Official Review: Betrayal in Blue by Mark M. Bello
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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Betrayal in Blue" by Mark M. Bello.]
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Jack Dylan is a veteran of the Dearborn PD, and his team’s key members include Andy Toller―forensic criminologist, Noah Thompson―cybercrime expert, and Shaheed Ali―Muslim affairs expert. The team is more like a friendship forged over many years. They work together like a big family and have each other’s back through thick and thin. And when it’s a Sarin gas attack on the books? That just gets them working on the double.
Jonathan Stone is no stranger to witnessing suffering. He knows that being exposed to Sarin gas is a terrible way to die. Though he belongs to a terror gang, he believes a line is to be drawn somewhere and using Sarin crosses that line. In contrast, Bart Breitner―the gang’s head, believes that if a “few” civilians have to lose their lives for his cause, it isn’t that big a deal. All it takes is a conscientious Stone to reveal Breitner’s plans to Jack in return for immunity. What ensues is an unexpected murder trial and mystery that hits us out of the blue and makes sure it leaves an impression.
Since I hadn’t read the last two instalments in the series, it took me a while to get into this story. For the first few chapters, you are introduced to a number of different characters who seem to have mostly been part of the previous books in the series. The first few chapters also outline the involvement of the FBI in the investigation and the love-hate relationship that the Dearborn PD develops with them, which plays deep into story. A few chapters later, a “murder” happens and that’s when the story begins.
The story takes place in a time where racism is still quite alive and violence and attacks against minorities are a prominent feature of the society. There is also a lot of legal drama in the story, which―to me―was the highlight of the book. The author’s (who’s also a Michigan attorney―no surprise there) grasp on legal trials and the fine nuances of criminal investigations shines through the entire book. Zachary Blake―the attorney who is the main character the book revolves around―is THE person you want on your side whenever you are in any kind of legal trouble. The author uses his experience to write about the finer aspects of his characters, show the equation between police departments and the FBI, and brings to light the kind of work that goes into providing immunity and protection to key witnesses.
I cannot claim much knowledge about police departments, legal cases, or anything related to them; however, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. The book was well-written and the storyline was interesting, and kept me reading till the end. I am rating this book a full 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend it to those readers who are interested in legal thrillers, especially those that deal with the very real issue of white supremacy existent today.
******
Betrayal in Blue
View: on Bookshelves |
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Jack Dylan is a veteran of the Dearborn PD, and his team’s key members include Andy Toller―forensic criminologist, Noah Thompson―cybercrime expert, and Shaheed Ali―Muslim affairs expert. The team is more like a friendship forged over many years. They work together like a big family and have each other’s back through thick and thin. And when it’s a Sarin gas attack on the books? That just gets them working on the double.
Jonathan Stone is no stranger to witnessing suffering. He knows that being exposed to Sarin gas is a terrible way to die. Though he belongs to a terror gang, he believes a line is to be drawn somewhere and using Sarin crosses that line. In contrast, Bart Breitner―the gang’s head, believes that if a “few” civilians have to lose their lives for his cause, it isn’t that big a deal. All it takes is a conscientious Stone to reveal Breitner’s plans to Jack in return for immunity. What ensues is an unexpected murder trial and mystery that hits us out of the blue and makes sure it leaves an impression.
Since I hadn’t read the last two instalments in the series, it took me a while to get into this story. For the first few chapters, you are introduced to a number of different characters who seem to have mostly been part of the previous books in the series. The first few chapters also outline the involvement of the FBI in the investigation and the love-hate relationship that the Dearborn PD develops with them, which plays deep into story. A few chapters later, a “murder” happens and that’s when the story begins.
The story takes place in a time where racism is still quite alive and violence and attacks against minorities are a prominent feature of the society. There is also a lot of legal drama in the story, which―to me―was the highlight of the book. The author’s (who’s also a Michigan attorney―no surprise there) grasp on legal trials and the fine nuances of criminal investigations shines through the entire book. Zachary Blake―the attorney who is the main character the book revolves around―is THE person you want on your side whenever you are in any kind of legal trouble. The author uses his experience to write about the finer aspects of his characters, show the equation between police departments and the FBI, and brings to light the kind of work that goes into providing immunity and protection to key witnesses.
I cannot claim much knowledge about police departments, legal cases, or anything related to them; however, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. The book was well-written and the storyline was interesting, and kept me reading till the end. I am rating this book a full 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend it to those readers who are interested in legal thrillers, especially those that deal with the very real issue of white supremacy existent today.
******
Betrayal in Blue
View: on Bookshelves |
Like Samy Lax's review? Post a comment saying so!
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