Ronald S. Barak Books In Order

Publication Order of Brooks/Lotello Thriller Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Ronald S. Barak is a thriller, suspense and mystery author, lawyer and Olympic athlete. This makes him uniquely qualified to write legal and political thrillers in the “Brooks / Lotello” series. He loves to describe himself as a full time, long time lawyer specializing in mediation, litigation, arbitration, business, and real estate transactions. While he is a lawyer, he loves to write novels at the intersection between fiction and reality. He has said that he loves to write as writing makes him think, grow and become the best person that he could be. Barak has said that he writes for readers that want to be entertained by reading a good story, while getting the encouragement to think and grow a little. He believes that many books emphasize one or the other though he believes they should coexist and this is his objective in the novels he writes. Ronald is married to Barbie who he affectionately refers to as Goose, with whom he has two children Mark and Jennifer. Since their children long moved out of the house, they live with their Havenese dog and their British Short Hair cat in Pacific Palisades, California.

Barak has always been a voracious reader of novels and always pondered about writing one though he found the idea exciting but scary too. He decided to write his first novel on a dare from his friend. He did not have creative writing or literature classes as he was just a lawyer and Olympic gymnast that had studied Physics and law in college. However, he had a title, the idea for the story and how it would end. Not one to take a dare too lightly, he just got down and started writing and within nine months he published “A Season for Redemption” his debut novel. He then went on to write the first novel of the “Brooks / Lotello” series “The Amendment Killer” in 2017. For the most part, he is a pantser rather than a plotter and his works have been described as a combination of a page-turner by John Lescroart or Lee Child, a whodunit by Agatha Christie, or a self-deprecating humor novel by Ray Romano. Despite his lack of literary training, he has been very successful as his debut became a bestselling title reaching number one on Amazon for both Kindle and print. He credits much of his success to the writers and editors who helped him understand and master storytelling and became the author that he is today.

Ronald S. Barak has asserted that besides writing to entertain and help readers grow, he also writes to promote public causes. For instance, The “Brooks / Lotello” series calls attention to the dysfunctional form of government. It provides suggestions to issues of political corruption instead of backseat criticism and driving for the sake of it that is all too common. In his debut novel “The Amendment Killer,” he writes of the hypothetical 28th Amendment of the American constitution on an issue that is very real. Besides the legal and political he also writes of social issues. In “The Puppet Master,” his lead character is an eleven-year-old diabetic and he has said that he wrote the character to bring awareness about the condition that he has also suffered for 30 years. He also combines 50% of all proceeds from the sales of the novel to support a range of diabetes organizations conducting research on the cure for diabetes. He hopes that through his writing he can contribute to important public causes as well as write suspense-filled and engaging political and legal thrillers.

Barak’s “The Amendment Killer” is the heartbreaking story that tells of the hard choice a Supreme Court Justice has to make. Cassie Weber the daughter of a Supreme Court justice has been kidnapped by a man named Thomas that sounds like an experienced man who knows what he is doing. He has been hired by some unknown organization or person to influence her father to abolish the 18th Amendment of the American Constitution. He is a dangerous man and had once been involved in a case in which Frank Lottello a detective had been shot. It turns out that the daughter of the man Thomas shot is the best friend to Cassie Weber. The kidnapper is married to a lawyer for an organization that is defending the 28th Amendment in the courts, having also sponsored it. He had been disappointed with the outcome of his previous case involving Lotello and hence he is using this constitutional amendment to make things right. It is not clear if his former employers thought he failed or succeeded in his previous case. What is clear though is that they are against his present activities involving the Supreme Court Justice and think he is a loose cannon. Justice Hirschfeld who is Cassie’s grandfather, her parents, and Cassie herself now have to try to talk down Thomas. Things become pretty complicated when Thomas thinks they have called in reinforcements from Detective Lotello who he loathes. But it is another lawyer for the defense of the amendment named Judge Brooks who comes up with a solution to the deadlock.

“The Puppet Master” by Ronald Barak opens to the murder of an influential US senator. The homicide had left Washington in an uproarious mood and they get Detective Frank Lotello who is the best in the business to investigate. Frank is recently widowed and has still not got over the loss of his wife while adapting to having to take care of his two children. But then two more people involved with high finance are killed and there are murmurs of a serial killer on the loose in the city. What is even more puzzling is that the bodies are left with a note saying that they deserve death just like Ryan. A man saying similar things is arrested in DC and charged for the killings. However, things are not as straight forward as they seem and Cyrus Brooks the US District Judge soon realizes this when he gets the facts of the case. The Public Defender is arguing justifiable defense and while many are puzzled by this, the constitutionality of the argument is soon clear. While they are waiting for the trial to start the detective gets some anonymous tip which may shed more light on the killings and reinforce reasonable doubt. While the ethics of meeting between Brooks and Lotello arise, the two come together and decide to conduct further investigations. But once the trial starts Brooks is in control and allows both sides to present their arguments in a case that has far-reaching consequences.

One Response to “Ronald S. Barak”

1. JANETTE J LUSK: 2 years ago

   After doing some research, I found that Ronald S. Barak and his darling wife Barbie, were friends from our days in Rolling Hills, Ca. My husband and I moved to the beautiful foothills in Northern California in 1986. My friends and I started a book club and have been reading together since 1994. I’d like to choose one of your “thrillers”. Any suggestions? Janette

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