Fiction
Daring, creative, powerful and provocative novels
written to entertain and stimulate thought...
Jerry Marcus' character development has been compared to that of Chaim Potok!
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Zev
Part of the collection in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Follow the life of Brooklyn-born Zev Segal in the 1950s as he wrestles with the basic conflicts of man's inhumanity to man, why it occurs, and the legacy of the Holocaust. Laugh, cry, and grow angry as Zev struggles with conflict as he travels from the security and traditions of Orthodox Judaism to the gambling underworld, as the spirits of Jewish history haunt him. In "Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Zev," Marcus portrays God as giving his world over to two forces: The Laughing Angels, whose sole purpose is to torment and destroy all that is noble and righteous - and The Righteous Ones, who plead for God to never forget the most vulnerable amongst us.
Morton Teicher, Book Editor for The Jewish Floridian, compared Marcus to Chaim Potok.
"Having caused us to care about the characters he created, Marcus has done well in his first novel. We look forward to the next installment."
"Original and compelling." The Chicago Tribune
"An extraordinary book...that deals with the agony of morals." Dorothy Fuldheim, News Analyst, Scripps-Howard Broadcasting Company
"A significant and moving novel...An important addition to books about the Holocaust and Jewish people." American Jewish Congress
Controversial Author JERRY MARCUS is internationally acclaimed for his ability to create compelling fiction about thought-provoking issues such as anti-Semitism, political intrigue, and religious hypocrisy. Reviewers have called Marcus prophetic, provocative, masterful, compelling, original and creative - and even a heretic. Morton Teicher, Book Editor for The Jewish Floridian, compared Marcus to Chaim Potok, writing that Marcus “Caused us to care about the characters he created.” Whether he writes about politics, religion, sports, or murder - the underlying powerful theme in all Marcus' novels is how his characters constantly struggle with good versus evil.
Hardcover . 235pp . $25.00 . ISBN 978-0941394-00-0
SHIPPING IS FREE TO THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES
"Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Zev" will remain in print for years to come and guaranteed new books are available exclusively from Brittany Publications, Ltd. For information on reprints, electronic/digital, or screen rights to this book, and all books by Author Jerry Marcus, please contact publisher@brittanypublications.com.
Broken Trust - The Murder of Basketball Star Jack Molinas
A MURDER MYSTERY THAT COMBINES RELIGION, POLITICS, SPORTS AND GAMBLING!
In his fourth and most riveting novel, Jerry Marcus takes the killing of basketball great Jack Molinas - and creates a murder mystery that combines religion, politics, sports and gambling. Marcus uses his knowledge of basketball and insights into human behavior, and the tragic and complex figure of Jack Molinas, to illustrate how powerful business interests, religious hypocrites, and attorneys hide behind a facade of morality and justice.
As an All-American at Columbia University, Jack Molinas was chosen in the first round of the NBA draft by the Fort Wayne Pistons. He was intelligent, handsome and talented, with the ability to take control over a game. In his first season for the Pistons, Jack was named to the All-Star team. This would be his only season as an NBA star. Jack tossed it all out the window by living on the edge - always having to beat the system. In 1954, Jack was suspended from the Pistons and tossed out of the NBA for gambling on games. He was later considered to be the lead figure in the 1961 college basketball scandals that rocked the NCAA.
According to Marcus, "Jack's story epitomizes a hypocrisy seen not only in sports, but throughout society. Some sportswriters and columnists vilified Jack on the same newspaper pages that also carried the point spreads and gambling odds on college and professional games."
"Jack would have loved how you portrayed him." Bill Tosheff, 1951-52 NBA Co-Rookie of the Year
Just finished Broken Trust! It certainly gave me a different picture of Jack! I had the feeling that Jerry was his friend and the narrator of the book! I have read so much about Jack through the years, it is always hard to separate fact and fiction! Would certainly have loved to meet and talk with Jerry… A.S. New York, New York
"Great book..." Sam Amico, Editor and Senior Writer, ProBasketballNews.com
"Besides writing a gripping tale of a powerful, rich, highly competitive industry, Marcus delivers a high-impact, no holds barred, picture of modern social establishments - both religious and secular..." Rabbi Yaakov Fogelman, Torah Outreach Program, Jerusalem, Israel
Paperback . 264pp . $24.00 . ISBN 978-0941394-06-2
SHIPPING IS FREE TO THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES
"Broken Trust - The Murder of Basketball Star Jack Molinas" will remain in print for years to come and guaranteed new books are available exclusively from Brittany Publications, Ltd. For information on reprints, electronic/digital, or screen rights to this book, and all books by Author Jerry Marcus, please contact publisher@brittanypublications.com.
The Last Pope
Rabbi Yaakov Fogelman, Jerusalem, Israel
A compelling plot, filled with religious terrorism, scandalous revelations and political intrigue. Using an innovative technique of writing a novel within a novel, Jerry Marcus has set "The Last Pope" in the historic context of scandals plaguing the Catholic church.
Set in the historic context of current scandals plaguing the Catholic Church, Pope Pius Innocent escapes the Vatican after discovering hidden documents that rock the foundations of Christianity and shatter his basic beliefs in Catholicism. German-born prelate Joseph Ratzinger knows Pius Innocent is the only living person who can bring the Vatican to its knees and destroy all his plans for world domination. Will Ratzinger find Pope Pius Innocent and the critical documents he possesses before the truth is revealed?
While the Vatican uses all its weapons to locate the Pope, Marcus takes readers on an unforgettable journey as Pius Innocent travels to Jerusalem where a beautiful Mossad agent assists him on his treacherous mission. With danger all around, and Pius Innocent waiting anxiously for his moment of truth to arrive, he embarks on a second journey of self-discovery while reading "Melissa." What begins as a romance novel, quickly turns into the story of an American woman who becomes a political candidate - and who introduces Pius Innocent to religious fundamentalism in the United States, government corruption, and journalists who work hand-in-hand with foreign leaders to undermine the State of Israel. Pius Innocent finds great similarities between Melissa's political circumstances and his own dire situation. He wonders if he is reading his own future in the words of Melissa. Neither dare to underestimate their enemies.
Hardcover . 241pp . $19.95 . ISBN987-0941394-02-4
SHIPPING IS FREE TO THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES
"The Last Pope" will remain in print for years to come and guaranteed new books are available exclusively from Brittany Publications, Ltd. For information on reprints, electronic/digital, or screen rights to this book, and all books by Author Jerry Marcus, please contact publisher@brittanypublications.com.
The Salvation Peddler
"THE SALVATION PEDDLER" is a haunting and compelling story of a world-renowned evangelist and his family, and a brutal murder that plays havoc with their lives.A psychiatric thriller that takes readers on an intense journey of deception, sexual tension, and murder. Evangelist Jason Blake wants to be President of the United States. But is this man of the cloth hiding the bloody truth behind a veil of righteousness? Detective Tony Pinella thinks he is, but will he find the answers in time?
Veronica Blake hated being the wife of an evangelist - but enjoyed the money and power that came with it. She could no longer stand Jason touching her and it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to sleep with him. When they made love, he was not gentle and cared little about her enjoyment. Veronica also recognized that Jason was stressing the virgin birth during all his sermons. He would raise his voice and his eyes would seek out one young woman in the congregation - a seemingly innocent young woman who would create havoc in their lives.
"A master of the suspense novel." Larry Lawrence, Abilene Reporter-News, Texas
"I enjoyed the Salvation Peddler." [Governor] Bill Clinton
Hardcover . 235pp . $25.00 . ISBN 978-0941394-01-7
SHIPPING IS FREE TO THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES
"The Salvation Peddler" will remain in print for years to come and guaranteed new books are available exclusively from Brittany Publications, Ltd. For information on reprints, electronic/digital, or screen rights to this book, and all books by Author Jerry Marcus, please contact publisher@brittanypublications.com.
Shoshana's Song
Marcus uses his background and understanding of the human condition - and his storytelling skills - to delve deeply into the complex emotions and struggles of an observant teenager who is on the brink of womanhood. He brings readers a perceptive and unforgettable story of how a young woman faces the clashes between her faith, freedom of thought, and observing the traditions she loves. He portrays Shoshana's difficult choices with charm, humor, understanding, and dignity - all contributing to her spiritual growth, and the power of the story.
SHOSHANA'S SONG is a captivating, sensitive, and meaningful coming of age story about feminist teenager Shoshana Rosen, raised in a strict Orthodox Jewish home, who is determined to observe all the sacred traditions of her faith - but wants the independence needed to have a career and choose her own husband. Shoshana's life drastically changes when she rejects her father's wishes for an arranged marriage, and questions why she must decide between her love of Judaism, and her dream to pursue a college education and professional fulfillment. She makes the bold and painful decision to leave her home and community in New York and move to Chicago, where she rents an apartment with two young women. One of her roommates, Kate Shannon - an Irish Catholic - joins Shoshana on her journey, and shares her search for intellectual freedom, a successful career, happiness, love and marriage - balanced with the intense desire to keep their respective faiths and traditions. But she also rejects the concept of arranged marriages and the teachings that would restrict her thirst for knowledge.
Review from Mary Lou Henneman, "Congregational Libraries Today," Church and Synagogue Library Association, February 2013 "This masterfully told coming-of-age story follows Shoshana as she matures both intellectually and spiritually...Jerry Marcus interweaves discussions of faith, marriage, intellectual freedom, and the roles of women throughout their lives. Marcus's characters get involved in lively and thought-provoking debates. Shoshana's Song is a fantastic crossover book for young adults and adults. It will help both young and mature readers explore how women gain strength in their faith journey."
Review from Dr. Yaakov Fogelman, founder and director of TOP, The Torah Outreach Program (Jerusalem, Israel), January 7, 2013. Jerry Marcus has, in previous books, explored in great depth, the lives of self proclaimed religious leaders, who were basically phony exploiters, looking for their own power and fame. In Shoshana's Song, the heroine, Shoshana Rosen, is an outstanding graduate of a Beit Yakov seminary; she is expected by her rabbis, parents and community to marry early to a great Talmudic scholar, and totally support his career. She is defiant of the demands to ignore her own commitment to torah scholarship and finally runs off to Chicago, where she lives with a pious Catholic girl who has similar problems of conflict between her deep involvement in her faith, together with a deep and questioning humanistic mind. While a good example of the un-crushable human spirit of a true devotee of our tradition, Marcus also puts [Shoshana's] tale in a universal cabalistic setting, where pious people are aligned with cabalistic forces in the world, e.g. the laughing angels, who treat all life and human aspirations as a tragic joke and the righteous ones, whose views of good only seemed to give aid and comfort to the powerful and rich..."
Paperback . 272pp . $19.00 . ISBN 978-0941394-08-6
SHIPPING IS FREE TO THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES
"Shoshana's Song" will remain in print for years to come and guaranteed new books are available exclusively from Brittany Publications, Ltd. For information on reprints, electronic/digital, or screen rights to this book, and all books by Author Jerry Marcus, please contact publisher@brittanypublications.com.
Daughters Of God
A New York State Governor has his eye on the White House... Young women from a high-class escort service are murdered... Will a popular New York crime reporter, and a retired detective from Detroit, find the killers before it's too late? This explosive story of politics and murder brings together retired Detective Tony Pinella — and Max Gold, a New York crime reporter and columnist. Pinella gained fame in Jerry Marcus' second novel, "The Salvation Peddler," as the Detroit cop who unlocked the truth about the murder of Veronica Blake, wife of Evangelist Jason Blake. Gold is best known for exposing political corruption. Pinella and Gold embark on a dangerous and complex journey into the darker side of political life.
- What terrifying secrets lie behind Governor Morris Green's Political comeback?
- What do his wife and eldest daughter really know?
- What are their connections to murders in New York City, Chicago, and Paradise Valley, Arizona?
- Why does Pinella seek answers from Stacey Johnson Blake, imprisoned in the psychiatric ward of a Michigan hospital — a conviction she blames on Pinella?
Reader Comments:
"I loved the suspense and the characters. The story line drew me in right away and held me...a great book to curl up and read and get lost in for hours!"
"So wonderful a read...I didn't want it to end!"
"Just when I thought I had the whole thing figured out, the twist sent me into another direction. A great who-done it."
"Daughter's of God" will remain in print for years to come and guaranteed new books are available exclusively from Brittany Publications, Ltd. For information on reprints, electronic/digital, or screen rights to this book, and all books by Author Jerry Marcus, please contact publisher@brittanypublications.com.
Escape from Heaven
Even In Heaven... No one can escape the reality on Earth. Two men from different eras. Both intensely believing in something far beyond themselves. When Moses and Jesus meet in Heaven, they decide to work together for the sake of all humanity. In this powerful, provocative and insightful novel, Moses and Jesus painstakingly discuss faith, tolerance, religion, and bigotry, and the evil committed throughout history in the name of religion. They knew they faced impossible barriers. But they were determined to understand more about mankind’s choice between good or evil―But how? Could they really prevent another Holocaust? Moses & Jesus chose to try…
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“Escape from Heaven” is a unique and thought provoking novel about the friendship that grows between Moses and Jesus—And delves into their philosophical conversations about the concepts of free will, good vs evil and the complexities of the human condition. Their journey is followed closely through the tearful eyes, and fervent and hopeful prayers of the Righteous Ones, who sit at God’s Throne—While the Laughing Angels, with their evil ways, conspire to intervene, always striving for chaos and destruction. Moses and Jesus understood the wonders and genius of God. How each individual has the potential to live a life of honest reflection, faith and good works.
You are invited to go on this journey with this unique duo, as they learn more about each other, while exploring life on Earth through a series of vignettes. Through a series of vignettes that add depth and understanding to the story, Moses and Jesus follow the lives of a variety of people on Earth—From Window Rock and Scottsdale, to Chicago, to Milwaukee, to Jerusalem and Netanya in Israel... readers will meet ordinary people who struggle with good versus evil, politics, friendships, religion and spirituality, the Holocaust and anti-Semitism. Some will make you angry. Others will bring tears to your eyes. All will reveal the complexity of the human condition—as seen through the eyes and voices of Moses and Jesus, and Marcus’ popular characters, The Righteous Ones and The Laughing Angels. Below are some of the characters you will meet along the journey...
..The 4-year-old giggling Young Buddha who lived in Paradise Valley, Arizona. His parents knew they were challenged to raise a child with the growing maturity of a man of wisdom—And who had captured the hearts and minds of so many around the world.
..The unpredictable, often comical, and complex lives and friendship of Rob Christian and Jerry Messiah.
.. Why was a novel about Zev Segal’s life so important to Moses and Jesus? Was there really a library in Heaven with a “Local Author Collection?”
.. Edward Johnson, who owned a growing communications agency. His business is good; he loves his wife and family—And then fears for his life from an unlikely enemy. Where would Edward seek help? And who would come to the rescue of Edward and his family?
..The beautiful young singer at Carnegie Hall, Golda Rosen—And the Broadway star who encouraged young Golda to pursue a singing career against so many odds.
..The links between the life history of Reb Yerucham of Netanya—How he got his name, his love of the Navajos in Arizona, his relationship with the mysterious Israeli lawyer, Jacob Stein, and an unexpected meeting with Vladimir Putin after his speech at Yad Vashem in Israel—And Putin’s surprising request to the Reb.
“Escape from Heaven” was a finalist in the 2023 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards in both the Philosophy and Religion Categories. It also received Honorable Mention in the 2024 Illinois Woman’s Press Association Mate E. Palmer Communications Contest in the Adult Fiction Novels Category. The IWPA is an affiliate of the National Association.
Copyright (c) 2022 Jerry Marcus & Marion Estelle Gold. All rights reserved.
Paperback . 364pp . $24.00 . ISBN13 978-0941394-10-9 . ISBN 0-941394-10-7
SHIPPING IS FREE TO THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES
that will be a cherished part of your literary fiction collection.
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"Daughters of God" won the 2018 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards in the Philosophy Category.
A thrilling mystery that will keep you guessing until the very last page.
Once again, Marcus has earned his title as a Master of Suspense!