Review by rhendel -- Betrayal in Blue by Mark M. Bello
-
rhendel
- Posts: 38
- Joined: 28 Feb 2018, 15:23
- Currently Reading: Talking As Fast As I Can
- Bookshelf Size: 179
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-rhendel.html
- Latest Review: Waterworks by Jack Winnick
Review by rhendel -- Betrayal in Blue by Mark M. Bello
[Following is a volunteer review of "Betrayal in Blue" by Mark M. Bello.]
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Betrayal in Blue by Mark M. Bello is the third installment of the Zachary Blake Betrayal series. This book centers on the stories of Police Captain Jack Dylan and attorney Zachary Blake as they continue to battle against white supremacy. After the successful capture of Benjamin Blake, the police learn of a new plot in Dearborn, Michigan utilizing Sarin gas and attempt to work with the FBI. However, after a botched operation Captain Dylan decides to take matters into his own hands and conducts a rogue operation to hunt down the leader of the white supremacist group. When his plan goes awry, Captain Dylan finds himself in trouble with a different city’s local law enforcement and only Zachary Blake can save him.
I enjoyed reading this book, but didn’t find it as engaging as the first two in the series. The beginning was particularly difficult for me to engage with and I found I had to push myself through the first few chapters. The ending of the book was the most exciting part; however I saw some of the major twists coming so it wasn’t as suspenseful as I would have liked it to be. There were a couple twists in the book, which I typically enjoy; however, I found some of them predictable. As with his other books, I enjoyed the author’s character development and the way he’s able to introduce new characters and integrate them into the story seamlessly.
Similar to the other books in the series, Betrayal in Blue is a legal crime thriller. There is a good balance of crime investigation, legal drama, and suspense, which helped to keep me interested while reading. Because the storyline centers on white supremacists, there is a lot of offensive and upsetting language used throughout the book. The language is used to emphasize the ignorant views of the white supremacist group, however if readers are sensitive to racist, xenophobic, or derogatory language, this is probably not a good book choice.
There were a few instances where the author wrote about forensic evidence collection methodology and chain of evidence procedure in a lot of detail that became boring to read. During those parts, I found myself skimming through to get back to the actual storyline. I don’t think those explanations furthered the story or provided any context that was needed. At first, I thought it might be foreshadowing issues brought up later in the story, but when that didn’t happen it just seemed like unnecessary commentary.
Overall, I rate Betrayal in Blue 3 out of 4 stars. As previously mentioned, this is the third book in the series but my least favorite so far. While I don’t think it’s necessary to read the two prior books, I do believe it would be helpful as they will provide a lot of backstory and context. I think readers who enjoy crime or legal thrillers would enjoy this book, as well as anyone who has read the first two books in the trilogy. Despite this not being my favorite of the series, I still enjoyed reading it and am excited to read more of the author’s books when they are available.
******
Betrayal in Blue
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like rhendel's review? Post a comment saying so!
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Betrayal in Blue by Mark M. Bello is the third installment of the Zachary Blake Betrayal series. This book centers on the stories of Police Captain Jack Dylan and attorney Zachary Blake as they continue to battle against white supremacy. After the successful capture of Benjamin Blake, the police learn of a new plot in Dearborn, Michigan utilizing Sarin gas and attempt to work with the FBI. However, after a botched operation Captain Dylan decides to take matters into his own hands and conducts a rogue operation to hunt down the leader of the white supremacist group. When his plan goes awry, Captain Dylan finds himself in trouble with a different city’s local law enforcement and only Zachary Blake can save him.
I enjoyed reading this book, but didn’t find it as engaging as the first two in the series. The beginning was particularly difficult for me to engage with and I found I had to push myself through the first few chapters. The ending of the book was the most exciting part; however I saw some of the major twists coming so it wasn’t as suspenseful as I would have liked it to be. There were a couple twists in the book, which I typically enjoy; however, I found some of them predictable. As with his other books, I enjoyed the author’s character development and the way he’s able to introduce new characters and integrate them into the story seamlessly.
Similar to the other books in the series, Betrayal in Blue is a legal crime thriller. There is a good balance of crime investigation, legal drama, and suspense, which helped to keep me interested while reading. Because the storyline centers on white supremacists, there is a lot of offensive and upsetting language used throughout the book. The language is used to emphasize the ignorant views of the white supremacist group, however if readers are sensitive to racist, xenophobic, or derogatory language, this is probably not a good book choice.
There were a few instances where the author wrote about forensic evidence collection methodology and chain of evidence procedure in a lot of detail that became boring to read. During those parts, I found myself skimming through to get back to the actual storyline. I don’t think those explanations furthered the story or provided any context that was needed. At first, I thought it might be foreshadowing issues brought up later in the story, but when that didn’t happen it just seemed like unnecessary commentary.
Overall, I rate Betrayal in Blue 3 out of 4 stars. As previously mentioned, this is the third book in the series but my least favorite so far. While I don’t think it’s necessary to read the two prior books, I do believe it would be helpful as they will provide a lot of backstory and context. I think readers who enjoy crime or legal thrillers would enjoy this book, as well as anyone who has read the first two books in the trilogy. Despite this not being my favorite of the series, I still enjoyed reading it and am excited to read more of the author’s books when they are available.
******
Betrayal in Blue
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like rhendel's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Waterworks by Jack Winnick
