Judge Stone: A Novel

James Patterson · Viola Davis

Mar 2026 · Hachette Audio · Narrated by Viola Davis

31 reviews

Audiobook

11 hr 20 min

Unabridged

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About this audiobook

#1 New York Times Bestseller!

Read by Academy Award–winning actress Viola Davis.

“Davis is a force of nature, and her performance is riveting.” —Kirkus Reviews

All rise...for Judge Stone.

In Union Springs, Alabama (population 3,314), Judge Mary Stone 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.

“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)

#1 New York Times Bestseller! Read by Academy Award–winning actress Viola Davis. “Davis is a force of nature, and her performance is riveting.” —Kirkus Reviews All rise...for Judge Stone. In Union Springs, Alabama (population 3,314), Judge Mary Stone draws the most controversial case in the hi...

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Ratings and reviews

31 reviews

Julie Ditton

July 25, 2026

Viola Davis is an award winning actress and producer, but she is also a fantastic author. The novel is a courtroom drama centering on a murder charge against a doctor who provided an abortion to a 13 year old girl. The plot is compelling but the book is is also engrossing because the characters are complex and multifaceted. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys courtroom dramas, or Southern stories.

Tina Brown

May 21, 2026

This book had me emotional and excited from the start. I loved the characters and the narration by Viola Davis. I wonder if there will be more Judge Mary Stone books!

Camala Mitchell

March 25, 2026

This was one of the best books I've read in years! It was phenomenal. The characters were so relatable and Judge Stone was inspiring. It kept you on the edge of your seat. I hope there will be a sequel and fingers crossed the movie is already in the works. Viola Davis was born to play Judge Stone on the big screen.

About the 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 cofounder of JVL Media, a full-service production/media packaging firm and independent publisher.

In 2025, the Golden Globes honored her with the Cecil B. DeMille Award for “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.”

Davis 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 Doubt, The Help, and Fences (for which she received the Oscar); her Screen Actors Guild Award–winning role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom; her two Tony Awards (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 with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton. He has told the story of his own life in James Patterson by James Patterson and received an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

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 cofounder of JVL Media, a full-service production/media packaging firm and independent publisher. ...

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