Judgment, the first book I have read from this author is about Juliana Brody, a judge in the Superior Court of Massachusetts who is rumored to be in consideration for the federal circuit, maybe someday the highest court in the land.

At a conference in a Chicago hotel, she meets a gentle, vulnerable man and has an unforgettable night with him but what follows is captivating and a bit suspenseful.

A thriller that starts with a respected Judge Juliana Brody from Massachusetts being asked to speak at a conference in Chicago. A night at dinner while eating alone she is approached by a single man and is taken in by his story. She offers him to join her at her table and they have a pleasant meal and an easy conversation. When they walk to the elevators, she is actually thinking of doing something totally out of character for her and after kissing they are in the room sharing a bed together. She feels alive for she has felt stage net in her marriage. She also has the knowledge of never seeing this man again.
She is back in Boston and she is the judge for a big case. It is a sexual harassment case against a big deep pocket company. She is not going to be intimidated by them. The trail begins and in walks a man that she thought she would never see again. Yes, it is the man from that night. Later in her chambers, he tells her that she is to work for the company he is with or he will ruin her by downloading the tape he has onto the internet. He shows her a video of their night together from Chicago and her sleeping with him.
You think she will bow down to these people but no she will not and she fights back and by doing so also deals with her own family as well. She also must come up with a way to get these punished legally. Though dealing with her guilt she is also wanting justice to prevail. She fights both and through all of the different turns you are taken on this is a wonderful story and very much worth the read.

Juliana Brody, a judge in the Superior Court of Massachusetts, has always played by the rules and has no sympathy for those who do not. She pursues lawbreakers with icy resolve. However, at a conference she meets a handsome, vulnerable man and has an unforgettable night with him—something she’s never done before. They part with an explicit understanding that it was a one-time lapse that will never happen again.

But back home in Boston, Juliana realizes that this was no random encounter. She's been entrapped, her night of infidelity captured on video. Strings are being pulled in high places, a terrifying unfolding conspiracy that will turn her life upside down. But soon it becomes clear that personal humiliation--and the destruction of her career--are the least of her concerns, as her own life and the lives of her family are put in mortal jeopardy.

After failed attempts to recuse herself, she realizes the political reach of her adversaries are deeper than she could ever have guessed. In the end, turning the tables on her blackmailers will require her to become as ruthless as they are.

Joseph Finder is known for writing plots that could, at least in theory, happen to anyone. The idea being that the protagonist isn't someone of extraordinary means who does something outlandish to trigger the events of the story. In this case, it's a single lapse in judgment that causes a series of peripheral events that threaten to send Juliana’s life spiraling forever out of control. In Justice, he has masterfully blended the psychological, legal, and moral issues involving a judge breaking the law to save herself.

What would you do? I found myself empathizing with the Juliana, even when her behavior veered toward the implausible. The lengths Juliana is willing to take as a mother to protect her family makes her a loving character that balances out the ruthless acts she must perform to save lives.

Some readers have taken offense to a political element of the book (a dog who plays with a chew-toy of Trump), and to Finder’s underlying premise that our current administration has allowed thousands of Soviet surveillance posts to go unfilled, leading to additional reach by that country into the United States. While the chew-toy may be an uncalled-for scene, readers should know that the author was a Yale grad majoring in Russian studies, who then received his Masters at the Harvard Russian Research Center. Russian politics is kinda his thing. In fact, he was recruited by the CIA until he decided he’d rather write fiction. So consider yourself warned.

For this reader, Judgement was a terrific read and one which truly resonates at this moment. Thank you NETGALLEY for the opportunity of reading.

What was supposed to be a random, one night stand becomes the beginning of a nightmare for Judge Juliana Brody. While presiding over a sexual discrimination case, the indiscretion is used against her to sway rulings in favor of the defendant. Threats escalate and she fights back turning the tables on her adversaries. As a fan of Joseph Finder, I wasn't disappointed.

Great suspense novel filled with action, betrayal, love and forgiveness.
Juliana is a judge, known for her ethical and moral beliefs. One night on a conference, she meets an intriguing man and ends up sleeping with him. Back home the guilt sets in and she regrets her momentary lack of judgement. But, things spiral way out of control when the man she slept with, Matias walks into her courtroom as an additional counsel for the defense. Juliana had been played, but will she be able to turn the tables on them?
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book through the Read Now program on Net Galley. This story will grab your interest right from the beginning. It starts with Juliana at a convention in Chicago where she meets a gentleman and has a one night stand, which is not normal for her.

Juliana is currently residing over a sexual harassment case in Massachusetts and this incident will paly a role in the proceedings.

Juliana is being blackmailed to render a verdict in the defendant's favor. Juliana is not one to be scared easily. She fights back and with the assistant of Phil, a private investigator that she hired, she is able to discover who is behind this. The group behind this is responsible for a number of murders that happened previously to her judicial assignment. She is threatened and is almost murdered.

With the information that she got from Phil, she tries to enlist the assistance of the U, S. Government Law enforcement agencies.

To find out how this all plays out, then you will need to read the story which I highly recommend.

This legal thriller grabbed my attention in the first few pages and never let go. Fast-paced, great characters and interesting twists. Highly recommended.

NetGalley provided an ARC Kindle copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have always enjoyed Joseph Finder's style of writing; it is descriptive, but yet engaging and easy to read. This book followed that custom. The premise of a blackmailed judge with large decisions to make was a good starting point. The main characters were well researched and were found to be believable.

Unfortunately, the story itself, however, was not. There were so many ups and downs of the unfolding melodrama, going from life threatening situations immediately to the mundane of unpacking groceries or swinging to the more complicated of a kid having troubles at school. While I appreciated a strong driven woman as the lead figure, I found her emotional swings in tune with the plot only an attempt to make her more likable to the reader, which to me was not necessary.

I won't give up on Mr. Finder's writing; I will just write this novel off as one I wasn't thrilled with. In my Judgment.

P.S. When someone is almost choked to death, I'm pretty sure that a scarf the next day would need to be worn to hide a few bruises.

Three (more like 2-1/2) stars out of five.

When Judge Juliana Brody is blackmailed to make a particular ruling on a sex-discrimination case, she refuses to be a victim.. Despite threats to herself and her family, multiple murders and an attempt to kill Juliana herself, the Judge risks everything to end it, 'messing with some very dangerous people.'

Judgment is an intricate thriller and a compelling read.

JUDGEMENT by Joseph Finder is a novel about a highly respected judge named Juliana Brody, who in a moment of wrong thinking is guilty of having a one-night stand with an intriguing foreigner she meets while drinking in a bar a night after a conference she attends in Chicago.

Soon thereafter, she is shocked to see him appear in court during testimony in a high profile case she is presiding over, only to learn he has been hired by the defense in the case, and in fact is an attorney and not who he pretended to be in his luring her into sleeping with him.

Juliana is soon after threatened when he later approaches her and presents her with video evidence of their sexual encounter, with advice to go along with what the blackmailers he’s involved with require of her in the case she is assigned to.

Additional threats from several others serve to make her aware that this is no small concern, and she is forced to weigh whether keeping the encounter secret should outweigh the sacrifice of her commitment to her integrity, especially with her currently being considered for advancement in her career.

Will she succumb to the pressure exerted upon her, or will she resist and defy those involved in the blackmail attempts thereby risking losing and hurting her family?

Difficult to rate this book, as it at times is helped along by the shadowy figures on both sides; yet it too often is hard to believe that a judge with a long career and extensive knowledge of the law would be vulnerable to making so many back to back naïve errors that place her even more in harm’s way.

One problem in me finding enjoyment with this book was that fact that none of the characters in Juliana’s family are likable, including herself, as well as several of the other characters.

As mentioned earlier, rating this one wasn’t easy.

3 stars.

I really enjoyed this book - fast paced, easy read and great story. The author did a great job portraying a realistic judge struggling with an error in judgement. Excellent characters - strong female lead. Great plot.

A respected judge who commits a one time indiscretion finds herself the victim of blackmail. Refusing to succumb, she finds her career, life, and family in danger.

It took me a while to decide I liked this book. Initially, I found the main character annoying and unrealistic. In time, though, I warmed to her even though she did some really stupid things. At least one loose end was not tied up and I felt the resolution was a bit too pat.

Married Superior Court Judge Juliana fails to use good Judgment and has an one-night stand at an out-of-town conference.

Juliana decides to never repeat her mistake and returns to her courtroom. Unfortunately, she then sees the man sit down as a member of the defense counsel. The man blackmails her to rule in favor of the defense. He threatens to tell her family of their tryst if she doesn’t throw the case. The case, regarding a hostile workplace environment, is high profile so Juliana uses her connections to fight back.

The feeling of dread and the fast pacing really works in Judgment. However, some of the plot strains belief. Russian mobsters, really? Juliana begins as a lower level judge who obviously doesn’t think through some of her actions. She ends up as someone who really should be in a superhero movie.

I have never read this author’s work before and I can’t see myself reading it again. It is as if he took all the trendy tropes (Russian mafia, #metoo movement, advanced military technology, non-subtle digs at President Trump) and developed a plot around them with a strong female heroine (also trendy) without thinking whether any of it could realistically happen. Judgment didn’t work for me so I’m giving it 2 stars.

Thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bravo! Joseph Finder does it again! Wow. If I'm ever in trouble, I want Judge Juliana on my team. This is one smart, savvy woman who is going to do whatever it takes. Another legal thriller from a master.

I’ll get right to it: I loved Judgment by Joseph Finder!

I tend to enjoy thrillers with legal elements involved, but not to the extent that you’d call it a legal thriller–and this is one of them.

There were a couple points when I thought I knew what was going to happen next and ended up being wrong. I love that!

Judgment has enough turns to keep you guessing, and enough twists to keep you surprised. The pacing was consistent, and this book met one of my most important (and least fulfilled) criteria: I always looked forward to opening it back up.

A female judge has a one-night stand while traveling. She never does such things, and it proves to be a mistake that comes back to haunt her in the worst way.

Juliana finds herself trapped in a conspiracy, and–to avoid spoilers–her life and the lives of her husband and daughter are put in danger. The worst part? Her indiscretions are caught on camera!

Blackmail, sex, thrills, surprises–it’s all here!

And I love it!

Liked:
- The overall plot and the conspiracy at the center of it
- The surprises!
- Likable protagonist, who I was able to like despite her performing unlikable acts.
- The realness of some of Juliana’s struggles and decision-making.

Disliked:
- The presence of a couple “hot-button” political references. While it didn’t occur often, I still felt it interfered with the escape aspect I use fiction for.

Special thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this title.

Smart and so intriguing! Loved it! The attention to detail was fantastic. This was my first book by Joseph Finder and I can see now why he’s my husband’s favorite author. A female judge who’s being blackmailed? The author hooked from the start! Suspenseful, intelligent and very witty, ‘Judgment’ was a fantastic crime thriller. Highly recommend.

Juliana is trying to figure out how she can get herself out of the scandal of a century when she comes face to face with her worse judgment ever. Can she figure out a way to save her family and her career? Always suspenseful, always relevant, Joseph Finder pins a tale that has the pages flying and the readers hooked.

Can one choice change your life? You bet! Just ask Juliana Brody. Superior Court Judge, and the star of Judgment. The new suspense legal thriller from the master of fiction entertainment - Joseph Finder.

A single choice. A lapse in judgment. Just one change your life. Just ask Juliana Brody. Superior Court Judge, wife, mother of two, and the star of Joseph Finder's latest stand-alone, suspense-legal-thriller.

Far from home, attending yet another boring conference Juliana will discover she forgot to pack her good judgment. Sitting at the bar, two drinks in, talking to a hot stranger. You already know where this is going, don't you? Yep! Straight to his place.

Their lust spent and the benefits of alcohol long since evaporated, the two part company. Juliana assumes she can return home, rededicate herself to her family, and never think of the stranger again. Amid all the hustle and bustle of an up and coming judge's world, a case on her docket was gaining national attention. Breezi (the fictional equivalent of Uber) CEO was being sued for sexual discrimination and the spotlight was on Juliana. Calling the courtroom to order the judge notices a familiar face at the defense table. Could it be? Yes it could and it was -- seated at the defense table was the hot stranger from the bar. Now things get really interesting.

It was all a setup. Their hot dalliance had been videotaped. Breezi intended to win this case and they wanted the judge to make sure they did. As long as Juliana played along the tape would remain confidential, and no one would ever be the wiser. However, if she refused, her career, her family, life as she had known it would be gone. She had no choice, right? She had to rule in their favor and keep her family safe. But could she really do that? Would she?

What follows is a cat and mouse game that will keep you ferociously turning pages to find out what is going to happen next. Joseph Finder's stories have an ounce of realism, for every three ounces of fiction. Judgment's plotline could easily be the lead story on the six-o-clock news tonight. Finder is able to erase the line between fact and fiction. He weaves a beautiful web that ensnares you. Then silky thread, by silky thread, he deconstructs the web revealing the bad guys and their true motivations. It is a hypnotic, fun, action-packed journey second to none.

Ever since I read Paranoia, I have been hooked. (That was way back in -- well, it has been a few years.) Joseph Finder does his homework. His books are always relevant in some way. His writing is smooth and fluid. No hiccups or stop and starts. The short, crisp chapters add to the tension, giving the dialogue a sense of urgency. The characters are well thought-out, three-dimensional, and genuine. Like 'em or hate 'em, the good, bad, and the ugly too - all of them feel real. While there are times when reality must be suspended in order to fully enjoy the ride, that's what good fiction is supposed to do - take us away from our reality and entertain us for a couple of hours. Joseph Finder does that better than most. He is a master entertainer. I always look forward to his books. Even though I have to wait a year, sometimes longer - his writing is worth the wait.

Happy Reading,

RJ

About 3.5 stars but rounded up because I was distracted while reading it. I have read and enjoyed Joseph Finder before and his books are always suspenseful, this one included. The plot was a bit unbelievable and the amount of foreign names had me lost in spots. But it certainly was a wild ride with twists and turns around every corner. If you enjoy thrillers with infidelity, espionage, murder and blackmail, this one's for you.

One Miss Step: A Judge Faces Career Disaster, Family Ruin, and Even Death

Juliana Brody, a judge on the Superior Court of Massachusetts, is relaxing at a conference having given a well received talk on the rules of evidence. She’s happy, but tired, relaxing with a drink when an attractive man joins her. Although she’s never done it before, she succumbs to temptation and sleeps with him thinking that no one will ever know.

Back home she’s presiding in a sexual harassment case that has received national attention. Unexpectedly, the man from the conference appears in her court room, although they’d agreed that they would never meet again. Juliana knows she’s made a big time mistake when he shows her a video of their encounter and tells her that it will be made public unless she agrees to rule in favor of the company in the sexual harassment case.

Her career, her family and even her life are in danger while she tries to decide how to handle the scandal that is brewing in her life.

If you enjoy legal thrillers, this is a fast paced one with good characters. The plot involves current legal issues like “me too” law suits and conspiracy by Russian oligarchs. As the plot evolves the issues entwine to give an exciting ending.

Juliana is a good female character. She’s done something uncharacteristic, and now she must rely on her strength to keep her life together and serve the cause of justice.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.