This sequel to The Whistler is just a s good as the original. Investigator Lacy Stoltz is contacted by a nervous woman who says she has proof of a sitting judge who is getting revenge on people from his past by killing them. He’s got the power and connections to hide what he’s doing and the woman is sure that he’s killed her father among his other victims..

Who doesn't love Grisham's books? Going back to the legal thriller genre, Grisham weaves a tight story about a judge who has committed many murders over 20 plus years. Each murder is carefully planned out on someone who hurt or betrayed him. His signature method is to crush their skull and then asphyxiate them with a nylon rope and special know. Victim #2's daughter has been on his trail for 20 years. With no help from the police and these cold case files in different states, she turn to Lacy Stoltz at the .Florida Board for Judicial Conduct.. Reluctantly Lacy takes the case, but her agency doesn't investigate murders, but he is a judge and under her jurisdiction. What ensues is a chilling novel that you will want to read.

I have always loved John Grisham's book. Right from the moment I read A Time to Kill, I was hooked. His writing has only gotten better as he aged.

As all his books are. He is able to write about current issues that affect all in today's day and age and he does it with Grace.

Another great book by John Grisham

Another classic Grisham thriller that would make a great showing on the big screen! There’s murder - lots of it. There’s the just system - lots of it. And, we have our reluctant heroine, that ends up bringing down the bad guy…. Or does she? As per usual, Grisham does a marvelous job with character development that pulls the reader right in. Thanks to NetGalley for the read.

In this legal thriller, Grisham returns to the character of Lacy Stoltz, a lawyer at the Board on Judicial Conduct in Florida. Her job is boring but necessary, but now has an interesting and dangerous case that involves murder committed by a sitting judge. Jeri Crosby has plenty of circumstantial evidence against the judge in question, but not enough to go to the police. She is also fearful of being targeted if the judge finds out how much evidence she does have.
From this start, the book proceeds through investigation, danger and on to a surprise ending. I love how Grisham plots his books. I also liked the characters of Lacy and Jeri, they both seemed believable and were upright citizens trying to do their best in a flawed world.
The writing is not inspired, but is easy to read and Grisham keeps the suspense at a high level throughout.
The ending was unexpected and seemed a little over the top to me, that is why I only rated this 3 out of 5 stars.

Two professional, accomplished women are each at a crossroads. One, a law professor obssessed with proving a sitting judge is a serial killer who murdered her father. The other, an investigator with the Bureau of Judicial Conduct, wondering if her job has any real purpose. The two meet when the professor files a complaint against the judge. The first half of the story fleshes out the two characters' personalities and gives weight to the conflict between them. When the antagonist is introduced, the story becomes more of a cat and mouse game. Grisham is a master storyteller who can write female characters as well as male ones. Hard to put down. I recommend this highly.

Classic John Grisham! Lacy Stotlz is back to investigate yet another corrupt/disturbed judge. Full of twists, turns, and the suspense we expect from Grisham, you won't be able to put this one down. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! G

The Judge's List by John Grisham, a good book by a great author. Reads well and makes you want to finish without being too captivating. I enjoyed it and would read again.

A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(2.5 rounded up) John Grisham is frequently referred to a 'master of the legal thriller,' and I certainly agree that the man knows his stuff as well as how to put it to the page that is entertaining and understanding to we laypeople. His books are also rather long, so given the time committment, I expect to get more bang for my buck. Granted, my expectations were high (it is a Grisham book after all) and serial killers are one of my favorite things - in literature, not real life. It could be a case of the wrong book at the wrong time I suppose, but I just didn't find the story nor the characters that interesting and my attention kept wandering. I did listen the audio version, and while I was initially stoked that Mary Louise Parker was the narrator, I found her narration quite tedious, so there's a good chance that this was part of the problem. Will I read another Grisham book, but of course.

Published by ‎ Doubleday on October 19, 2021

Legal thriller fans should expect few thrills in the latest Grisham novel. Nor does the novel have any of the courtroom theatrics that make legal thrillers so compelling. The story’s interest lies in its focus on a lawyer who works for an inconsequential state agency charged with regulating judges, a thankless job that comes with a small budget and little legislative interest in acknowledging that judges ever break the rules.

Jeri Crosby’s father was murdered. The killer was never identified. Jeri has dedicated her life to finding him. She concludes that several other people were victims of the same killer, a conclusion that seem obvious given that the killer strangled each victim with identical lengths of identical rope that he tied around their necks with identical knots. Having identified a pattern that the FBI didn’t notice, Jeri looks for someone who has a connection to every victim. That someone turns out to be Judge Ross Bannick.

Now Jeri could give the FBI a gift-wrapped case, but she instead takes her evidence to Lacy Stoltz, a lawyer at a Florida board that regulates judges. (Lacy was apparently a character in The Whistler, a Grisham novel I haven’t read.) Jeri claims to be worried that the FBI will not protect her from the judge but believes Lacy can safely investigate her complaint if she files it anonymously. Lacy agrees, somewhat reluctantly, and only because the evidence of guilt, although circumstantial, is pretty compelling.

The story tracks Lacy’s investigation, although Jeri has done all the legwork, giving Lacy little to do. Later in the novel, Jeri decides to spice up the plot by taunting the judge, placing herself and Lacy at risk and setting up traditional but low-key thriller scenes. I didn’t buy Jeri’s reckless behavior given how often she tells Laci of her fears and the care she has taken to investigate without being noticed. But then, I didn’t buy the notion of a regulatory agency investigating a judge for murder. I suspect that Grisham contrived this plot as an excuse to revive Lacy as a character.

I give Grisham credit for not overplaying the drama when the judge goes after Jeri and Lacy. Still, the whole story is a bit dull. Tangential plots (Jeri is hoping for an injury settlement, her sketchy brother wants to take advantage of her when it is finalized, Jeri’s relationship with her boyfriend is uncertain) do nothing to enliven the story. I’m not a huge Grisham fan, although he’s certainly done some good work. I wouldn’t put The Judge’s List on my relatively shortlist of good Grisham legal thrillers.

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

I made the mistake of stopping right at the crucial point three-fourths of the way through the book, and it filled my grisly dreams. Lacy Stolz, who has appeared in one other Grisham book, is still working at the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct, becomes involved in a case where a well-respected judge is accused of being a serial killer. Way beyond the scope of most of their investigations into judicial misconduct, she, along with the 20 years of research done by one of the victims’ daughters, plunges into a very dangerous investigation. Like all Grisham books, its easy to become enmeshed in the storyline and it won’t disappoint his legion of fans.

I recently watched an interview with John Grisham in which he stated he cared more the popularity of his books than how they are reviewed. I’m sure The Judge’s List will be very popular with his fans, but I am committed to providing an honest review which is not 100% favorable. I confess I did not realize this was a continuation of the story of Lacy Stoltz, an investigator for the Board of Judicial Conduct in Florida from an earlier book The Whistler. There were certainly hints to a past history as the story unfolded but not enough to affect my understanding of the character, although I think it would have added to my enjoyment to have the back story.
The book begins as bright and driven Professor Jeri Crosby’ approaches Laci with findings she has reached following a 20 year search for her father’s killer. Jeri has determined that he was murdered as a result of a perceived insult given to a man who later became a well regarded sitting judge. Jeri further believes the judge is in fact a serial killer with at least 8 victims to his name, and she wants Laci to pursue the investigation. Laci protests that her office is not equipped to handle murder investigations but Jeri begins a campaign which ultimately convinces Laci to involve her office.
Her findings are compelling but the killer has been so clever that there is insufficient evidence to link a series of cold cases to thie well-regarded judge. The first half of the book unfolds the steps of the investigation, including the dead ends and frustrations in pursuing this vicious killer. If you enjoy police procedurals, this process will definitely capture your interest.
Halfway through the book the attention shifts to the judge, and we begin to gain an understanding of his motivation, his strategies and activities since his first murder. Grisham has a good eye for detail and the tension mounts as the investigation begins to close in on Judge Bannock.
At this point in the story, I was all in and waited eagerly for what I was sure would be a thrilling confrontation between two smart and driven individuals. Without giving away the ending away, let’s just say I think Grisham blew it. As an engaged reader, I could see several directions the story could have taken which would have created more suspense and surprise. Instead Grisham ties the plot together neatly and predictably and sends us on our way. I wonder if other readers feel as let down as I did.

A really great book as always when you read a Grisham book. I don't want to ruin the story but a sitting judge with a great records is being accused of being a serial killer to anyone who has slighted him in the past. Lacy Stoltz from the Board of Judicial Conduct in Florida is being tasked with dealing with the complaint. A great story ensues. Maybe a bit implausible at times but still a fun and quick read. I didn't like the ending as that seemed unlikely but wrapped the story up. The legal thrillers keep coming and I look forward to reading more from Grisham in the future.

Another winner from John Grisham! I just love his legal thrillers, I've been reading them since I was a young girl.

Let me just say that I have been a Grisham fan since my days driving back and forth from college in my Toyota Tercel grabbing copies of whatever Grisham book I could find from the Cracker Barrel audiobook program. When given the chance to read Grisham's latest book, The Judge's List, I was delighted.

It was great to get reunited with Lacy Stoltz from The Whistler in this book. There's an investigation into a judge, who is suspected of being a serial killer.

This was one of my favorite types of books - a cat-and-mouse chase to the very end.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Grisham did not disappoint with yet another book. The book was full of surprises. The storyline was bizarre but believable. It was suspenseful and did not end how I had predicted.

Quite a tale of surprise, suspense, and thrills. A kind of blend of legal and psychological thrillers? The beginning peaked my interest to keep reading and I wasn't disappointed. I love reading stories like this with many questions and conflicts along the way, that are ultimately answered.

A well written John Grisham book to add to his list. Read this, you will enjoy it!

Delightful novel from John Grisham. Full of depth and twists and turns. Fan's won't want to miss this one.

In this companion novel to The Whistler, Florida state judicial oversight officer Lacy Stolz encounters a woman who claims her father was murdered many years ago by a man who is currently a sitting judge. Worse yet, she suspects the judge has killed many more people -- he's a serial killer. Lacy is skeptical at first, but the woman has enough evidence to convince her to open an investigation. The great characters, the cleverness of the serial killer, and the twisty plot make this a terrific read. I look forward to recommending this to mystery lovers.

Great suspenseful read - characters were well developed.
We know pretty early who the killer is - but never dream of how it all ends!