BookPleasures.com is delighted to introduce Mark M. Bello, an esteemed attorney, civil justice advocate, and celebrated author of the thrilling Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series.

Despite retiring five years ago, what sets Mark apart is his remarkable decision to embark on a new career as a writer at the age of 65, drawing upon his extensive 45 years of courtroom experience.

His passion for justice shines through in his captivating novels, as well as his hard-hitting commentaries on current controversies.

Mark's journey as an author began with his groundbreaking work as one of the first attorneys to sue the Catholic Church over sexual abuse by clergy. 

This experience inspired his debut novel, Betrayal of Faith, where he courageously encouraged his clients to pursue the case publicly, resulting in the defrocking of the offending priest.

The recent indictment of that same priest by the new Michigan Attorney General, leading to his incarceration, is a testament to the impact of Mark's pursuit of justice.

Since then, Mark has continued to captivate readers with his Zachary Blake series, offering front-row access to the courtroom and tackling headline-worthy issues. 

With the release of his eighth Blake series novel, You Have A Right to Remain Silent, as well as his new cookbook, L’Dor V’Dor II, The Blake-Lewin Family Cookbook of Traditional Jewish Recipes, and the first edition of his children's safety and social justice picture-book series, Happy Jack—Sad Jack, A Bullying Story, Mark's literary contributions have soared to new heights.

A native of Detroit, Michigan, Mark earned his law degree from Western Michigan University—Thomas M. Cooley Law School and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Oakland University

Good day Mark and thanks for taking part in our interview.

Mark: Thank you. Happy to be with you.

Norm: Can you tell us more about your groundbreaking work as one of the first attorneys to sue the Catholic Church over sexual abuse by clergy? What motivated you to take on such a challenging and controversial case? 

Mark: My practice was focused on helping injured or mistreated citizens take on negligent, greedy or wrongdoing corporate or government interests.

Clergy abuse cases, back then, were the "Larry Nasser" cases of the 20th Century.

The scandal was a well-kept secret, the cover-up was massive, and the Church engaged in all types of legal and political espionage to prevent word from spreading and lawsuits and awards from becoming public knowledge. I was determined to break through the conspiracy of silence and get justice for my clients.

For instance, there was a prior case involving the same priest. The Church paid the victims in that case for a confidentiality agreement and also persuaded the judge to seal the court file.

I had to work hard to uncover the prior incidents, travel to several states to locate the victims and witnesses, and, finally, discover the truth.

These discoveries led to the resolution of the case. I refused to accept confidential terms to settle and fought hard to prevent the court proceedings from being sealed.

Recently, the Michigan Attorney General reopened the criminal file on the priest and used information from my civil case (available because there was no seal) to convict the priest, now in his 80's (free, all these years).

He now sits in prison where he belongs. 

Norm: Can you tell us more about your background as an attorney and author? How did you develop an interest in writing political-legal thrillers, cozy mysteries, legal/romance novels, and social justice children's books?  

Mark: Writing a book about the clergy abuse case was sort of a 'bucket-list' item of mine. Life got in the way, raising a family, working long hours, who had the time to write a book?

I would pick it up, write some, and put it down. But the case stayed with me through the years.

When I retired from the practice, I wrote in earnest and the result was my first novel, Betrayal of Faith. 

I thought I would be a "one-and-done" author, fulfilling my bucket-list item, but real-life, ripped from the headlines issues compelled me to write a second novel.

Once I wrote that second book, I was hooked and here I am, 12 books later (with three more in the works). I'm having fun in my 'retirement.' 

Norm: What inspired you to write the book You Have the Right to Remain Silent? Are there any personal experiences or real-life events that influenced the story?

Mark: There was no particular inspiration. I have read a few "whodunnits" over the years and enjoyed reading them and trying to solve the puzzle.

Since I liked them as a reader, I thought I would enjoy writing one. I enjoyed writing Silent so much, that I decided to write a new "cozy legal mystery" series featuring a new protagonist, retired judge Rosaline Maxwell.

The result is my 1st official "cozy legal mystery' (although Silent is probably more a cozy mystery than a legal thriller) The Final Steps which I released in March 2023. 

Norm: In your opinion, what are the main themes or messages conveyed in You Have the Right to Remain Silent? Are there any underlying social or political issues explored in the book?

Mark: Unlike the other seven novels in the Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series, this book does not make a political statement.

There are politics involved—a conservative Republican talk show host is accused of murdering her liberal Democratic Congressman husband.

Either the murder or her discovery of the body, sends her into a catatonic state, hence she remains silent throughout the book and Blake must defend her without her assistance.

Is there is an issue of whether political differences resulted in murder? You'll have to read the book. For me, the interesting aspect of the case was Blake's challenge of representing someone who was completely unable to defend herself. 

Norm: Could you elaborate on the main characters, Mia Folger, Dr. Harold Rothenberg, and Zackary Blake? What are their motivations, backgrounds, and relationships with each other?  

Mark: Rothenberg was introduced in Betrayal of Faith. He was handpicked by the Church to provide therapy to the abused boys. He refused to assist the cover-up and aligned with Zack and the boys' mother to take on the Church.

He and Blake have remained friends—he continues to treat the boys (now Blake's stepsons)—and refers Mia Folger, his patient, to Zack.

In therapy, Folger has revealed to Rothenberg that she has visions of seeing her husband dead, and Rothenberg worries that she's guilty.

Her politics and anger are clear motives, but he still believes in her and that's why he enlists the services of Zachary Blake, who will do just about anything for Harold Rothenberg. 

Norm: The description mentions that Mia Folger is implicated in the murder of her husband, Congressman Bradley Crawford. What is the evidence against her, and why does Dr. Rothenberg believe in her innocence? 

Mark:  A series of text messages reveals her anger and her discovery that her husband is having an affair. In one of the texts, she threatens to do to him what results in his murder.

She's in a catonic state resulting from his murder. From murdering him or from seeing his dead body?

The cops think the former' the doctor thinks the latter. He's been treating her for quite awhile and he just doesn't believe her capable of murder.

Norm: How does Zackary Blake, known as Detroit's 'King of Justice,' become involved in Mia's case? What drives him to take on the challenge of proving her innocence despite her catatonic state?

Mark: As I stated earlier, he'll do anything for Rothenberg—they have a long-standing relationship. Rothenberg refers him the case.

Blake never backs down from a challenge, especially when someone like Rothenberg, whose opinion he values, believes in the client's innocence.

Norm: Can you tell us more about Micah Love and Reed Spencer, Zack's investigator and cyber-specialist, respectively? How do they contribute to the defense and what challenges do they face in the investigation?

Mark: Micah is Zack's long-time private investigator. His job is to poke holes in the forensics, which are compellingly incriminating to Mia Folger. Reed works for Micah.

He's a convicted hacker turned cyber-investigator whose job it is to analyze and poke holes in the texts and computer evidence.

The obvious challenges are that both forensics and cyber make Mia look incredibly guilty.

Norm: The description introduces Shari Belitz, a jury consultant recommended by Micah Love. What skills and techniques does Shari bring to the case, and why does Micah believe she is necessary for Mia's defense?

Mark: The intriguing aspect of Shari is that she is a real jury consultant, a "LinkedIn' colleague from New York. I thought it would be fun to add a non-fictional character and personality (Shari has lots of personality) to a novel.

There has been a ton of "terrible" pre-trial publicity in the case, and Micah has worked with Shari previously.

Her job will be to combat pre-trial publicity with a focus group or mock trial, and 'clean-up' and test witnesses and evidence, pre-trial, to expose both strengths and weaknesses in the case.

For me, learning how Shari does what she does and how it can effect the outcome of a trial are some of the most fascinating chapters in the book. As an aside, the 'real' Shari is funny, captivating, a good sport, and a pleasure to work with. 

Norm: Are there any specific legal or psychological aspects that play a significant role in the story? How do they affect the defense strategy and the unraveling of the sinister plot?

Mark: Yes, both from the standpoint of the defendant's personal therapist and the 'psychology' of jury consulting, psychological aspects do, indeed, play an important role in the plot.

I would venture to say that they drive the defense strategy. 

Norm: Without revealing any major spoilers, can you give us a glimpse of the challenges and obstacles the defense team faces throughout the book? How do they balance their efforts to prove Mia's innocence while dealing with the lurking evil characters?

Mark: Simply stated, Mia cannot defend herself or proclaim her innocence. She can't assist her attorney. And she looks guilty—all the evidence points to her guilt.

The primary focus becomes proving her innocence, which is not usually the burden of the defense. The defense is less focused on alternate potential suspects but, I assure you, there are no shortage of "lurking evil characters."

Norm: Where can our readers find out more about you and You Have The Right To Remain Silent?

Mark: My WEBSITE.  My books are available on Amazon and all online booksellers (B & N, Apple, Kobo, etc.)

Norm:  Looking ahead, do you have any upcoming projects or new directions in your writing career that you would like to share with your readers? Are there any particular story lines or issues you're excited to explore in your future works?

Mark: As I indicated, I just released my first official cozy legal mystery, The Final Steps which features former judge turned female sleuth Rosaline Maxwell.

I am working on a second novel in that series as well as my ninth Zachary Blake novel. I am about to release my second children's book, a safety picture book called What Should I Do One Thing or Two? Asher's Distracted Lesson. 

I'd like to begin to educate kids about the dangers of distracted driving well before they become addicted to their smartphones. Finally, I am writing my first "Legal Romance" novel, another genre change and a lot of fun.

Norm: As we conclude this interview, given your extensive experience in the legal field, what advice would you give to aspiring authors who are interested in writing legal thrillers or incorporating legal elements into their storytelling?

Mark: My consistent advice to aspiring authors has been the Nike slogan "Just Do It" and the Sesame Street song "Don't worry that it's not good enough." Just write.

As to the legal elements, I would encourage writers to research the particular legal element for accuracy, even though you're writing fiction.

If you decide to "invent your own law," at least make it plausible. As a lawyer (not to be a legal snob or anything), I dislike reading inplausible or impossible discovery, evidentiary, or courtroom scenes (pet peeve).

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors