Elaine Clark McCarthy

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher, Henry Holt and Company.

Having read several of Richard North Patterson’s previous books, I was eagerly anticipating this one. I am happy to report that I was thoroughly caught up with In the Name of Honor from the moment I picked it up.

Patterson’s latest recounts the story of a young lieutenant, Brian McGarran, who is charged with murdering his commanding officer shortly after the two men return home from Iraq. McGarran, the son of an show more Army General of mythic reputation, suffers from the aftereffects of the trauma he endured in horrific battlefield conditions. He is defended at his court-martial by Paul Terry, an army lawyer wrestling with demons of his own stemming from the death of his father. Further complicating the trial is the fact that the victim was married to a woman (Kate Gallagher) with whom McGarran had a sisterly connection from the time McGarran’s mother committed suicide when McGarran was a boy.

There are so many things I like about this book, it’s hard to know where to start. Like Patterson’s earlier novels, In the Name of Honor tells a riveting story while exploring serious questions raised by a contemporary issue. Here, the reader is asked to consider how the concepts of honor and obedience interact with personal moral imperatives when executing orders of a questionable nature, and how the definition of honor in any situation may ultimately depend on an individual‘s moral code and circumstances. For the older McCarran, honor may not allow him to admit to the deleterious effects the war had on his soldier son; for the prosecutor it is a question of honor to defend the Army unquestioningly.

This story also causes the reader to reflect on how Iraq veterans are treated upon returning home, as well as the possible legal implications of the diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The combat scenes are so well written that they are hard to read -- all the more so because you are aware that such scenes are being played out overseas as you are reading. The acknowledgements section at the end of the book indicates that Patterson researched this book thoroughly, a fact borne out by the compelling authenticity of both the battle scenes and those set in the military courtroom.

Interwoven with this thought-provoking legal and military narrative is a multi-faceted family drama. The intrigues of the McCarran and Gallagher families, who are connected by war and tragedy, make for an engrossing saga. Patterson creates characters who are wholly human, foibles and all, who act in ways that show humanity at its best and its worst.

For the seamless combination of legal thriller, human drama and military fiction, with a denouement that kept me glued to the edge of my seat (to the extent that’s possible when reading), I highly recommend this book. show less

There are books that are so plot-driven that characters are mere cutouts whose only purpose is to move the too-often-contrived action along. Some books delve so deeply into character that plot hardly makes its presence known. The best books, though, combine an intense plot that grows from the essence of the characters, from their foibles and virtues and reactions. These are usually the books that remain memorable.

I found IN THE NAME OF HONOR to be such a book. As a legal thriller set on an show more Army post in Virginia, it provides an excellent look into the current system of military justice while flawlessly building tension and keeping the pages turning. But Patterson's focus is less on the minutiae of military jurisprudence than on the families, bound together by blood, honor, tradition, and tragedy, found at the center of the case. This is where the book stands out for me.

Lt. Brian McCarran is charged with adultery and the murder of his company captain. Son of the current Army Chief of Staff, a living legend expected to soon become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, his case cannot escape becoming high profile. Defense counsel, Captain Paul Terry must deal not only with the facts of the case but the family's fame within the service, as well as the fact that his client, and the families involved, are bound together by longstanding ties and secrets that bear on the present situation, and they are unwilling to share, further complicating the defense. The climax was more than satisfying, the writing was effective, transporting one into the scenes. It was all I could have wished. show less

Richard North Patterson’s In the Name of Honor is a military courtroom drama that deals with the death of Captain D’Abruzzo by Lt. Brian McCarran and whether it was murder or self-defense. With close families, PTSD, secrets and more, the story has more than enough to create a tension filled tale but unfortunately, I felt the slow build-up never took off and it dragged to a point that I didn’t want to finish the book. Patterson is a superb author, but I think this one was average.

Richard North Patterson likes to center his stories around an issue, and the one he tackles here is PTSD, and the lack of support for Iraq War veterans once they return state-side. We spend more time in the courtroom here than in his past few books, and that’s both a plus and a minus.

On the plus-side, RNP is at home writing about the courtroom. He can create suspense and drama where there is little action. But the fact that the primary action has already happened when the story begins is a show more minus. What we’re left with is a lot of talking heads as the players recount their stories over and over again. He tries to combat this with the use of flashbacks, but hearing the same story more than once with little variation gets a little tiresome.

I really didn’t care for how he wrote the women in this story. They’re either overly dramatic (the speeches they give in their grief are ridiculous) or conniving or martyrs. Ultimately, Paul Terry’s motivations also aren’t clear to me. He sleeps with a woman a few times and he’s ready to give up his new career for her? It didn’t compute.

Overall, I was entertained by this story, but I didn’t love it. RNP is a master at writing the courtroom, but the characters behind it never gelled. show less