The One-Eyed Judge

A stunning new legal thriller from “a talent to watch,” the New York Times–bestselling author of The Hanging Judge (TheWashington Post).

When FBI agents barge into the home of Sidney Cranmer, accusing him of possession of child pornography, the respected literature professor’s life becomes a nightmare. Cranmer insists the illicit material is not his, but the charge appears airtight, and his academic specialty—the works of suspected pedophile Lewis Carroll, author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland—convinces investigators he is lying.

The Honorable David S. Norcross regrets not recusing himself from this routine criminal case, especially considering that his girlfriend, Claire Lindemann, knows the defendant and is convinced he is innocent. Soon, she will take matters into her own hands. Meanwhile, a family tragedy leaves Norcross responsible for his two young nieces, and a separate investigation identifies a murderous predator still at large. Now Judge Norcross must navigate through a maelstrom of deceit, revenge, and unspeakable evil looming over everyone he loves.

Michael Ponsor’s 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 Prize–winning author Tracy Kidder for bearing “the heft of authenticity.” The One-Eyed Judge again draws on Ponsor’s thirty years as a US district judge, offering readers an insider’s view of one of the most gut-wrenching kinds of cases tried in the justice system. Fast-paced, thrilling, and thought-provoking, this is legal fiction at its most realistic and compelling.