Jason Striker
action thriller
Series · thriller
Will Lee
The Will Lee series by Stuart Woods has 7 known books (7 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Chiefs (1981).
- Books
- 7 known books (7 novels)
- Published
- 7
- First published
- 1981
- Status
- deceased
- Shelved under
- Thriller
- Last checked
Start here: Chiefs (1981) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Chiefs
Chiefs, published in 1981, is Stuart Woods' Edgar Award-winning debut novel and the first entry in the Will Lee series -- a multi-generational mystery centered on a string of unsolved murders in fictional Delano, Georgia, spanning decades and three police chiefs before Will, then a young lawyer, helps crack the case. It runs 432 pages.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Chiefs - Book 2:
Run Before the Wind
The second installment of Will Lee, Run Before the Wind runs 384 pages and appeared in 1983, continuing Woods' mix of legal thriller and political intrigue as Will Lee's career in Georgia politics develops.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Run Before the Wind - Book 3:
Deep Lie
Deep Lie arrived three years after Run Before the Wind, continuing Will Lee's story in 1986 at 528 pages, part of the espionage-inflected plotting Stuart Woods favored throughout his career.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Deep Lie - Book 4:
Grass Roots
Grass Roots is the fourth book in Will Lee, published in 1989 at 459 pages, following Will's rise through Georgia and national politics as the series builds toward his eventual run for higher office.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Grass Roots - Book 5:
The Run
The Run sits between Grass Roots and Capital Crimes in Will Lee's publication order, arriving in 2000 at 400 pages after an eleven-year gap, continuing Will's political ascent toward the presidency.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Run - Book 6:
Capital Crimes
As the sixth book in Will Lee, Capital Crimes follows The Run, arriving in 2003 at 346 pages with Will now a sitting U.S. President navigating both domestic conspiracy and his own past.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Capital Crimes - Book 7:
Mounting Fears
The seventh and final installment of Will Lee, Mounting Fears runs 291 pages and appeared in 2009 as a direct crossover with Stuart Woods' Holly Barker series, pairing Will's presidency with Holly's Secret Service-adjacent security work.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Mounting Fears
About the Will Lee series
Will Lee is a Georgia lawyer and politician -- state legislator, U.S. Attorney, and eventually President of the United States over the course of the series -- introduced in Stuart Woods's Edgar Award-winning debut novel Chiefs (1981), a multi-generational small-town mystery centered on a string of unsolved murders in fictional Delano, Georgia, spanning several decades and three police chiefs before Will, as a young lawyer, helps crack the case. The series that grew out of it follows Will's rise through Georgia and then national politics, mixing legal thriller and political intrigue with the espionage plotting Woods favored throughout his career; by Capital Crimes (2003) Will is a sitting U.S. President navigating both domestic conspiracy and his own past. Mounting Fears (2009) is a direct crossover with Woods's Holly Barker series, pairing Will's presidency with Holly's Secret Service-adjacent security work.
Frequently asked questions
How many Will Lee books are there?
Seven novels, from Chiefs (1981) to Mounting Fears (2009).
What order should I read the Will Lee books in?
Publication order, starting with Chiefs, which won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1982.
Is Mounting Fears part of another series too?
Yes -- it's a direct crossover with Stuart Woods's Holly Barker series, following both characters through the same events.
If you like the Will Lee series
Reading order last verified .