For over a decade, Jesse Stone movies have been a favorite among people who love crime thrillers. Set in the fictional town of Paradise in Massachusetts, the Jesse Stone series features a former Los Angeles homicide detective who loses his job because of his drinking habit. The viewers see Jesse Stone (Tom Selleck) moving to Massachusetts and solving small-town crimes.
Despite being 60, Tom Selleck performed 35-year-old Jesse Stone’s character exceptionally. His fans appreciate him for leading nine films in a decade, even when he starred in the TV series Blue Bloods.
CBS adapted eight films based on Robert B. Parker’s crime novel series, whereas the Hallmark Channel made the ninth one.
Key Takeaways
- Jesse Stone series comprises nine movies from 2005 to 2015 starring Tom Selleck.
- The main lead, Jesse Stone, moves to Massachusetts as a police chief after losing his job as a homicide detective in Los Angeles because of his drinking problem.
- CBS made eight films of the series, and the Hallmark channel adapted the last.
- Instead of watching the movies by release date, watching them in chronological order of events, starting with Jesse Stone: Night Passage and ending with Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise, offers a better experience.
Jesse Stone Movies in Order of Release Date
The first movie of the Jesse Stone series, “Stone Cold,” was released in 2005, followed by eight other movies until “Lost in Paradise” released in 2015.
- Jesse Stone: Stone Cold – February, 2005
- Jesse Stone: Night Passage – January, 2006
- Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise – April, 2006
- Jesse Stone: Sea Change – May, 2007
- Jesse Stone: Thin Ice – March, 2009
- Jesse Stone: No Remorse – May, 2010
- Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost – May, 2011
- Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt – May, 2012
- Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise – October, 2015
Jesse Stone Movies in Order of Chronological Events
Though you can watch Jesse Stone movies in order of release date like other films, following the chronological order helps you understand the backstory better; Night Passage is also the first novel in the series by Parker.
So, watch Jesse Stone: Night Passage (2006) before Jesse Stone: Stone Cold (2005) for the best experience.
Here are all the Jesse Stone movies in chronological with their summaries:
Jesse Stone: Night Passage (2006)
While Night Passage was released after Stone Cold, it created the premise for movies to follow. The film shows Jesse Stone’s life as a homicide detective while battling a drinking problem and a domestic abuse case, eventually ending up in a divorce.
The viewers see Stone’s journey from Los Angeles to Paradise, where the local council appoints him as the chief of police. While the council leader believes that Stone will not pay heed to his money laundering schemes, Stone finds himself entangled in this criminal world.
Duration: 89 minutes
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Jesse Stone: Stone Cold (2005)
As Night Passage gives you a sneak peek into Jesse Stone’s life, it lays the foundation of a natural flow in the rest of Jesse Stone’s movies in order. The next part of the series, Stone Cold, focuses on three murders, each individual killed the same way. At the same time, Stone has to investigate a rape case of a teenage girl.
Despite finding the killers, he lacks evidence and needs to devise a plan to catch the culprits while dealing with his personal problems.
Duration: 87 minutes
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video/ The Roku Channel
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise (2006)
The third Jesse Stone movie focuses more on his work after the first two installments establish the plot. Stone is seen investigating the death of a teenage girl who was pregnant and drunk at the time of death. He starts collecting evidence, leading him to a rich local novelist, Norman Shaw connected to the underworld.
Meanwhile, Stone also meets with a psychiatrist at his ex-wife’s suggestion.
Duration: 87 minutes
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video/ YouTube TV
Jesse Stone: Sea Change (2007)
Stone asks Rose Gammon (who replaces Molly Crane in the fourth Jesse Stone movie by order) to find the list of local unsolved cases.
He reopens a robbery case from 1992 where a bank teller was held hostage. Visiting the site of the bank teller’s death makes him realize that the case is more complex than it looked.
Though viewers loved all of the movies, Tom Selleck received an Emmy nomination for his brilliant work in Sea Change.
Duration: 88 minutes
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice (2009)
Thin Ice, released after two years of Sea Change, opens with an attack on Jesse Stone’s dear friend, Captain Healy. While the local council wants him to focus on other local crimes, Stone is set to find out the people behind the shooting.
As he tries to find the shooters, a woman approaches Stone to find her child, who might be alive. However, he does not pursue it to avoid upsetting the council again.
Duration: 88 minutes
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video/ The Roku Channel
Jesse Stone: No Remorse (2010)
Continuous issues between Jesse Stone and the local council led to his suspension as the police chief, and he started drinking more. While Stone is no longer working as a cop, Captain Healy hires him as an advisor to Boston police to help them investigate a series of murders.
As Selleck moves away from the screen slightly, Kathy Baker and William Sadler have more time to impress the audience with their roles as Rose Gammon and Gino Fish.
Duration: 87 minutes
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost (2011)
The town council’s son-in-law (William Butler) replaces Jesse Stone, making it challenging for the team to adjust to the new police chief. The sixth movie from the Jesse Stone series shows Stone investigating murders without an official role as a cop.
Moreover, Captain Healy allies Stone with the Massachusetts State Police to look into the main suspect’s guilt.
Duration: 91 minutes
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt (2012)
After Butler’s death in a police car explosion, Jesse Stone temporarily rejoins the local police to investigate the murders and other recent incidents. As he inquires about Butler’s death, Stone comes to know about Butler’s involvement in police corruption, leading him to a web of organized crime groups and local gangsters.
Duration: 90 minutes
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video/ The Roku Channel
Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise (2015)
Lost in Paradise, released three years after Benefit of the Doubt, was produced by the Hallmark Channel instead of CBS.
The ninth among Jesse Stone movies in order shows Stone losing Reggie and joining the Massachusetts State Police as a consultant. His interest in solving more murder mysteries in the region leads him to a complicated case where the serial killer admits to three killings when he’s accused of four. Furthermore, Stone befriends a teenager mistreated by her mother.
Duration: 86 minutes
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Is the Jessie Stone Movies Series Over?
The ninth movie was a treat to the audience, and they believed it was the last. But Tom Selleck has given hope for a tenth movie. After Robert B. Parker died in 2010, Selleck contributed to the series and mentioned that he was writing the tenth movie, which would be the last one.
Selleck mentioned, “I’m still working on it! It isn’t the same cumulative narrative anymore. As time has passed, I’m older, and the Jesse Stone audience needs to account for that. He’s in a different part of his life. That’s interesting, but that’s not the script we started to do after we finished the ninth movie. We have a deal with Hallmark Channel, but they’ve moved on to [other] shows.”
