Series: Badge of Honor | Publication Date: August 10, 2010
The dramatic new novel in Griffin's New York Times- bestselling chronicle of the Philadelphia police force.
There's a sudden spike in murders in Philadelphia, but no one seems to mind much because the victims all seem to be lowlifes. The more Homicide Sergeant Matthew Payne investigates, however, the more he gets a bad feeling-one that only gets worse when vigilante groups spring up claiming credit for some of the hits, even though Payne knows it can't be true. As the targets get bigger and events start moving out of control, Payne realizes that if he and his colleagues can't figure out who's behind this very soon, the violence could overtake them all.
Filled with authentic color and detail, this is a riveting novel of the men and women who put their lives on the line-storytelling at its absolute best.
W.E.B. Griffin is the author of more than thirty epic novels in five series, all of which have been listed on The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly and other best-seller lists. More than forty million of his books are in print in more than ten languages, including Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and Hungarian. Mr. Griffin grew up in the suburbs of New York City and Philadelphia. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1946. After basic training, he received counter-intelligence training at Fort Holabird, Maryland. He was assigned to the Army of Occupation in Germany, and ultimately to the staff of then-Major General I.D. White, commander of the U.S. Constabulary. In 1951, Mr. Griffin was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, interrupting his education at Phillips University, Marburg an der Lahn, Germany. In Korea he earned the Combat Infantry Badge as a combat correspondent and later served as acting X Corps (Group) information officer under Lieutenant General White. On his release from active duty in 1953, Mr. Griffin was appointed Chief of the Publications Division of the U.S. Army Signal Aviation Test & Support Activity at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Mr. Griffin is a member of the Special Operations Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Army Aviation Association, and the Armor Association. He was the 1991 recipient of the Brigadier General Robert L. Dening Memorial Distinguished Service Award of the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, and the August 1999 recipient of the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, presented at the 100th National Convention in Kansas City. He has been vested into the Order of St. George of the U.S. Armor Association, and the Order of St. Andrew of the U.S. Army Aviation Association, and been awarded Honorary Doctoral degrees by Norwich University, the nation's first and oldest private military college, and by Troy State University (Ala.). He was the graduation dinner speaker for the class of 1988 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He has been awarded honorary membership in the Special Forces Association; the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association; the Marine Raiders Association; and the U.S. Army Otter & Caribou Association. He is the co-founder, with historian Colonel Carlo D'Este, of the William E. Colby Seminar on Intelligence, Military, and Diplomatic Affairs. Mr. Griffin's novels, known for their historical accuracy, have been praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer for their "fierce, stop-for-nothing scenes." "Nothing honors me more than a serviceman, veteran, or cop telling me he enjoys reading my books," Mr. Griffin says. Mr. Griffin divides his time between the Gulf Coast and Buenos Aires.
This review is from: The Vigilantes (Badge of Honor) (Hardcover)
I have read, and re-read all of W.E.B. Griffin's books. Admittedly the "Badge of Honor" series is my least favorite.Even with that caveat I have enjoyed most of the earlier books in the series. Unfortunately the series is getting worse, not better. I felt "Final Justice" was mediocre, and that it was a mistake to resurrect Matt Payne and company. "The Vigilantes" was even worse. Uncle Denny, the Black Buddha and most of the colorful characters are conspicuous by their absence. Mickey O'Hara is a mere cameo, Peter Wohl is a no-show. The plot is convoluted and meaningless. The bad guy gets free, there is a play on words here. I can only think the bad guy is left standing to prolong the series. This book is so bad I can only conclude it is maximum Butterworth and minimum Griffin.
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This review is from: The Vigilantes (Badge of Honor) (Hardcover)
Whle i generally like the products of W.E.B Griffin and his son, this is undoubtedly not one of the highlights of their writing careers. I do not anticipate recommending it to those folks who usually query me about what I'm reading.
I was looking forward to this book, having preordered it. Usually, I will pick up W.E.B.'s books and put down anything else I'm reading at the time. They are usually interesting reads and can be completed in a couple of hours with good pacing and excitement in the writing. This time, it put me to sleep. The vigillantes don't even appear to be the subject of this snoozer...rather the criminal activities of a Philadephia councilman...the subject vigilante almost appears to be a undeveloped distraction.
Sorry guys, I wasn't impressed.
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This review is from: The Vigilantes (Badge of Honor) (Hardcover)
I have read all of the Badge of Honor series books. From the beginning of the series until the last two books, the stories were well developed, and the characters seemed very real. The stories were very well-thought out, and richly woven. Unfortunately, this one isn't like those.
The character development seemed as if it was "borrowed" from the earlier books, and even though all of the previous characters were referenced again, not all of them were present. The story was disjointed, with an abrupt and contrived ending. Having Matt standing on the bridge at the end talking to his girlfriend was ridiculous. Where was the wrap-up of the whole story? There was none.
I also found the different story lines to have only a slight connection, specifically Badde and the urban renewal stuff.
It just didn't match the previous efforts. I love the premise of the series, and have enjoyed all but the last two. Hopefully, the son can get the Dad to give him some more direction on the next effort.
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