Lewis M. Weinstein

Lewis M. Weinstein (born 1940, Camden, NJ) - Princeton University -BSE, 1962 and Harvard Business School - MBA, 1965. An American author known for historical thrillers and mysteries. Became an author at the age of 60, after a successful management career, during which he served as CEO of public, private, and not-for-profit organizations, and was also a candidate for US Congress. Weinstein often investigates the origins of Christian anti-Judaism. In his books, he explores how Church teachings and historical “blood libels” created a climate that eventually allowed for the Holocaust. He frequently blends Jewish historical themes with the tension of mystery and thrillers. While he is primarily recognized for meticulously researched historical fiction, several of his works lean heavily into religious intrigue and investigative plots. Weinstein has spoken about his motivations for writing: as a Jew, he wanted to explore why Jews are hated, and his family background — his mother’s side from Poland, his father’s side from Germany — shaped his interest in developing characters and perspectives from both countries. He’s also mentioned working on a newer book set in Germany and Poland during the Nazi years, revisiting themes he originally found too difficult to tackle when he started writing.- Claude]

His notable works that combine these elements include:

The Heretic: A historical thriller centered on a family of “secret Jews” (Conversos) in 15th-century Spain. It follows their struggle to hide their Jewish identity from the Spanish Inquisition, combining religious history with the suspense of being hunted.

The Pope’s Conspiracy: This sequel to The Heretic is categorized as a historical thriller and “religious intrigue,” diving into high-stakes political and religious plots in Renaissance Florence.

A Good Conviction: A legal mystery/thriller about a young man wrongly convicted of murder.

A Holocaust Trilogy: Comprised of A Flood of Evil, A Promise Kept, and After Auschwitz - these books follow a Polish Jew and a German Catholic. While more epic historical fiction than traditional mystery, they feature heavy elements of espionage, political intrigue, and the search for truth.  [Google /AI]

Weinstein, Lewis M., (The Heretic (hc, Good New Fiction, 2000) 978-0967134802 [pb, U. of Wisconsin Press, 2003] 978-0299187941

Weinstein, Lewis M., (The Pope’s Conspiracy [pb, CreateSpace Independent, 2012] 978-1475058413

Weinstein, Lewis M., (A Good Conviction (pb, CreateSpace Independent, 2012) 978-1475119794

Weinstein, Lewis M., (A Flood of Evil (pb, CreateSpace Independent, 2016) 978-1494295783

Weinstein, Lewis M., (A Promise Kept: 1934 to 1936 (pb, CreateSpace Independent, 2020) 978-1979364409

Weinstein, Lewis M., (After Auschwitz (pb, independently published, 2021) 979-8577096250