Here, we will find all the Will Lee books in order along with their summaries.
Will Lee is the protagonist of Stuart Woods’ Will Lee book series. The series started publishing in 1981 with the release of ‘Chiefs’ and was concluded in 2008 with the release of ‘Mounting Fears.’
Will Lee is a Georgia senator and has started a special division known as Capital Crimes for the President of the United States.
Lee is represented as a benevolent senator who takes up murder investigations and tries to solve them.
Chiefs, the first installment in the Will Lee series won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, and was adapted into a TV miniseries with 3 episodes starring Charlton Heston, Danny Glover, Keith Carradine, and Billy Dee Williams.
The fourth installment in Stuart Woods’ Will Lee series, ‘Grass Roots’ was also adapted into a TV miniseries starring Corbin Bernsen and Mel Harris.
The Will Lee series also includes popular characters from other Stuart Woods books like Teddy Fay and Holly Barker.
Will Lee Books in Order
1) Chiefs (1981)
Chiefs is the first installment in Stuart Woods’ Will Lee series and won the Edgar Award for Best Debut Novel.
It introduces us to the character of Will Lee, a failed cotton farmer who is appointed as Delano, Georgia’s first chief of police.
When an unidentified teenager’s naked corpse is discovered with wounds that bear resemblance to a ritual beating, Will Lee is appointed as the main investigator.
However, with no conclusive evidence, it will take three generations of police chiefs to unravel a crime that involves political power and race struggles.
2) Run Before the Wind (1983)
Run Before the Wind is the second installment in New York Times bestselling author Stuart Woods’ Will Lee series.
Will Lee runs away from the wealth and privilege of Southern American life to the coast of Ireland.
However, even in Ireland, Lee can’t run away from the troubles back home.
He dreams of sailing on the beautiful waters of Ireland but instead, he is dragged into a game of terror and revenge when the seaside town he is staying at is engulfed with the fires of senseless violence. Will Lee must find sanctuary from his own past.
3) Deep Lie (1986)
Deep Lie is the third book in Stuart Woods’ superpower espionage thriller series and it introduces us to the character of Katharine Rule.
Katharine Rule is a CIA analyst who discovers a chilling pattern that indicates that the Soviets are planning a secret invasion from the Baltic Sea.
However, her co-workers and superiors at the CIA are quick to dismiss her claims because they seem too far-fetched.
If Katharine’s theory is correct then her life and the CIA have already been infiltrated by the Soviets.
Will Katharine be able to prove everybody wrong and save the world from its impending doom?
4) Grass Roots (1989)
Will Lee has started off his campaign for the Senate and is back to his hometown in strategize for it. Meanwhile, he must also stand trial for a controversial case that could damage his political career.
Lee must tread the waters of Delano carefully as the sinister white supremacist group called ‘The Elect’ will do anything to stop the town from progressing into the 20th Century.
5) The Run (1995)
Will Lee has become the President of the United States. In this novel, his presidency is in complete shambles after the country gets embroiled in domestic and foreign turmoil.
Meanwhile, Will Lee’s wife, CIA director, Kate Rule is the target of revenge of rogue CIA agent Teddy Fay.
Will Lee seeks the help of Holly Barker and other Stuart Woods series regulars to help him sort this mess.
6) Capital Crimes (2003)
President of the United States of America, Will Lee is back to uncover another mysterious killing.
When a conservative politician is killed at his lakeside cabin, and local police have no suspects, Will seeks the assistance of his wife, CIA director Kate Rule, to help catch the killer who has killed many more people.
7) Mounting Fears (2008)
In the final installment of Stuart Woods’ Will Lee series, Will Lee is struggling to deal with the aftermath of the Vice President’s death.
Lee must scramble to find his replacement but his efforts are hampered with the threat of nuclear war from Pakistan and an assassination attempt against his wife.
