Judge Mary Stone is a circuit judge for Bullock County, Alabama, she’s highly respected, the first black woman to be elected to this position and ranked first in law school at the university of Alabama. She’s as fair and balanced as humanly possible when delivering sentence, however, when local Doctor Bria Gaines is arrested, she is drawn into a very controversial case. It’s the deep south, the laws are clear and Bria has contravened them, but is it right or just? Judge Stone is in an impossible situation and not only will the people of Alabama be watching over The State versus Bria Gaines but potentially it will garner national attention too.

I imagine like many other readers I’m a bit wary of celebrity novels but this one is really, really good, hooking me into the storytelling immediately. It’s a very difficult theme to address, especially if you’re not from the deep south or from a country with very different attitudes and it’s hard not to have a personal opinion. However, Viola Davis does a good job with the pro choice, pro life debate as well as addressing other issues such as race. I like the way it’s written as it’s fast paced and immersive. Although the subject matter is heavy and controversial with the case having horrifying elements to it, there are moments of light relief often courtesy of Judge Stone, which are scattered in amongst the tension and suspense.

The courtroom scenes are electric, the plot at times is positively explosive but for me, the absolute star of the show is Judge Mary Stone. She is an amazing, unforgettable and unique character who I’d love to prop up a bar with and shoot the breeze. Mess with her at your peril.

This is a very good legal thriller which I can recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK/Cornerstone for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

Will post to social media nearer publication

We need more judge's like Judge Stone. I love how she uses her power to protect her town and it gets a lot of controversy. This is explosive and had me reading so deeply that I forgot the world around me. These two authors James and Voila have complimented each other and wrote a powerful page turner.