The Literate Kitty

I’ll never be a trial lawyer, yet have a fair idea of what they go through. (It’s well-trod ground in countless books, shows, and movies, which has to count for something.)  Nor have I had jury duty—despite being on the receiving end of a couple of summons—but have little difficulty putting myself in a jurist’s shoes.  And, although I’ve never been (nor ever will be, knock on wood ) the defendant in a court case, it’s easy enough to imagine how awfully fraught that situation must be.  Being the judge, though—the mysterious, all-powerful figure who sports those flowing robes and rules like royalty in his/her courtroom—well, picturing just what that’s like is another matter.  Until now, that is. Enter newcomer Michael Ponsor into the fray of legal thrillers with his stellar debut, The Hanging Judge . ~ / ~ / ~ / ~ / ~ It’s just another ordinary morning in an urban neighborhood in Holyoke, Massachusetts... until, that is, a drive-by shooting leaves a dru...