Customer Reviews

Code of Conduct

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Code of Conduct takes place right after Clinton was elected President and before his "Don't ask, don't tell" policy was put in place. I could not put this book down. That is how exciting it was. It covers the lives of a group homosexual men and women in the Marines and Navy who are friends and their relationships and how these relationships are affected by the policies of the military towards their sexual orientation. The novel first grabs you with a murder mystery, then two romances. When a serious accident occurs on during an air show, a gay pilot is blamed as part of a government cover up. The novel explores love, loyalty, courage, dedication and honor in a very moving way that you will never forget.

At that time, there were witch hunts for gays in the military, and you might wonder, who would endeavor to catch folks in the act of sodomy? Self loathing closeted gays would, that's who. You may say, oh, but those don't exist do they? Just have a look at the news recently and you can see that they do. Rich Merritt's book is full of compelling characters such as these and more. My question is who is going to produce the movie? The novel certainly has enough action scenes to support a feature film.

This is a very important book for all Military personnel to read so that they will understand how their gay counterparts feel about having to hide or worse yet, lie about their sexual identities to serve their country. This book serves that purpose perfectly as does Rich's first book, Secrets of a Gay Marine Porn Star. All Americans with any interest in the Military in this country or in Politics should read this book.

I have anticipated reading 'Code of Conduct' ever since I heard this author read an excerpt at a Writers Festival, and after reading the author's humorous, moving, and heart-wrenching detailed account of his trials and tribulations of coming of age, and coming out in Secrets Of A Gay Marine Porn Star. Code of Conduct was well worth the wait.

Once I started reading 'Code', from the first page, it was literally a page-turner that pulled me into the reality of the situations, and took me on a rollercoaster ride of intrigue, suspense, heartache, and satisfaction. I couldn't stop until I finished. This story took me way beyond my connection to the Marine Corps, or a nostalgic trip through Southern California. It reinforced my antipathy for bigotry in all its forms, with its honest depiction of the way it was/is, and probably won't change in my lifetime.

I am an avid voracious reader with eclectic tastes. Only a few writers have pulled me into a story and kept me reading, non-stop, to the end. Rich Merritt has been added to that list.

Rich Merritt is a natural born writer. He can take facts from his life and spin them into literary gold. In "Code of Conduct"--incorporating his experiences as a Marine--Merritt's narrative expertly captures the subtle changes in the moral compass of the military in the early 1990s. With compelling authenticity his novel illustrates the disappointment soldiers felt in 1993 when Clinton's pledge to end the ban on gays in the military morphed into the inadequate "don't ask, don't tell" policy. But, with compassion and intelligence, the book also depicts the helplessness, desperation and mistrust we all experience when forced to live with a secret. While existing in this pressure-cooker environment Merritt's many characters take on an urgency and immediacy--falling in love, committing murder, engaging in cover-ups, digging for truths--that keeps the reader turning page after page, engrossed in the powerful storylines. His heroes are flawed and susceptible. His main villain, truly chilling. "Code of Conduct" is a serious, absorbing, genuinely humane book, marvelously written and beautifully textured.

The start of Bill Clinton's first term in office, when it was widely believed that the new president-elect would repeal the ban on gays in the military, is the setting for this novel, dealing with a closeknit group of gay and lesbian Marines and Naval personnel stationed near San Diego.

When Don Hawkins meets Patrick McAbe, a young helicopter pilot recently relocated to his base, there is an instant attraction, with a feeling of commitment that Don has not experienced since his lover had been killed in Beirut a decade earlier. Patrick is immediately accepted by Don's Air Force "family", and also feels that he may have finally found what he is looking for in life. Unfortunately, neither is aware that their closeknit group is being spied upon by Jay Gared, a member of the Naval Investigative Services, who has a personal vendetta against gay servicepeople. When the deemed suicide of one of their group raises some questions in the others' minds, they do a little investigating of their own, which leads them directly to Jay, who meanwhile has zeroed in on Don and Patrick as a likely gay couple, based on an article about closeted gay servicepeople on that base.

"Code of Conduct" is an extremely ambitious (456 pages, and not an ounce of fluff) novel, full of realistic, likeable characters. The book pretty much has it all, from bitter old alcoholic servicemen to younger ones on drugs, unrequitted love and longterm couples, dishonest journalists to political manipulation, high speed car chases and mid-air disasters. My only "but" in this otherwise-glowing recommendation is the fact that the story's many characters are difficult to figure out at first, with short, frequently changing scenes, and characters being referred to by their first names, sometimes last name, rank or a Marine nickname, making it a bit confusing. Overall, well done, and I give it four stars out of five.

"Code of Conduct" is one of those rare works of literature that touches every emotion that the reader can imagine and will alter one's way of thinking and the way one interacts and lives life everyday. I will highly recommend this book to all.

and you will keep reading without stopping. You'll be horrified when you realized our elected representatives created this law which is dehumanizing. Not only does it treat gay men and lesbians like second-class citizens, "Don't ask, don't tell" makes us all less safer as a nation. What happens to Don and Patrick, and how our leaders react to it, is sad and embarrassing.

This book is especially appealing when compared to Rich Merritt's memoir Secrets Of A Gay Marine Porn Star. You can see how a novelist draws on real-life experiences when creating a fictional story.

Rich Merritt, the handsome former Marine whose memoir, "Secrets of a Gay Marine Porn Star," alerted America to, among other things, the idiocy of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy used throughout the armed services, has unveiled a new work. This book, while technically pure fiction, must certainly be entrenched in the reality Rich knows only too well. Because of this, I highly recommend the work for anyone interested in understanding what goes on behind closed (closet) doors in the military. Trust me, there's more to those few good men than meets the eye.

Rich proved himself an excellent writer with his first work, and this new book absolutely underscores his talent for the printed word. "Code of Conduct" is loaded with characters, plot and dialogue that readily slips off the page and into your imagination. Sub-plots swirl in their own orbit and ultimately collide with the force of someone well-versed in the subject matter.

Rich leaves no plot point unresolved, which leaves you with a deeply satisfied feeling from having invested time in the book. Thank you, Rich, for that!

Go ahead, give this book a try. And then go swab that deck!

Merritt does a great job with this book. It is clear that while fiction, the emotions, tensions, love, fun, fear, and believable details come from his own true experiences as a Marine Officer. The characters are compelling as real people, the plot lines are well developed and plausible. It was a page turner for me and I am sure others will like it too. Well done!

Through example, we see in this novel the practical impossibility of living dual lives, one professional, and one personal, where being fired is the remedy for a conduct violation. For this, the novel is quite powerful and remains vibrant long after the adoption of the silly "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Perhaps most compelling in the book is a glimpse into the workings of our military through the characters: Who wouldn't love Gunnery Sergeant Hawkins? Less so were the speeches on gay rights, intended to be impromptu, but sounding more like a didactic diatribes. Similarly distracting was the level of violence, which at times seemed implausible, and the obsession of the two investigative agents, which took repressed homosexuality into a conspiracy of the absurd. Perhaps toning down these more sensational elements would have made the central theme of "don't ask, don't tell" more compelling and a bit less trivial. That said, the author leaves us with plenty to think about, making the novel one that's well worth reading.

Well what can i say bout "code of conduct"
That as soon as i read the first chapter i was pretty much hooked, now i'm not normally a novel reader but when i seen this book i didnt actually read a review so a bit pointless writing this review but none-the-less i am writing this for guys that do actually read the review first b4 purchasing the novel.
Code of Conduct is a book about Homosexuality in the navy, The US Marines. It's a very warm and welcoming novel to read, let me just say this! if ur a Gay/Bi man and obviously love your hot men, then this book you will love, It's part way between a Novel (which it is)and Porn, there are few pages in most chapters that graphically give an image very clearly of what the guys in the novel are doing ;) hint hint :)

All Up i would definatly say that this novel was worht it, Buy It! You wont be dissapointed