Scott Pratt Books in Order: Joe Dillard Series and Complete Reading Guide

Scott Pratt was an American legal-thriller author and former criminal defense attorney best known for the Joe Dillard novels, which combine courtroom drama, crime investigations, family stakes, and the atmosphere of East Tennessee. Pratt died in 2018, but his Joe Dillard series continued through collaborations involving his son J.D. Pratt, with Vindicate introducing Joe’s son Jack Dillard as the next-generation protagonist.

If you’re searching for Scott Pratt books in order, the Joe Dillard books are the natural place to begin. Below, you’ll find every major Scott Pratt series in reading order, with a description of each book, followed by his standalone novels, shorter works, and later posthumous collaborations.

Scott Pratt Books in Order by Series

Scott Pratt’s bibliography is easiest to understand when divided into the Joe Dillard, Darren Street, Miller & Stevens, and Presley Carter series, along with the Billy Beckett books he co-wrote with Kelly Hodge.

Joe Dillard Books in Order

The Joe Dillard series is Scott Pratt’s signature legal-thriller series. Joe Dillard is a criminal defense attorney in Tennessee who repeatedly finds himself caught between the law, his conscience, dangerous criminals, and the people he loves.

The first nine books were written by Scott Pratt himself; Last Resort was completed with his son J.D. Pratt, and Vindicate continues the Dillard story with Joe’s son Jack taking the lead.

1. An Innocent Client (2008)

Joe Dillard is a talented but cynical criminal defense lawyer who would rather leave the courtroom behind. His plans change when he takes on a murder case involving a preacher who has been brutally killed, forcing Joe to question whether his client is truly innocent and how far he is willing to go to defend him.

This is the first Scott Pratt book to read if you want to experience the Joe Dillard story from the beginning.

2. In Good Faith (2009)

Joe becomes involved in another horrifying criminal case after an entire family is murdered in rural Tennessee. As the investigation unfolds, Joe must deal with the legal consequences while confronting the personal and moral costs of representing people accused of terrible crimes.

3. Injustice For All (2010)

A Tennessee judge is found hanging from a tree, and the circumstances surrounding the death quickly become more complicated than they initially appear. Joe Dillard is pulled into another dangerous case where questions of justice, corruption, and revenge collide.

4. Reasonable Fear (2011)

Joe faces another high-stakes case while his personal life continues to evolve. The novel expands Joe’s character beyond the courtroom and shows why his work as a defense attorney increasingly puts both his professional reputation and personal safety at risk.

5. Conflict of Interest (2013)

A six-year-old girl is kidnapped from her Tennessee home, turning what should be a straightforward investigation into a dangerous case. Joe becomes involved as the mystery develops, and the case forces him to confront the conflict between professional duty and personal morality.

6. Blood Money (2014)

Blood Money brings Joe into another complicated criminal investigation involving money, crime, and dangerous people. It is also notable because the book was extensively reworked from Pratt’s earlier standalone novel Russo’s Gold.

Because of that connection, readers may encounter Russo’s Gold in older Scott Pratt bibliographies, but Blood Money is the version that belongs in the Joe Dillard reading order.

7. A Crime of Passion (2014)

A young and ambitious country-music star becomes involved in a murder investigation, bringing Joe Dillard into another case where fame, relationships, and violent crime intersect. The book continues the increasingly personal nature of Joe’s legal work.

8. Judgment Cometh (And That Right Soon) (2016)

One of the darkest Joe Dillard novels begins when a Supreme Court justice is found brutally murdered. Joe faces a case with national implications while confronting increasingly dangerous enemies and moral choices. The official bibliography describes it as the darkest entry in the series.

9. Due Process (2018)

A young exotic dancer makes a serious accusation, creating another difficult case for Joe. Due Process was Scott Pratt’s final completed novel before his death and represents the culmination of the original Joe Dillard novels written solely by Pratt.

10. Last Resort (2023)

Last Resort returns to Joe Dillard after Pratt’s death and was written with his son, J.D. Pratt. A young girl disappears without a trace, forcing Joe back into the kind of dangerous investigation that he has spent years trying to escape.

11. Vindicate (2025)

Vindicate takes the Dillard story into its next generation. Rather than focusing exclusively on Joe, the novel introduces Jack Dillard, Joe’s son, as the new protagonist and continues the family-centered legal-thriller legacy created by Scott Pratt. It is officially presented as Joe Dillard Book 11.

Joe Dillard Reading Order at a Glance

1. An Innocent Client — 2008
2. In Good Faith — 2009
3. Injustice For All — 2010
4. Reasonable Fear — 2011
5. Conflict of Interest — 2013
6. Blood Money — 2014
7. A Crime of Passion — 2014
8. Judgment Cometh (And That Right Soon) — 2016
9. Due Process — 2018
10. Last Resort — 2023
11. Vindicate — 2025

The publication and reading order are effectively the same.

Darren Street Books in Order

The Darren Street series is another Scott Pratt thriller series, separate from Joe Dillard. It follows Darren Street through a sequence of dangerous cases and investigations.

1. Justice Redeemed (2015)

Justice Redeemed introduces Darren Street and begins a new legal-thriller storyline outside the Joe Dillard universe. It establishes Street’s character and the dangerous situations that become central to the trilogy.

2. Justice Burning (2017)

The second Darren Street novel continues the series with another high-stakes investigation. Street faces new threats while the pressure surrounding his work continues to intensify.

3. Justice Lost (2018)

Justice Lost concludes the Darren Street trilogy. It brings the major character and investigative threads of the first two books toward a conclusion.

Darren Street Reading Order

1. Justice Redeemed — 2015
2. Justice Burning — 2017
3. Justice Lost — 2018

All three are published by Thomas & Mercer and form a complete trilogy.

Billy Beckett Books in Order

The Billy Beckett series is a collaboration between Scott Pratt and Kelly Hodge. It follows Billy Beckett in a thriller world involving professional sports, crime, danger, and investigations.

There is an important bibliography distinction here: later Billy Beckett books were primarily continued under Kelly Hodge’s name after Pratt’s involvement, so they should not all be presented as solely authored Scott Pratt novels.

1. Deep Threat / Autumn Blaze (2019)

College football’s celebrated wide receiver Jarvis Thompson disappears near the Tennessee River. Billy Beckett, Jarvis’s mentor and future agent, starts investigating and discovers a dangerous trail involving drugs, money, violence, and people willing to kill.

2. Divine Strike / Quiet Fury (2019)

The second Billy Beckett thriller continues the series with another dangerous investigation and raises the stakes for Billy and the people around him.

3. Ripcord (2020)

Ripcord continues Billy’s adventures with another fast-moving thriller built around danger, investigation, and escalating personal stakes.

4. Break Point (2021)

Break Point continues the Billy Beckett storyline but is increasingly associated with Kelly Hodge in current bibliography records. It should be treated as a continuation rather than a standalone Scott Pratt novel.

5. Out of Bounds (2023)

Out of Bounds continues the Billy Beckett series under Kelly Hodge. The book expands the series beyond the original Pratt/Hodge collaboration.

6. Squeeze Play (2025)

Squeeze Play is the latest listed Billy Beckett installment. By this stage, the series is primarily a Kelly Hodge continuation rather than a new Scott Pratt novel.

Should You Count All Billy Beckett Books as Scott Pratt Books?

For a Scott Pratt bibliography, the safest approach is to identify the first three books as Pratt/Hodge collaborations and clearly label the later books as continuations. This avoids incorrectly presenting every Billy Beckett title as a Scott Pratt solo work.

Miller & Stevens Books in Order

1. The Sins of the Mother (2018)

The Sins of the Mother is a standalone series entry written by Scott Pratt with Mark Stout. The story introduces the Miller & Stevens characters and provides another crime-thriller setting separate from Joe Dillard.

Pratt announced the collaboration in 2018, explaining that he hoped to write additional books with Mark Stout and help him develop as a writer.

At present, it is listed as a one-book Miller & Stevens series.

Presley Carter Books in Order

1. Blood Is Black (2023)

Blood Is Black is a thriller connected to the Presley Carter series and was completed as a collaboration between Scott Pratt and his son J.D. Pratt. Scott was reportedly halfway through the book when he died, and J.D. helped bring the project to publication.

It is therefore best described as a posthumous Scott Pratt/J.D. Pratt collaboration, rather than a Scott Pratt solo novel.

Scott Pratt Standalone Novels

Scott Pratt also published fiction outside his major series.

Russo’s Gold (2007)

Russo’s Gold follows Charlie Story, a newly graduated lawyer who becomes involved in an unexpected legal matter after helping an elderly neighbor. What appears to be a simple case quickly turns dangerous when Charlie becomes connected to something valuable that other people desperately want.

The novel is particularly important to Scott Pratt readers because Blood Money, Joe Dillard Book 6, was extensively reworked from the earlier Russo’s Gold.

River on Fire (2013)

River on Fire is a literary novel rather than one of Pratt’s conventional legal thrillers. It draws on the author’s youth and is described in current bibliography sources as a fictionalized memoir.

Scott Pratt Short Stories and Other Works

Scott Pratt’s bibliography also contains several shorter publications that should not be confused with full-length novels.

An Elephant’s Standing in There (2014)

This is a short work rather than a conventional Scott Pratt novel. It is generally listed among his picture-book/short-story publications.

A Ride on a Cloud (2014)

Another short work from Pratt, A Ride on a Cloud is generally catalogued alongside An Elephant’s Standing in There rather than with his legal thrillers.

Scott Pratt Nonfiction

Redemption: Scott Pratt & the Birth of Joe Dillard (2025)

Redemption is a posthumously published nonfiction biography about Scott Pratt and the creation of Joe Dillard. It was written by J.D. Pratt and Dan Fleser and explores Pratt’s life, struggles, career, and path toward becoming a bestselling author.

Because it is nonfiction and was published after Pratt’s death, it should be kept separate from his fiction reading order.

What Is the First Scott Pratt Book?

The earliest standalone publication generally listed for Scott Pratt is Russo’s Gold, published in 2007. His better-known publishing career began with An Innocent Client in 2008, which introduced Joe Dillard and launched the series that made him famous.

If your goal is to experience Scott Pratt as a legal-thriller writer, start with An Innocent Client. If you want his earliest fiction chronologically, start with Russo’s Gold.

What Is the Best Scott Pratt Series to Start With?

The Joe Dillard series is the obvious starting point for most readers. It is Pratt’s signature series, contains his most recognizable protagonist, and provides the clearest introduction to his combination of courtroom drama, crime, family, and moral conflict.

Start with:

1. An Innocent Client
2. In Good Faith
3. Injustice For All
4. Reasonable Fear
5. Conflict of Interest

Then continue through Blood Money, A Crime of Passion, Judgment Cometh, Due Process, Last Resort, and Vindicate.

Do You Need to Read Scott Pratt Books in Order?

You do not need to read every Scott Pratt book in overall publication order. However, you should read the books within each series in order, especially Joe Dillard, because the characters’ personal lives and relationships develop throughout the books.

The Joe Dillard sequence is particularly important because Last Resort returns to Joe after the original nine novels, while Vindicate moves the story into the next generation with Jack Dillard.

The standalone novels, Darren Street trilogy, Miller & Stevens, and Presley Carter books can be approached independently.

Scott Pratt Books in Chronological Order

If you want to follow Scott Pratt’s bibliography broadly by publication date, the major works begin like this:

• 2007: Russo’s Gold
• 2008: An Innocent Client
• 2009: In Good Faith
• 2010: Injustice For All
• 2011: Reasonable Fear
• 2013: River on Fire, Conflict of Interest
• 2014: Blood Money, A Crime of Passion
• 2015: Justice Redeemed
• 2016: Judgment Cometh (And That Right Soon)
• 2017: Justice Burning
• 2018: Due Process, Justice Lost, The Sins of the Mother
• 2019: Deep Threat / Autumn Blaze, Divine Strike / Quiet Fury
• 2020: Ripcord
• 2021: Break Point
• 2023: Last Resort, Out of Bounds, Blood Is Black
• 2025: Squeeze Play, Vindicate, Redemption

This broad chronology can vary slightly between bibliography databases because some sources use original publication dates while others use later editions or revised-release dates.

Scott Pratt Books in Order: Complete List

For the cleanest reading experience, use this series-by-series order:

Joe Dillard

1. An Innocent Client
2. In Good Faith
3. Injustice For All
4. Reasonable Fear
5. Conflict of Interest
6. Blood Money
7. A Crime of Passion
8. Judgment Cometh (And That Right Soon)
9. Due Process
10. Last Resort
11. Vindicate

Darren Street

1. Justice Redeemed
2. Justice Burning
3. Justice Lost

Miller & Stevens

1. The Sins of the Mother

Presley Carter

1. Blood Is Black

Billy Beckett

1. Deep Threat / Autumn Blaze
2. Divine Strike / Quiet Fury
3. Ripcord
4. Break Point
5. Out of Bounds
6. Squeeze Play

Standalones

• Russo’s Gold
• River on Fire

Other

• An Elephant’s Standing in There
• A Ride on a Cloud
• Redemption: Scott Pratt & the Birth of Joe Dillard

Final Thoughts on the Scott Pratt Reading Order

If you’re specifically interested in Scott Pratt’s legal thrillers, don’t overcomplicate the reading order: start with An Innocent Client and follow Joe Dillard through Vindicate. The Darren Street trilogy is the best next choice if you want another Pratt-created thriller protagonist, while Russo’s Gold is worth reading for historical context because of its connection to Blood Money.

The later Dillard books also deserve special attention because they extend Pratt’s fictional legacy after his 2018 death: Last Resort was co-written with J.D. Pratt, while Vindicate shifts the spotlight to Jack Dillard. That makes the complete Joe Dillard reading order both a legal-thriller sequence and a generational continuation of the Dillard family story.

Written by

Emon Anam

Hi, I’m Emon. I’m the voice and heart behind Whimsy Read. After nine years in the world of banking, I followed my passion for storytelling into the world of SEO and content strategy. Now, I blend that analytical eye with a deep love for literature to bring you book reviews that are thoughtful, honest, and always focused on the stories that stay with you. When I’m not reading or writing, you’ll find me enjoying joyful chaos with my wife and three kids, getting lost in a new series, or revisiting my old loves: theater, music, and gaming. At the end of the day, I believe great books are meant to be shared, and I’m so glad you’re here to share them with me.