Academy Award winning actress Viola Davis and the world's #1 bestselling author James Patterson’s Judge Stone “delivers first-class courtroom drama, small-town excitement, and strong characters all wrapped in a moral dilemma. Tense, readable, and relevant.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)
“Talk about a power combo! ... With Davis’s razor-sharp emotional insight and Patterson’s mastery of rocket-fuel pacing, this is the dream team to deliver an up-all-night read that will keep the group chat buzzing.” —Oprah Daily
“Wonderfully satisfying ... This legal thriller from [a] superstar duo ... demands attention from its opening pages and never lets go.” —Booklist, starred review
All rise... for Judge Stone.
The most respected citizen in Union Springs, Alabama (population 3,314), is Judge Mary Stone. She holds two responsibilities sacred: running her family farm and presiding over her courtroom. It's there she draws the most controversial case in the history of the South.
Criminally, it’s open-and-shut.
Ethically, there is no middle ground. Essentially, it’s a choice between life and death.
No judge can satisfy everyone. It would be dangerous to try. But Judge Stone is willing to fight to bring justice to the people and place she loves.
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*Valid July 3, 2026 - July 19, 2026 at Canadian stores, while quantities last. Not valid on previous purchases or in conjunction with other offers.
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Overall rating: 5.0 / 5 from 4 reviews.
AI Generated Review Summary
Summary topics
Review topics: ["written","atmosphere"].
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Reviews
Love this book!
"Best birthday gift ever! Intriguing,page turner,I read this book in a week,for me that's fast . Strong characters,really well written,you will enjoy this book,its a must read!"
— Peaceful88 (5/5)
Judge Stone
"Great read relevant and timely with an unexpected twist at the end of the book. Look forward to more collaborations between these two authors"
— ZaVi (5/5)
I read this book
"I read this book in 2 days. I could not put it down. It's an eye opening book, amazingly written, that honestly made me think about current laws as well."
— DanahK (5/5)
Pages fly by
"Judge Stone is gripping page turner is a well plotted legal thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The atmosphere is dark and tense and increases with every chapter, every page. It's small town Alabama and the town is in an uproar and divided after their local doctor is arrested and put on trial for a felony crime in the State. Judge Stone will be presiding and she is a no nonsense fierce and intelligent black woman that carries her own back story. She wont bow to pressure when asked to recuse herself from the top brass. The characters are all strongly written: those we love and those we don't trust as far as we can see them. The courtroom scenes are so authentic you will feel like you have one of those much sought after seats in the court. James Patterson and Viola Davis are a force to be reckoned with as they lead the reader down a volatile path of twists and turns , red herrings and danger around every corner. My review can not do this book justice and I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. Grab yourself your copy, clear your calendar and enjoy this roller coaster of a ride."
— Judy1 (5/5)
Q&A
Published date: Mar 09, 2026
Language: English
No. of Pages: 432
Publisher: Little, Brown And Company
ISBN: 9780316579834
Dimensions:
6.4" W x
1.375" L x
9.65" H
“A stunning, powerful and incendiary courtroom thriller. Impossible to put down.”—Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark
Viola Davis is an internationally acclaimed actress, producer, New York Times bestselling author, and EGOT winner—only the fourth person to do so in exclusively via performance-based awards. She is the co-founder and CEO of JuVee Productions, an artist driven production company that develops and produces independent film, theater, television, and digital content. In 2025, the Golden Globes honored her with the Cecil B. DeMille Award for “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.”
She is known for her exceptional performances, such as her Emmy-winning role in television’s How to Get Away with Murder; her Academy Award nominated movies like Doubt, The Help, and Fences (for which she received the Oscar); the Screen Actors Guild award for her role in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom; her two Tony Awards in theater (for Fences and King Hedley II); and as a Grammy-winner for best audiobook, narration and storytelling recording, for her bestselling memoir, Finding Me.
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time. He is the creator of unforgettable characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride, and of breathtaking true stories about the Kennedys, John Lennon, and Tiger Woods, as well as our military heroes, police officers, and ER nurses. Patterson has coauthored #1 bestselling novels withBill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton. He has told the story of his own life in James Patterson by James Patterson and receivedan Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
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