Alabama town featured in new novel by Viola Davis + James Patterson
Reading time: 3 minutes
Author James Patterson has teamed up with popular actor Viola Davis for a new courtroom drama that is set in the small town of Union Springs, Alabama.
Judge Stone was released on March 9 and has spent the last three weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list. It debuted at the No. 1 spot for fiction books on March 29.
“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
Keep reading to learn more about the book + how you can read it for yourself.
Union Springs
The small town is located about halfway between Montgomery and Eufaula. According to the 2020 census, it’s home to just over 3,000 residents.
Union Springs serves as the county seat for Bullock County.
“A quick tour around picturesque downtown and the surrounding residential streets illustrates what makes it uniquely and genuinely Southern. From antebellum homes to one of the oldest jails in the state to cemeteries dating back nearly 200 years, Union Springs is a showplace of southern history, architecture, and charm.”
Union Springs, Alabama
Judge Stone
The book surrounds the life of Judge Mary Stone who is a beloved judge in the small Alabama town until the residents are split by a trial of a 13-year-old rape victim and the doctor who gives her an illegal abortion.
“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.”
Hatchette Book Group
This is the first fiction novel for Davis, who previously released a personal memoir in 2022. She is known for her performances on screen including her Emmy-winning role in television’s How to Get Away with Murder plus her Oscar-winning performance in Fences.
Patterson is certainly no stranger to the bestselling lists. He has also previously co-authored bestsellers with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton and Michael Crichton.
Looking to read Judge Stone for yourself? Find it straight from the publisher on Hatchette Book Group’s website.
