - May 22, 2011
• Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt - May 20, 2012
• Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise - October 18, 2015

'Jesse Stone' Movies in Chronological Order

The second film in the series, Jesse Stone: Night Passage, actually takes place before the series debut, Stone Cold, but going strictly in order of which events take place is obviously up to the viewer. That’s the only jumbling to be found, timeline-wise, so it’s entirely smooth sailing once deciding on where to begin is over with.

Jesse Stone: Night Passage (2006)

After having to leave his position in the LAPD due to alcohol problems, homicide detective Jesse Stone (Selleck) takes the only job he’s being offered - as Police Chief of Paradise, Massachusetts. It’s just Stone and his loyal hound dog, Boomer, on the move, even though he still talks with his ex-wife on the phone regularly. It isn’t long before Stone and his new colleagues, Luther Simpson (Kohl Suddoth), Molly Crane (Viola Davis), and Anthony D’angelo (Vito Rezza) find themselves investigating the murder of one of their own. If that weren’t enough, Stone and local attorney, Abby Taylor (Polly Shannon), begin seeing each other, but their relationship remains largely physical due to various reasons (simply put, Stone has issues).

As for Boomer (insert old people joke here), he doesn’t last long in Paradise before Stone has to put his closest friend to sleep (which doesn't always happen in movies, just often). It’s not the last time in this series he’ll lose a loved one, either. Having Viola Davis on the cast is always an added bonus, as well, even if she’s a background player in Stone’s life. Also, this is very much the kind of tale where a loner cop takes the law into his own hands to some degree and women find something ruggedly alluring about it, against their better judgment, so take it or leave it now, because there’s a lot more to come.

Stone Cold (2005)

A series of seemingly random murders is sweeping through Paradise, leaving residents in fear and Police Chief Stone busier than he’s been in a while. While investigating the first killing with Simpson (or “Suitcase,” as he’s also called), Stone actually takes in the victim’s now homeless golden retriever, Reggie, as he’s just that kind of person. In addition to the murders, Stone and Crane (Davis) look into a high school girl’s rape, because other crimes don’t stop while murderers are running wild.

This installment definitely leans into the kind of serial killer mayhem that TV cop procedurals still love to this day, but Stone Cold doesn’t shove a bunch of torture scenes or extended killing sequences in the viewer’s face as the murderers like to execute their victims via surprise gunshots to the chest. Fun fact, this is the only Jesse Stone movie to have Sylvia Villagran voice his ex-wife, Jenn. Gil Anderson took over the role for every other voice appearance.

Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise (2006)

Stone starts seeing a psychiatrist, Dr. Dix (William Devane), at his ex-wife's suggestion, while newly busy with the murder of a teen girl who was found floating in a lake and a repeat domestic violence offender. Also, the safety of one of Stone’s team is put in jeopardy to the point he might just re-evaluate some of those daily life routines.

After spending the first two movies establishing and then reestablishing Stone’s world, the third installment gets to launch into business. There’s plenty of police work that needs doing and some new characters on the scene who’ll be in the mix for more movies to come (like Dr. Dix and Sister Mary John).

Jesse Stone: Sea Change (2007)

With Luther (Suddoth) still in a coma after being shot in the last film and Molly (Davis) having since left the police force to focus on family, Jesse finds himself without the support team he’s developed the last few years. It’s pretty slow at work, too, which just leaves Jesse with that much more time to drink and hang out with Reggie. There’s an alleged rape of a teenager by an older man on his yacht to tend to, plus Jesse starts looking into a cold case involving a dead bank teller and missing money, which puts him on the map of the mob.

This aptly titled installment features many changes for Jesse and viewers alike. Aside from Viola Davis departing the franchise with a gentle goodbye and Luther waking from his coma possessing a fresh cop-ly intuition, Kathy Baker joins the cast as Rose Gammon, Molly’s replacement. William Sadler also makes his first appearance as mobster Gino Fish, who will become a mainstay from here on out. Despite such seemingly low stakes, this is the only Jesse Stone that yielded Selleck an Emmy nomination for his work.

Jesse Stone: Thin Ice (2009)

Jesse’s friend of the last several years, Captain Healy (Stephen McHattie), is nearly killed in a shooting and Stone makes it his mission to undercover who was behind it. The local town council, however, wants Stone to pump the brakes and focus on solving other crimes, which he of course ignores. There’s also the tragic case of a deceased baby from years who might not be as dead as people thought, but finding light at the end of that tunnel proves to be an impossible task for Stone.

Selleck lends a hand with his second writing credit of the series (Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise being the first) and, as far as notable bits, Deputy D’Angelo is no longer around after being run out by Jesse and Stone sleeps with the Internal Affairs investigator looking into his actions, because of course she does.

Jesse Stone: No Remorse (2010)

Stone isn’t taking the solitude as a result of the suspension he received in the last movie very well, mostly drinking the days away. Captain Healy, still in recovery from the shooting, enlists Stone’s help as a consultant in solving a series of murders with ties to organized crime and Gino Fish. Stone manages to keep Luther and Rose busy, too, despite his orders to avoid contact.

Cop or not, Stone is going to solve some crimes and make waves, so not much has changed. Stone does realize some truths about his relationship with Reggie, the dog he somehow insists isn’t really his even though it’s been five years since taking him in, so perhaps owner and dog grew closer as a result.

Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost (2011)

Since being replaced as Chief of Police by a nepotism hire, Stone has managed to keep busy with more independent investigator work while his former colleagues are busy adjusting to a brash new Chief. Stone also just can’t help but stumble across murders that need solving, like when a former arrest of his re-enters his life in an unexpected way.

Apparently, Selleck started investing his own money into this passion project a couple installments ago because, without his aid, the movies were getting a bit too expensive for CBS to produce. As inexpensive as they might seem, increasing salaries add a good chunk to the budget.

Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt (2012)

After a couple more movies of Jesse Stone being a free agent, for the most part, the penultimate addition to the Jesse Stone franchise puts him back in the Chief’s chair. Technically it’s temporary so he can help solve the murders of the previous Chief and Deputy D’Angelo, but working cases is where Stone thrives and he’s resolved this is no temp job. Luther and Rose aren’t very involved in the proceedings this time, since they decided to find other employment rather than work under Stone’s replacement. Allies or no allies, though, Stone is getting to the bottom of the alleged dirty cop dealings that got the previous Chief killed.

For a series that’s always been fairly deferential to police, for obvious reasons, this installment puts its foot down on police always deserving the benefit of the doubt before being presumed guilty (even when the evidence suggests guilt). That will certainly rub many the wrong way, as not every perspective from previous film/TV will age like a fine wine, but there are plenty of trustworthy movie cops who earn that privilege. And as far as trivia goes, this is the only Jesse Stone movie without his ex-wife. It’s also the last to air on CBS, because they simply didn’t want to be in the two-hour movie business.

Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise (2015)

A few years after getting his job as Chief back, Stone and Luther are still plugging away, solving crimes, but work is slow. Stone’s long-time animal companion, Reggie, has passed away, leaving Stone with even more time on his hands. A position as an unpaid consultant on some cases for old fling, Lt. Greenstreet (Leslie Hope), leads to learning more about a serial killer’s victim, including the fact that she may not have been a victim of his at all.

After many successful years on CBS, costs finally became too high and Jesse Stone’s 9th outing premiered on the Hallmark Channel. A couple of long-running characters, Rose and Captain Healy, are nowhere to be found (leaving Selleck and Suddoth as the only two in every single movie), but many other familiar faces from the film series appear again before the credits roll. Also, despite losing Reggie, Stone does manage to find another stray in need of a home, because it just wouldn’t be right to end things any other way.

The Future of Jesse Stone & ‘Stache

As for any possible Jesse Stone continuation, there’s currently nothing in development. Whenever the series does continue someday, however, it will most probably be without Selleck (even though as recently as 2021 he was positive about doing another). Since the character was initially a much younger man in the books, this is another one of those cases where the eventual recast with a younger actor will actually be closer to the novel than the first movie’s take on things (similar to Morgan Freeman in Kiss the Girls & Tyler Perry in Alex Cross). Whatever his age while playing Stone for that ten-year period, there were clearly millions of fans at home who were happy to regularly check in on him, his dogs, and the world-famous mustache - on something other than Blue Bloods, anyway.

Jesse Stone: Stone Cold is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S.

Watch on Amazon Prime