Reading Order
The Van Nuys Courthouse Series in Order
Read Matt Graham's courthouse thrillers in publication order: Hidden Behind the Robe first, then Special Directives. Both are set in the Van Nuys courthouse in Los Angeles and written by a retired California judge.
Book 1 · 2022
Hidden Behind the Robe
Judge Charles Dunning is the reluctant manager of the Van Nuys courthouse — a building teeming with conspiring judges, oddballs, gossipers, and misfits. When Dunning receives an anonymous allegation of sexual misconduct against Judge William Davis Hyde, his investigation reveals there is more intrigue hiding behind the robe than he could have imagined.
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Book 2 · March 2026
Special Directives
A progressive District Attorney is elected in Los Angeles with controversial policies about the treatment of juvenile felons. When the DA secures the prison release of a rapist convicted as a juvenile, careers are put on the line and victims are outraged. The supervising judge at the Van Nuys courthouse faces impossible choices about how to address the DA’s directives.
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