The Jesse Stone Movies In Order: Where to Watch?

When it comes to crime dramas that perfectly balance a gritty narrative with deep emotional resonance, the Jesse Stone movies stand in a league of their own. Adapted from the novels by the late Robert B. Parker, these films follow Jesse Stone, a troubled yet relentless small-town police chief with a past marred by personal demons and a strong moral compass that never lets him quit.

Portrayed impeccably by Tom Selleck, Jesse Stone is not your typical heroic figure. He drinks too much, broods a lot, and is haunted by past regrets. Yet, he’s immensely likable — mainly due to his unshakable pursuit of justice and loyalty to his town.

Over the years, the Jesse Stone franchise has built a cult following, not because of high-octane action but because of its realistic pacing, rich character depth, and noir-style storytelling.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through all the Jesse Stone movies in order — both in terms of their release date and chronological timeline, so whether you’re a first-time viewer or rewatching the series, you’ll know exactly where to start.

🎞️ Jesse Stone Movies in Order by Release Date

Let’s begin with the order in which the movies were released to understand how audiences first experienced Jesse Stone’s journey:

No.	Title	Release Date	Network
1	Jesse Stone: Stone Cold	February 20, 2005	CBS
2	Jesse Stone: Night Passage	January 15, 2006	CBS
3	Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise	April 30, 2006	CBS
4	Jesse Stone: Sea Change	May 22, 2007	CBS
5	Jesse Stone: Thin Ice	March 1, 2009	CBS
6	Jesse Stone: No Remorse	May 9, 2010	CBS
7	Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost	May 22, 2011	CBS
8	Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt	May 20, 2012	CBS
9	Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise	October 18, 2015	Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

Note: The first movie released was Stone Cold, but chronologically, Night Passage is the first in the timeline. More on that below 👇

Jesse Stone Movies in Chronological Order

To follow Jesse Stone’s story arc in a seamless narrative flow, here is the chronological order of the films:

1. Jesse Stone: Night Passage (2006)

1. IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
2. Runtime: 2h 0m
3. Director: Robert Harmon

Based on the first book in Parker’s trilogy, Night Passage follows Jesse Stone as he travels from Los Angeles to Paradise, a small coastal village in Massachusetts, after being forced to step down from his position as a homicide investigator for drinking while on duty.

He is quickly appointed as the chief of police in Paradise because the sleazy council chairman believes Jesse Stone would be a soft touch and ignore his schemes for money laundering because of his drinking problem.

He is mistaken, though. Jesse Stone sets out to show that the former police chief’s death was not an accident after discovering his body.

As a result, Jesse Stone is drawn into the murky world of the local criminals, who have some questionable ties to the Boston mob. Alongside Sellick, Viola Davis portrays his police partner Officer Molly Crane (she also appears in Stone Cold, Death in Paradise, and Sea Change).

2. Jesse Stone: Cold Stone (2005)

1. IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
2. Runtime: 1h 27m
3. Director: Robert Harmon

After a body with two gunshot wounds to the heart is found on the shoreline in the tranquil village of Paradise, everyone is in shock. A short while later, the identical tactic is used to kill two more people.

Cross-referencing the gun registry with the license plate of a red pickup that was seen departing the crime scene helps Stone, who is also looking into the rape of a teenage girl, put together a plausible suspect profile.

He has soon identified not one but two probable murderers who are working together, but because there is no proof of their guilt yet and no apparent motivation, he must wait. It’s a risky strategy, and Stone will ultimately pay a steep personal price for it.

3. Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise (2006)

1. IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
2. Runtime: 2h 0m
3. Director: Robert Harmon

In his subsequent case, Stone looks into the murder of a teenage girl whose body is found floating in a lake. She was pregnant, and alcohol and a muscle relaxant were found in her blood at the time of death, according to an autopsy.

The first clue is an initial ring that Stone and his coworker Luther Simpson (Kohl Sudduth) later use to identify the victim as high school student Billie Bishop, who was kicked out of her family home after her behavior changed and her grades declined.

Further inquiry indicates that Billie was associated with rich local author Norman Shaw, who is writing a book about Boston gangster Leo Finn and is rumored to have connections to the criminal underworld. Stone will once again enter hazardous territory as a result of the litigation.

4. Jesse Stone: Sea Change (2007)

1. IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
2. Runtime: 1h 28m
3. Directed by: Robert Harmon

Stone instructs his new coworker Rose Gammon (Kathy Baker) to locate the list of nearby unsolved cases after confessing to his therapist that he drinks more severely when he doesn’t have a case to work on. (Officer Crane, played by Davis, has been replaced by Gammon.

He left the police after the events in Death in Paradise.)) He then makes the decision to resume the inquiry into the 1992 passing of a bank teller who had been held hostage during a heist.

When they go to the scene where the body was discovered, they see what seems to be the shooter’s garments covered in marks as well as with a bullet wound — a sign that shows this case is more complicated than the police had first thought.

5. Jesse Stone: Thin Ice (2009)

1. IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
2. Runtime: 1h 28m
3. Directed by: Robert Harmon

As the first scene of Thin Ice begins, Stone helps State Police Captain Healy (Stephen McHattie), a coworker, who has been attacked while keeping an eye on his nephew, whom he thinks is seeing his saxophone instructor.

Stone begins to look into the incident, which is not well received by the local council, who wonder why he doesn’t spend more time handling lucrative parking citations and speeding penalties instead of getting involved in shootouts.

Stone is called by a woman who asks him to investigate into the loss of her baby seven years prior as he continues with the case against their desires.

She was never persuaded it was her child, despite the fact that a body with a name tag was discovered at the time. Later, she got an anonymous note saying, “Your child is adored.”

Stone is sympathetic to her situation but decides not to pursue it since he believes that initiating another cold case will only infuriate the council further. But Gammon is determined to look into it.

6. Jesse Stone: No Remorse (2010)

1. IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
2. Runtime: 1h 27m
3. Directed by: Robert Harmon

In addition to being suspended from his duties as Paradise’s police chief, Stone is also prohibited from communicating with his coworkers and is abusing alcohol, which worries Gammon and Healy.

Stone is employed as a private consultant by the Boston police, who are looking into the killings, following a string of homicides in a parking lot.

He quickly discovers that the first victim was connected to Gino Fish, a Boston mobster who has appeared in past investigations. When Stone isn’t working the Boston case, he investigates a string of assaults at a nearby convenience shop.

7. Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost (2011)

1. IMDb Rating: 7/10
2. Runtime: 1h 31m
3. Directed by: Dick Lowry

This time, Stone has been forced out of his position and replaced with the son-in-law of the town council president, who is more focused on protecting Paradise’s reputation than on battling crime.

Stone, who is naturally confident in his ability to be restored at some point, is unimpressed when Butler, the new chief, asks him to surrender his “concealed weapon” gun license.

Stone nonetheless manages to become involved in two murder investigations despite not having a formal police position. In one, he teams up with an old friend, Healy, as an advisor for the Massachusetts State Police on a robbery and killing in which Healy has doubts about the main suspect’s guilt.

The new police chief has ruled the death of the friend of the victim to be a suicide instead of having a further look into the case. On the other, hand the main suspect in the murder and robbery has been declared innocent by the new police chief.

8. Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt (2012)

1. IMDb Rating: 7/10
2. Runtime: 1h 30m
3. Directed by: Robert Harmon

The town president, Carter Hansen, briefly reinstates Stone as the police chief after Butler and one of his officers perish in an odd police car explosion.

He quickly observes that Hathaway, Hansen’s predecessor who had appeared in a few earlier stories, appeared to be aware of the death before Hansen was formally informed.

Stone’s research will again entangle him in the labyrinth of neighborhood criminals and their organized crime rings after discovering a notation in Butler’s calendar that seems to hint that he was involved in police corruption.

But he’ll have to go it alone because Simpson and Gammon, two of his former colleagues, deserted the force after having trouble getting along with Stone’s replacement.

9. Jesse Stone: Lost In Paradise (2015)

1. IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
2. Runtime: 1h 26m
3. Directed by: Robert Harmon

Stone has returned to his position as police chief by this point, but he once more accepts to serve as a consultant for the Massachusetts State Police since he is getting bored with the recent lack of noteworthy crimes in Paradise.

He is granted access to case files related to a number of homicides in the Boston region, including one involving Mavis Davies, the fourth victim of the Boston Ripper.

The murderer gleefully confesses to the first three murders when Stone visits him in prison, but he swears that he did not do the fourth.

Stone is speaking the truth, but he has a hard time persuading Detective Leary, the policeman who apprehended the Ripper, as well as Davies’ widower, that the case may be far more convoluted than they initially believed.

But Dr. Dix’s counsel—who also happens to be an ex-cop—helps steer him in the correct direction. In addition, as Stone investigates the cold case, he meets a distressed 13-year-old who is currently abused by her mother.

Why Are the Jesse Stone Movies So Popular?

Here’s why fans can’t get enough of this series:

• Human cases – Every case feels personal, never exaggerated or overly dramatic.
• Tom Selleck’s performance – He makes Jesse Stone a flawed, relatable antihero.
• Pacing & Mood – The slow, reflective tone contrasts sharply with the usual crime thrillers.
• Emotional honesty – Jesse isn’t just solving crimes; he’s solving himself.
• Consistent atmosphere – Rainy streets, ocean-side isolation, and minimalist jazz scores offer a cinematic mood.

Where to Watch Jesse Stone Movies?

As of 2025, here are the best platforms to stream or buy Jesse Stone movies:

• Amazon Prime Video – Available to rent or purchase.
• Apple TV / iTunes – High-quality purchases with bonus features.
• Hallmark Movies Now – Especially for Lost in Paradise.
• CBS All Access (Paramount+) – Some titles might be available.

Use of a VPN to Watch Jesse Stone Movies From Anywhere

If you’re located outside the US or in a region where Jesse Stone movies aren’t available on popular streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video or Hallmark Movies Now, using a VPN can be a game-changer. A VPN allows you to mask your real IP address and virtually appear in a different country—such as the US—where the content is accessible.

For instance, if Lost in Paradise is only available on Hallmark Movies Now (US), simply connect to a US server using a reliable VPN like ExpressVPN or NordVPN, refresh your streaming app, and voilà — full access, no geo-blocks. 🛡️

Not only does a VPN help you bypass regional restrictions, but it also secures your online activity, ensuring that your streaming is private and uninterrupted. This is especially helpful if you’re traveling abroad and still want to keep up with your favorite noir-style detective, Jesse Stone.

FAQs

Conclusion

The Jesse Stone movie franchise is unlike any other detective series. Its brilliance lies not in big explosions or chase sequences, but in the quiet, introspective moments — when a lonely police chief contemplates justice over a glass of scotch and a night sky. Tom Selleck’s Jesse is a masterclass in restrained storytelling, and the films, while modest in budget, are rich in atmosphere and character study.

Whether you’re a new fan or revisiting these gems, watching the Jesse Stone movies in order is a rewarding journey — one that leaves a lasting impression long after the final case is closed.