An extraordinary new courtroom drama from Sunday Times bestselling thriller author James Patterson and Academy Award winner Viola Davis. Get ready to meet the most unforgettable character in years. 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. Everything changes when 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. An explosive legal thriller that will keep you turning the pages until the stunning conclusion. ------------------------------------------- 'A stunning, powerful and incendiary courtroom thriller. Impossible to put down' - CHRIS WHITAKER 'Gripping, tense, heart-wrenching, timely and so, so important. I read it in one sitting. This is a story that everyone will be talking about in 2026.' - RUTH MANCINI 'The co-authors' seamless collaboration is highly successful - as good as a John Grisham page-turner' - THE SUNDAY TIMES 'This is a tale that is impossible to put down, elegant, thoughtful and terrifying' - DAILY MAIL 'Explosive' - Crime Monthly

Portrait

James Patterson (Author)
JAMES PATTERSON is one of the best-known and biggest-selling writers of all time. Among his creations are some of the world's most popular series including Alex Cross, the Women's Murder Club, Michael Bennett and the Private novels. He has written many other number one bestsellers including collaborations with President Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, stand-alone thrillers and non-fiction. James has donated millions in grants to independent bookshops and has been the most borrowed adult author in UK libraries for the past fourteen years in a row. He lives in Florida with his family. Viola Davis (Author)
Viola Davis is an internationally acclaimed actress, producer, New York Times bestselling author, and EGOT winner - only the
fourth person to do so 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,
theatre, television, and digital content. In 2025, the Golden Globes honoured 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); a Screen Actors Guild award for her role in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom; her two Tony Awards
in theatre (for Fences and King Hedley II ); and as a Grammy winner for best audiobook narration, and storytelling recording, for her
bestselling memoir, Finding Me.