Invisible City (Rebekah Roberts Novels)

Invisible City is a book which, to my way of thinking, is written as an exposé of the Hasidic Jewish community that lives in Brooklyn. Thematically, as the title suggests, this group has isolated itself from the rest of the world and forged a lifestyle for itself in the heart of a modern city. This means minimal contact with the outside world whether directly through social contact, or indirectly through newspapers, magazines, and the internet. It even has its own police force and, whenever possible, prefers to deal with its own problems without involving outside agencies and law enforcement.

Rather in the style of a tabloid journalist, this author starts off with a mission to create a scenario in which this community will be seen as corrupt. When the body of a woman is found dead in a scrapyard owned by one of the leading members of the Hasidic community, we’re invited to see everything that follows as the community using its power and influence to enable a murderer to avoid liability. In principle, I’m not against polemical fiction. Many books become popular because the content and author’s attitudes appeal to the readers’ prejudices. But, for me, this book crosses a line.