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In My Brother's Name
What if the unthinkable happened to the Nation?s Capital? How difficult would it be for terrorists to bring the center of US government to its knees? When a master terrorist seeks revenge for the death of his brother, no one is safe. Ordinary citizens and law-enforcement become heroes and victims alike in this book first written as part of National Novel Writing Month 2009.
172 pages, Paperback
First published May 4, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 16, 2013
This action/thriller succeeds despite itself.
The small stuff--Paragraphing is somewhat absent-minded, chapter separation is indicated by the days of the crisis and was confusing to this reader. Both are important to provide a point at which the rhythm of the plot or the point of view of the narration changes. This book dispenses with such considerations; it feels like it is written in one breath.
The big stuff--the cast of characters is so large and bewildering it begs for some differentiation and development. (Sometimes, it seems even the author has trouble keeping track--is Marcie in real estate or an administrator in a law firm?) The author is clearly able to flesh out his characters if he wants to; his delineation of a minor character, Paperclip's secretary, is hilarious--Jesus is Lord in her heart but Elvis a respectable second. Two other minor characters have a tender mother-daughter conversation. Consideration of voice or plot twists, like that of character, is overridden by action, driven by vengeance.
It is intriguing that the FBI agent who sets the action in motion is an unimposing character; his nick-name is not Captain America nor anything like Brainiac but "Paperclip." (The author has a couple of nice witticisms; one other instance being a reference to the Senator's Day baseball game as between "lechislators.")
Further, though not developed, the characters pique one's interest--a baseball player who barely speaks English, a rookie cop who naturally speaks Farsi, a couple of analysts/IT types, and another FBI agent who brings to mind one Virgil Tibbs. One really wishes for a sentence or paragraph here and there about them.
The novel succeeds despite all this; it is almost pure action. It draws the reader into the logic for a horrific multifaceted attack on Washington DC, then through one after another of those facets--a sniper on a tower, the sniper's defensive measures, timed explosions on selected freeways, stinger missiles attacks on a bridge, a helicopter gunship assault on a baseball stadium, etc. The action is so well told that the reader does not stop to think of factual accuracy or internal consistency. The voice is that of an omniscient narrator whose sympathies lean towards the bad guys.
Whether or not action lovers like the way the story ends, they will want to read this book.
The small stuff--Paragraphing is somewhat absent-minded, chapter separation is indicated by the days of the crisis and was confusing to this reader. Both are important to provide a point at which the rhythm of the plot or the point of view of the narration changes. This book dispenses with such considerations; it feels like it is written in one breath.
The big stuff--the cast of characters is so large and bewildering it begs for some differentiation and development. (Sometimes, it seems even the author has trouble keeping track--is Marcie in real estate or an administrator in a law firm?) The author is clearly able to flesh out his characters if he wants to; his delineation of a minor character, Paperclip's secretary, is hilarious--Jesus is Lord in her heart but Elvis a respectable second. Two other minor characters have a tender mother-daughter conversation. Consideration of voice or plot twists, like that of character, is overridden by action, driven by vengeance.
It is intriguing that the FBI agent who sets the action in motion is an unimposing character; his nick-name is not Captain America nor anything like Brainiac but "Paperclip." (The author has a couple of nice witticisms; one other instance being a reference to the Senator's Day baseball game as between "lechislators.")
Further, though not developed, the characters pique one's interest--a baseball player who barely speaks English, a rookie cop who naturally speaks Farsi, a couple of analysts/IT types, and another FBI agent who brings to mind one Virgil Tibbs. One really wishes for a sentence or paragraph here and there about them.
The novel succeeds despite all this; it is almost pure action. It draws the reader into the logic for a horrific multifaceted attack on Washington DC, then through one after another of those facets--a sniper on a tower, the sniper's defensive measures, timed explosions on selected freeways, stinger missiles attacks on a bridge, a helicopter gunship assault on a baseball stadium, etc. The action is so well told that the reader does not stop to think of factual accuracy or internal consistency. The voice is that of an omniscient narrator whose sympathies lean towards the bad guys.
Whether or not action lovers like the way the story ends, they will want to read this book.
July 12, 2013
This novel explores the idea of mistakes, and the consequences of covering them up.
A low-grade FBI Officer gets the coup of his career when he arrests a wanted terrorist. He is soon informed that he has the wrong man, but passes up the opportunity to put things right, covering up the gaps in his evidence so that he can continue to ride the wave of popularity and promotion which have come as a result of his achievement.
Several years later, the fall-out begins, as the brother of the wrongly arrested man – and, indeed, the true culprit – works out his revenge against the officer and all he holds dear.
This is a tautly written, action-packed novel, a compulsive read – I read it in a day, carried along by the inexorable tide of action and consequence and drawn into the lives of the characters – both victims and perpetrators - even though some of them were only the briefest vignettes. The chilling account of a terrorist attack on Washington DC segues between several characters and locations as they are caught up in the carnage. No chapter or section breaks separated the various episodes which made for a breathless read but also kept up the pace and sense of events unfolding simultaneously.
Accurate research – or, perhaps, first-hand knowledge – made the rendition of the law enforcement agencies and the terrorist organisation, not to mention that unstoppable domino-effect of events, seem frighteningly real. What I assume to be an intimate knowledge of the City and its infrastructure made the whole scenario very credible indeed. If I lived in Washington DC I’d be nervous. It seemed so possible. It seemed – dare I say it – so easy.
I liked the rather impersonal, ‘reportage’ style of the narrative; it came across as coldly matter-of-fact at first, especially as the first bodies began to fall, but it allowed the horror of events to make their own impact. The language is nicely honed, uncluttered by superfluous detail. Beautifully accurate editing in the first three quarters of the novel slipped slightly in the final quarter and the formatting was what I would describe as ‘draft’ in the edition I was provided with in return for an honest and unbiased review. Notwithstanding, this is an impressive novel by a writer who knows his craft and his subject.
A low-grade FBI Officer gets the coup of his career when he arrests a wanted terrorist. He is soon informed that he has the wrong man, but passes up the opportunity to put things right, covering up the gaps in his evidence so that he can continue to ride the wave of popularity and promotion which have come as a result of his achievement.
Several years later, the fall-out begins, as the brother of the wrongly arrested man – and, indeed, the true culprit – works out his revenge against the officer and all he holds dear.
This is a tautly written, action-packed novel, a compulsive read – I read it in a day, carried along by the inexorable tide of action and consequence and drawn into the lives of the characters – both victims and perpetrators - even though some of them were only the briefest vignettes. The chilling account of a terrorist attack on Washington DC segues between several characters and locations as they are caught up in the carnage. No chapter or section breaks separated the various episodes which made for a breathless read but also kept up the pace and sense of events unfolding simultaneously.
Accurate research – or, perhaps, first-hand knowledge – made the rendition of the law enforcement agencies and the terrorist organisation, not to mention that unstoppable domino-effect of events, seem frighteningly real. What I assume to be an intimate knowledge of the City and its infrastructure made the whole scenario very credible indeed. If I lived in Washington DC I’d be nervous. It seemed so possible. It seemed – dare I say it – so easy.
I liked the rather impersonal, ‘reportage’ style of the narrative; it came across as coldly matter-of-fact at first, especially as the first bodies began to fall, but it allowed the horror of events to make their own impact. The language is nicely honed, uncluttered by superfluous detail. Beautifully accurate editing in the first three quarters of the novel slipped slightly in the final quarter and the formatting was what I would describe as ‘draft’ in the edition I was provided with in return for an honest and unbiased review. Notwithstanding, this is an impressive novel by a writer who knows his craft and his subject.
November 29, 2014
It has been quite a while since I found a book that swept me off my feet and took me along for a great ride, but this one did! I was pulled into the story right from the beginning. The characters are diverse and very likable, leaving you pulling for each one as things continue to escalate throughout the book. The action is very fast-paced, but not so much that it leaves you breathless or struggling to catch up. The balance here between advancing the action and giving the reader a moment to breathe is excellent.
I was kept at the edge of my seat for pretty much the entire book, wondering exactly how it was going to end and if justice would eventually be served to the guilty parties. I was engaged in this book all the way to the very end and enjoyed every bit of it. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I just ordered a hard copy of it (I originally bought it for Kindle) - something I only do when I find a book I truly enjoy.
This is certainly a book I will read again in the future and one that I will recommend heartily to my family and friends.
I was kept at the edge of my seat for pretty much the entire book, wondering exactly how it was going to end and if justice would eventually be served to the guilty parties. I was engaged in this book all the way to the very end and enjoyed every bit of it. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I just ordered a hard copy of it (I originally bought it for Kindle) - something I only do when I find a book I truly enjoy.
This is certainly a book I will read again in the future and one that I will recommend heartily to my family and friends.
June 22, 2013
I rated it highly through pure bias. I wrote it. ;)
March 23, 2024
This was not the book I expected it would be. Could I pin point what I expected? Not in as many words.
It was disturbing on a level I didn’t expect, which means it was good in creating that sense of absolute horror and making me, as the reader, think what would happen….?
It’s not a character driven story. If you like getting cozy with characters, don’t bother. If you like a carefully choreographed characters/events, then read it.
My biggest problem with the book was flipping between characters without warning, no break, no lead, no nothing. So here I am starting to get the hang of a character then next paragraph wham, new person, new setting. Takes my brain a few seconds to catch up.
There were so many characters that at times it was hard to keep up with who’s who, but after a while I got the hang of it.
Then at the end in the where did everyone end up part there was a little “gotcha” type thing and you’re like I see what you did there, that’s was a little creepy. So nice finish.
If you’re looking for something less ordinary, read it.
It was disturbing on a level I didn’t expect, which means it was good in creating that sense of absolute horror and making me, as the reader, think what would happen….?
It’s not a character driven story. If you like getting cozy with characters, don’t bother. If you like a carefully choreographed characters/events, then read it.
My biggest problem with the book was flipping between characters without warning, no break, no lead, no nothing. So here I am starting to get the hang of a character then next paragraph wham, new person, new setting. Takes my brain a few seconds to catch up.
There were so many characters that at times it was hard to keep up with who’s who, but after a while I got the hang of it.
Then at the end in the where did everyone end up part there was a little “gotcha” type thing and you’re like I see what you did there, that’s was a little creepy. So nice finish.
If you’re looking for something less ordinary, read it.
September 20, 2021
I really enjoyed the authors writing style, getting insights on so many characters. It was very reminiscent of an action movie, where you don't spend too much time on one specific character and yet they didn't feel under developed. Towards the end the time spent became shorter and really built up the fast paced climactic ending.
I did at times have a hard time keeping certain names straight which is why I find this particular style better suited for visual media but all in all I greatly enjoyed it.
I did at times have a hard time keeping certain names straight which is why I find this particular style better suited for visual media but all in all I greatly enjoyed it.
August 23, 2013
I'm having a hard time reviewing this book. On one hand with some cleaning up and tighter editing this could be a thrilling read, the story was there, but delivery just wasn't. It read more like a report on the terrorist attack rather than a novel, kind of like listing the facts as afterthoughts and I just wasn't vested in the story. I couldn't emotionally attach to the characters. And while it was fine that author gave us glimpses into every character's head, there isn't a need to take POV of each person who appeared in the story however briefly. Why take a POV of a character you are going to kill in the next paragraph? The rule is do not take a POV of a disposable character, do not even name them. Since I'm on POV subject, I'm not sure the author is familiar with the rule, one POV of the character per scene/chapter, no head hoping. And only two POVs per entire book, that of protagonist and antagonist, unless writing romance than you can have hero/heroine and antagonist's POV.
In the book terrorists are portrayed as highly intelligent, calculated, skilled, with plausible cause to attack and I actually found myself cheering for them. And Americans were portrayed as... well... not the brightest lights on the tree. Especially the "main character" (if I could call him that) This Agent Gerry Franklin is so spineless he couldn't catch a cold less the brain of the terrorist group. And the opening chapter pretty much gives the book away. Why would readers want to continue reading if they know who's doing it and why? This should be woven throughout the story to keep readers guessing till the end. Plus a couple of inconsistencies, Jill comes home from the gym, showers, works on her laptop, then goes for a shower. Had she worked that hard at the computer she broke a sweat? Or forgotten she showered already? Didn't matter in the end, she got killed. Marcie, Franklin's wife, is a real-state agent in one scene, then a secretary in law firm. Maybe she changed jobs but wasn't clarified. Again, didn't matter much to the story just threw me for a loop. And since by this point I reread many paragraphs I just shook my head and kept on reading.
One thing that worked for me was that the people on top are holding emergency meetings while the everyday ordinary guys are being slaughtered by terrorists during the baseball game, on subways, on turnpike and bridges. And I think in reality this part wouldn't be far fetched. However, I don't think the author wanted readers to take the side of the "bad guys".
As I understand this book is written for National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo and I don't know how much of editing it had seen since. But there are some major long paragraphs that are hurdle to plow through, throw in there a constant head hoping and it was hard to follow with the sheer number of characters appearing through the book. The action would pick up only to be broken again for the author to fill us up on some bits of info, like how or why was the bridge built and named after 28th American president or some such thing.
Then there are small things such as in to vs. into, heart beat vs. heartbeat, on to vs. onto, all this slows the pacing down as you read through since your mind naturally pauses to read the words as they are written.
In the book terrorists are portrayed as highly intelligent, calculated, skilled, with plausible cause to attack and I actually found myself cheering for them. And Americans were portrayed as... well... not the brightest lights on the tree. Especially the "main character" (if I could call him that) This Agent Gerry Franklin is so spineless he couldn't catch a cold less the brain of the terrorist group. And the opening chapter pretty much gives the book away. Why would readers want to continue reading if they know who's doing it and why? This should be woven throughout the story to keep readers guessing till the end. Plus a couple of inconsistencies, Jill comes home from the gym, showers, works on her laptop, then goes for a shower. Had she worked that hard at the computer she broke a sweat? Or forgotten she showered already? Didn't matter in the end, she got killed. Marcie, Franklin's wife, is a real-state agent in one scene, then a secretary in law firm. Maybe she changed jobs but wasn't clarified. Again, didn't matter much to the story just threw me for a loop. And since by this point I reread many paragraphs I just shook my head and kept on reading.
One thing that worked for me was that the people on top are holding emergency meetings while the everyday ordinary guys are being slaughtered by terrorists during the baseball game, on subways, on turnpike and bridges. And I think in reality this part wouldn't be far fetched. However, I don't think the author wanted readers to take the side of the "bad guys".
As I understand this book is written for National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo and I don't know how much of editing it had seen since. But there are some major long paragraphs that are hurdle to plow through, throw in there a constant head hoping and it was hard to follow with the sheer number of characters appearing through the book. The action would pick up only to be broken again for the author to fill us up on some bits of info, like how or why was the bridge built and named after 28th American president or some such thing.
Then there are small things such as in to vs. into, heart beat vs. heartbeat, on to vs. onto, all this slows the pacing down as you read through since your mind naturally pauses to read the words as they are written.
July 2, 2013
In My Brother’s Name is an espionage story that starts out in the mind of Gerry Franklin, “Paperclip”. He’s just landed the capture of his career, the one that will make his career. He’s caught Fadi Hadad, a middle eastern terrorist. The reader soon learns that he has perhaps caught the wrong man when he gets a call from Fadi’s brother. Franklin is not a likable character. The other character’s don’t like him or his stroke of luck on this case. He doesn’t care that he has the wrong man, the catch has brought him fame and upward mobility, He spends his time thinking about the women, outside of his marriage, that he will pursue, ignoring the threats from Fadi’s brother.
The plot idea is a good one. Unfortunately, for this reader, that was the only thing about the book that worked. We jump along from head to head of the various characters, and there are so many that we never bond with any of them. It soon becomes confusing as to whose head we are in, and why. None of the characters are likable, they have no depth, and no character growth. The concept could have been a good one—if we could have stayed in one character’s head long enough to care what happened to any of them.
Other issues made it very hard to read, incorrect punctuation, poor grammar, and a plethora of filter words, filler words, disembodied body parts, and characters that don’t do things with any certainty. Even the head hoping could have been overlooked, if it hadn’t happened with no warning, and no scene breaks, just a move to a seemingly random character, and while in that character’s head, we didn’t get paragraphs, unless there was dialog.
If the plot concept had been better executed, and the author had an editor to help with the mechanical side of writing, this might have been a good read. Sadly, all the issues made it a struggle to get to the end, where we are given a summary as to what happened to the characters. I only wish the author had fleshed them out so I cared about what happened to them.
I gave this 2 stars, because the plot concept was sound, but the story was buried under too many issues to enjoy.
The plot idea is a good one. Unfortunately, for this reader, that was the only thing about the book that worked. We jump along from head to head of the various characters, and there are so many that we never bond with any of them. It soon becomes confusing as to whose head we are in, and why. None of the characters are likable, they have no depth, and no character growth. The concept could have been a good one—if we could have stayed in one character’s head long enough to care what happened to any of them.
Other issues made it very hard to read, incorrect punctuation, poor grammar, and a plethora of filter words, filler words, disembodied body parts, and characters that don’t do things with any certainty. Even the head hoping could have been overlooked, if it hadn’t happened with no warning, and no scene breaks, just a move to a seemingly random character, and while in that character’s head, we didn’t get paragraphs, unless there was dialog.
If the plot concept had been better executed, and the author had an editor to help with the mechanical side of writing, this might have been a good read. Sadly, all the issues made it a struggle to get to the end, where we are given a summary as to what happened to the characters. I only wish the author had fleshed them out so I cared about what happened to them.
I gave this 2 stars, because the plot concept was sound, but the story was buried under too many issues to enjoy.
November 24, 2014
“In My Brother’s Name” is not typically the avenue of fiction I travel. However, out of recommendation and curiosity I decided to give it a go. I was NOT disappointed. The story is arranged in such a fashion that it is constantly and smoothly moving forward. There is very little “down time” in the composition and it certainly delivers some unexpected twists. The vast company of characters are each unique and have integral parts to play as the tale unfolds. More often than not these types of literature are much more frightening to me than all of the Supernatural/Horror/Fantasy novels that reside upon my shelves and tables. This was no different and certainly left my mind reeling with a multitude of “Well what if…” scenarios. Kudos to you, Mr. Smith, kudos.
(Additionally: I actually really liked that the scenes hopped from perspective
to perspective because it made me want to know who fit where and why. Are there some technical difficulties in the edit? Sure. They had been noted in the other reviews and I won’t take your time here to rehash them. At the end of the day the organic flow of the piece spurred me forward and I found it easy to follow and very enjoyable.)
(Additionally: I actually really liked that the scenes hopped from perspective
to perspective because it made me want to know who fit where and why. Are there some technical difficulties in the edit? Sure. They had been noted in the other reviews and I won’t take your time here to rehash them. At the end of the day the organic flow of the piece spurred me forward and I found it easy to follow and very enjoyable.)
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