Judgment starts out a little slow for my taste, but it gradually builds in momentum until I felt like I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. If you're looking for realism in your thriller, this probably isn't it with its convoluted and high reaching conspiracy. In fact, I lost track of the number of times I caught myself rolling my eyes at the many ways Juliana finds to get into more and more danger, not to mention the number of laws she breaks in the process. Nevertheless, the pacing and writing style kept me turning those pages. I wanted that next bit of crazy that had become this woman's life, and I had to see how the author was going to get her out of this corner he had painted her into. So, convoluted, yes. Over the top, definitely. But it's also full of terrific characters, good and bad, and held my interest til the very last page.

Published by Dutton on January 29, 2019

Judge Juliana Brody cheats on her husband at a legal conference with a fellow named Matias Sanchez. They agree it will be a one-night fling. Back in Boston, Brody is presiding over a sexual harassment case that a woman brought against a ride-sharing company. On her first day back in court, a new lawyer is added to the company’s defense team. Yes, it’s Sanchez, who wants rulings in the harassment case to favor the defendant and threatens publication of salacious videos if the judge doesn’t cooperate. In particular, the defense wants her to dismiss the case so it doesn’t need to disclose a damaging document.

The premise is thin. Rather than blackmailing the judge, the corporation could easily follow the standard corporate procedure of pretending the document doesn’t exist. Or it could give the former employee an apology, an admission of wrongdoing, and a ton of money to settle the case to keep the document from coming to light. The availability of less risky options makes the blackmail threat seems awfully contrived.

Brody’s husband is a law professor who may or may not have dallied with one of his students a few years earlier, but Brody doesn’t want to reveal her indiscretion and potentially ruin her marriage. She’s even more concerned about damaging her career, which seems destined to land her on a higher court. Sex tapes may not bother post-Trump politicians, but judges tend to be stuffy about public disclosures of their private shenanigans, particularly when they shenanigan with a lawyer who is appearing before the judge.

Another judge refers Brody to a private investigator who helps her smoke out the blackmailer. In the tradition of conspiracy thrillers, Brody and the investigator peel back layers and discover that the conspiracy is vast. The novel then moves in the customary direction of conspiracy thrillers, with sinister figures appearing every now and then to threaten Brody and thwart her attempts to unmask the conspirator, sometimes by committing or attempting murder. As usual, conspirators or their sympathizers seem to have infiltrated various corners of government, leaving Brody uncertain whether there is anyone left in the world she can trust.

Apart from the contrived premise, Joseph Finder wields the formula capably. Unfortunately, I found it hard to care much about Brody. She made her bed and decided not to lie on it or to own her mistakes. Her desire to fight back against the blackmail is understandable, but her utter contempt for the law in her approach to saving her career is not. I appreciate that Finder has another character saying to Brody “Do you really think the law is for other people?” A good many people in power think exactly that, and Brody’s willingness to put her career above her principles is less than endearing.

The novel is timely in its focus on Russians who are able to influence American policy. It is pointed in its criticism of the government’s sudden lack of interest in enforcing sanctions against Russian entities. The story imagines that Putin uses strawmen to own a bunch of businesses around the world, which doesn’t take much imagination. Finder’s niche in the thriller market is the world of finance, and his knowledge of financial misconduct adds credibility to the plot, even if the blackmail scheme didn’t strike me as being credible at all.

The story doesn’t create much tension and its resolution is much too easy. But the novel worked for me because, while I didn’t care much about Brody, I cared a great deal about her son, a cancer survivor who rebels against his mother’s rigidity, and her husband, whose is better than his wife at prioritizing things that are truly important. Breaking the rules at least gives Brody a chance to think about whether living a perfect life and pursuing a perfect career track is really as important as she has always believed, although I’m not sure she actually internalizes the lesson. Judgment is a flawed thriller but it has sufficient entertainment value to warrant a lukewarm recommendation.

RECOMMENDED

A married judge approached by a strange man in bar in a strange city. What could possibly go wrong? Julianna finds out that it's a lot more than she would have thought. As she is confronted with the man she had a one night stand with, she starts to find that the conspiracy gets bigger and bigger. As the reader, sometimes it seemed as if it was getting too large. And the ending was wrapped up too easily for me, but I enjoyed the journey.

Judgement by Joseph Finder – 5-Stars
Publisher: Penguin Group, Dutton
ISBN: 9781101985816

This book was a pleasure to read. Exceptional!

Judge Brody has a fling that not only causes personal family issues, but initiates blackmail regarding a case she is trying as well as threats to her and her family’s lives. I suppose you could say this book is about doing what is right, persistence to get it right, and working through the consequences of your actions and those imposed on you. The exceptional part of this writing is that you will actual feel what is happening instead of just reading it. Every paragraph, every sentence, every word seems to have been selected to involve you emotionally while it logically takes you through its suspense and intrigue.

Supplementing the story itself is some very subtle humor, and possibly satire. For example, I loved her friend Martie’s dog’s toy. Depending on your political affiliation and using the glass-empty or glass-full rule you can easily think it is criticizing our president or complimenting him for his persistence throughout these ripping times.

Care to know what the Russian’s are up to and how the Oligarchs were created and now utilized by Putin? Wonder why America isn’t stepping up to the alleged Russian meddling? The correct answer may not be within, but some compelling reasons will get you to think about why.

Persistence is the theme. Intelligent and clever writing seals this novel as one of the best I’ve read in a long time.

Reviewer: Rich

I’m a big fan of Joseph Finder, so was happy to receive a copy of Judgment from Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This is a standalone novel featuring Judge Juliana Brody, a happily married up-and-coming judicial star goes to a legal conference and does something out of character: she has a one-night stand. She and the man agreed it was a once-only thing, and they would never see each other again…then he waltzes into her courtroom, an attorney in a huge case she is dealing with.

That one-night stand turns out to be Kompromat, as she is soon threatened with blackmail by Russian organized crime, and her fears expand as her family is threatened. Judge Brody is a likeable heroine, and the story is compelling as it combines elements of two current issues that are much in the news: Russian criminals and #MeToo.
The story has some aspects that require some willing suspension of disbelief, but I was totally ready to be swept up in a thriller, and willing to just go with it as long as it entertained me all the way through. It definitely did! Four stars. (And I'd like to see more from Finder featuring Judge Juliana Brody. )

When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself. - Wayne Dyer

I liked this book - a lot. It reminded me of some of John Grisham's books when I first starting reading his work. I can remember marveling at the complexity of his stories yet how easily read they were. Same goes here. I've read other books by author Finder and enjoyed them but I think this is my favorite to date.

Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Juliana Brody speaks at a conference and ends up, for the first time in her marriage, sleeping with another man besides her husband. That caused her a lot of regrets but then she finds it was a set-up. She and this man were filmed and she ends up being told how to rule on a sexual harassment case she's presiding over or the tapes will be released and/or her family could be harmed.

But she doesn't give in easily and that is the basis of the story.

I liked Juliana's character. And there were quite a few other ones I liked that the author developed in some depth.

And I appreciated that the author tried everything together and had a firm ending to the story. No cliffhanger, no loose ends.

I recommend this legal thriller highly.

I received this book from Dutton Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

This legal thriller will grasp the reader's attention from the beginning to the end. Judge Juliana Brody is a straight-laced judge with a passion for justice. But when she makes a huge personal mistake with a handsome stranger, life as she has known disappears. Blackmailed and her life threaten by an unknown group, Juliana fights for justice. Recommended!

Judge Juliana Brody is the one who always did what was right. However, while out of town at a conference, she breaks her own personal rule and orders a second drink, which leads to a one night stand with a man in Judgment, a novel by bestselling author, Joseph Finder. Although they agree that this won?t be repeated, Juliana learns later that the affair was filmed and she is being blackmailed; she is the judge on a controversial case and is given the choice to rule in a certain way or the film will be exposed to the media, ending her career and her marriage. Juliana has a powerful judge friend who gives her advice, and by following the advice, puts herself in a dangerous position. The grave situation hits home with Juliana when key people in the case are found murdered; she knows she is next.

Finder is a bestselling author for a reason; he is a fabulous storyteller, and has the ability to make readers feel what the characters are feeling. He does an excellent job of developing his characters ? especially Juliana, who has in the past always done the right thing. Readers will put themselves in the situation and wonder how they could survive something as dangerous and serious and what Juliana is going through. As the story is told, suspense builds; key characters are put in danger, and additional characters are murdered.

This is an excellent novel for those who like to stay on the edge of their seats. There is something new with twists and turns, including unexpected scenarios. Finder methodically tells the story giving the reader just enough information to get to each of Juliana?s setbacks.

Highly recommended, this is an excellent suspenseful thriller.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

A compelling fast paced thriller. One mistake while at a conference, starts the roller coaster ride of a lifetime for Judge Brody. To save her family, she goes against her beliefs and conscience to find out who is intent on stopping her. While I loved the initial storyline, I did have trouble keeping all the players straight, thus I only gave the book four stars.

Judgment has an interesting premise: an up-and-coming judge based in Boston has a one night stand while at a conference in Chicago. A marital risk? Yes, but Judge Juliana Brody decides that since it's very clear it's a onetime moment, it's a minimal risk.

Obviously, her judgment is flawed on that. (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

Juliana is immediately blackmailed over the one night stand regarding an ongoing case she's presiding over and suddenly she's in a dangerous place where not just her career but her life and the life of her family is in danger.

The villians are menacing, with a reach so long it's a wonder that they even needed to go after Juliana at all. Of course, if that hadn't happened there'd be no book. So overlook that thought!

The chapters are short, the pace is quick, and the writing...well, Judgment opens with the weather. Which, okay, sets the scene but it feels forced--like a "start with the weather and then move on to the Big Moment" kind of thing. It's clunky.

Judgment is fast, and it throws a lot of stuff at you, but you know exactly what's going to happen and characters are so predictable that some are 90-99% clothing descriptions, as if giving them even a semblance of personality would take too much time. The whole thing reads as if everything in between 'The Next Moment in Plot' is a waste of time, as if every character is like the weather. Mention, and move on.

And that--non-stop action as plot, characters, everything--it isn't enough for me. Fast pace? Awesome. But not when, as with Judgment, that's all there is to be had. I need more.

One star because I did read the whole thing.

And case dismissed!

(I know, I'm shaking my head at me too.)

I enjoyed reading this book! I finished it in two days! I was in such a reading slump finally I picked this book and I completely devoured it! The Judgment by Joseph Finder was a complete thrill ride, Juliana Brody is a Superior Court Judge in Boston. While attending a legal conference she decides to have a few drinks at the hotel bar. This is not a normal act by her she usually stops at one and leads a pretty scheduled life and she prides herself on that. She meets the handsome man Matias he’s a stranger and she commits an indiscretion. This wouldn’t be a problem except she’s married and a mother of two. The next day she heads home and decides this was a mistake and she puts the incident behind her. The next day she heads into court on a huge sexual harassment case against a large corporation. The handsome stranger ends up being a lawyer for the large corporation that’s being sued and she’s the judge! Soon she’s being threatened to out her affair that was video taped, threats against her life and her families unless she rules a certain way on the case. Juliana soon realizes she can’t trust anyone and whose behind the threats and can anyone in her life be trusted or do they all have a motive. This book had it all for me, murder , mystery thriller and I highly recommend it! Four stars!

The Judgment by Joseph Finder is a pure thrill ride! Juliana Brody is a Superior Court Judge in Boston. While at a legal conference she commits an indiscretion with a handsome stranger. Not a problem you would think....except for the fact she is a married mother of 2. She returns home and tries to put the mistake behind her. Too bad the past never stays hidden! The handsome stranger happens to be a lawyer on a huge sexual harassment case against a large corporation that Juliana is judging. Soon the threats come, threats to out her affair, threats against her life, etc., unless she rules a certain way on this case. Who is behind this? Can anyone be trusted? Read this book and all will be revealed. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC of this book.

I have been a fan of Joseph Finder for quite some time now so when I was approved for a review of Judgment I broke into the requisite approved dance and got to reading ASAP. Like other reads by this author, the suspense does not letup and before long, the last page is turned, and the last sentence is read. I always look back like what the hell? I wasn't ready for it to end.

Judgment introduces us to the honorable Judge Juliana Brody who usually plays it safe until one night, against her better judgment, she has a one-night stand. Determined to move on and get back to walking the straight and narrow path, Juliana is blind-sided when she sees the man she had the one-night stand with in her courtroom as counsel for the defendants. Because the case she is presiding over is a high profile Enter the requisite blackmail notice and readers might suspect Judgment will be unoriginal... but everyone makes mistakes. It's OK. That's why we have judges to make it right.

Juliana Brody proves her self to be a formidable adversary for the extremely bad powers that be. Knowing that any move she makes could lead to either death or humiliation, she charges forward with her plans to tilt the scales of justice in her favor.

What Finder makes work here in Judgment is that he provides a heroine that you can't help rooting for. Plus, the bad guys are really shitty bad guys that will hesitate at nothing to get what they want. In order for Judgment to work as well as it does is to have a protagonist that has the right connections. Once the antagonist is discovered, it's hard seeing how an every-man has a chance.

Although I objected to finally coming off this roller coaster with Joseph Finder and Judge Brody, I am excited to tell other fans of his work that Judgment is a great, fast-paced thriller, that I have come to expect from Finder. I find in favor of Finder's fans.

Copy provided by Penguin Group via Netgalley

Another great legal thriller by Joseph Finder - always look forward to his new books and ranks up there with John Grisham for quick read ongoing legal action.

Juliana Brody is an up and coming judge. She makes one mistake while at a conference that leads to a dangerous situation for her. Threats are made against her and her family if she doesn’t co operate with the blackmailers.

This is an edge of your seat thriller that will keep you turning the pages. How can Juliana get out of this dangerous situation without compromising her judicial ethics.
Threats are coming at her from all directions and she doesn’t know who to trust. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Joseph Finder has created a taut face-paced thriller that has the sense of impending doom from the get go. Juliana Brody an up and coming judge in the Massachusetts Superior Court makes a terrible error in judgment. One night she meets a man in a bar and has a tryst for the first time in her life and that’s the end of it; so Juliana thinks. In court the next day she is about to begin a new case when she sees that the man is one of the lawyers on the defense team. She wants to recuse herself but she would need a reason why and she can’t tell that to anyone. The company in the case wants her to dismiss the charges. In exchange they will leave her alone. If she agrees her career is over. But Juliana has worked hard and is a well-respected judge rumored to be headed to the state supreme court. She refuses to be blackmailed. Every time she says no the stakes get higher and higher. Juliana’s options are slim to none; but she makes a ruling from the bench to stall for time. Her chances of surviving this case intact are getting smaller and smaller. It is a game of cat and mouse and Juliana and her family are very frightened mice. Finder keeps the tension breathlessly high until the very end. It’s another block buster for Joseph Finder.

I received this ARC/book from Net Galley for an honest review. I thought this was a great read, with what seemed like thorough research and a great storyline. The characters were fully developed with great side stories to build the animosity and drama with the main story. The locations and day to day routines lead to an easy to understand and are extremely easy to relate to. I have this 4 stars because the build up was amazing and the finish was just a slight bit underwhelming. Not to say it was bad, I just felt the lead up was going great and the finish could have ‘stuck the landing’ a little better. Overall it was good book and I definitely recommend it!

Joseph Finder never disappoints,and neither does his latest thriller, which settles on an extortion attempt made against a woman judge at the center of an affirmative action case brought against a company whose murky origins indicate that someone - or some organization - will go to any lengths at all to see that she enters the judgment they're seeking.. As often happens with this best-selling author, there's an element of international intrigue that's as up-to-date as today's headlines, and Finder carries it off with his usual brio - excellent pacing, well-wrought characters, and a narrative that drives to a thundering conclusion.

A one-night stand turns into a personal and professional nightmare for Judge Juliana Brody when the man she cheated with turns up in the middle of her current trial. The defendants in a sexual harassment case demand that she dismiss the case or they’ll release a secretly recorded video of her indiscretion. Trapped between her fear of discovery and her judicial ethics, Juliana decides to fight back by finding out why they were so desperate to prevent discovery in this case. Her decision puts Juliana and her family in the crosshairs of some very nasty people. In a novel full of suspense and tension, Joseph Finder has crafted a story of family, duty, law, and politics — one that will keep the reader hooked to the very last page.

JUDGMENT is a bit of a stretch. I will admit that judges can be bought and blackmailed--but this story seems beyond the pale. If a judge is going to be foolish enough to have a one night stand--why, pray tell, does she not have it in her own room.
The conspiracies nestled within conspiracies like Russian nesting dolls are more annoying than intriguing. I wish I cared more for Juliana Brody or her husband or her son. They are characters in search of a sympathetic reader.