Betrayal in Blue

The Zachary Blake Betrayal Series Book 3

Fiction - Mystery - Legal
263 Pages
Reviewed on 02/17/2019
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Mark M. Bello, 42 year veteran attorney, champion of civil liberties, and award winning author of four 'ripped from the headlines' legal thrillers, is finding plenty to fight and write about in his work as a novelist, blogger, and expert on Americans’ legal rights under fire. His gripping legal thriller novels take his readers deep into the courtroom as these battles play out in real time.

“People's rights are being drastically eroded by greed and influence, and most citizens remain unaware of the harm being done. I seek to increase public awareness that our precious constitutional civil and criminal rights are being eroded.”

Inspired by his own cases against the Catholic Church, Bello's first novel “Betrayal of Faith, describes one family's valiant battle against clergy sexual abuse and the terrible things the Church will do to cover it up.

In “Betrayal of Justice,” Bello tackles white supremacy and Islamophobia in a prophetic novel about a bigoted president and a Muslim woman accused of murder.

“Betrayal in Blue,” follows a dedicated officer's quest to foil white supremacist's reign of terror, while “Betrayal in Black,” tackles a case of an black man shot by a white cop during a routine traffic stop.

Bello's novels empower readers, the media, and ordinary citizens to examine and fight for long forgotten Constitutional rights.

"What should this country stand for? Citizens are divided on these issues. I push them in a pro-justice, pro-citizen direction. The 7th Amendment is alive and well in my legal thriller novels.”

    Book Review

Reviewed by Jane Finch for Readers' Favorite

Betrayal in Blue: Zachary Blake Betrayal Series (Book 3) by Mark M. Bello follows the fortunes of Jack Dylan and his team as they try to foil a deadly plot to release Sarin upon the unsuspecting town of Dearborn, where the perpetrators seek to take their revenge for a past defeat by the lawmakers of Dearborn. When the FBI becomes involved and messes up big time, Jack takes matters into his own hands in his quest to bring the main perpetrator to justice. By doing so, Jack finds himself in trouble with the law and has to call on his friend Zachary Blake to defend him in a tense courtroom drama.

Mark M. Bello has crafted an exciting mixture of a crime and legal thriller which takes the reader on an exciting journey through the investigation, the chase, the deception, and then the legal trial, so just when the reader thinks the story is done, more is to come. In a well-written story with strong characters that endear themselves to the reader, Jack Dylan and Zachary Blake are on a quest to right a wrong that should never have happened. The title, Betrayal in Blue, perfectly portrays this novel, with an enticing cover that is sure to attract readers of both crime and legal thrillers. This is book 3 in the Zachary Blake Betrayal Series, but for those who have not read the earlier books, this works as a stand-alone book. The reader soon becomes familiar with the main characters, and it was a nice surprise to have the story followed by the courtroom scenario. Nicely done.

Lucinda E Clarke

Betrayal in Blue by Mark M Bello is the second book in the Zachary Blake legal thriller series, although he does not make an appearance until at least half way through. This time it is one of his friends, Jack Dylan, a decorated and highly thought of policeman who lives in Dearborn, which becomes the focus of revenge for a white supremacist group after their leader is caught and convicted for life. They plan to release Sarin gas in the town, aiming to kill not only the police but the Muslims when they attend mosque. Their attempt to steal the gas from government sources fails and Jack takes it on himself to go after the new leader of the extremist group with the result that he is accused of murder and put on trial.

The legal thriller Betrayal in Blue by Mark M Bello is quite complex in its explanations of how the law works in the United States. The author has been an attorney for over four decades and is familiar with the protocols and court etiquette. The premise in this book is proving Jack Dylan innocent of the crime of murder. Even though the man he is accused of killing is a dangerous criminal, this has no bearing on the rights and wrongs of the case. I liked Zachary Blake as a character. I did in the first book of the series, but he deserves a medal for defending Dylan who comes across as belligerent, stupid, selfish and vengeful. You can understand the policeman’s motives in wanting to protect innocent people from the extremists, but he breaks all the laws in doing so and causes a lot of problems and hard work for all who become involved. There is a twist at the end, and the conclusion ties up all the loose ends.