The Judge's List: A Novel (The Whistler)

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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • John Grisham returns to Florida, where The Whistler’s Lacy Stoltz takes on a cold case that reveals a judge’s darkest secrets.

“One of the best crime reads of the year . . . a world-class shocker, worth staying up all night to finish.”—The Wall Street Journal

In The Whistler, Lacy Stoltz investigated a corrupt judge who was taking millions in bribes from a crime syndicate. She put the criminals away, but only after being attacked and nearly killed. Three years later, and approaching forty, she is tired of her work for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct and ready for a change.

Then she meets a mysterious woman who is so frightened she uses a number of aliases. Jeri Crosby’s father was murdered twenty years earlier in a case that remains unsolved and that has grown stone cold. But Jeri has a suspect whom she has become obsessed with and has stalked for two decades. Along the way, she has discovered other victims.

The man Jeri holds responsible for all these deaths is brilliant, patient, and always one step ahead of law enforcement. He is the most cunning of all serial killers. He knows forensics, police procedure, and most important: he knows the law.

He is a judge, in Florida—under Lacy’s jurisdiction.

But the man keeps a record of all his victims and targets, people unlucky enough to have crossed his path and wronged him in some way. Lacy must work to take him down, while somehow keeping her name off his list.

Review

Praise for the novels of John Grisham

“John Grisham is about as good a storyteller as we’ve got in the United States these days.”—The New York Times Book Review

“In all of Grisham’s best books . . . the reader gets good company, a vigorous runaround and . . . a bit of a legal education.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times

“Grisham’s books are smart, imaginative, and funny, populated by complex, interesting people.”—The Washington Post

“The law, by its nature, creates drama, and a new Grisham promises us an inside look at the dirty machineries of process and power, with plenty of entertainment.”—Los Angeles Times

“John Grisham owns the legal thriller.” —The Denver Post

About the Author

John Grisham is the author of numerous #1 bestsellers, including The Firm, A Time to Kill, The Rainmaker, The Innocent Man, The Whistler, The Boys from Biloxi, and many more. His books have been translated into nearly fifty languages. Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction. Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system. He lives on a farm in central Virginia.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

1

The call came through the office land line, through a system that was at least twenty years old and had fought off all technological advances. It was taken by a tattooed receptionist named Felicity, a new girl who would be gone before she fully understood the phones. They were all leaving, it seemed, especially the clerical help. Turnover was ridiculous. Morale was low. The Board on Judicial Conduct had just seen its budget chopped for the fourth straight year by a legislature that hardly knew it existed.

Felicity managed to route the call down the hall to the cluttered desk of Lacy Stoltz. “There’s a call on line three,” she announced.

“Who is it?” Lacy asked.

“She wouldn’t say.”

There were so many ways to respond. At that moment, though, Lacy was bored, and she did not wish to waste the emotional energy necessary to properly chastise the kid and set her straight. Routines and protocols were crumbling. Office discipline was waning as BJC spiraled into a leaderless mess.

As a veteran, the veteran, it was important to set an example. “Thanks,” she said and punched the blinking light. “Lacy Stoltz.”

“Good afternoon, Ms. Stoltz. Do you have a moment?”

Female, educated, no hint of an accent, mid-forties, give or take three years. Lacy always played the voice game. “And to whom do I have the pleasure?”

“My name is Margie for now, but I use other ones.”

Lacy was amused and almost chuckled. “Well, at least you’re up front about it. It normally takes me some time to work through the aliases.”

Anonymous callers were routine. People with gripes about judges were always cautious and hesitant to come forward and take on the system. Almost all feared retaliation from the powers on high.

Margie said, “I’d like to talk to you, somewhere private.”

“My office is private, if you’d like.”

“Oh no,” she snapped, apparently frightened at the thought. “That won’t work. You know the Siler Building, next door?”

“Of course,” Lacy said as she stood and looked out her window at the Siler Building, one of several nondescript government addresses in downtown Tallahassee.

Margie said, “There’s a coffee bar on the ground floor. Can we meet there?”

“I suppose. When?”

“Now. I’m on my second latte.”

“Slow down. Give me a few minutes. And you’ll recognize me?”

“Yes. You’re on the website. I’m in the rear, left side.”

Lacy’s office was indeed private. The one to her left was empty, vacated by an ex-colleague who’d moved on to a bigger agency. Across the hall an office had been converted into a makeshift storage closet. She walked toward Felicity and ducked into the office of Darren Trope, a two-year man already prowling for another job.

“You busy?” she asked as she interrupted whatever he was doing.

“Not really.” It didn’t matter what he was or was not doing. If Lacy needed anything, Darren belonged to her.

“Need a favor. I’m stepping over to Siler to meet a stranger who just admitted that she is using a fake name.”

“Oh, I love the cloak-and-dagger. Sure beats sitting here reading about some judge who made lewd comments to a witness.”

“How lewd?”

“Pretty graphic.”

“Any photos, videos?”

“Not yet.”

“Let me know if you get them. So, mind stepping over in fifteen minutes and taking a picture?”

“Sure. No problem. No idea who she is?”

“None whatsoever.”

Lacy left the building, took her time walking around the block, enjoyed a moment of cool air, and strolled into the lobby of the Siler Building. It was almost 4:00 p.m. and there were no other customers drinking coffee at that hour. Margie was at a small table in the rear, to the left. She waved quickly as though someone might notice and she didn’t want to get caught. Lacy smiled and walked toward her.

African American, mid-forties, professional, attractive, educated, slacks and heels and dressed nicer than Lacy, though around BJC these days any and all attire was allowed. The old boss wanted coats and ties and hated jeans, but he had retired two years ago and took most of the rules with him.

Lacy passed the counter where the barista was loafing with both elbows stuck on the Formica, hands cradling her pink phone that had her thoroughly fascinated. She did not look up, never thought about greeting a customer, and Lacy decided to pass on more caffeine anyway.

Without standing, Margie stuck out a hand and said, “Nice to meet you. Would you like some coffee?”

Lacy smiled, shook her hand, and sat across the square table. “No thanks. And it’s Margie, right?”

“For now.”

“Okay, we’re off to a bad start. Why are you using an alias?”

“My story will take hours to tell and I’m not sure you want to hear it.”

“Then why bother?”

“Please, Ms. Stoltz.”

“Lacy.”

“Please, Lacy. You have no idea the emotional trauma I’ve been through trying to get to this point in my life. I’m a wreck right now, okay?”

She seemed fine, though a bit on edge. Perhaps it was the second latte. Her eyes darted right and left. They were pretty and surrounded by large purple frames. The lenses were probably not needed. The glasses were part of the outfit, a subtle disguise.

Lacy said, “I’m not sure what to say. Why don’t you start talking and maybe we’ll get somewhere?”

“I’ve read about you.” She reached down into a backpack and deftly pulled out a file. “The Indian casino case, not long ago. You caught a judge skimming and put her away. One reporter described it as the largest bribery scandal in the history of American jurisprudence.” The file was two inches thick and gave every impression of being immaculately organized.

Lacy noted the use of the word “jurisprudence.” Odd for a layperson.

“It was a big case,” she said, feigning modesty.

Margie smiled and said, “Big? You broke up a crime syndicate, nailed the judge, and sent a bunch of people to prison. All are still there, I believe.”

“True, but it was far from a one-girl takedown. The FBI was heavily involved. It was a complicated case and some people were killed.”

“Including your colleague, Mr. Hugo Hatch.”

“Yes, including Hugo. Curious. Why all of this research about me?”

Margie folded her hands and rested them on top of the file, which she had not opened. Her index fingers were shaking slightly. She looked at the entrance and glanced around again, though no one had entered, no one had left, no one had moved, not even the barista who was lost in the clouds. She took a sip from her straw. If it really was her second latte, it had barely been touched. She had used the word “trauma.” Admitted to being a “wreck.” Lacy realized the woman was frightened.

Margie said, “Oh, I’m not sure it’s research. Just some stuff off the Internet. Everything’s out there, you know.”

Lacy smiled and tried to be patient. “I’m not sure we’re getting anywhere.”

“Your job is to investigate judges who are accused of wrongdoing, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“And you’ve been doing it for how long?”

“I’m sorry. Why is this relevant?”

“Please.”

“Twelve years.” Giving that number was like admitting defeat. It sounded so long.

“How do you get involved in a case?” Margie asked, bouncing around.

Lacy took a deep breath and reminded herself to be patient. People with complaints who got this far were often rattled. She smiled and said, “Well, typically a person with a complaint against a judge will contact us and we’ll have a meeting. If the gripe appears to have some merit, then the person will file a formal complaint, which we keep locked up for forty-five days while we take a look. We call it an assessment. Nine times out of ten that’s as far as it gets and the complaint is dismissed. If we find possible wrongdoing, then we notify the judge and he or she has thirty days to respond. Usually, everybody lawyers up. We investigate, have hearings, bring in witnesses, the works.”

As she spoke, Darren strolled in alone, disturbed the barista by ordering decaf, waited on it while ignoring the two women, then took it to a table on the other side of the room where he opened a laptop and began what appeared to be some serious work. Without giving the slightest hint, he aimed the laptop’s camera at Lacy’s back and Margie’s face, zoomed in for a close shot, and began filming. He took a video and some still shots.

If Margie noticed him it was not apparent.

She listened intently to Lacy and asked, “How often is a judge removed from office?”

Review:

4.7 out of 5

93.85% of customers are satisfied

5.0 out of 5 stars He had me all the way

G. · May 20, 2025

4.0 out of 5 stars Ike it

A.C. · March 24, 2025

Like it

5.0 out of 5 stars A great novel . One of his best !

d.n. · May 18, 2025

This is one on of Grisham best books ! A good follow on to the Indian casino book !

5.0 out of 5 stars Take time to read and enjoy

S. · May 13, 2025

Interesting. Typical John Grisham

5.0 out of 5 stars This author never fails

L. · April 28, 2025

Great story line! Was what I expected. This author never fails

4.0 out of 5 stars Lacy Stoltz is a home run character!

l. · January 3, 2022

Lacy Stoltz works for the Bureau on Judicial Conduct in the state of Florida. She is the senior lawyer working there because turnover is high. Her office investigates complaints and then decides the next step in the process that includes letting a judge know of the complaint. Lacy is in a relationship with an FBI Agent which may or may not lead to marriage.Lacy’s life is about to be challenged when she receives a request to meet from a woman who may be filing a very unusual complaint against a sitting judge. When Lacy meets with Jeri, she isn’t quite sure what to expect, but the complaint that a judge is committing murder is the last thing Lacy expected. Jeri has been on the judge’s track for two decades once she realized her father was murdered. As Jeri sets out to look for answers, she uncovers what might possible be a serial killer!Now the course is set, and Lacy must follow the leads where there is only possible motive and maybes. There is not one shred of physical proof for her or the police to collect and study. The judge is thought to have committed murder over a couple of decades but never has a sitting judge been investigated let alone found guilty of such a heinous crime.Judge Bannick learns he is being investigated not through Lacy but using his vast resources that are safely hidden away in what he calls “The Vault.” Time is of the essence as the judge feels his craftly constructed world of hidden secrets and crimes is about to be exposed for the world to see.I read the novel in just a couple days. I was captivated by the hunt of capturing the man responsible for so many deaths. It has been a while since I read a John Grisham novel, and I was hoping this would be equal to his earlier works that I thought were excellent. I wasn’t disappointed. The novel has a strong plot, interesting characters, and suspense from beginning to end. I hope other readers enjoy the book, and I will keep an eye out for future books by Grisham. In the meantime, I plan on going to read about Lacy Stoltz’s adventures in The Whistler.

3.0 out of 5 stars GRISHAM CAN SLICE INTO HUMAN CONDITION LIKE A SURGEON

M.F. · June 6, 2023

JUDGE’S LIST by John GrishamWell, I was so happy to go back to one of the loves of my literary like, John Grisham, and see that he’s back in shape. We parted a while ago when I read some of his work that was not worthy of Grisham. But I am glad we are back together..Judge’s List is part of the Lacy Stolz series. Stolz works as an investigator for the Florida Board of Judicial Conduct. A strong woman in her thirties, she is faced with unexpected complications that seem to belong more to the FBI than to the BJC. The woman who insists on seeing her, Jeri, is convinced that a respected judge is also a serial killer, and that one of his victims was her own father. For twenty years, Jeri built an enormous dossier on that judge, stalked him and, in the process, created several identities with different names, and untraceable phone numbers.What’s fascinating in this thriller comes from Grisham’s parallel between two obsessive and organized minds, Jeri’s and the judge/serial killer’s. One good and one evil, they use similar methods to get to their end, one looking for justice, the other looking for the next revenge murder. While working as a novel with psychological insights and complex analysis, it can be read also as a fable representing the human mind and its duality and inner fight between negative and positive forces. There is a paragraph toward the end where Jeri admits that part of her got strangely attached to the man who killed her father. Her decades-long investigation has made him an intimate part of her life. And, discovering the magnitude of her work, the killer himself thinks of this enemy, as brilliant as he is, with reverence.If I only gave three stars to the novel, it’s not because of the journalistic, minimalist prose characteristic of this author. Simplicity is not that simple. It’s because I compare Grisham to Grisham –a graving on a curve of sorts. I believe he has done better in the past. I am about to read one of his old books, and should I change my mind after that, I will add a star here. The other reason is the cute, sentimental ending. This ain’t a cute story and, should the reader need a release from this dark tale, Grisham could have placed it in an epilogue and not as the last chapter.It's definitely worth a read. Despite his nearly telegraphic style, or because of it and its efficiency, Grisham manages to go to the depths and conflicts of our human condition.6.5.23

5.0 out of 5 stars Judges don't Always Obey The Law!

M.S.M. · April 10, 2025

An unusual look into The Judiciary System, and the how the rules apply to the People who are supposed to Uphold the Law and some who actually Break It.

Ottimo

A. · July 28, 2024

los libros de grisham no decepcionan

j.G.d.l.L.G.V. · May 22, 2024

buen "plot"

One of his best books!

P. · September 11, 2024

The Judge's List: A Novel is a gripping continuation of John Grisham's The Whistler series.Engaging Plot: The novel’s suspenseful plot and twists keep readers hooked throughout.Complex Characters: Grisham’s well-developed characters add depth and realism to the story.Thrilling Pace: The balanced pacing combines intense legal drama with personal intrigue, maintaining reader interest.Insightful and Relevant: The Judge's List offers a thought-provoking look at the justice system and its moral complexities.Personal Favorite: This book ranks among my top five Grisham novels. I've read it multiple times, discovering new details each time. I particularly enjoy stories where a man operates secretly, meticulously planning and executing his plans.Overall, The Judge's List is a fantastic read for anyone who enjoys legal thrillers and character-driven stories. It builds on the strengths of its predecessor and delivers a satisfying and engaging narrative.

super book

P. · May 27, 2025

So many twists just couldn’t leave it down.Hard to beat a good Grisham book, keep it up John thanks.

Not a legal thriller just a powerfully good thriller

L.P. · September 30, 2022

Is it possible for John Grisham to actually be getting better than ever? I asked myself that question the last two times I read one of his most recent books. The answer is a resounding yes. This is my favourite book since his first "A Time to Kill". This is a fresh story, with only a tacit relationship to a legal trial as one of the characters is a judge. Otherwise this is a rousing good thriller, which kept me on the edge of my chair until I closed the book after a very satisfying ending. You never see John Grisham's writing. You hear it. It sounds like someone speaking, normally and in the same language you use every day. That is his genius. This is a great story, well told and I'd like to read more about his main protaganist Lucy in a future book.

Visit the Vintage Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 23, 2022 Language ‏ : ‎ English Print length ‏ : ‎ 480 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593157834 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593157831 Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.19 x 1.08 x 7.48 inches Book 2 of 2 ‏ : ‎ The Whistler Best Sellers Rank: #2,648 in Books Store

The Judge's List: A Novel (The Whistler)

Name: The Judge's List: A Novel (The Whistler)
Brand: Vintage Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 23, 2022 Language ‏ : ‎ English Print length ‏ : ‎ 480 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593157834 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593157831 Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.19 x 1.08 x 7.48 inches Book 2 of 2 ‏ : ‎ The Whistler Best Sellers Rank: #2,648 in Books
SKU: U0593157834
Price: 44.89 AED
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.5 (13 reviews)

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