4 out of 4 stars
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Betrayal of Faith (Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Book 1) by Mark M. Bello is a crime/thriller book about justice, redemption and a mother’s love for her sons. This book is the first in a series about Zachary Blake, a struggling attorney trying to find his way back to honor.
Jennifer Tracey has some reservations after her two sons come back from a camping trip with new parish priest, Father Gerry. She soon finds out the boys have been harmed by the priest. Jennifer decides to file a lawsuit against Father Gerry and the church and seeks out her former attorney, Zachary Blake, to handle the case. Unfortunately, Zachary has gone from a powerful attorney to a broken man, working in a one-room office, mostly only handling public defender cases. Jennifer is skeptical that Zachary can handle the case, but decides to hire him anyway. They will soon find out the Coalition, a sinister group in charge of handling the church’s indiscretions, will stop at nothing to squash the threat to the church and protect its reputation.
The legal expertise of the author comes through loud and clear in this book. The inter-workings of a civil trial are uncovered in this story and, at times, I felt like I was actually in the courtroom watching it all unfold. The complexity of preparing for a case like this that will be heard in front of a jury is a game that becomes almost like a theatrical performance. I enjoyed the author’s accurate description of the process.
This story is very haunting because it has the ring of truth. It just goes to show how, like the title of the book illustrates, absolute trust and faith can lead to an opportunity for predators to take advantage of their power. The only thing I didn’t like was that the story was hard to stomach at times. The harsh reality of this sickness that seems to plague these priests, and how they justify this abuse is nothing short of repulsive. It’s also disheartening to read how often times the victims are re-victimized during the judicial proceedings.
In summary, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I think anyone who likes to read about the good guys fighting evil would love this book. If you are a reader that is offended by derogatory claims against the church or priests, then this would not be the book for you. It is very well written with very few errors. I only noticed a couple of spelling errors but nothing that was distracting. Overall, a very timely book based on current allegations surrounding the Catholic church.
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Betrayal of Faith
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