Viola Davis hits No. 1
‘Judge Stone,’ co‑authored by Viola Davis and James Patterson, debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times combined print and e‑book fiction list for the week ending March 29, 2026. (ibtimes.com.au) The legal thriller’s strong opening was noted across bestseller roundups this week. (arkansasonline.com)
Published March 9, 2026 by Little, Brown and Company, Judge Stone is issued in hardcover (432 pages, list price $32.00) and e‑book formats. (jamespatterson.com) The story follows Judge Mary Stone in Union Springs, Alabama (population 3,314) as she presides over a case in which a local doctor is charged after performing an illegal abortion on a 13‑year‑old, a plotline several outlets cite as central to the book’s political charge. (jamespatterson.com) Viola Davis narrates the unabridged audiobook, which runs about 11 hours and 20 minutes and is available through Hachette Audio and major audiobook retailers such as Audible. (audible.com) Early critical reaction has been prominent: Kirkus gave Judge Stone a starred review, and publisher materials highlight additional strong blurbs from Booklist and Oprah Daily. (kirkusreviews.com) James Patterson has discussed a New York launch event for the title and has publicly teased that a screen adaptation is already in the works, a possibility flagged by multiple outlets. (blexmedia.com) The title is also charting beyond print lists—Amazon’s product/Charts listings showed the book on its weekly charts—and the audiobook and e‑book editions are being distributed to libraries and platforms such as OverDrive/NYPL. (amazon.com)
