The One-Eyed Judge: A Novel

(Paperback)

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The stunning new legal thriller from the New York Timesbestselling author of The Hanging Judge, a talent to watch (TheWashington Post).

When FBI agents barge into Sidney Cranmers home accusing him of a heinous crime, the respected literature professors life becomes a nightmare. Cranmer insists the illicit material found by the agents isnt his, but the charge against him appears airtight, and his academic specialtythe life and work of controversial author Lewis Carroll, creator of Alices Adventures in Wonderlandconvinces investigators hes lying.

Presiding over the case against Professor Cranmer, U.S. District Judge David Norcross fears his daily confrontation with evil has made him too jaded to become a husband and father. His girlfriend, Claire Lindemann, teaches in the same department as the defendant and is convinced of his innocence. Soon, she will take matters into her own hands. Meanwhilewith his love life in turmoil and his plans for the future on holda personal tragedy leaves Norcross responsible for his two young nieces. Unbeknownst to him, a vengeful child predator hovers over his new family, preparing to strike.

Michael Ponsors debut novel, The Hanging Judge, was praised by retired Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens for reminding readers that the judicial process is not infallible and by Pulitzer Prizewinning author Tracy Kidder for bearing the heft of authenticity. The One-Eyed Judge again draws on Ponsors thirty years as a US district judge, offering readers an insiders view of one of the most harrowing kinds of cases faced by the courts. Fast-paced, thrilling, and thought-provoking, this is legal fiction at its most realistic and compelling.

The One-Eyed Judge is the 2nd book in the Judge Norcross Novels, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

Reviews

Ponsor successfully explores both the inner workings of the federal court system and widower Norcross struggle to open himself again to the vulnerability of being a husband and father.... Excellent... Compelling... A great example of a small press series that could develop a strong following with word-of-mouth support. Booklist

I loved it. The books that keep me enthralled and entertained are few and far between, and [The One-Eyed Judge] was one of them. Elinor Lipman, New York Timesbestselling author of On Turpentine Lane

Here again, as in The Hanging Judge, Ponsor brings his rare combination of experience on the bench and flair for storytelling to a timely topic. Joseph J. Ellis, National Book Awardwinning author of The Quartet

A gripping novel with a propulsive thrust. The characters live and breathe, the plot tugs you along willy-nilly, and the writing is crisp and compelling. ... All this Judge Ponsor accomplishes with tact and aplomb, and the reader will be thankful for the breathtaking ride. Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly

Praise for The Hanging Judge
The Hanging Judge is that rarity; a story that grips the reader even as it teaches some fine points of criminal procedure. The Washington Post

[A] gripping legal thriller... Compelling. Booklist

There are plenty of surprises to keep readers turning pages. Ponsor gives readers a unique look into the workings of a courtroom. Kirkus Reviews, starred review

That rare gem: a crackling court procedural with authentic characters and beautiful prose. Anita Shreve, bestselling author of The Pilots Wife

A page-turning mystery full of romance and humor, which takes us inside the fraught and rather secretive world of a judges chambers. Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer Prizewinning author of Mountains Beyond Mountains

A compelling tale, with a cast of vividly drawn characters and a plot that twists and turnsit entertains, as a good novel should, but even better, it also informs, as only the best ones do. Jonathan Harr, bestselling author of A Civil Action

Novels have shown us what its like to be a juror, an attorney, even the defendant, but this is the first Ive read that puts us up on the bencha knowing, nuanced portrait of a judge and the often imperfect system he watches over. Joseph Kanon, bestselling author of Leaving Berlin

Author Bio

Michael Ponsor graduated from Harvard, received a Rhodes Scholarship, and studied for two years at Pembroke College, Oxford. As an undergraduate, he spent a year teaching in Kabete, Kenya, just outside Nairobi. After taking his law degree from Yale and clerking in federal court in Boston, he began his legal career, specializing in criminal defense. He moved to Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1978, where he practiced as a trial attorney in his own firm until his appointment in 1984 as a US magistrate judge in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed him a life-tenured US district judge. From 2000 to 2001, he presided over a five-month death penalty trial, the first in Massachusetts in over fifty years. Judge Ponsor continues to serve as a senior US district judge in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Western Division, with responsibility for federal criminal and civil cases in the four counties of western Massachusetts. The One-Eyed Judge is his second novel featuring Judge Norcross.