John Grisham has never written about a serial killer.

Until now.

Hearing Grisham say he’s never written a crime novel involving a serial killer does not sound right. Surely after 30 years of books on courts and crimes and lawyers, there’s been a serial killer in there somewhere … But apparently not. 

With “The Judge’s List,” Grisham creates a compelling serial killer: A sitting judge who holds decades-old grudges and acts violently upon them.

Jeri Crosby has been hunting the killer of her father for 20 years. She’s connected the killer to several other cold cases in as many states across numerous years. All of the cases lack evidence other than being connected by the same deadly methods and having a contentious acquaintance with the judge in their pasts.

Jeri seeks out Lacy Stoltz. 

Stoltz is an investigator with the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct who gained attention for risking her life taking down a judge in the pocket of organized crime. Jeri wants the board involved because she hopes to take down the serial killer judge while remaining anonymous.

With Lacy, Grisham returns to a character from a past novel. “The Whistler” was the story of how she took down the corrupt judge. And she’s a fine character here, even though in some ways she takes a back seat to Jeri and the judge.

Jeri is an irritating character. She’s brilliant in her pursuit of the judge but many readers will easily understand Lacy’s exasperation with her. Though her motive to bring the judge to justice is pure, her methods are self-righteous, self-serving and dangerous to others. The loss of her father should make her sympathetic but her actions throughout the book make her annoying.

That said, Grisham fans should put “The Judge’s List’ on their reading lists.