3 out of 4 stars
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Betrayal of Faith by Mark M Bello is a book with its theme ripped from the headlines. A captivating read, it follows the story of Jennifer who searches for truth and justice for her two sons.
Jennifer's husband, the father of Kenny and Jake, died in a tragic accident a few years before the book begins. Jennifer turns to her church for solace and stability. A priest, Father Bill, becomes a father figure to her boys. The boys love his companionship, his camping trips, and other activities. Alas, Father Bill is transferred. Now the boys have lost their father and their father figure. His replacement is Father Gerry. A camping trip weekend is planned, and the boys go. They come back different. Their attitudes have changed. They are sullen, withdrawn. Jennifer can't imagine what has happened to her boys, but she knows it has something to do with the camping trip. Perhaps the other boys teased them, or in some other way made them uncomfortable. Weeks pass, and the boys remain in this funk. She invites Father Gerry over to talk to them. They become belligerent and refuse to see him. The story unfolds from there. Eventually, Jennifer contacts the lawyer who had helped her with the settlement of her husband's injury case, Zachary Blake.
The story is compelling. The ups and downs, twists and turns are unanticipated, adding to the enjoyment of the narrative. I give this book a 3 out of 4 stars. It will be enjoyed by those who enjoy John Grisham's books and other thrillers with a lawyer as one of the central characters. The lawyer-speak is explained so well that one does not need a degree or a dictionary to figure out what in the world is happening!
The reason I couldn't give it 4 stars is that there are a couple disconnects in the storytelling. In Chapter 12 of Part I, Jenny decides to include the boys in her decision making, which she confirms in Chapter 21 of Part I. In Chapter 6 of Part III, Jenny says she made all the decisions herself. Also in the same Chapter 6 of Part III, the judge orders the courtroom cleared. Then, just 3 paragraphs later, when should have been cleared, it obviously had not been.
In Chapter 21 of Part I, Jenny is preparing her house for the press conference. At the beginning of the next chapter, the press conference is suddenly being held in the Cobo Center. By the end of Chapter 22, just after the conference, they are putting the extra chairs from the conference away next to the family room. So, where was the conference really held?
There also are some problems with punctuation and, at times, clumsy wording. In Chapter 7, Part I, “she lost track Gerry's sermon” is inserted in the middle of a sentence about the psychiatrist's office. The phrase is repeated in the next chapter in a more appropriate context. In Chapter 24 of Part II “She had been eating out of the palm of her hand.” The discussion was about the press conference. Chapter 17 of Part II contains an unnecessary comma “agreed a bewildered, Zachary.” Chapter 14, Part III is missing a quote mark when the decision is read. Little things like that distract me.
All in all, a great read. I would recommend it to those who enjoy legal thrillers and to those who enjoy a good story about what might be behind the headlines we read. Although the blurb says it is the first of a series, it is also is a great stand-alone book. One is not left hanging at the end, though there is room for more adventures!
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Betrayal of Faith
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