The Victim

Griffin can tell a story! This one is the third in a series about the Philadelphia Police. It's a good read, but as always, leaves you hanging at the end. The new Special Operations force has been tasked by the mayor to solve a crime that's vexing the city. Our young hero, plucked from basic training as an incomplete trainee (sounds like "the Corps" series,doesn't it?) is misunderstood. This novel shows its age....the technology is mid 70's.. no cell phones, video cameras, etc. The ending just stops, no really big conclusion to be drawn; nonetheless, where's book #4?

No one can tell a story like Griffin, and no one can develop characters like him either. By this time (the third book in the Badge of Honour series), we are getting to know the main characters a lot better. This book gives us a fascinating look at the Mob and its interaction with local police departments. There's a lot of politics in this book, but I think that is a daily fact of life with police departments, and the book shows the give and take of this relationship. I need to read the next book in order to find out what happens with the characters. That is what Griffin does to me - he hooks me with his characters. I get to feel that I know them all. What new scrapes is Matt Payne going to get into, and what happens with Wohl's career? show more You will need to read these books to find out what I'm talking about. And they should be read in order. show less

So, we've reached the third book in the series. We've established the characters. The major crime in this book is plausible. The solution, as it ultimately plays out, is plausible. Sadly, Griffin feels he still must establish the rookie as an incredibly lucky cop who continues to dodge safes falling from seven floor buildings. The love stories of the two main characters stumble badly but a second-level character manages to become involved with a delightful woman. In the next book, we should be able to see the results of solid police work instead of seat-of-the-pants good luck.

Loving this series....this was the best one yet. Matt Payne is my favorite character, followed closely by Inspector Wahl. I'm really amazed at how Griffin has written all the characters to be so real and how they all seem to mesh together as part of the Philly PD. Very impressive.

It was excellent reading until the last 50 pages or so, then it seemed to get fragmented as if Griffin was up against a deadline and was in a rush to finish. If the ending had been as well-crafted as the early part of the book, I would have ranked it at least four stars and maybe more.

This is the third book, of 10 books, in the series, The Badge of Honour, and was published, Feb 1991. The series is about the City of Philadelphia police force, including the Philadelphia Highway Patrol, from the cop on the beat, right up to the Commissioner.
A mob hit involving a socialite who may not have been an innocent victim and the killing of a young police officer. The new Special Operations branch has been assigned the task to solve both cases. It is proving difficult and is exhausting all the police resources. A fast read.

A story about the Philadelphia Police department. About the people and their life's. A TV news lady witness's a police officer get shot and killed. A detective assigned to protect her and department, falls in love with her. In the end she moves on to a Chicago job.

Louise Dutton is the news paper women.
Captain Moffiet the office murdered.
Inspector Wohl, assigned to watch the news lady