James J.S. Carol Books In Order

Publication Order of Jefferson Winter Books

Publication Order of Jefferson Winter Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Author James Carol writes the “Jefferson Winter” series, and has published some stand alone work under the pen name of J. S. Carol. He writes mystery novels.

His debut novel, “Broken Dolls” was released in the year 2014, and topped the fiction and thriller charts on Amazon. It came out to rave reviews from critics.

Carol was born in Scotland in 1969, where he spent his early life. In the eighties, he moved to England and has lived there since. At different times, he has worked as a sound engineer, a guitar player, guitar teacher, journalist, and horse riding instructor.

When James is not writing books, he is training horses and riders. He is an accomplished guitar player, and relaxes by recording and writing music.

Even though the Jefferson Winter books are part of a series, James approaches each one as though it was a stand alone. The stories are all set in a different location and features a different cast. This allows the books to be read in any order the reader chooses. The series is made up of novels and novellas, three take place before the first book.

He lives with his two kids and wife in Hertfordshire.

“Broken Dolls” is the first novel in the “Jefferson Winter” series, which was released in the year 2014. Jefferson Winter is far from an ordinary investigator. He is the son of one of the most renowned serial killers in America, and Winter has tried to distance himself from the legacy his father left behind him. He used to be a rising star in the FBI, and now works as a freelance consultant, moving around the world helping out local law enforcement agencies with tough cases. He does not have Da Vinci’s high IQ, but it is quite close.

He takes on a rather disturbing case in London, he finds the city is in a cold snap’s grip with a psycho running around lobotomizing and abducting young women. Winter has to use all of his preternatural mind power to figure out who this killer is, before one more young woman is a victim. Winter knows all too well, that not everyone who is broken can be fixed.

Readers found this to be a disturbing read that chilled them to their core, but they still highly enjoyed it. It has some likable characters, especially Jefferson Winter, who makes it very easy to connect with, and Sophie. This one had an enjoyable plot and some interesting deductions that Winter is able to make while he figures out he the killer is.

“Watch Me” is the second novel in the “Jefferson Winter” series, which was released in the year 2014. Eagle Creek, Louisiana. It is here that a lawyer named Sam Galloway gets burned alive in what appears to be a motiveless attack. Jefferson is called in by the local sheriff’s department to consult. There is just a single body, so far, but there are going to be additional bodies. There is a deadline set and with the clock ticking down, Winter has only thirteen and a half hours to hunt down the killer before he kills again.

Winter understands all there is to know about secrets. His dad had everyone fooled for many years. Winter knows that the problem with secrets is that they can turn against you when you least expect them too.

This novel feels like James Carol is more comfortable being in Winter’s head this time around. This time, he feels much more human. His sense of humor is more present, and Winter meets people that he cares about and will help them. The guy is highly intelligent, but makes a few mistakes, which makes him more human and not perfect like in the previous book.

“Prey” is the third novel in the “Jefferson Winter” series, which was released in the year 2015. A young married couple was found savagely stabbed to death in their Upstate New York home six years ago. Local police later arrested a suspect who later killed themselves. What if the police were wrong?

Jefferson Winter, a former profiler for the FBI, is pulled into the deadly cat and mouse game with the mysterious female psychopath as she gives him a challenge. Find out what really went down six years back. The clock is ticking, and as Winter will soon find out, the endgame is everything.

Winter’s quirks and habits make him endearing, and it is nice to see his likable and sensitive sides. Like the way he evaluates and questions himself to see if he is at all like his serial killer dad. The guy is supremely interesting, and makes readers come back for more stories about him. The book is highly a page turner, in part due to the serial killer female. She was enigmatic, the villain of the book, yet at the same time, you still root for her, and hope she wins.

“The Quiet Man” is the fourth novel in the “Jefferson Winter” series, which was released in the year 2017. In Vancouver, a millionaire’s wife is dead after an explosion in her own home.

Everybody believes that her husband is the one responsible, but Jefferson Winter is not entirely sure. The method is much too perfect: it lacks mistakes, and uncanny. He has seen a series of murders that were carefully orchestrated, once a year, on the same exact day, a woman dies in a situation too much like this one.

That date is coming up, and Winter knows the killer has picked another victim. Will he be able to identify the quiet man before he is able to strike once again?

James Carol has written another book that hooks you right from the get go and does not let go for an instant. You just want to read the book until you have finished it. Winter really knows what he is doing, and the way he investigates is by getting into the killers’s minds and victims to figure out the motive, figure out the killers’ need to kill, and the criteria to pick a victim.