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Badge of Honor #1
[(Badge of Honour I: Men in Blue)] [by: W.E.B. Griffin]
W.E.B. Griffin's bestselling series, THE CORPS and BROTHERHOOD OF WAR, have captured the pride and glory of the military community. Now he reveals a city police force with the same unique blend of realism, drama, and action. Here are the brave men and women behind the badge as you've never seen them before--their hopes and fears, their courage and heroism, sparked by a single, shocking event: the killing of a cop in the line of duty.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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About the author
W.E.B. Griffin
351 books1,298 followersW.E.B. Griffin was one of several pseudonyms for William E. Butterworth III.
From the Authors Website:
W.E.B. Griffin was the #1 best-selling author of more than fifty epic novels in seven series, all of which have made The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and other best-seller lists. More than fifty million of the 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 counterintelligence 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 was a member of the Special Operations Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Army Aviation Association, the Armor Association, and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society.
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. In January 2003, he was made a life member of the Police Chiefs Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and the State of Delaware.
He was the co-founder, with historian Colonel Carlo D’Este, of the William E. Colby Seminar on Intelligence, Military, and Diplomatic Affairs. (Details here and here)
He was a Life Member of the National Rifle Association. And he belongs to the Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Pensacola, Florida, chapters of the Flat Earth Society.
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.
Notes:
Other Pseudonyms
* Alex Baldwin
* Webb Beech
* Walker E. Blake
* W.E. Butterworth
* James McM. Douglas
* Eden Hughes
* Edmund O. Scholefield
* Patrick J. Williams
* W. E. Butterworth
* John Kevin Dugan
* Jac
From the Authors Website:
W.E.B. Griffin was the #1 best-selling author of more than fifty epic novels in seven series, all of which have made The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and other best-seller lists. More than fifty million of the 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 counterintelligence 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 was a member of the Special Operations Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Army Aviation Association, the Armor Association, and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society.
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. In January 2003, he was made a life member of the Police Chiefs Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and the State of Delaware.
He was the co-founder, with historian Colonel Carlo D’Este, of the William E. Colby Seminar on Intelligence, Military, and Diplomatic Affairs. (Details here and here)
He was a Life Member of the National Rifle Association. And he belongs to the Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Pensacola, Florida, chapters of the Flat Earth Society.
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.
Notes:
Other Pseudonyms
* Alex Baldwin
* Webb Beech
* Walker E. Blake
* W.E. Butterworth
* James McM. Douglas
* Eden Hughes
* Edmund O. Scholefield
* Patrick J. Williams
* W. E. Butterworth
* John Kevin Dugan
* Jac
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
December 10, 2023
Men in Blue is the first book in the Badge of Honor series. I read what written was of the series when they first came out in the mid-80’s. Love them. (I’ve also read twice, The Brotherhood of War). I lost track of the Badge of Honor and never finished the series. I thought at the time there were only three. I started reading them over and fell in love with them all over again. They are great reads and really captures law enforcement life. Especially the off-duty and personal life aspect. The books are set in the early seventies and really do a great job the time period.
Men in Blue sets the stage for the entire series. But the main character for the series isn’t really introduced until the second book, Special Operations. These books are written in an antiquated style, a more, “telling,” voice in distant third and with many points of view and yet the author does a masterful job maintaining the “fictive dream.”
The first book is good, but the second book is great. I’ve ordered all the books and am devouring them.
Men in Blue sets the stage for the entire series. But the main character for the series isn’t really introduced until the second book, Special Operations. These books are written in an antiquated style, a more, “telling,” voice in distant third and with many points of view and yet the author does a masterful job maintaining the “fictive dream.”
The first book is good, but the second book is great. I’ve ordered all the books and am devouring them.
February 25, 2013
This book begins Griffin's Badge of Honor series which focuses on the police department. We meet reporter Louise Dutton, who is also the illegitimate daughter of a multi-millionaire who owns television stations and newspapers as well as Staff Inspector Peter Wohl. There's a murder of a police captain, then the slaughter of a gay friend of Louise, who is also the illegitimate offspring of a multi-millionaire. Lot of that going around.
This sounds just like a book I'd love, particularly since I devoured Griffin's Presidential Agent series. And I tried, I really tried to make my way through the book. I made it to page 952 of 1332 before I finally gave up. I don't know if this was the first book Griffin ever wrote or if it suffered from bad editing, but I just couldn't stand it any longer. I was bored, even when two grungy undercover cops were chasing a murder suspect through a subway tunnel.
My father, who had read this series before me, stated that it was very slow, even throughout the rest of the series. So I think it is time to just admit defeat and look for something else to read.
This sounds just like a book I'd love, particularly since I devoured Griffin's Presidential Agent series. And I tried, I really tried to make my way through the book. I made it to page 952 of 1332 before I finally gave up. I don't know if this was the first book Griffin ever wrote or if it suffered from bad editing, but I just couldn't stand it any longer. I was bored, even when two grungy undercover cops were chasing a murder suspect through a subway tunnel.
My father, who had read this series before me, stated that it was very slow, even throughout the rest of the series. So I think it is time to just admit defeat and look for something else to read.
July 30, 2012
Have you ever read a book that you felt was probably written a decade or two in advance, and then punched up\tuned\ adjusted for the later decade before being published?
That's the feeling I got reading "Men in Blue" which has a 1988 copyright date, but in many ways seems much older in tone and content.
Why does it have a 1960's feel to it?
1) A reference to a policeman returning from Vietnam
2) A reference to a Ford Fairlane Convertible (to my knowledge discontinued before 1972 when Ford abandoned convertibles for a number of years)
3) Use of the word NEGRO in several places to refer to African-American and "Afro-American" in another place.
4) Use of extremely perjorative terms for homosexual and a reference to it (in a public place by a police officer) as a deviant lifestyle without any other person questioning its political correctness, etc.
5) Use of several outdated words like "bimbo" and "dame"
Why does it feel punched up\tuned\adjusted?
1) Use of the F word in the thought processes of characters is much more modern
2) Reference to answering machines (more of a late 70's early 80's thing) and computers in the newspaper office
Why didn't I like it more?
1) The author pulls a "Victor Hugo" on the reader. This is where the author spends pages of detail only slightly related to the matter at hand. For Hugo, in "Les Miserables" the author spends chapters describing the battle of Waterloo simple to say that a character was acting cowardly and looting the bodies of the dead both friendly and unfriendly. The "Victor Hugo" stun pulled off by Griffin here begins on page 214 (JOve Paperback version) and continues through to page 216. Here the author tells the story of a German immigrant's entry into American society in 1837, a description of his family, and how his descendant was laid to rest in a masoleum... only to tell us that a fugitive is hiding in the masusoleum. Really, we needed to know about the immigrant who came in 1837 for that? Their money, their marriages, their business????
This was cheap filler material.
Then, the author wraps up a murder in a secondhand conversation--
The story was much more about relatsionships than actual police work.
IN short. I think it is sorely lacking as a police novel.
That's the feeling I got reading "Men in Blue" which has a 1988 copyright date, but in many ways seems much older in tone and content.
Why does it have a 1960's feel to it?
1) A reference to a policeman returning from Vietnam
2) A reference to a Ford Fairlane Convertible (to my knowledge discontinued before 1972 when Ford abandoned convertibles for a number of years)
3) Use of the word NEGRO in several places to refer to African-American and "Afro-American" in another place.
4) Use of extremely perjorative terms for homosexual and a reference to it (in a public place by a police officer) as a deviant lifestyle without any other person questioning its political correctness, etc.
5) Use of several outdated words like "bimbo" and "dame"
Why does it feel punched up\tuned\adjusted?
1) Use of the F word in the thought processes of characters is much more modern
2) Reference to answering machines (more of a late 70's early 80's thing) and computers in the newspaper office
Why didn't I like it more?
1) The author pulls a "Victor Hugo" on the reader. This is where the author spends pages of detail only slightly related to the matter at hand. For Hugo, in "Les Miserables" the author spends chapters describing the battle of Waterloo simple to say that a character was acting cowardly and looting the bodies of the dead both friendly and unfriendly. The "Victor Hugo" stun pulled off by Griffin here begins on page 214 (JOve Paperback version) and continues through to page 216. Here the author tells the story of a German immigrant's entry into American society in 1837, a description of his family, and how his descendant was laid to rest in a masoleum... only to tell us that a fugitive is hiding in the masusoleum. Really, we needed to know about the immigrant who came in 1837 for that? Their money, their marriages, their business????
This was cheap filler material.
Then, the author wraps up a murder in a secondhand conversation--
The story was much more about relatsionships than actual police work.
IN short. I think it is sorely lacking as a police novel.
April 13, 2020
This was my first W. E. B Griffin book and I didn't know what to expect. Whatever I expected, it wasn't. Not a police procedural, not a mystery, not an action piece. It was rather an intelligent bit of character development and displayed the Men in Blue as people with flaws along with their deserved reputations as protectors.
November 6, 2016
Men in Blue is the first entry in W.E.B. Griffin's Badge of Honor series, which focuses on the Philadelphia Police Department.
As an introduction to a brand new cast of characters, Men in Blue does its job surprisingly well. Griffin has a flair for writing books with plodding plots that spend quite a bit of time focusing on exposition and character development as opposed to actually moving the story forward. As a result, his books often seem to wrap up very quickly within the last one hundred pages or so, and this can be off-putting to some readers. Instead of a page-turner that is notable for its high degree of suspense and nail-biting action, what you get is a book that welcomes you with open arms into a unique community; Griffin's talent is making you feel as though you're part of a family . . . the cast of characters that he describes throughout the many installments of his various series.
With that said, Men in Blue does a good job drawing you in by kicking off the Badge of Honor series with a bang - literally. At the Waikiki Diner on Roosevelt Boulevard, Captain Richard C. "Dutch" Moffitt of the Philadelphia Police Department is gunned down in cold blood by one of a pair of robbers. Dutch manages to kill his murderer before quickly succumbing to his own wounds, and thus begins a citywide manhunt for the escaped "doer," who is wanted in connection with the robbery and the murder of Dutch himself, the commanding officer of the Philadelphia Police Department's Highway Patrol.
Many of the characters readers are introduced to in Men in Blue will become staples of the Badge of Honor series. In particular, recent college graduate Matthew Mark Payne subsequently assumes the role of series protagonist in Special Operations. Others, including Staff Inspector Peter F. Wohl, Chief Inspector Dennis V. Coughlin, Mayor Jerome "Jerry" Carlucci, Captains Mike Sabara and Dave Pekach, the ex-undercover officers Charley McFadden and "Hay-zus" Martinez, assume more or less equal roles as part of an ensemble. It is in this book that readers will get to know these characters for the first time, and, in doing so, witness how they respond to one of the most shocking events in law enforcement: the killing of a police officer in the line of duty.
If I can praise Men in Blue - most of Griffin's books, in fact - for one thing, then let it be their remarkable authenticity and consistency. The Badge of Honor series as a whole, as a portrayal of law enforcement in general and the Philadelphia Police Department in particular, is very realistic and subsequently very down-to-earth. As a young man who's lived in Philadelphia for all of his life, and whose father and grandfather were/are both Philadelphia police officers, I can vouch for Griffin on this; he did his homework.
Overall, I highly recommend Men in Blue to readers who find themselves even vaguely interested in real-world police work and want to try something new. It's rather short, as are most of the installments in the Badge of Honor series, and it shouldn't take long to read.
Final Rating: I really liked it.
As an introduction to a brand new cast of characters, Men in Blue does its job surprisingly well. Griffin has a flair for writing books with plodding plots that spend quite a bit of time focusing on exposition and character development as opposed to actually moving the story forward. As a result, his books often seem to wrap up very quickly within the last one hundred pages or so, and this can be off-putting to some readers. Instead of a page-turner that is notable for its high degree of suspense and nail-biting action, what you get is a book that welcomes you with open arms into a unique community; Griffin's talent is making you feel as though you're part of a family . . . the cast of characters that he describes throughout the many installments of his various series.
With that said, Men in Blue does a good job drawing you in by kicking off the Badge of Honor series with a bang - literally. At the Waikiki Diner on Roosevelt Boulevard, Captain Richard C. "Dutch" Moffitt of the Philadelphia Police Department is gunned down in cold blood by one of a pair of robbers. Dutch manages to kill his murderer before quickly succumbing to his own wounds, and thus begins a citywide manhunt for the escaped "doer," who is wanted in connection with the robbery and the murder of Dutch himself, the commanding officer of the Philadelphia Police Department's Highway Patrol.
Many of the characters readers are introduced to in Men in Blue will become staples of the Badge of Honor series. In particular, recent college graduate Matthew Mark Payne subsequently assumes the role of series protagonist in Special Operations. Others, including Staff Inspector Peter F. Wohl, Chief Inspector Dennis V. Coughlin, Mayor Jerome "Jerry" Carlucci, Captains Mike Sabara and Dave Pekach, the ex-undercover officers Charley McFadden and "Hay-zus" Martinez, assume more or less equal roles as part of an ensemble. It is in this book that readers will get to know these characters for the first time, and, in doing so, witness how they respond to one of the most shocking events in law enforcement: the killing of a police officer in the line of duty.
If I can praise Men in Blue - most of Griffin's books, in fact - for one thing, then let it be their remarkable authenticity and consistency. The Badge of Honor series as a whole, as a portrayal of law enforcement in general and the Philadelphia Police Department in particular, is very realistic and subsequently very down-to-earth. As a young man who's lived in Philadelphia for all of his life, and whose father and grandfather were/are both Philadelphia police officers, I can vouch for Griffin on this; he did his homework.
Overall, I highly recommend Men in Blue to readers who find themselves even vaguely interested in real-world police work and want to try something new. It's rather short, as are most of the installments in the Badge of Honor series, and it shouldn't take long to read.
Final Rating: I really liked it.
March 21, 2020
Updated: 3/20/20
I have a policy that if I have rated a book in the past based upon an earlier read I won't lower the rating on a re-read. But damn that's a stupid policy.
This book is a police procedural in every possible way; and it is a world building introductory volume but it is almost painful.
I grew up in Philly in the 1960s and early 70's. And then moved to DelCo. So this is like a trip thought my childhood memories, but with way more foul language and homophobia.
Not only will the reader of this book have a through understanding of the Philadelphia police department, it's divisions, it's titles and the design of it's headquarters. Not to mention detailed descriptions of how a newspaper editing and layout system worked. You are also treated to a pre-ancestory.com trip into the background of the main characters including their great-great-great grandparents.
Character that were meant to feel cool and hip feel cliched and absurd. The sassy liberated women who sleeps with a guy on the first date and the idiot guy who falls in love with said woman after the first date.
If you want some inside baseball on cops and reporters, watch the Wire and skip this.
I have a policy that if I have rated a book in the past based upon an earlier read I won't lower the rating on a re-read. But damn that's a stupid policy.
This book is a police procedural in every possible way; and it is a world building introductory volume but it is almost painful.
I grew up in Philly in the 1960s and early 70's. And then moved to DelCo. So this is like a trip thought my childhood memories, but with way more foul language and homophobia.
Not only will the reader of this book have a through understanding of the Philadelphia police department, it's divisions, it's titles and the design of it's headquarters. Not to mention detailed descriptions of how a newspaper editing and layout system worked. You are also treated to a pre-ancestory.com trip into the background of the main characters including their great-great-great grandparents.
Character that were meant to feel cool and hip feel cliched and absurd. The sassy liberated women who sleeps with a guy on the first date and the idiot guy who falls in love with said woman after the first date.
If you want some inside baseball on cops and reporters, watch the Wire and skip this.
I simply adore this series. Perhaps in is due to my growing up in the Philadelphia area and recognizing so many of the people, places and things. But I just enjoy the heck out of them.
May 1, 2020
I've read other books from this series and I finally got around to reading the first one. Even though it isn't, it felt like a prequel to all of the characters that I already know and love. It gave me a bunch of information that I didn't already have about why the characters are the way they are and the decisions that they made. Overall, I loved this book. It was definitely written during a different time where certain racial terms were more accepted and when cursing was considered a new right for women. Even though they weren't meant to be funny, there are a lot of moments that made me laugh because of that. There wasn't a ton of flowery language, it just got straight to the point and laid out the story like a crime drama on television. The ending isn't expected and it isn't completely happy, but it does reflect the reality of the world. I definitely can't wait to read the next one in the series.
September 15, 2018
This may not be the newest, but it certainly is one of the top series about the lives of the police and their families! W.E.B. Griffin has written several excellent series. This one is about the lives of the men and women on the Philadelphia force as well as their families. Not a recent book, it's set in the 1970s. I'm finding I really enjoy books set "back in the days" with no PCs or cell phones. This book begins with the death of the Highway Patrol Chief when he stops a robbery in progress at a diner.....where he just happened to have been meeting a beautiful young reporter.....Well, the story takes off from there with everybody trying to cover their butts and everyone else's! A great story....not funny but not lacking humor in the right places. Many very interesting characters and descriptions of interactions in politics and private lives. Looking forward to the next book!
November 24, 2022
Great start to this series base on the police in Philadelphia. As always well written characters and dialogue with an interesting storyline. I unintentionally jumped the gun on starting this series as I am still in the process of reading the presidential agent series. I am on book six. So now both series are in my revolving short list of books I am reading. Clearly, I like this author.
February 28, 2015
I have read most of Griffin's books multiple times, and this whole series up to the point where he time-warped it is on the read multiple times list.
I don't have a well developed opinion on what counts as great literature and what is fun, but not so important as a work of art. There are certain books I would absolutely include on the list, and when I think of those, I think the question of what's great literature and what's not really does matter. Most of the time, I read with no thought given to that question. I wouldn't spill so much ink over it here but for the fact that these stories have stayed with me just as strongly as ones I don't hesitate to put on the "you should teach this to school kids" list, like The Winds of War. But I don't know if those without a deep interest in the military or law enforcement will ever feel as much for them as I do.
I was junior enlisted in the Army myself, so the world of his military novels is not mine and never was, so I can't really say that too much about accuracy. He writes about officers, or enlisted on their way to becoming officers.
I can say that he has been given the title "Poet Laureate of the US Military Community", and I can't think of a better candidate for that title.
I don't have a well developed opinion on what counts as great literature and what is fun, but not so important as a work of art. There are certain books I would absolutely include on the list, and when I think of those, I think the question of what's great literature and what's not really does matter. Most of the time, I read with no thought given to that question. I wouldn't spill so much ink over it here but for the fact that these stories have stayed with me just as strongly as ones I don't hesitate to put on the "you should teach this to school kids" list, like The Winds of War. But I don't know if those without a deep interest in the military or law enforcement will ever feel as much for them as I do.
I was junior enlisted in the Army myself, so the world of his military novels is not mine and never was, so I can't really say that too much about accuracy. He writes about officers, or enlisted on their way to becoming officers.
I can say that he has been given the title "Poet Laureate of the US Military Community", and I can't think of a better candidate for that title.
March 3, 2014
Took me forever to find the first of this series which was recommended by my cousin. Since it takes place in Philadelphia, I thought it would be interesting.
The 2 star rating is because the book, although noted as published in 1988, seemed to have been written in the early 1970s simply based on some of the topics and phrasing throughout the book. Overall, it was an interesting story but the author could have used a stronger editor as the grammer was rather poor in places and seemed a bit amateurish.
My guess was it was pulled out from the back of a drawer, brushed off and published once the author was popular and a sure bet with his publisher.
Would I read another? Yes, will probably read several. It is always fun to have your native City a central character in any novel.
DD@Phila
The 2 star rating is because the book, although noted as published in 1988, seemed to have been written in the early 1970s simply based on some of the topics and phrasing throughout the book. Overall, it was an interesting story but the author could have used a stronger editor as the grammer was rather poor in places and seemed a bit amateurish.
My guess was it was pulled out from the back of a drawer, brushed off and published once the author was popular and a sure bet with his publisher.
Would I read another? Yes, will probably read several. It is always fun to have your native City a central character in any novel.
DD@Phila
July 30, 2016
Men In Blue (Badge of Honor #1) by W.E.B. Griffin (Jove Books 1988) (Fiction - Thriller). Like his earlier series The Corps and Brotherhood of War, this new series tells the tale of a special band of men, this time the Philadelphia Police Department. This series begins when one of their own is killed. The new series, "Badge of Honor", is all about the response. My rating: 7/10, finished 2/2/10.
December 15, 2020
Being in Law Enforcement I enjoyed this book. Could I really tell you why? Not really, maybe because I understood the basis of the book and could relate being an LEO. It is an easy read and if I were to compare it to anything an episode of Law and Order is a perfect comparison on how this book reads. I'm excited to continue reading the series but can't really say I'll ever have a drive to reread this book. Overall all though I stand by my 4 out of 5 stars, I enjoyed it start to finish!
December 17, 2022
Love these books - I had totally forgotten about this series until it came up on a website, but re reading it has been a joy and a lesson at the same time. I can't help thinking if this book written in 1988 could be written the same way today. I highly suggest reading this
October 17, 2025
This is a review of all the Badge of Honor books I have read so far. (Men in Blue, Special Operations, The Victim, the Witness, The Assassin, The Murderers, The Investigators, and Final Justice.)
The main characters remain the same in all these books. At the center is often Matt Payne, a good-looking 20-something, 6-foot, trim, WASP from a pricey suburb of Philadelphia. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, who had planned to go into the Marines, but could not enter because of an eye defect of some kind, he seems to be "proving his masculinity" by entering the Philadelphia police force. His father was a cop who died before he was born, and his mother (born Roman Catholic) married Brewster Payne, a wealthy and ambitious lawyer on the WASP side of town, who had lost his wife in an auto accident. Matt is favored by his "uncle" (his mom's close friend) Dennis Coughlin, (a member of the Irish connection) who at first tries to protect Matt from the more dangerous aspects of police work. He is also favored by the man he first works for - a dashing figure himself - Peter Wohl - who likes Matt's smarts and his ambition. Matt, like Peter, seems to find a woman who will jump into bed with him wherever he goes. Most of the women Matt finds are intelligent, but don't seem to act that way when they are around him... (Don't go looking into these books (or most of W.E.B. Griffin's books) for intelligent and complicated women. You won't find them. They are mostly bimbos - or act like bimbos.)
Other colorful characters in the Philadelphia Police Dept are Jason Washington (aka "the Black Buddha") a large, extremely well-dressed and intelligent African-American homicide detective, who also becomes a mentor to Matt; the mayor of Philadelphia - whatever his name - he cares more about being seen in photographs than he does about the guys in the police force; Matt Lowenstein - also a large, important "white shirt" of the Jewish persuasion; Mickey O'Hara, a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, also of the Irish persuasion, who seems to get to the scene of a crime before many police officers do, and whom they all like; Mutt and Jeff -Hayzus Martinez - a short and thin Hispanic officer, and Charley McFadden, a tall, large, Irish officer - a team which starts off in Narcotics and which follows Matt throughout his trials and tribulations. Throughout the series we learn not only of all the different nationalities that make up the Philly Police Dept, but all the different ranks, how they are achieved, and what changes follow those new ranks. We learn of the rivalry between the Police and the FBI, how different branches of the Police are seen as superior to others, how the winners get new cars, and the losers get old, banged up cars, how all police officers carry guns - even when they are off duty, and the loyalty they show one another when the chips are down. There is politics everywhere, and yet there is a lot of true devotion to the calling of being a police officer. The city of Philadelphia is also a character in the books, and doubtless those who know their Philly streets will recognize the locations.
The series is a good read because the characters are drawn well, each story is compelling, you get to like many of the characters, and the stories ring true. I think that's what Griffin was aiming for.
The main characters remain the same in all these books. At the center is often Matt Payne, a good-looking 20-something, 6-foot, trim, WASP from a pricey suburb of Philadelphia. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, who had planned to go into the Marines, but could not enter because of an eye defect of some kind, he seems to be "proving his masculinity" by entering the Philadelphia police force. His father was a cop who died before he was born, and his mother (born Roman Catholic) married Brewster Payne, a wealthy and ambitious lawyer on the WASP side of town, who had lost his wife in an auto accident. Matt is favored by his "uncle" (his mom's close friend) Dennis Coughlin, (a member of the Irish connection) who at first tries to protect Matt from the more dangerous aspects of police work. He is also favored by the man he first works for - a dashing figure himself - Peter Wohl - who likes Matt's smarts and his ambition. Matt, like Peter, seems to find a woman who will jump into bed with him wherever he goes. Most of the women Matt finds are intelligent, but don't seem to act that way when they are around him... (Don't go looking into these books (or most of W.E.B. Griffin's books) for intelligent and complicated women. You won't find them. They are mostly bimbos - or act like bimbos.)
Other colorful characters in the Philadelphia Police Dept are Jason Washington (aka "the Black Buddha") a large, extremely well-dressed and intelligent African-American homicide detective, who also becomes a mentor to Matt; the mayor of Philadelphia - whatever his name - he cares more about being seen in photographs than he does about the guys in the police force; Matt Lowenstein - also a large, important "white shirt" of the Jewish persuasion; Mickey O'Hara, a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, also of the Irish persuasion, who seems to get to the scene of a crime before many police officers do, and whom they all like; Mutt and Jeff -Hayzus Martinez - a short and thin Hispanic officer, and Charley McFadden, a tall, large, Irish officer - a team which starts off in Narcotics and which follows Matt throughout his trials and tribulations. Throughout the series we learn not only of all the different nationalities that make up the Philly Police Dept, but all the different ranks, how they are achieved, and what changes follow those new ranks. We learn of the rivalry between the Police and the FBI, how different branches of the Police are seen as superior to others, how the winners get new cars, and the losers get old, banged up cars, how all police officers carry guns - even when they are off duty, and the loyalty they show one another when the chips are down. There is politics everywhere, and yet there is a lot of true devotion to the calling of being a police officer. The city of Philadelphia is also a character in the books, and doubtless those who know their Philly streets will recognize the locations.
The series is a good read because the characters are drawn well, each story is compelling, you get to like many of the characters, and the stories ring true. I think that's what Griffin was aiming for.
February 20, 2020
A buxom young reporter meets a fetching police captain at an out of the way diner, hoping for an illicit rendezvous. A half hour into their liaison, the captain intervenes in an attempted holdup and is killed for his troubles. Although the captain killed his assailant, her accomplice flees into the city and becomes the object of a manhunt. Staff Inspector Peter Wohl is first to respond, and is asked by the higher-ups to Handle the Situation: obviously a married captain having an affair with a prominent news anchor is bound to be trouble. So it is – at least for the anchor, the captain, and the anchor’s neighbor, who is found brutally murdered after the anchor’s role as a witness to the robbery-gone-wrong is exposed on TV. Men in Blue brings fascinating levels of detail, and some memorable characters, to a cop drama that’s more dramatic in its focus on relationships than police investigation.
I’ve never read W.E.B. Griffin before, but he’s been compared favorably to Bernard Cornwell, a claim that bears investigating given my high regard for that spinner of action tales medieval and Napoleonic. I can see some resemblance in the weight of details, as Griffin here is happy to offer two pages of history on the rise of the .357 Magnum, and the creation of a certain forbidden cartridge that the deceased captain uses to defend himself. Background information for both characters and important locales might take us back to when Herr Rickenbacher arrived in the United States from Bavaria. Cornwell’s use of details is more overtly purposeful, though; with Griffin, I’m not so sure. It certainly adds to the novel – believability and tension, for instance — but can also be distracting when details are introduced and then never deliver to the plot. Considering this is first in a series, however, I don’t want to be quick to judge; the captain’s ammo may be exposed later on.
I can’t deny enjoying Men in Blue despite the odd fact that there’s not a great deal of police investigation going on; the police officers readily identify the killed robber and her accomplice, and he’s not tracked down but spotted on the street and then chased. The gruesome murder of the anchor’s friend and neighbor does involve a little legwork, but it’s mostly happening in the background as the staff inspector and the woman he’s protecting fall in lust with one another and disappear into bedrooms, to the confusion of everyone at the police roundhouse and the news station. It’s character drama that’s front and center here, from tensions between the news people and the cops, the fights between cops and brass, and naturally the affairs between the anchor and her courting LEOs. It was fun, but I wouldn‘t put this in the technical thriller category of Michael Connelly, I’ll need to read more of Griffin to see what kind of author he really is, though; this one’s brevity and role as the intro book to a series might be giving me a distorted impression.
I’ve never read W.E.B. Griffin before, but he’s been compared favorably to Bernard Cornwell, a claim that bears investigating given my high regard for that spinner of action tales medieval and Napoleonic. I can see some resemblance in the weight of details, as Griffin here is happy to offer two pages of history on the rise of the .357 Magnum, and the creation of a certain forbidden cartridge that the deceased captain uses to defend himself. Background information for both characters and important locales might take us back to when Herr Rickenbacher arrived in the United States from Bavaria. Cornwell’s use of details is more overtly purposeful, though; with Griffin, I’m not so sure. It certainly adds to the novel – believability and tension, for instance — but can also be distracting when details are introduced and then never deliver to the plot. Considering this is first in a series, however, I don’t want to be quick to judge; the captain’s ammo may be exposed later on.
I can’t deny enjoying Men in Blue despite the odd fact that there’s not a great deal of police investigation going on; the police officers readily identify the killed robber and her accomplice, and he’s not tracked down but spotted on the street and then chased. The gruesome murder of the anchor’s friend and neighbor does involve a little legwork, but it’s mostly happening in the background as the staff inspector and the woman he’s protecting fall in lust with one another and disappear into bedrooms, to the confusion of everyone at the police roundhouse and the news station. It’s character drama that’s front and center here, from tensions between the news people and the cops, the fights between cops and brass, and naturally the affairs between the anchor and her courting LEOs. It was fun, but I wouldn‘t put this in the technical thriller category of Michael Connelly, I’ll need to read more of Griffin to see what kind of author he really is, though; this one’s brevity and role as the intro book to a series might be giving me a distorted impression.
November 3, 2022
If you go into this looking for a police procedural, that's not what you're getting. It's more a drama about the lives of the people involved with the police force, tied together with a bunch of long, dry descriptions of actual information about how the police are structured in Philly. Or were, in the 80's when this was to have taken place.
I started it today, got about 1/5th of the way in and just found it dull, even with a cop-killing in the opening pages. Apparently there are also a bunch of other killings surrounding people involved, but they're not really connected, and the driving force isn't the solving of these killings.
Hell, with a twist it could've possibly been a serial killer story if the author wanted it to be.
It's clearly a character driven piece, vs focusing on the actual police plot. And it's very grounded - but often to its detriment. Like in the first fifth of the book you get long, detailed and likely very accurate explanations of where Peter Wohl's family comes from, how Philly police dispatch and radio communications are set up, the history of the Philly PD's firearms, etc.
But if I could've taken scissors to those sections and cut out most of them, I would have. The murder, I wanted to see resolved. The interpersonal drama I would've chugged through, but that wasn't the main draw for me, even if it was the main draw of the book from the author's perspective. But multi-page history lessons every chapter did nothing for me.
Maybe I should've given it a bigger chance, but it didn't float my boat at all.
I started it today, got about 1/5th of the way in and just found it dull, even with a cop-killing in the opening pages. Apparently there are also a bunch of other killings surrounding people involved, but they're not really connected, and the driving force isn't the solving of these killings.
Hell, with a twist it could've possibly been a serial killer story if the author wanted it to be.
It's clearly a character driven piece, vs focusing on the actual police plot. And it's very grounded - but often to its detriment. Like in the first fifth of the book you get long, detailed and likely very accurate explanations of where Peter Wohl's family comes from, how Philly police dispatch and radio communications are set up, the history of the Philly PD's firearms, etc.
But if I could've taken scissors to those sections and cut out most of them, I would have. The murder, I wanted to see resolved. The interpersonal drama I would've chugged through, but that wasn't the main draw for me, even if it was the main draw of the book from the author's perspective. But multi-page history lessons every chapter did nothing for me.
Maybe I should've given it a bigger chance, but it didn't float my boat at all.
May 10, 2021
Unabridged audiobook
This was my first Griffin novel. I was not impressed. I got all the way to the end of the audiobook and asked myself what the book was about. There was no wild plot twist or mystery solved regarding the dead cop. He was just shot during a robbery.
The mobster who spoke to him in the restaurant before the shooting didn’t do it. His wife, on whom he was cheating, didn’t do it. There was no dirty cop on the force involved. He was just shot by a bad guy - well, girl, but you know what I mean - committing a crime.
Other sub plots: a gay guy gets butchered by friends of his lover in a robbery gone bad; the lover is later found murdered execution style; the gay man’s rich news-publisher father, confronted by information that his son is gay, gets drunk and takes it out on his employees; a rich-girl reporter has an affair with a high-level cop who was the youngest in all kinds of promotion categories. The whole book left me feeling like I’d just done a ride-along with random stuff happening while I was there. It seemed more like a series of vignettes strung together with little more in common than setting.
As for other reviews’ mentions of language and stereotypes, it took place in the early 70’s. Having lived through that era, I was neither shocked nor surprised. It was a different time, neither good nor bad.
I read where this is not Griffin’s best work. I may give another series a read and see if that works better for me than this one did.
This was my first Griffin novel. I was not impressed. I got all the way to the end of the audiobook and asked myself what the book was about. There was no wild plot twist or mystery solved regarding the dead cop. He was just shot during a robbery.
The mobster who spoke to him in the restaurant before the shooting didn’t do it. His wife, on whom he was cheating, didn’t do it. There was no dirty cop on the force involved. He was just shot by a bad guy - well, girl, but you know what I mean - committing a crime.
Other sub plots: a gay guy gets butchered by friends of his lover in a robbery gone bad; the lover is later found murdered execution style; the gay man’s rich news-publisher father, confronted by information that his son is gay, gets drunk and takes it out on his employees; a rich-girl reporter has an affair with a high-level cop who was the youngest in all kinds of promotion categories. The whole book left me feeling like I’d just done a ride-along with random stuff happening while I was there. It seemed more like a series of vignettes strung together with little more in common than setting.
As for other reviews’ mentions of language and stereotypes, it took place in the early 70’s. Having lived through that era, I was neither shocked nor surprised. It was a different time, neither good nor bad.
I read where this is not Griffin’s best work. I may give another series a read and see if that works better for me than this one did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2024
The first book in Griffin's "Badge of Honor" series, which are police procedural/drama stories with a slight historical fiction bent; I say slight only because while these (at least the first eight that I read) are set in the early 70s and were written a decade or two later.
This book focuses on the murder of a Philadelphia Police Captain, and the subsequent investigation. The characters include the lead investigator and various Philadelphia police officials, politicians, and others including reporters and others involved in the case, as well as their significant others as many are interconnected. These stories have drama, action, and romance. They are not mysteries, the author isn't laying out clues for the reader to find, it's about watching the police work the case. Police procedure. They are not suspense thrillers either, they are too slow for that and the interpersonal drama scenes are as important as the action scenes, and as in life take up more of the pages.
The protagonist of this novel is Inspector Peter Wohl; in future novels he transitions more to a secondary protagonist to Matthew Payne, who appears here briefly, he is the nephew of the murdered police captain and his own father was killed in the line of duty almost two decades previously.
I read this older series after reading the first eight (of ten) books of his "The Corps" series which focuses on USMC characters during WWII. One similar thing I noted was Griffin's common use of characters who are independently wealthy, or are married to or dating someone with money. It makes it easy to create cool atmospheres where they can enjoy expensive drinks, live in nice homes, drive fancy cars, etc... There is a lot of that in this series as well, of the first few characters introduced, two are the illegitimate children of millionaires (in the 70s setting that meant a lot more than it does today).
This book focuses on the murder of a Philadelphia Police Captain, and the subsequent investigation. The characters include the lead investigator and various Philadelphia police officials, politicians, and others including reporters and others involved in the case, as well as their significant others as many are interconnected. These stories have drama, action, and romance. They are not mysteries, the author isn't laying out clues for the reader to find, it's about watching the police work the case. Police procedure. They are not suspense thrillers either, they are too slow for that and the interpersonal drama scenes are as important as the action scenes, and as in life take up more of the pages.
The protagonist of this novel is Inspector Peter Wohl; in future novels he transitions more to a secondary protagonist to Matthew Payne, who appears here briefly, he is the nephew of the murdered police captain and his own father was killed in the line of duty almost two decades previously.
I read this older series after reading the first eight (of ten) books of his "The Corps" series which focuses on USMC characters during WWII. One similar thing I noted was Griffin's common use of characters who are independently wealthy, or are married to or dating someone with money. It makes it easy to create cool atmospheres where they can enjoy expensive drinks, live in nice homes, drive fancy cars, etc... There is a lot of that in this series as well, of the first few characters introduced, two are the illegitimate children of millionaires (in the 70s setting that meant a lot more than it does today).
August 22, 2019
9.5 out of 10 stars. The book is based back in the early 1970s. Most people who review Griffin's books haven't looked at the different series he has written and don't understand a series covers a number of years. For instance, a young lad appears in this book and becomes the subject police officer of a later book in the series. It is obvious people who give it a low rating have no clue about this way of writing an interesting series.
November 28, 2023
Found some great qualities in the characters. Then felt like I was reading The Godfather. I took a few moments to read past reviews because I struggle so much making it through this book. Seemed like a dated piece and I felt there was writer’s conflict in how to portray a strong female character. I hope this book still counts towards my reading challenge but, truthfully, I only made it halfway through.
January 12, 2020
Dropped it. I’ve read The Brotherhood of War series and really enjoyed it. I had high hopes for this series. I couldn’t get past the dated material. This story takes place in 1970s, beyond technical issues (wired phones) the misogynistic, homophobic, racist comments were hurting my heart and soul. I was reading via an audiobook, if it was in book form it might be easier to skip over.
October 9, 2020
I first read this book over 30 years ago. With all the great police books and stories that have come out since, it really is lackluster as a police series.
WEB is more about the relationships and families and the "elite" and the "connected" and of course, Scotch. Can't have a book without the characters enjoying Scotch.
It wasn't as good as I remembered, but it wasn't absolute trash either.
WEB is more about the relationships and families and the "elite" and the "connected" and of course, Scotch. Can't have a book without the characters enjoying Scotch.
It wasn't as good as I remembered, but it wasn't absolute trash either.
February 11, 2021
Love W. E. B. Griffin. His stories are interesting, fact filled (check for yourself) and a really good read. The plots are inventive, the good guys are believable and likeable, and the bad guys are believable and fun to despise. Don't pass Mr. Griffin up just because you don't like war, police, etc. He is one good author.
June 5, 2025
This is a good book....the beginning of a new series is always introducing and explaining who is who and in what kind of relations people are involved in.
For me this is no problem, roughly halfway the book when everybody is introduced the story begins to unfold and it got me hooked.
It is not fast and furious but it is certainly entertaining.
For me this is no problem, roughly halfway the book when everybody is introduced the story begins to unfold and it got me hooked.
It is not fast and furious but it is certainly entertaining.
August 23, 2017
So read this books as a teenager and liked them. Decided to re read as an adult living in Phila. Amazed by the sexism and racism - just the accepted nature of name calling and if conquests.
Yet I still find the books enjoyable.
Quick easy reads
Yet I still find the books enjoyable.
Quick easy reads
October 4, 2019
Um, probably 2.5 rounded down. Not my favorite W.E.B. Griffin book. Love the military ones. This one just didn't feel like it flowed well. Also felt like it was trying a little too hard to be authentic Philly police. Maybe because I don't live there I read it differently?
November 6, 2020
I liked the story. Griffin will often times run off on a tangent about the history of a minor character or an item such as a weapon, wrecking the flow of the book. I just can't keep reading these books.
June 20, 2022
I week written book about the police. Set in Philadelphia it follows different police in the department. Shows the political parts of the job as well as relationships with the press and public. Enjoyable read
September 30, 2023
review
I didn’t think he developed his characters well, often confusing to keep track of people who all had some of each other’s personalities. The affair was too dramatic…….just my take.
I didn’t think he developed his characters well, often confusing to keep track of people who all had some of each other’s personalities. The affair was too dramatic…….just my take.
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