Mary Stone Books in Order: Complete List + Winter Black Guide

By Anna Marie CarrollThriller

This Mary Stone books in order guide brings together her crime, mystery, suspense, and psychological thriller books by series. Stone is best known for fast-moving investigations led by FBI agents, detectives, profilers, private investigators, and survivors who refuse to back down when a case turns personal.

Her bibliography includes several connected spin-offs, many independent series, standalone thrillers, and books published as Mira Shaw. I’ve put the complete lists first and kept the extra guidance focused on the one part that can genuinely be confusing: the shared Winter Black and Autumn Trent universe.

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Where to Start with Mary Stone Books

I’d start with Winter’s Mourn if you want Mary Stone’s central interconnected universe. Winter’s Origin is an optional prequel, so you can read it first or save it until you already know Winter Black. My advice is to follow the eighteen-book Winter Black and Autumn Trent core below, then read Winter’s Black Christmas. After that, you can choose among Winter Black P.I. Files, Autumn Trent Season Two, Emma Last, and A Villain’s Story in any order.

If you’d rather begin with a self-contained series, I think Amelia Storm, Ellie Kline, Shadow Island, or Stella Knox are simple entry points. Readers looking for domestic or psychological suspense can skip directly to the standalone thrillers or the Final Chapter Book Club books published as Mira Shaw.

Winter Black and Autumn Trent Reading Order

Winter Black and Autumn Trent share one continuous opening sequence. I recommend using the order below rather than reading every Winter title first, because Mary Stone’s official sequence moves from nine Winter Black cases into nine Autumn Trent cases before the universe branches into separate continuations.

Winter Black Optional Prequel

Winter Black and Autumn Trent Core

  1. Winter’s Mourn (2019)
  2. Winter’s Curse (2019)
  3. Winter’s Redemption (2019)
  4. Winter’s Rise (2019)
  5. Winter’s Ghost (2019)
  6. Winter’s Secret (2019)
  7. Winter’s Web (2019)
  8. Winter’s Storm (2020)
  9. Winter’s End (2020)
  10. Autumn’s Game (2020)
  11. Autumn’s Break (2020)
  12. Autumn’s Fear (2020)
  13. Autumn’s Rage (2021)
  14. Autumn’s Chaos (2021)
  15. Autumn’s Risk (2021)
  16. Autumn’s Strike (2021)
  17. Autumn’s Prize (2021)
  18. Autumn’s Trap (2022)

Read Winter’s Black Christmas after Autumn’s Trap. It was published earlier, but this placement follows the recommended shared-universe reading order.

Once you finish the core and Winter’s Black Christmas, the four branches below can be read in any order. I prefer choosing the character you most want to follow next rather than trying to force every branch into one master chronology.

Winter Black P.I. Files

  1. Winter’s Return (2022)
  2. Winter’s Rescue (2023)
  3. Winter’s Shock (2023)
  4. Winter’s Gamble (2024)
  5. Winter’s Peak (2024)
  6. Winter’s Snare (2024)
  7. Winter’s Stalker (2024)
  8. Winter’s Maze (2024)
  9. Winter’s Legacy (2025)

Winter Black CROSS Files

  1. Winter’s Cross (2026)
  2. Winter’s Divide (2026)
  3. Winter’s Fallout (2027)

Autumn Trent Season Two

  1. Autumn’s Deceit (2023)
  2. Autumn’s Warning (2023)
  3. Autumn’s Chase (2024)
  4. Autumn’s Fall (2024)
  5. Autumn’s Riddle (2024)
  6. Autumn’s Legacy (2025)

Emma Last Books

Emma Last works in the FBI’s Violent Crimes Unit in Washington, DC, while also dealing with a supernatural ability she can’t easily explain. This is one of the four post-core branches, and I recommend beginning it only after the eighteen-book Winter and Autumn sequence.

  • Last Inception (Prequel)
  1. Last Breath (2023)
  2. Last Vendetta (2023)
  3. Last Three (2023)
  4. Last Chance (2023)
  5. Last Heist (2023)
  6. Last Sinner (2023)
  7. Last Mercy (2023)
  8. Last Hour (2024)
  9. Last Resort (2024)
  10. Last Vote (2024)
  11. Last Trace (2024)
  12. Last Spell (2025)
  13. Last Sign (2025)
  14. Last Shield (2025)
  15. Last Stand (2025)

A Villain’s Story Books

A Villain’s Story follows Justice Hall, who was born Timothy Stewart and grew up in the shadow of the Winter Black universe’s killers. In my view, this is the darkest of the four continuation branches because Justice’s ideas about punishment repeatedly cross the line between law enforcement and vigilantism.

  • Origins of Justice (2023) (Prequel)
  1. Blood on the Badge (2023)
  2. The Hunting Grounds (2023)
  3. Crossing the Line (2023)
  4. Stalked by Darkness (2023)
  5. The Villains’ Creed (2023)
  6. Descent into Madness (2023)
  7. Prescription for Murder (2024)
  8. Silence of the Killer (2024)
  9. Beneath the Surface (2024)
  10. The End of Justice (2024)

Optional Winter Black Companion Material

These are supplemental case-file projects rather than standard novels. I’d treat them as optional extras after you’re familiar with Winter and the CROSS era.

Mary Stone Books by Series

The remaining series can be read independently of the Winter Black and Autumn Trent universe. I’ve arranged them by the publication year of each series’ first novel, then kept every individual series in publication order.

Kylie Hatfield Books

Written with Bella Cross, this series follows Kylie Hatfield as she moves from office assistant to determined amateur investigator. I’d read the optional prequel first if you have it, but Deadly Act works as the main starting point.

  • Deadly Beginnings (2019) (Prequel)
  1. Deadly Act (2019)
  2. Deadly Lies (2019)
  3. Deadly Games (2019)
  4. Deadly Dreams (2019)
  5. Deadly Silence (2019)

Ellie Kline Books

Written with Donna Berdel, the Ellie Kline series follows a Charleston detective whose own childhood kidnapping shapes her work in the Cold Case Unit. The prequel is optional, while Cold Truth begins the main series.

  • Cold Start (2020) (Prequel)
  1. Cold Truth (2020)
  2. Cold Hunt (2020)
  3. Cold Threat (2020)
  4. Cold Highway (2020)
  5. Cold Grave (2020)
  6. Cold Shadows (2020)
  7. Cold Revenge (2020)
  8. Cold Trail (2021)
  9. Cold Death (2021)
  10. Cold Heart (2022)
  11. Cold Judgment (2022)
  12. Cold Intentions (2023)
  13. Cold Crash (2024)
  14. Cold Theory (2024)
  15. Cold Finish (2025)

Amelia Storm Books

Amelia Storm is a military veteran turned FBI special agent who returns to Chicago after her brother’s death. The original run was written with Amy Wilson, while the later Cutter Files continue the series. I recommend starting with Storm’s Fury after the optional prequel.

  • Storm’s Awakening (2021) (Prequel)
  1. Storm’s Fury (2021)
  2. Storm’s Peril (2021)
  3. Storm’s Cage (2021)
  4. Storm’s Ruin (2021)
  5. Storm’s Wrath (2021)
  6. Storm’s Rite (2021)
  7. Storm’s Justice (2021)
  8. Storm’s Nightmare (2022)
  9. Storm’s Revenge (2022)
  10. Storm’s Cut (2023)
  11. Storm’s Target (2023)
  12. Storm’s Burn (2024)
  13. Storm’s Symbol (2024)
  14. Storm’s Endgame (2025)
  15. Before the Storm (2026)
  16. Unleash the Storm (2026)

Charli Cross Books

This Ellie Kline spin-off, written with Donna Berdel, follows Savannah detective Charli Cross. You don’t need to finish Ellie Kline first, but readers who enjoy connected character histories may prefer to read the parent series before beginning Charli’s cases.

  • Dark Journey (Prequel)
  1. Dark Purpose (2021)
  2. Dark Greed (2021)
  3. Dark Power (2021)
  4. Dark Malice (2022)
  5. Dark Silence (2022)
  6. Dark Obsession (2022)
  7. Dark Bet (2023)
  8. Dark Mask (2024)
  9. Dark Suspicion (2024)
  10. Dark Conclusion (2024)

Stella Knox Books

Written with Stacy O’Hare, this series follows FBI agent Stella Knox as she investigates violent crimes while pursuing the truth about her father’s murder. My advice is to begin with the optional prequel or go straight to Killer Smile.

  • Killer Kickoff (2022) (Prequel)
  1. Killer Smile (2022)
  2. Killer Style (2022)
  3. Killer Shot (2022)
  4. Killer Spirit (2022)
  5. Killer Memo (2022)
  6. Killer Note (2022)
  7. Killer Encore (2023)
  8. Killer Knockout (2023)
  9. Killer Fame (2023)
  10. Killer Blast (2023)
  11. Killer Deal (2024)
  12. Killer Setup (2024)
  13. Killer Plot (2025)
  14. Killer Clone (2025)
  15. Killer Countdown (2025)

Shadow Island Books

The Shadow Island series begins with former FBI agent Rebecca West seeking a quieter life in a coastal town that is hiding far more than it seems. Lori Rhodes collaborated on the first twenty novels. Return to Shadow begins the Crowe Files continuation, and Hunted by the Shadow is written with Nicole Radlein.

  • Shadow’s Edge (Prequel)
  1. Shadow’s Secret (2022)
  2. Shadow’s Captive (2022)
  3. Shadow’s Deadline (2022)
  4. Shadow’s Force (2023)
  5. Shadow’s Watch (2023)
  6. Shadow’s Hostage (2023)
  7. Shadow’s Ritual (2023)
  8. Shadow’s Conspiracy (2023)
  9. Shadow’s Mystery (2023)
  10. Shadow’s Darkness (2023)
  11. Shadow’s Flame (2023)
  12. Shadow’s Hoax (2023)
  13. Shadow’s Escape (2024)
  14. Shadow’s Loss (2024)
  15. Shadow’s Siege (2024)
  16. Shadow’s Fate (2024)
  17. Shadow’s Doom (2024)
  18. Shadow’s Sacrifice (2025)
  19. Shadow’s Collision (2025)
  20. Shadow’s Reckoning (2025)
  21. Return to Shadow (2026)
  22. Hunted by the Shadow (2026)

Journey Russo Books

Journey Russo is an Amelia Storm spin-off written with Amy Wilson. I think it works best after you’ve met the wider Amelia Storm cast, although the Journey Russo cases still form their own complete sequence.

  • Journey’s Dawn (2024) (Prequel)
  1. Journey’s Call (2024)
  2. Journey’s Terror (2024)
  3. Journey’s Aim (2024)
  4. Journey’s Prey (2024)
  5. Journey’s Fire (2024)
  6. Journey’s Paradox (2024)
  7. Journey’s Menace (2024)
  8. Journey’s Betrayal (2024)
  9. Journey’s War (2025)

Sky Stryker Books

Written with Bella Cross, this series follows true-crime writer Sky Stryker as her reporting pulls her into murders and secrets surrounding New York’s fashion world. Sky isn’t a law-enforcement officer, which gives these investigations a different perspective from many of Stone’s FBI series.

  • Fatal Beginnings (2024) (Prequel)
  1. Fatal Secrets (2024)
  2. Fatal Lies (2024)
  3. Fatal Beauty (2024)
  4. Fatal Massacre (2024)
  5. Fatal Act (2024)
  6. Fatal Terror (2024)
  7. Fatal Turn (2024)
  8. Fatal Wound (2025)
  9. Fatal Perfection (2025)

Genevieve Steel Books

Written with Angela Kay, the Genevieve Steel series follows an FBI profiler whose testimony helped imprison her serial-killer father. I’d read the prequel first because it establishes the family history that drives the main investigations.

  • The Daughter’s Ascension (2025) (Prequel)
  1. The Daughter’s Curse (2025)
  2. The Daughter’s Sins (2025)
  3. The Daughter’s Price (2026)
  4. The Daughter’s Fate (2026)
  5. The Daughter’s Judgment (2026)
  6. The Daughter’s Cage (2027)

Claire Legacy Books

Written with Alex Gates, this series follows FBI agent Claire Legacy in and around New Orleans, where old family grief and apparently supernatural encounters complicate her investigations. Fated Legacy is an optional prequel.

  • Fated Legacy (2025) (Prequel)
  1. Lethal Legacy (2025)
  2. Sinister Legacy (2025)
  3. Buried Legacy (2025)
  4. Fury’s Legacy (2026)
  5. Savage Legacy (2026)
  6. Shattered Legacy (2027)

Indie Reign Books

Written with Karen Guyler, this K-9 mystery series follows detective Indira “Indie” Reign and her canine partner, Broc. I’d begin with First Reign if you have the prequel, but Twisted Reign is the first full-length novel.

  • First Reign (2025) (Prequel)
  1. Twisted Reign (2025)
  2. Broken Reign (2025)
  3. Savage Reign (2026)
  4. Buried Reign (2026)
  5. Wicked Reign (2027)

Olympia Smith Books

Written with Matt Giegerich, the Olympia Smith series follows an FBI agent investigating violent crimes in Hawaii. The prequel explores Olympia’s childhood in the care system, while The Killing Game begins her career as a federal agent.

  • The Initiation Game (2025) (Prequel)
  1. The Killing Game (2025)
  2. The Collector’s Game (2025)
  3. The Vengeance Game (2026)
  4. The Leverage Game (2026)

Ivy Chance Books

Written with Amber Mays, the Ivy Chance series follows a widowed attorney turned FBI agent who transfers to the Key West Violent Crimes Unit with her young daughter. Hidden Chance begins the main series.

  1. Hidden Chance (2026)

Mary Stone Standalone Psychological Thrillers

These psychological thrillers are separate from Mary Stone’s recurring detective and FBI series, so they can be read in any order. I’ve listed the novels by publication year, followed by the optional bonus story.

Mary Stone Books Published as Mira Shaw

Mary Stone also publishes psychological thrillers as Mira Shaw. The Final Chapter Book Club novels are connected through their setting and recurring group, although each centers on a different woman and mystery. I recommend reading them in publication order so the shared world develops naturally.

  • Almost Free (Bonus Short Story)
  1. Almost Gone (2025)
  2. Almost a Stranger (2025)
  3. Almost Found (2026)
  4. Almost Mother (2026)

Who is Mary Stone?

Mary Stone is an American mystery, suspense, crime, and psychological thriller author. Her first Winter Black novel, Winter’s Mourn, was published in 2019, and she has since built a large catalog of FBI procedurals, detective mysteries, spin-offs, and standalone thrillers, often in collaboration with other authors.

Stone has described a lifelong interest in puzzles and the darker side of human behavior, both of which shape her serial-killer investigations and twist-heavy mysteries. She lives with her family among the Blue Ridge Mountains of East Tennessee.

Looking for more books in order?

If you want more thriller authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Thriller Books in Order index.

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