What Was Forbidden: a Venice Ghetto mystery

by Jonathan Bockian

The Ghetto of Venice, 1672. A brother is killed. A truth buried. When faith, freedom and obedience collide, one woman risks everything to remain true to herself and to the brother she loved.

When Yehudit’s beloved brother Mordechai is found murdered, her search to know what happened upends her world. In his life, Mordechai—disaffected merchant, outspoken skeptic—secretly defied expectations his family, religion, and the Ghetto community placed on one of their own, and limits imposed by gentile Venice. As Yehudit exposes conflicts that shaped Mordechai’s final weeks, she increasingly must challenge restrictions and controls on her life as a woman. Yehudit’s determination to find and speak the truth sets her on a collision course with her family and the entrenched Ghetto power structure.

Inspired by a true event memorialized in the Venice Ghetto, WHAT WAS FORBIDDEN is set within the backdrop of two historical movements—one religious, the other political—each of which ignited hopes of freedom but in diametrically opposite ways.

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 20, 2025

About the author

Jonathan Bockian grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He is a graduate of New York University and Harvard Law School. What Was Forbidden is his debut novel, at age 76. Jon and his wife live in Watertown, Massachusetts. One of the influences on this novel is his education at orthodox Jewish day schools through high school.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great novel which raises some fundamental questions about faith, rituals and truth. Set in the Venice ghetto, a murder will set out an investigation revealing many secrets and ever more questions...
I found this novel fascinating, as I learned quite a bit about the Jewish religion as well as Spinoza. Philosophy, religion: where does one stop and when does the other one start! Thought provoking themes which are definitely not outdated! An interesting novel for readers who enjoy more than a murder investigation.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

[Scuffed Granny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I, personally, love an historical murder mystery. My requirements are that it must evoke the place and the period firstly but that the action and the characters must also be believable. Jon Bockian's book delivers this to a high degree and he has created a novel which is tense, informative, creates investment in the characters and brings alive 17th century Venice - all good.

The story is about Ebrais specifically: Jews. Anyone who has read The Merchant of Venice will have an idea of how they were perceived in England around this time and it would appear that that was (literally) true in Venice also.

We follow Yehudit, a Jewish widow, who decides to investigate the brutal death of her brother, Mordechai. She is determined to discover the truth of what happened to him although she's up against it: as a woman and as a Jew. We also follow a "detective" investigating called Zachera and get his angle on things as a Venetian and someone keen to find the killer. And we follow Mordechai in flashbacks, so we are privy to what leads up to his demise. Moving between these three threads, we are led towards different characters, many of whom could have had a motive for causing harm to Mordechai. Was it a 17th century hate crime? Was it an envious rival for love? Was it to suppress a possible insurrection? Was it family protecting its reputation and standing in an already difficult environment?

This history was new on me. I had no idea about the tensions that were rife at this time and I enjoyed learning about Shabbetai Tsvi, the false messiah, again something about which I had no knowledge. The evocation of the group that Mordechai attends and the content of their discussions I found dense in detail but necessarily so, as Bockian uses this to expound the ideology that was dangerously being bandied about by certain Ebrais at the time.

But apart from that, this book is a great read: tensely rendered, with flowing prose; well-researched historically, with characters that feel rounded and in whom you are invested. I especially felt for Mordechai as his hopes and aspirations for a different future seemed within reach and yet, Bockian balances the possibility of him escaping with the constant pull of expectation from family, society and tradition which threaten it at every juncture.

A great historical fiction read.

[Lisa Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Was Forbidden is a beautifully written and deeply absorbing historical mystery that transports the reader straight into the heart of the Venice Ghetto in 1672, a world rich with tension, tradition, secrecy, and longing. Jonathan Bockian masterfully blends meticulous historical detail with emotional depth, crafting a story that feels both intimate and sweeping.

At the center of the novel is Yehudit, a remarkable heroine whose courage and determination illuminate every page. When her brother Mordechai is murdered, she refuses to accept silence or easy explanations. Instead, she begins a relentless search for the truth, one that forces her to confront the restrictions placed on her as a woman and the rigid expectations of her tightly controlled community. Her journey is powerful, moving, and filled with moments that resonate long after the book is closed.

Bockian does an exceptional job weaving together the mystery of Mordechai’s final days with the broader political and religious upheavals shaping Venice at the time. The novel explores identity, faith, obedience, and forbidden ideals with nuance and intelligence, highlighting the ways in which both personal convictions and societal pressures can shape a life, and end one.

The atmosphere is vivid and immersive, from the bustling canals of Venice to the enclosed, emotionally charged world of the Ghetto. Every scene is crafted with care, and the suspense builds with quiet, compelling strength.

For readers who love historical fiction rich with intrigue, heart, and truth, What Was Forbidden is an absolute standout. A beautifully told and unforgettable mystery.

[M.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

What Was Forbidden, Bockian’s debut novel, is set in 17th century Venice, in the city’s Jewish ghetto. The story follows Yehudit, a young widow with two sons, as she attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding the murder of her older brother, Mordechai. The novel intertwines her story with the Mordechai’s point of view in the days leading up to his death. His chapters give the reader a good insight into his daily life and the enemies and friends he made that Yehudit identifies and then tracks down to interview. There are also chapters from the point of view of Zachera, a local Venetian investigator involved in the bureaucratic investigation of Mordechai’s death.

The world that Bockian builds for the reader is deep and evocative. He gives us an intimate look into 17th century Venice and the way Jews were treated there. With Yehudit as a conduit, there is also ample discussion of a woman’s place in society, the control extended over them by their male family members (in Yehudit’s case, it’s her other older brother, Yehoshua). The novel also centers around the historical, political and religious discussion of the works and writings of Shabbetai Tsvi, a false messiah, who created real turmoil amongst the Jewish community with his controversial opinions and subsequent conversion to Islam. Mordechai’s conversations on this topic with his companions were dense, but essential for me as a reader to understand the extent of the issue and the effect it had on Mordechai’s character arc. Overall, a solid historical fiction murder mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.

[William Beckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a rare experience, reading What Was Forbidden, to be transported to the Venice Ghetto of 1672. Forced to dwell together in a closed neighborhood, yet allowed to build the commerce of the "serene republic” of Venice, Jewish Ghetto residents maintain their limited freedoms through community unity, yet keep from public view a broad range of beliefs and aspirations.
Mordechai Baldosa’s fictional story was inspired by author Jonathan Bockian’s discovery of a 17th century memorial to the historical Baldosa in a Venice Ghetto Synagogue. A successful, middle-aged intellectual from a prominent merchant family, Bockian’s Baldosa has embraced Spinoza’s enlightenment ideas during his university days in Padua. But such ideas are a threat to the traditions of his own community, as well as to the nobles who rule Venice.
His plan to escape to Amsterdam with his talented and influential mistress is curtailed by his murder. It is left to his grieving sister Yehudith—pushing the limits of accepted behavior for a woman—to solve the murder. Her questioning and her persistence introduce the reader to the breadth and depth of Venetian society, from masked balls and minuets to merchant store-rooms and the Republic’s morgue.
Bockian’s gift is to to immerse us in a history that has remained unrecorded save by a few scholars. Through the lives of its characters, What Was Forbidden illuminates the truth of a crucial moment and place in time.

[E Landsburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The murder-mystery, set in Venice’s Jewish Ghetto in 1672, also delves into sexism, corruption, romance - what more could you want in a book? I was introduced to Spinoza and Shabbatai Tsvi, two historical figures whom I had never heard of but are fascinating. The themes of separation of religion and state, antisemitism, and the many other strictures that ghetto-ize each of us, literally or figuratively, resonate today. The books asks the reader to consider what are the walls that have been built around us, which of those we have accepted, and for those we are willing to break down - at what cost? I enjoyed following the seperate threads of the various groups trying to piece together the murder and how together a complex potrait emerges. And I loved learning so much about the historical period and how those people actually lived. The novel takes great care to paint a detailed, immersive world and it is a true pleasure to inhabit. I highly recommend this book.

[David Carriere · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Was Forbidden: A Venice Ghetto Mystery is a gripping historical mystery set in 1672 Venice, blending meticulous historical research with a suspenseful narrative. Jonathan Bockian tells the story of Yehudit, a determined woman whose quest to uncover the truth behind her brother Mordechai’s murder exposes the tension between faith, societal expectation, and personal freedom.

The novel captures the intricacies of life in the Venice Ghetto, exploring cultural, religious, and political dynamics with nuance and authenticity. Yehudit’s courage and moral conviction make her a compelling protagonist as she challenges both familial and communal restrictions. The plot is both thought provoking and suspenseful, skillfully intertwining mystery with historical depth.

For readers who enjoy historical fiction, mystery, and stories with strong female leads, What Was Forbidden offers an immersive experience that is both intellectually engaging and emotionally resonant.