Customer Reviews

Honor Due

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American Authors Association Review

This entertaining thriller is unusual in two ways, the hero is nearer sixty than fifty, and the action takes place in a relatively small area of the wilderness of the state of Washington. Despite his age, this hero is intelligent, fit, well-armed and prepared for anything. The paranoia that fed his quest for survival, is well-founded, as he realizes he's being stalked. After he discovers the mutilated body of a friend from the Vietnam war and finds the man's injured daughter, he knows he must prepare himself for the worst. He only knows the answer to what's happening lies deep in his past.

Honor Due is filled with suspense and action, modern technology and a tender love story. Thrilling from page one to the end, this is a true page-turner. D. H. Brown has created a winner.


*This review was submitted by American Authors Association member, Marilyn Meredith - author of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series and the Rocky Bluff P. D. crime series. [...]

MACK BOLAN FANS WILL LOVE THIS BOOK.

Some secrets age well, others tend fester. The good Major has retired, but some of his secrets have not. They come to visit the Major in his secluded Northwest forest home--armed to the teeth--and stay to feed the trees. All of which proves the old adage, "Two men can always keep a secret if one of them is dead."

This is the best debut novel I have read in some time. The characters are solid and the scenes are well set. Though occasionally predictable, the plot (I would like to have seen the author's take on the cops finding the body of the old man in the Major's freezer while he was sleeping with the old man's daughter) holds the reader's attention and satisfies the needs of the arc of the characters.

Old snake-eaters and old snakes have one thing in common; they are cunning and deadly. I look forward to my next visit with the Major in HONOR DEFENDED.

This review comes with a warning: Once you start this book, you won't be able to put it down! And I need to qualify my opinion by stating categorically that this is NOT a genre I generally read. However, David Brown writes so well and so believably that you'll be hooked by the second page. Fascinating characters, plot twists and turns and a facility for language all make this a must read. Can't wait to see the next in the series. I look forward to spending time with The Major again.

In a suspenseful, sometimes-funny first book in his Citizen Warrior Series, DAVID H. BROWN, in HONOR DUE, has won a prime location on my bookshelf as a must-read author. I have found that I really enjoy books written in first person. Although the majority of publishers require third person in fiction writing, I think first person allows a much more personal feeling for the reader. It is as if the main character, the Major, is sitting right across the table and telling you his story--once in a while tossing in a joke or a sarcastic remark or action that enables you to thoroughly enjoy meeting the character. The reader is privy to his internal dialogue, his thoughts, conversations with his dog, and even his arguments with God. Bringing in the special care that he must take as a diabetic, even during traumatic times, makes the storyline even more realistic. I think you'll grow to love the sensitive, loving, and protective man that lies within the Major's gruff and gritty exterior.

The Major is "an ex-special forces vet whose years in `Nam taught him what he needed to know to work as a covert agent for the shadow branches of the government when he returned home." Continuing from the book description, "in the 90's he realized his bosses weren't taking terrorism seriously. Finally, a diabetic and completely tired of the life, he'd had enough of the killing, and one day he simply walked into the Pacific Northwest rainforest and lost himself"(page 2).

Having done reviews on two other books by former Vietnam veterans, (The Road from Here to Where You Stay and the Negligence of Death*) I have found a haunting spirit that surrounds those veterans and their stories about the Vietnam era. They sadden me, and yet pull me in to share what proves to be intimate parts of their lives. I am always grateful for that experience. Perhaps it is because I wrote to a friend who was in that war and he would never talk about what was happening there. Indeed, there are many veterans who cannot talk about their Vietnam service time. In a way, because of the controversies over the war and the unwillingness for involved soldiers to share their experiences, there is a certain mystique that seems to have developed. As a lover of mysteries, perhaps that is why I am continuously enthralled by those novels I find that are written by veterans of this puzzling war. No matter the reason--veterans of Vietnam never quite give up their warrior persona.

The Major didn't and when he arrived in the rainforest he'd brought all of his skills and talents, as well as his memories. Deep inside he knew that even though he'd had enough of the killing and he was now a civilian, he knew also that he would still always be a warrior and would be prepared whenever he was forced to again play that role. It was a good thing that he'd prepared.When the stranger showed up, asking questions, carrying his picture from his service days, instinct immediately told the Major there was trouble coming. He didn't know why yet, but his instinct told him--he would have to kill that stranger.

So he did.

Many of the Major's war memories surrounded his wife and child and her Montagnard family. Though his wife and child had been killed, he had worked to bring her family to the United States. Indeed he had met his wife through one of his warrior brothers, Ang. Now, as he followed the trail that the stranger had taken, he found that brother, to be tortured, dead. But he also found evidence that someone had escaped--perhaps Ang's wife? The Major had to find out.

One of my favorite characters is Black Dog--truly the Major's best friend. As the Major tracked through the rainforest, it was Black Dog who discovered the hiding place, and would not leave it, until Blon, Ang's daughter, had been found, nearly frozen, nearly dead.As he doctored and nursed Blon back to health, the Major had plenty of time to think--why was this happening now and who was behind it? Considering those with whom he had worked years ago, he was able to realize one thing quickly. The stranger that had been sent and who murdered Ang was really another victim--he had been sent to his death, as surely as he had died. He had become a victim of war and for that he had honor due him. The Major would see that honor was given to both of his warrior brothers--Ang and the stranger! But the Major found he was no longer alone in his war. Not only did neighbors prove to be trustworthy, but Blon, too, sought revenge. And, as she watched the Major and had to depend upon him for her life, she sought, too, to fill the empty place in his heart that had long been empty.As the Major follows the clues and tracks the men responsible, still he searches for the reason, the "why" this was happening. What he ultimately discovers surprises him...as well as the readers!

The Major is already on to something new in HONOR DEFENDED. You won't want to miss the Citizen Warrior Series!

"Honor Due" is a suspenseful, action-packed, entertaining thriller. A
novel that draws the reader into the Vietnam War, describing what D.H.
Brown had to face, and how he survived the horror. The author penned a
compelling story through the main character as Major, defining his haunting past, history during the Vietnam Era, and the bravery of one
hero who was determined to prove that life was still worth living. The
Major's mission was to find answers, and seek truth as to what happened
when South Vietnam was falling. Through his terrifying journey, he was
determined to seek vengeance for his fallen brother, and family. With
courage, one warrior manages to find healing as romance blooms, and he
is able to see light at the end of the tunnel. In comparison to reading
novels about the military, "Honor Due" stands out with pride in an
excellent performance that was written from the heart of a true warrior.
In many war stories, we only see the cold, bloody, and the angry
perspective of war. In this novel, through the fascinating character of
Major, we don't just see the ugly. The journey through "Honor Due" takes
the reader to the battlefield, then to the sunset where peace, and love
bloom like the flowers. Unlike most military novels, D.H. Brown has a
unique way to invite the reader into the Vietnam Era during traumatic,
uneasy times. The Major pours a fresh, brewed cup of coffee from across
the table as he tells the story of his military nightmare, without
decorating the violence. Most important, the story is told from the
genuine characteristics of the Major's realistic personality. The
protective, sensitive, loving man that he was before becoming the Vietnam
soldier, and his own battle to keep that self-respect. I applaud the author in his first book of "The Citizen Warrior Series." The Major was
appealing, the plot was superb, and the story was interesting from
beginning to end. I recommend "Honor Due" to teens, adults, and all
readers who enjoy thrillers with a blend of romance, and humor. This
novel was as chilling, and dramatic as "the Deer Hunter" with Robert
Deniro. The Major told his story with as much heartfelt emotion as
there was in "Armageddon." The true meaning of the word hero light up
the pages in "Honor Due" on the same scale as viewing "the Patriot"
with Mel Gibson.

Geraldine Ahearn A.I.O.M
CCRN/ Author of 6 books
Author Geri Ahearn, INC.
Fellow Member of the ABI Women's Review Board

With clear, crisp details and riveting action, D.H. Brown has penned a compelling novel that gives us a glimpse inside the mind and heart of a Warrior. Through the character of Major we see the cold, calculating killer who is always vigilant and prepared to be defensive. We also are allowed to look deep inside to see the caring and committed man who would go to any lengths for those he loves and respects. This book transcends the usual hype and hollowness of other military novels because it is written simply and from the heart.... the heart of a real Warrior.

[...]

Length:: 2:30 Mins

n the Major's old world, it was kill or be killed. Whoever had set the mission for the young stranger hadn't told him what kind of predator he hunted. Older didn't mean soft as the hunter becomes the prey in D. H. Brown's Honor Due

D.H. Brown's first book in his Citizen Warrior series is a non-stop thrill ride that I just couldn't put down. It's 35 years after the Vietnam war, and an ex-Special Forces operator is living a quiet life in the Pacific Northwest. However, his serenity is shattered when other Special Forces type suddenly arrive and attempt to kill him. Not only does the main character have to defend himself and his loved ones, he needs to find out WHY he has been targeted. Brown does an excellent job of both telling the story and developing the main characters, to the point where you share in their joy, sorrow and grief almost if you knew them personally. There's action, sorrow, sadness, suspense, a bit of sex, and a few smiles; something for everyone. Vets and fiction fans alike will enjoy this great read!

Few Americans know about the American forces fighting with the Montagnards in the central highlands of Vietnam. A battlefield for some 30 years,"the `Yards" were one of the country's 54 major ethnic groups. Allied with the Americans, the Montagnards were horribly persecuted by the victorious North Vietnamese after the American forces left the country in 1975, with many emigrating to the United States.

Author D.H. Brown, a Vietnam vet who fought with the Montagnards, has written a fast-paced thriller based on the CIA-Special Forces-Montagnard relationships that continued after 1975.

With the hero patterned after a special forces vet living in the Pacific Northwest rainforest, Brown's story drags the hero, ex-Special Forces, back into the CIA- Spec Ops - Montagnard confusion of the late 1960's - early 1970's. His `yard' friend suddenly and brutally murdered after an attempt on his own life, Brown's hero finds himself falling in love with his friend's daughter as they chase and are chased by a renegade CIA hit team. The action is realistic and convincing as our two defend themselves before a thrilling and surprising conclusion.

"Honor Due" is D.H. Brown's first literary effort, and the first of a planned trilogy and is well worth reading.

It is indeed rare when a story can lift you up and at the same time make you think and feel somewhat sad.

In his new work D. H. Brown accomplishes this feat with ease and grace. HONOR DUE is a testimony to the good in man that comes from terrible circumstances.

Don't think that the easy way in which the author paints his tale takes away from a riveting and ever so intense story. Laced with rich detail that brings the story right to your front door, HONOR DUE will set you on the edge of your seat.

The characters are believable and deep. Told in first person this book lays human nature out for the reader to see in it's pure raw and naked best and worst laid out raw and naked.

It is hard to put a genre label on HONOR DUE. It is the best of most of them. It is not a war story, but it is. It is not action adventure, yet you will not be able to stop reading. It is not a love story, yet the emotions are heavy. I gave up attempting to apply a genre and just tell you what it is: a great read for anyone who enjoys a well-written story.


D. Clayton Meadows
Author of
OF ICE AND STEEL