Pieter Aspe (1953–2021)

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

I can't remember the last time I gave a one star review. I read the first book in the Commissioner Van In series, The Square of Revenge, last year and enjoyed the interesting characters and the mystery set in Bruges, Belgium. I was excited to see a new offering by the author.

The story begins at a nightclub called the Villa Mafia, where a Dutch tourist named Adriaan Frenkel overhears a strange conversation between a Belgian businessman and a German associate. The following morning, the German show more is found beaten and near death in a public square. Shortly afterward, Frenkel is found dead under similar circumstances. At about this time, terrorists blow up the statue of Guido Gezelle, a 19th-century Flemish poet and national cultural icon. The unknown culprits threaten to bomb other historical and cultural landmarks, further undermining the tourist industry. These apparently isolated incidents eventually intersect. That investigation is led by Deputy Commissioner Van In, along with an assortment of bizarre secondary characters.

What can I say about this book. It's dull. It's poorly written. It's completely derogatory to any woman character. The women who pass through these pages are described as “hot chicks,” “dolled-up bimbos” and “lissome wenches” with “pert bosoms.” The investigation itself is rambling and confusing. I'm going to give the author the benefit of the doubt that this book, written in 1995 and recently translated, is an aberration to what might be a really great series. At this point I can't think of a single person I could possibly recommend this book to. 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

I love Euro mysteries and am always on the lookout for a new series. I have been anxiously awaiting “The Square of Revenge” which is the first of the Belgian Assistant Commissioner Pieter Van In mysteries. There were a few small issues but overall I really enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more as soon as they are translated into English.

The story begins in the beautiful medieval city of Bruges in Belgium. Thieves have broken into the fashionable Degroof jewelry store but show more instead of stealing the jewels they melted them into vat of aqua regia (a mixture of acids that destroy gold). When Van In arrives at the scene he is informed by his boss that the Degroof family do not want the case investigated any further. Van In complies but two days later he's called back in when Degroof's young grandson is kidnapped and a very bizarre ransom is demanded. He begins to suspect there is some sort of revenge being plotted against the Degroof family.

Assisting him is the new Deputy Public Prosecutor Hannelore Martens. She is young, ambitious and attractive. She teams up with Van In to investigate the crimes and hopes they will both be promoted if they can solve the mystery. Van In is a gruff, over 40 detective who drinks and smokes too much. He's divorced and has a huge mortgage in addition to his alimony payments. He's very awkward around women and the interplay between these two is quite humorous.

I really enjoyed the setting of this book and the interplay between the main characters. There are some plot issues that were poorly explained and may have to do with the translation. After I finished the book I discovered there are 32 Van In mysteries so hopefully those issues will have been fixed before the next one is released here in America.

None of that spoiled the interesting characters and storyline for me. I will definitely be on the lookout for the next Van In mystery (The Midas Murders, sometime in 2014). show less