Review of The Anti-Semite Next Door

[Alissa Nesson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Anti-Semite Next Door" by Mark M. Bello.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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The Anti-Semite Next Door is the exciting ninth installment in The Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series, which stars a lawyer so good they call him “The King of Justice.” In this most recent adventure, Zach attends the bar mitzvah of Josh Cooper, the son of a good friend. Unfortunately, Josh’s big day is tragically cut short when an explosion rips through the temple during the celebration. There are no casualties, but after police search the rubble, it becomes clear that two people are missing: the bar mitzvah boy and his neighbor, Chip Ellis. The local police seem in over their heads and, in Zach’s opinion, too slow to consider that the explosion might have merely been a smokescreen to distract from the abduction of a Jewish boy and one of his guests. Can Zach bring together a team of skilled investigators with the power to take over the investigation and bring the hostages back safely? Can he find the antisemitic terrorists and make sure they never hurt a member of his or anyone else’s community again?

This book is a suspenseful thriller set against a contemporary backdrop where antisemitic hate crimes are on the rise in the United States. It portrays home-grown terrorists fueled by hatred for Jews and people of color, delivering realistic and horrifying speeches. Their aim is to “make America pure again,” expressing anger at the perceived loss of dominance and power of white Christian men. They blame the Jews, who are “in charge of everything,” for unleashing other minorities on white Americans. As a Jewish person, reading this affected me in a visceral way, giving me some bad dreams. It effectively illustrates how racists and bigots articulate their anger and how easily these values and ideas can spread through families and communities.

The characters in the story were delightfully quirky and added a layer of humor and relatability as the plot unfolded. Their strong personalities weren’t lost in all the action, but they complemented the storyline. For instance, the introductory scenes for the private detective and the FBI agent assisting Zach on the case were very entertaining. Private detective Micah Love was first introduced to us while in a therapy session to work on battling his addiction to pornography, which he really didn’t see as a problem. The introduction to FBI Agent Clare Gibson was similarly amusing. Not only did she immediately fast-talk her way back to Michigan from Nevada upon learning about the case, but she managed to commandeer a G5 jet from the agency in the process.

This was my first Zachary Blake legal thriller, but I did not feel confused or as if I had missed anything by jumping in after eight other books. This book includes a lot of profanity, and readers who are sensitive to such things wouldn’t enjoy it. It would be more affecting for Jewish people, people of color, and any other minority group, but it can be enjoyed by any religion or demographic. Republicans, however, may not appreciate this story as much because of references to recent events and certain political figures.

I rate this book an enthusiastic five out of five stars. I have no negative things to say about it. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and its message.

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The Anti-Semite Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Jennifer Coxon]

Thank you for your detailed review. The book itself appears to be very interesting, although I was concerned at first that this lawyer was actually doing all of the detective work as well. It was good to hear there is a PI and FBI investigator involved as it makes the story more realistic. I very much appreciate that despite being the ninth book, it did not matter that you had not read the other eight.This will be going on my to be read pile.

[Baggett Yori]

This review provides an insightful overview of "The Anti-Semite Next Door," the ninth installment in The Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series, portraying it as a suspenseful thriller set against the backdrop of rising antisemitic hate crimes in the United States. The review highlights the gripping plot involving the abduction of a Jewish boy and his neighbor, Chip Ellis, during a bar mitzvah celebration, and Zachary Blake's quest to bring them back safely while unraveling a terrorist plot.

[Lunar gate]

Thank you for your thorough review. I did get a little confused but I very much appreciate that despite being the ninth book, it did not matter that you had not read the other eight.

[NetMassimo]

I see that some books of this series were reviewed in the past here on OBC and left good impressions on the reviewers. This one seems like an intense thriller that in part echoes real events. It's another reason to look into this series. Thank you for your great review!