Caribbean Mystery Books in Order

The Caribbean Mystery series teams Wayne Stinnett with Stewart Matthews and introduces a new lead, Jerry Snyder, whose life seems to attract trouble wherever he drops anchor. These books share the tropical settings and maritime detail of the Jesse McDermitt stories but tilt more toward classic private‑investigator and mystery territory.

Jerry is not retired. He works for the Armstrong Organization, an off‑the‑books outfit that hunts terrorists, smugglers, and other high‑end criminals that regular agencies struggle to reach. He and his one‑legged partner, DJ Martin, are based in the Virgin Islands and use sailing yachts as both cover and transport. Their cases tend to start small and local, then widen into something far more serious.

In Wayward Sons, Jerry is barely out of his honeymoon when someone tries to kill him and his new bride in the Virgin Islands. The attempt forces them to confront the dangers that come with his quiet job title. A body washing ashore at an island resort in Culebra draws Jerry and DJ into a hunt that blends domestic secrets with very modern crime, all while Jerry’s unsettled past threatens to surface.

Vodou Child shifts the action to French St Martin, where a hustler preacher has been stabbed and his teenage girlfriend is missing. A Vodou priest claims that an evil spirit did the killing. Jerry and DJ are more interested in the long list of angry locals the preacher cheated, but as they work their way through back alleys and hidden shrines, even they begin to feel that something is stalking them in the dark.

In Friends of the Devil, Jerry watches his own yacht explode and has to seek help from the last person he wants to owe, his estranged, mob‑connected father figure, Arlen Burkhart. Their uneasy alliance takes them to a private Caribbean island where the ultra‑rich have gathered for a funeral. When bodies start showing up among the mourners, Jerry must untangle a maze of secrets while protecting people who are not used to hearing the word no.

Across the series, readers can expect puzzle‑box plots layered over rich island settings. Luxury marinas sit alongside working harbors, and glittering parties share the stage with dingy dockside bars. The partnership between Jerry and DJ provides much of the heart. Jerry is smart and stubborn, but DJ brings a physical presence, a dark sense of humor, and a willingness to break noses when talking fails.

These books are ideal if you like your mysteries salted with sea spray. They offer the satisfaction of watching skilled investigators pick apart lies, with enough action, stormy passages, and moral complexity to keep the pages turning.