While writing legal motions and briefs has taken up much of his adult life, Gmoser shied away for years when people suggested that he write a book.
When a unique plot formed in his head, the 75-year-old, who has been practicing law on both sides of he courtroom since the 1970s began writing his spare time last summer about what he knows best: being an attorney.
“They tell you to write what you know. I have lots of interests, but the law and courtrooms, that is what I know best,” Gmoser said.
A native of Hinsdale, Ill., Gmoser came to Butler County to attend Miami University, where he earned a degree in 1968. He then attended Salmon P. Chase College of Law, graduating in 1973.
In 1975, Gmoser began his first career in the prosecutor’s office, where he tried several high-profile cases alongside longtime county prosecutor John Holcomb.
In 1982, he left the prosecutor’s office and went to work as a defense attorney, but he returned in 2012 when he was appointed county prosecutor to replace Robin Piper after Piper was elected to the 12th District Court of Appeals. Gmoser has since won election to the office.
But “The Farrier’s Son” is not an autobiography, it is work of fiction that probes the death penalty.
The legal drama, murder mystery and a bit of thriller, follows the character Spencer Tallbridge, a disillusioned defense attorney who becomes an assistant prosecutor in an office with a tough prosecutor renowned for capital case convictions.
Is Spencer Tallbridge a version of Gmoser? He laughed and said, “I couldn’t deny that.”
He added he characters are a compilation of people he has known in his career
Gmoser said while the book does not follow a specific case, there are parts of actual cases he tried in the book, including an actual “Perry Mason” moment in which the real killer is revealed. The second book is due for release in the spring, and Gmoser said he is outlining the third book now.
“I really enjoy the writing. It is fun for me,” Gmoser said.
The book is available from Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
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