The Judge’s List

Lacy Stoltz investigates complaints against judges, and one file points to a man whose secret would end far more than a career. John Grisham returns to an investigator whose authority is administrative rather than armed, which leaves her badly equipped for what the trail turns into. The procedure is precise and the pace steady, and the tension comes from watching a careful official close in on someone who understands exactly how the law works. Things worth flagging: • A legal thriller featuring investigator Lacy Stoltz • Judicial misconduct and criminal inquiry tightly intertwined • Courtroom detail handled with the author's usual accuracy • Readable without knowledge of the earlier Stoltz case Suited to readers of crime fiction, courtroom drama and suspense, whether returning to Grisham or starting here, stocked by Boipoka.