In the Name of Honor [Hardcover]

Richard North Patterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 29, 2010

Home from Iraq, a lieutenant kills his commanding officer—was it self-defense or premeditated murder? An enthralling novel of suspense about the high cost of war and secrets

The McCarrans and the Gallaghers, two military families, have been close for decades, ever since Anthony McCarran—now one of the army's most distinguished generals—became best friends with Jack Gallagher, a fellow West Pointer who was later killed in Vietnam. Now a new generation of soldiers faces combat, and Lt. Brian McCarran, the general's son, has returned from a harrowing tour in Iraq. Traumatized by wartime experiences he will not reveal, Brian depends on his lifelong friendship with Kate Gallagher, Jack's daughter, who is married to Brian's commanding officer in Iraq, Capt. Joe D'Abruzzo. But since coming home, D'Abruzzo also seems changed by the experiences he and Brian shared—he's become secretive and remote.

Tragedy strikes when Brian shoots and kills D'Abruzzo on their army post in Virginia. Brian pleads self-defense, claiming that D'Abruzzo, a black-belt martial artist, came to his quarters, accused him of interfering with his marriage, and attacked him. Kate supports Brian and says that her husband had become violent and abusive. But Brian and Kate have secrets of their own, and now Capt. Paul Terry, one of the army's most accomplished young lawyers, will defend Brian in a high-profile court-martial. Terry's co-counsel is Meg McCarran, Brian's sister, a brilliant and beautiful attorney who insists on leaving her practice in San Francisco to help save her brother. Before the case is over, Terry will become deeply entwined with Meg and the McCarrans—and learn that families, like war, can break the sturdiest of souls.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Bestseller Patterson (Eclipse) explores the concept of honor—and how men and women can sometimes embody and sometimes blacken this lofty concept—in this riveting legal thriller. When Lt. Brian McCarran shoots and kills his superior officer, Capt. Joe D'Abruzzo, at Fort Bolton in northern Virginia soon after they return from a tour in Iraq, 31-year-old Capt. Paul Terry, of the army's JAG Corps, defends the lieutenant. That the accused is the son of legendary Gen. Anthony McCarran, the current army chief of staff, makes it an especially sensitive court-martial. To complicate matters, Joe was married to Kate Gallagher, the general's goddaughter and lifelong friend of Brian and the McCarran family. Sparks fly after Brian's gorgeous older attorney sister, Meg, insists on working with Paul. As always, Patterson chooses to deal with difficult themes, this time PTSD and the war in Iraq. This is superior genre fiction from a writer at the top of his game. (June)
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From Booklist

Patterson returns to the courtroom that made him famous in thrillers such as Degree of Guilt (1993) as military lawyer Paul Terry takes on the case of a young lieutenant accused of fatally shooting his commanding officer with the man’s own gun. Brian McCarran comes from a long line of distinguished officers, including his father, the imperious General Anthony McCarran, the army’s chief of staff. The man he stands accused of shooting, Captain Joe D’Abruzzo, was not only Brian’s commanding officer in Iraq but was also married to Brian’s childhood friend, Kate Gallagher. Brian claims that he was protecting Kate; a witness for the prosecution claims Kate and Brian were having an affair. Paul goes forward with the defense in part because of Brian’s beautiful sister, Meg, who has left her job in San Francisco to serve as his co-counsel. Those familiar with Patterson’s works know they build slowly and carefully. What distinguishes this story is not only the minutiae of the trial but also vivid accounts of what soldiers face in Iraq. Readers will find themselves engrossed as well as pleased by a twist revealing that there’s more to this powerful yet seemingly straightforward story than first meets the eye. --Kristine Huntley

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; 1 edition (June 29, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805087745
• ISBN-13: 978-0805087741
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #385,871 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars couldn't put it down., March 31, 2010

By 

J. Johnson "Allman Brothers obsessive" (Manassas, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In the Name of Honor (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Brian McCarran is the son of the army chief of staff and comes from a long line of heroes. After returning from Iraq he is different. We find out how different when he kills his commanding officer and husband of a close family friend. He's defended by military lawyer Paul Terry, a short timer, with the opportunity to jump to a large criminal defense firm in New York and his sister Meg who is the family enabler.

This book is written into the context of the struggle the military has had with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its role in the lives of soldiers and its impact on the military criminal justice system. Mr. Patterson weaves a complex tale that,I think fairly, navigates the complexities of the issue and its impact on soldiers, their families and the military system itself. Add in twisted family dynamics, secrets, an affair and betrayal and you have a toxic cocktail of the highest magnitude. The book appears to be a straight ahead courtroom novel, but it takes an interesting twist at the end, presenting Paul Terry with an ethical crisis of the highest magnitude.

This book is a great read. It felt real, it moved quickly and I found it hard to put it down. I found myself caring for the characters and wondering what would happen to them. This is a can't miss story

36 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Cost of Integrity, March 28, 2010

By 

deeper waters (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Name of Honor (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

In the Name of Honor is a legal and psychological case study that explores the meaning of "honor" and the conscious and unconscious interplay between personal morality, family loyalty and professional obligations. Well researched and presented without bias or conclusion, Patterson allows his multi-dimensional characters to tell the story through their own filters of experience and need. As the truth unfolds, it becomes evident that Brian is not the only character for whom the past and the present are interwoven to such an extent that their freedom to understand and control their judgment and actions is compromised. There is a lot of necessary detail and through the telling and retelling of the same story, the reader is able to have some experiential understanding of the hovering presence of trauma in the minds and psyche of people. In the hands of a less able writer, the combination of adultery, murder, suicide, the military, Iraq and PTSD would have created a toxic manuscript rather than one that is compassionate, thought provoking and honorable.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping Military Family and Courtroom Drama, April 7, 2010

By 

Linda Holman "L A Jewel" (Chatsworth, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: In the Name of Honor (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

This book has it all. I can just picture the handsome military lawyer, Captain Paul Terry, as he takes on a case representing the well-connected golden boy, Lieutenant Brian McCarran, on charges of murder and adultery.

You see, Lt McCarran's father is the Chief of staff of the army, and has been tapped for the top position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Cpt Terry has only two months left to serve as a Jags Corp officer, after being hired by a top notch Wall Street firm, and he hopes that this case will be resolved quickly. He was assigned this case by his commanding officer and also has a reputation to have never lost a case as a prosecutor and only a few as a defense lawyer.

Mr. Patterson takes the reader on a journey that explores not only the JAG system in the military, but also the dynamics within a four generation military family, and the daily life of a soldier in Iraq. He expertly educates the reader on the definition of PTSD, and how the military code has not caught up to the reality of our present time and situation in the world.

I am always spellbound by the stories Mr. Patterson writes, and this one did not disappoint me one bit. His novels are not formulated, fill in the blank stories, in which the supporting cast is the only thing that changes, book to book. Instead, his novels are superbly crafted sagas that I truly treasure and take my time with, rather than speed read over some of the content.

This book is not an action-packed thriller of the Tom Clancy or W.E.B. Griffin variety, but is rather a fine suspense novel, that builds slowly to a conclusion that kept me guessing until the end.

I suggest that when you get this book, you set aside some quality time to just get lost in the story. I stayed up quite late several nights in a row and really didn't want to put this book down at all!

I highly recommend this book.