An interesting story with many threads that the author does a good job of tying together, Usually i like a lot of dialog but i found myself skimming the court procedural stuff.

This is a chilling tale that's intelligently-written and gut-wrenching in its ability to touch on every parent's worst nightmare. To be wrongly accused of the heinous crime of trafficking in child pornography, as was Professor Cranmer, has to be a living hell. How do you clear your name and regain trust of those closest to you when all signs point to your guilt? This is a harrowing tale of one man's battle against those very circumstances, and it'll hold your rapt attention from the first page to the end. Very highly recommended.

This book takes you directly into the courtroom and behind closed doors to the judges chambers. All of his thoughts, actions and conversations are transparent and on display. I have not read Judge Ponser's first novel featuring Judge Norcross, The Hanging Judge, but I plan to in the future. This novel eludes to a few key elements that I'm sure stem from the first novel, but this in no way detracts from the current novel's plot. The One-Eyed Judge can be read as a standalone novel, and I hope that Judge Ponser will continue this series in the future.

Judge Michael Ponsor writes "For more than thirty years, my position as a federal judge has placed me within a small cohort of people permitted to view child pornography legally, provided, of course, that the viewing occurs only in the context of a criminal prosecution. This novel, including the chat-room material, draws from my experience with these cases in federal court. I must beg pardon if this story leads readers down some of the darker passages that judges routinely travel. It is not easy to write or to read about child sexual abuse."

This book really contains four different storylines, two of which seem minimal at first. He delves into the judge's personal life quite a bit. Then there is a small subplot that involves the main FBI agent as he carries out a separate assignment. The storyline involving professor Cranmer's intern Libby and her boyfriend is entertaining, but it takes a sinister twist and gains importance as the plot unfolds. Overall the main focus is on the case against the professor and the players involved in it.

Ponsor provides lots of subtle foreshadowing throughout. Read carefully and collect the puzzle pieces along the way. They will all fit together in the end leading up to two shocking conclusions that show the beauty of the justice system in action, flawed as it may be.

I highly recommend this book to fans of legal thrillers, courtroom procedurals, and mysteries. Judge Ponsor's writing is top notch, and I look forward to future installments in this series. I received this as a free ARC from Open Road Integrated Media on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Judge Posner's second novel featuring western Massachusetts federal judge David Norcross delves into the trial of an Amherst professor, Sidney Cranmer, who is charged with obtaining and possessing child pornography. Cranmer's scholarly passion is Charles Dodgson, who wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland using the pseudonym of Lewis Carroll and was rumored to be a pedophile. Claire Lindemann, Norcross's love interest and a colleague of Cranmer is sure he has been wrongly accused and she works with the professors student intern whose own love life may have a bearing on the case. While the case drags on, David's life is complicated by a family tragedy that brings his two young nieces into his household.

The great appeal in Posner's legal thrillers is not action but rather the examination of law and how it is administered. His sympathetic characters are thoughtful and examine ethics as well as law but the miscreants are not nearly as well developed. All in all this is an entertaining and thought provoking read.

Enjoyable read, sensitive subject.. Realistic characters that that produce a true court room setting. .
Would read more from this author.