Jesse Stone is a 35-year-old lead character in the Jesse Stone movie franchise which is an adaptation based on the novels by the same name written by Robert B. Parker. The novel has been written in a third-person narrative, and the series consists of nine books, each corresponding to the nine movies that have been made from 2005 to 2015.
Jesse Stone was a Minor League Baseball player as a shortstop, but his career as a sportsman came to an end after a devastating shoulder injury, post which he could not play the sport anymore.
Brought up in Arizona and California, Jesse Stone submitted to alcohol addiction after his beautiful wife, Jenn, divorced him. He resorted to drinking his woes away which ultimately cost him his job as a homicide detective for the LAPD.
He worked in the Robbery-Homicide Division in the LAPD but settled for a job as the police chief for the town of Paradise, Massachusetts, which is inspired by the real town in Massachusetts named Marblehead.
Even though Stone turns up drunk to his interview for the job, he is offered the role as the president of the board of selection is looking for a puppet and thinks Stone would be easy to deal with. We learn that the situation is far from the president’s anticipation, who expected his corrupt ordeals to go smoothly after Stone’s arrival.
Jesse Stone has been handled a lot more than he had anticipated as this new town, run by a corrupt town president, is riddled with the big league crimes, the mafia, homicide cases, and delinquent wives.
Although he is in for a surprise, he pulls through and proves to be a good fit for the job, putting away the bad guys and creating a good image among the rest of the police department. He also develops a good bond and working relationship with Captain Healy, the Commander of the State Police Homicide.
Apart from dealing with the dangers that follow him owing to the nature of his job, he also struggles with his alcohol addiction problem and a complex relationship with his ex-wife.
The sequence of the movies in order of their release is as follows:
- 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: Innocents Lost (2011)
- Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt (2012)
- Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise (2015)
Also read: Where Is Jesse Stone Filmed? All The Production Locations Of The Jesse Stone Franchise
Although you can watch the movies in the same sequence as they were released in, the storyline would, however, make more sense if you were to watch the movies in the following order:
1. Jesse Stone: Night Passage
Jesse Stone: Night Passage is the first installment of the book series that was written by Robert B. Parker and published in 1997. The movie sets the tone for what is about to come and reveals important plot points to hold the attention of the audience for the sequels that would follow.
After Jesse is offered the job as a police chief in the coastal town of Paradise, Massachusetts, he unveils the truth about his predecessor and his affiliations that led to his untimely retirement and eventually Jesse’s new job, even after he turned up drunk for his interview.
Jesse was offered the job as he was thought to be easy to manipulate but turned out well fit for the job in the Paradise Police Department, where he is accompanied by the dispatcher, Molly Crane, played by Viola Davis, and two officers, Luther Simpson nicknamed Suitcase, played by Kohl Sudduth and Anthony D’Angelo played by Vito Rezza.
One day on his duty involving a domestic dispute, Jesse encounters Joe Genest, played by Stephen Baldwin, a local criminal who works for Saul Rubinek as Hastings Hathaway and is violating a restraining order obtained by his wife, Michelle Genest.
Hastings is a corrupt town council chair and a wealthy banker who arranged for Jesse’s predecessor, Lou Carson, played by Mike Starr’s retirement, and a settlement of $50,000, who was aware of Hastings’ money laundering operations but never intervened.
Upon dealing with Joe in a tough manner for threatening to violate his restraining order, Jesse is bestowed by a visit from the town attorney, Abby Taylor, played by Polly Shannon, but the two instigate a romantic relationship.
The sudden demise of Lou Carson, the former police chief, raises Jesse’s suspicion of Joe’s involvement with the murder as well as a major money laundering cartel. He shares his suspicion with Captain Healy, who asks him to look out for himself while investigating the case further.
The corrupt state of the town, his drinking problem, a complicated relationship with his ex-wife, and now the deteriorating health of his dog Boomer, who has been Jesse’s companion since he was a pup, take a toll on Jesse, who feels that he must do something about the crime that was committed while exposing Hastings’ operations.
- Director: Robert Harmon
- Genre: Murder mystery
- Cast: Tom Selleck, Saul Rubinek, Viola Davis, Kohl Sudduth, Polly Shannon, Mike Starr, Britt Robertson, Liisa Repo-Martell, Stephen McHattie, Stephen Baldwin, and Stephanie March
- Releasing year: 2006
- Duration: 1 hour 29 minutes
- Where to Watch: Apple TV, Prime Video
2. Jesse Stone: Stone Cold
After solving the money laundering case of the corrupt town president, Hastings Hathaway, and catching Joe Genest, the killer of his predecessor, Lou Carson, Jesse Stone is now dealing with the case of potential serial killers along with a rape case, with the two cases on the verge of intertwining.
Jesse’s deputy, Officer Luther Simpson, nicknamed Suitcase, discovers a body by the rocky shoreline, that was shot twice in the chest with a .22 caliber weapon. Jesse, albeit with no clues, begins his investigations starting with a list of people who own the same gun as the murder weapon. He also ends up adopting the victim’s dog, Reggie.
After more murders are committed, leaving the same trail as before, Jesse is able to obtain more leads that include identifying the potential vehicle the culprit or culprits use to carry out their crime, a red Ford Explorer.
The trails left behind by the culprits lead Jesse to a couple, Brianna and Andrew Lincoln, who are relatively wealthy and are living off of the money Andrew obtained because of his patent over optical scanners that he invented while he was a medical practitioner.
Meanwhile, Jesse is also involved with the rape case of a high school student, Candace Pennington, played by Alexis Dziena. Candace refuses to talk about the incident, while her parents do not want to file a complaint in order to avoid any controversy or shame that might befall the family owing to the nature of the case.
The culprits of Candace Pennington are eventually dealt with, and the focus shifts back to the Lincoln couple, who check all the boxes and are very likely to be the killer.
Jesse devises a plan to catch the killers after the serial killers hurt someone he cares for, and in the process, he puts himself in a dangerous position.
- Director: Robert Harmon
- Genre: Murder mystery
- Cast: Tom Selleck, Jane Adams, Reg Rogers, Viola Davis, Alexis Dziena, Kohl Sudduth, Polly Shannon, Stephen McHattie, Shawn Roberts, Alex House, and Mimi Rogers.
- Releasing year: 2005
- Duration: 1 hour 27 minutes
- Where to Watch: Prime Video
Also read: 50 Best Lawyer Movies To Watch If You Like Crime Thrillers
3. Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise
The focus of the third installment of the Jesse Stone movie is Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise, where Jesse investigates the case of a young girl in her teens, Billie Bishop, played by Carolyn Fitzgibbons, whose body was found floating in a lake.
The body was discovered by Officer Luther “Suitcase” Simpson, who also found a ring on the teenager’s finger with the initials ‘HR’ engraved in it. Jesse gets personally affected by the case as he starts to get nightmares about the murder of the girl. Concerned about Jesse, his ex-wife, Jenn asks him to visit a doctor.
After Jesse visits a psychiatrist, Dr. Dix played by William Devane, he visits Abby Taylor, his former girlfriend’s grave, and still blames himself for her death.
The autopsy reports of Billie Bishop reveal that she had been drowned, and alcohol, as well as muscle relaxers, were found in her blood. Adding to this, the girl who had been tied to the bottom of the lake was also pregnant and was in the water for approximately three weeks.
Jesse visits the school that Billie used to attend, and the headmistress, Dr. Lilly Summers, helps in identifying the owner of the ring. The star athlete of the school, William Hooker Royce, confirms that the ring was indeed his and he had given it to Billie after the two had broken up after a short period of dating.
There is more to unravel in this case as Jesse is informed by Dr. Lilly that she had been an excellent student before she moved to the town of Paradise two years back following some things that she had been through.
Upon visiting Billie’s parents, Jesse gets to know that she had been abandoned by her parents following her change in attitude, and she sought refuge in a shelter that was run by Sister Mary, who provides an essential lead in the case.
To add to the chaos, there is a case of domestic violence wherein the good-for-nothing Jerry Snyder complicates things everywhere he goes and, while at home, tortures his wife. Jesse and Officer Molly, however, come to her rescue and convince her to leave Jerry.
The lead provided by Sister Mary is Billie’s emergency contact, Norman Shaw, a well-connected local writer who has ties with the Boston mob and takes to the likes of young girls. Another important lead, in this case, is Leo Finn, who is a Boston mobster and is getting his biography written by Norman.
Things get complicated as Jesse finds missing pieces of the puzzle even after he puts the culprit behind bars. Meanwhile, Jerry makes another appearance creating a high-stakes situation for everyone.
- Director: Robert Harmon
- Genre: Murder mystery
- Cast: Tom Selleck, Viola Davis, Kohl Sudduth, Orla Brady, Gary Basaraba, John Diehl, Debra Christofferson, Mae Whitman, Matt Barr, Edward Edwards, and Brendan Kelly
- Releasing year: 2006
- Duration: 1 hour 27 minutes
- Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV
4. Jesse Stone: Sea Change
Jesse finds himself more deserted than usual as his co-workers are not around. Officer Luther is still unconscious in the hospital post the aftermath of the altercations with Jerry, and Officer Molly has to unwillingly leave the job to start a family.
Jesse, after learning about his ex-wife’s new boyfriend and the complexities of their relationship owing to the complicated nature between him and his wife, decides to revisit his psychiatrist, which is long overdue.
Jesse opens up about how his drinking problem worsens when work is slow, to which Dr. Dix advises him to keep himself occupied with important things to do. This suggestion leads Jesse to open up an unsolved case that has gone cold.
The case involves the robbery of a bank in 1992, due to which a banker named Rebecca Lewis was held hostage and shot, and later buried in the area where the body was found.
Jesse and Officer Rose show up at the burial site and look for more clues and end up finding the clothes of the robber buried in the ground with a gunshot wound in the robber’s clothes.
Upon questioning the security guard that was involved in the robbery, who everyone believes shot Rebecca accidentally, he reaffirms that it was the robber he had shot and not the bank worker.
Things get even more complicated as Hastings ‘Hasty’ Hathaway reveals that the cash that was stolen in the robbery was a part of the money laundering process run by Gino Fish, a Boston mobster who decides to deploy one of his men behind Jesse in hopes of getting his money back.
Jesse unveils the truth about Rebecca after meeting Rebecca’s sister, Leann, who moved from California to Massachusetts and has been taking care of her mother’s deteriorating health after the death of Rebecca.
Officer Luther’s cop instincts finally kick in after he gains consciousness which leads to the closure of the case.
- Director: Robert Harmon
- Genre: Murder mystery
- Cast: Tom Selleck, Kathy Bake, Kohl Sudduth, Rebecca Pidgeon, Sean Young, Mika Boorem, Stephen McHattie, William Sadler, James Preston Rogers, and Saul Rubinek
- Releasing year: 2007
- Duration: 1 hour 28 minutes
- Where to Watch: Apple TV, Prime Video
Also read: What is Tom Selleck’s Net Worth? Assets & Earnings
5. Jesse Stone: Thin Ice
Jesse investigates a case that was too close to home this time as his senior, Captain Healy, nearly gets shot but is saved by Jesse. After discovering important aspects of Captain Healy’s life, Jesse decides to investigate the shooting even after the resistance he is met with by the town council.
The council is not happy with the number of shootings Jesse has been involved in and is also upset by the fact that an officer who was in their good books, Officer D’Angelo, moved out of the department because of Jesse’s disapproval of him and his work.
The main case that Jesse deals with this time around is essentially of the man who tried to shoot Healy, but Jesse is also approached by an aching mother who claims that her son, who is presumed dead by everyone else, including her husband, was not the child who was found lifeless with the same hospital wrist band as her baby boy.
The case was widely known, and the boy came to be known as Little Boy Blue. The mother of this boy, who was abducted and later found dead, Rose Gammon, wants the case to be re-investigated as she received a note two years earlier that said, ‘Your child is loved.’
Jesse believes that there is no point in investigating the case further, but Rose decides to take matters into her own hands and is helped by Officer Luther. She makes headway in the case, and after discovering substantial evidence, receives the help of other officers to uncover the entire truth.
Meanwhile, Jesse is getting warmer to the culprit and receives leads from Sister Mary, who gives him three names that are linked to underage prostitution. This time, Jesse is helped by Gino Fish, who helps him narrow his search down to one person.
Jesse encounters the main suspect, Teddy Leaf, and threatens him even after multiple warnings by Captain Healy to stay away from him as he is highly dangerous.
Jesse is also being investigated by Sidney Greenstreet, but he ends up using his charm to get information out of her to catch Leaf. Jesse gets caught up in the wind and, as a result, faces serious charges himself due to the ways in which he decided to get a hold o his suspect.
All of this happens while things with his ex-wife are a bit shaky as she plans to move in with his boyfriend, Elliot, and Jesse raises his concern about the unethical nature of this as Jenn and Elliot were working professionals.
- Director: Robert Harmon
- Genre: Murder mystery
- Cast: Tom Selleck, Kathy Baker, Kohl Sudduth, Leslie Hope, Stephen McHattie, William Devane, Jessica Hecht, Joanna Miles, Fulvio Cecere, Camryn Manheim, and William Sadler
- Releasing year: 2009
- Duration: 1 hour 28 minutes
- Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV
6. Jesse Stone: No Remorse
The suspended Jesse Stone has not been keeping well. He has been asked to stay isolated from his co-workers, Officer Luther and Officer Rose, which leaves him completely abandoned.
Captain Healy pays Stone a visit and discovers him in a terrible condition, intoxicated, destitute, untidy, and hopeless. His visits coincide with a call from Jenn that doesn’t end well.
In an attempt to help out a friend and to obtain his expertise, Captain Healy asks Jesse to work as a private investigator after they receive news about the second shooting incident that takes place in the town of Paradise, both thought to be done by the same culprit.
Both murders take place in a parking garage, but the first victim is found to have ties with the Boston mob. This leads Jesse to the mob boss, Gino Fish, but upon questioning, he is unable to get anything out of Gino or Alan, his secretary.
Meanwhile, Jesse also unofficially investigates the case of two convenience store robberies, due to which one of the clerks dies owing to her injuries. With the help of his friend, Emily, from the previous case of the 1992 bank robbery, Jesse is able to identify the culprit and save another victim just in time.
Jesse also visits his psychiatrist, Dr. Dix, who tells him that he has abandonment issues owing to the loss of his dog around the same time as his divorce. This causes Jesse to be distant towards his new dog, Reggie, whom he adopted.
The case involving the mob boss, Fish, is more complicated than it seems, as Gino Fish and Alan have been keeping a secret from the world. Sister Mary helps Jesse piece the puzzle together by shedding light on the equation between the first victim, and Gino and Alan.
Things take an unexpected turn when Jesse almost catches the culprit. All of this happens while Jesse is still suspended and now is on the verge of extermination along with his co-workers.
- Director: Robert Harmon
- Genre: Murder mystery
- Cast: Tom Selleck, Kathy Baker, Kohl Sudduth, Stephen McHattie, Krista Allen, William Sadler, Kerri Smith, Mae Whitman, Todd Hofley, Saul Rubinek, and William Devane
- Releasing year: 2010
- Duration: 1 hour 27 minutes
- Where to Watch: Apple TV
7. Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost
Jesse Stone is still out of a job, and this time around, he has been fired by the town council. The president of the town council has appointed William Butcher, his son-in-law, as the new police chief, who proves to be incompetent and annoying, and only cares about the image of the town rather than justice.
The incompetent, William Butcher passes the case of a young girl found dead in her car as suicide to avoid any investigation. Jesse discovers the incident and decides to get involved as he knew the victim personally and had befriended her after she was caught driving under the influence.
While Jesse is fixed on solving the case of his friend, he is sought by his colleague and friend, State Homicide Commander, Captain Healy, who needs Jesse’s help to solve another case of murder in Boston.
Jesse is thus back to work unofficially and, while solving the two cases, unravels staggering mysteries that lead him closer to the truth. He also discovers that he was also a contributor to the death of the young girl whose case he has been investigating.
As Jesse is, in a way, doing William’s work, the new police chief is trying his best to take away Jesse’s right to own a ‘concealed weapon,’ but his efforts remain futile as Officer Rose confirms that Jesse is legally allowed to own and carry a ‘concealed weapon’ for life as he is a retired officer.
Jesse’s personal life issues still include a complicated relationship with his wife and his worsening drinking problem.
- Director: Dick Lowry
- Genre: Murder mystery, thriller
- Cast: Tom Selleck, Kathy Baker, Kohl Sudduth, Gloria Reuben, Stephen McHattie, William Sadler, Mark Blum, Eileen Boylan, Mike Erwin, Jeff Geddis, and Saul Rubinek
- Releasing year: 2011
- Duration: 1 hour 31 minutes
- Where to Watch: Apple TV, Prime Video
8. Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt
The title ‘benefit of the doubt’ is a reference to the conversation that Dr. Dix and Jesse have wherein they decide not to label a police worker corrupt without any evidence in hand. The two are talking with regard to the former police chief, Hanson’s son-in-law, William Butler, who was killed along with Officer DeAngelo in a police cruiser explosion.
Jesse is thus reinstated as the police chief on a temporary basis by Hanson, and he attempts to get his team back together, but they have started working on other projects as they were not satisfied with Jesse’s replacement. Hence Jesse would have to solve this case by himself.
Jesse discovers that one of the prime suspects, who happens to be a former worker of Gino, has hanged himself. He also discovers that Gino has a boss whose identity remains a mystery, but Jesse has an idea about who it could be.
Another clue is discovered by Jesse coincidentally during a routine traffic check where he discovers a ‘deer rifle’ with an illegal element in it, making it optimal for killing specific targets. The owner of the rifle, Arthur ‘Art’ Gallery, is let go with only a warning and a message by Jesse to stop following him.
Jesse also has a clue that he found in William Butler’s diary that had the characters ‘2AH10’ entered for the diary entry on April 24.
Jesse tries to piece all of the clues together and follows a hunch which brings about a dangerous situation but ultimately leads to justice being served and his position potentially going from a ‘temp’ to a permanent police chief.
- Director: Robert Harmon
- Genre: Murder mystery
- Cast: Tom Selleck, Kathy Baker, Kohl Sudduth, Gloria Reuben, Stephen McHattie, William Sadler, Robert Carradine, Jeff Geddis, Saul Rubinek, William Devane, and Jeremy Akerman
- Releasing year: 2012
- Duration: 1 hour 27 minutes
- Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV
9. Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
The police chief of the coastal town of Paradise, Jesse Stone, finds a lot of time on his hands as there are not many cases for him to solve in his area of authority. To occupy himself and kill time after finding himself too lonely and bored, he accepts an unpaid job as a consultant in the Homicide Department of the Massachusetts State Police.
Jesse works in close contact with Lt. Sydney Greenstreet and is handed several case files on murders. He takes an interest in the infamous case file of the ‘Boston Ripper.’
The case file shows that there were four murders committed by the culprit, Richard Steele, with the same modus operandi of slashing and disemboweling his victims while they were still alive.
Upon questioning, Richard, popularly known as the ‘Boston Ripper,’ proudly admits to the first three murders but denies allegations regarding the fourth victim, Mavis Davies. Jesse believes the serial killer and begins to investigate the case of the fourth victim, starting by talking to the victim’s husband, Bruce Davies.
Bruce does not want the investigation to reopen as he is still resentful about the truth about his wife’s life as a high-priced prostitute, and upon being asked about their dog, tells Jesse that he gave Steve to an animal shelter from where Jesse rescues him before he is about to be euthanized.
During the ‘Boston Ripper’s’ case, Jesse encounters a troubled young girl, Jenny consuming drugs in a park, and after talking to her about her welfare and doing a background check with the help of Officer Luther “Suitcase” Simpson, they find out that she is in an abusive household where her mother, a drunkard, hits her.
Jesse makes sure not to let the abuse happen to Jenny again before he gets back on the Mavis Davies case. He tries to look for documented data about the fourth victim but realizes that it has been tampered with.
After being advised against the reopening of the case by State Police Detective Dan Leary, Jesse grows suspicious of Detective Leary, and the missing evidence only adds to his suspicion.
Jesse is able to solve the case altogether with the help of his connections back home with Gino Fish, who leads him to Charlotte, who has an affiliation with Mavis Davies and helps Jesse put an end to the mystery.
- Director: Robert Harmon
- Genre: Murder mystery
- Cast: Tom Selleck, Mackenzie Foy, Luke Perry, Leslie Hope, William Devane, William Sadler, Amelia Rose Blaire, Gloria Reuben, Al Sapienza, Tara Yelland, Alex Carter, Ned the Dog as Steve, and Kohl Sudduth
- Releasing year: 2015
- Duration: 1 hour 26 minutes
- Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV
