Judge Stone by James Patterson & Viola Davis (Little, Brown) is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

Bestselling Patterson (The #1 Lawyer with Nancy Allen) and acclaimed actor Davis (Finding Me) team up to write a legal thriller. In Union Springs, AL, Judge Mary Stone runs her family farm and presides over a courtroom. She’s up for reelection and faces even more pressure as she contends with her most controversial case.—LJ Reviews

All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris (Morrow)

Appeared on the November 2021 LibraryReads list

“All is not as it first seems in this thriller set in present-day Atlanta. In-house attorney Ellice is suddenly elevated to corporate general counsel after her boss’s death, but things don’t add up. A beautifully written, entertaining mystery with on-target social commentary about workplace politics and racial and sexual discrimination.”—Nina Radakovich, Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, Atlanta, GA

Say Nothing by Brad Parks (Dutton; LJ starred review)

Appeared on the March 2017 LibraryReads list

“Fans of crime fiction and fans of domestic drama will find much to love in Parks’ genre-blending thriller. Judge Scott Sampson is a devoted family man and a respected jurist thrown into every parent’s worst nightmare: his 6-year-old twins are kidnapped, and the kidnappers blackmail Scott into increasingly immoral legal decisions. Cue marital meltdown, ethical dilemmas, paranoia, and a thrill ride that suspense lovers will race through to learn what happens next.”—Donna Matturri, Pickertington Public Library, Pickerington, OH 

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult (Ballantine)

Appeared on the October 2016 LibraryReads list

“A Black neonatal nurse is charged with causing the death of a white supremacist’s newborn baby. The story is told from the points of view of the nurse, her attorney, and the baby’s heartbroken father. As always, Picoult’s attention to legal, organizational, and medical details help the tale ring true. What sets this book apart, though, are the uncomfortable points it makes about racism. The novel is both absorbing and thought-provoking, and will surely spark conversations among friends, families and book clubs.”—Laurie Van Court, Douglas County Libraries, Castle Rock, CO