How to Read the Joe Dillard Series
When it comes to Scott Pratt's gripping legal thriller series, the best way to experience the story is in publication order. While each book features a standalone legal case that wraps up by the final page, the personal life of Joe Dillard—specifically his relationship with his wife Caroline, his struggles with the ethics of criminal defense, and the growth of his children—unfolds chronologically across the books. Reading them out of order will spoil major family milestones, character departures, and emotional developments.
The series is set in the rural, atmospheric backdrop of East Tennessee, bringing a distinct Appalachian flavor to the courtroom drama. Joe Dillard begins as a deeply cynical defense attorney who is tired of getting guilty clients off the hook, but his path takes him through roles as both prosecutor and defender as he searches for redemption and true justice.
Joe Dillard Books in Publication and Chronological Order
Below is the complete reading order of the Joe Dillard series. The first nine novels were written solely by Scott Pratt. Following his passing in 2018, his son Dylan Pratt (writing under the pen name J.D. Pratt) stepped in to complete his father's final notes, resulting in the tenth and eleventh books in the franchise.
- An Innocent Client (2008) – The book that started it all. Joe Dillard is ready to quit criminal defense but agrees to take on one last case: defending a young waitress accused of murdering a preacher. It is the elusive 'innocent client' he has spent his career waiting for.
- In Good Faith (2009) – Joe makes a transition to the prosecution side, leading a case against a brutal double murder with occult overtones, testing his morality under a new legal lens.
- Injustice For All (2010) – Now acting as a prosecutor, Joe is thrust into a complex web of corruption when a local judge is found murdered and a young girl goes missing.
- Reasonable Fear (2011) – Dillard is appointed to investigate the death of a young woman, which leads him straight into a high-stakes conspiracy involving the state's highest officials.
- Conflict of Interest (2013) – Joe is hired to defend a man accused of kidnapping the daughter of a prominent citizen, but a conflict of interest threatens to tear his professional and personal life apart.
- Blood Money (2013) – In this installment, Joe represents a clean-cut young man accused of a horrific crime, while also facing a dangerous conflict with a local corporate kingpin.
- A Crime of Passion (2014) – Joe defends a popular local high school teacher accused of murdering a student, all while dealing with the heartbreaking progression of his wife Caroline's illness.
- Judgment Cometh (And That Right Soon) (2016) – Joe is appointed to investigate a series of executions targeting corrupt judges, forcing him to hunt down a vigilante who might be doing the public a favor.
- Due Process (2018) – The final novel completed solely by Scott Pratt. Joe defends a star local athlete accused of a brutal assault, navigating heavy racial tensions in rural Tennessee.
- Last Resort (2023) – Co-authored and completed by Scott's son, J.D. Pratt. A retired Joe Dillard is pulled back into the courtroom to defend a family member accused of murder, providing a poignant return to the character.
- Vindicate (2025) – Written by J.D. Pratt, this novel marks the official 'passing of the torch' to Joe's son, Jack Dillard, who steps up as the new primary protagonist to solve an old murder conviction.
What to Know Before You Start
The emotional core of the Joe Dillard series lies in the deep, unwavering love between Joe and his wife, Caroline. Caroline serves as Joe's moral compass throughout his darkest legal battles. This relationship was heavily inspired by Scott Pratt's real life. Caroline's long fight with cancer in the novels mirrors the eleven-year battle faced by Scott Pratt's wife, Kristy. Readers often note that the tenderness and pain depicted in these storylines feel incredibly real because they came directly from the author's own heart and lived experiences.
Scott Pratt's background as a former criminal defense lawyer and veteran in Tennessee allowed him to write courtroom scenes that are completely authentic without being bogged down in boring legalese. His quick, sharp dialogue and focus on the human cost of the legal system set these thrillers apart from generic courtroom dramas.
Exploring Scott Pratt's Spin-Offs and Connected Series
If you finish the Joe Dillard books and want more of the same gritty, Southern legal thriller vibe, Scott Pratt created two other series that exist within a similar stylistic and geographic universe, though they feature different lead characters:
The Darren Street Series
This is a darker, hard-hitting trilogy focusing on Darren Street, a defense lawyer who finds himself wrongfully convicted and sent to a brutal federal prison. It explores his quest to survive, clear his name, and find justice outside the bounds of the law. You should read these in order:
- Justice Redeemed (2015)
- Justice Burning (2017)
- Justice Lost (2018)
The Billy Beckett Series
Co-authored with Kelly Hodge (who took over the series fully after Pratt's passing), this series follows Billy Beckett, a sports agent who finds himself mixed up in murder, corruption, and high-stakes criminal conspiracies in the athletic world. The recommended reading order is:
- Deep Threat (2019)
- Divine Strike (2019)
- Ripcord (2020)
- Break Point (2021)
- Out of Bounds (2023)
- Squeeze Play (2025)