Duty to Investigate

by J.W. Stone

Lieutenant Colonel Mike Beck, a civilian trial lawyer and Marine Reservist, finds himself in the middle of the Battle of Fallujah charged with investigating a potentially volatile war crime. Beck is willing to risk anything and anyone to get the facts. He steals key evidence from Anne Merrill—an embedded news reporter—disregards direct orders, and fights with his fellow Marines. In the end, Lt. Col Beck and Anne Merrill join forces, battle their way into the center of Fallujah, and discover the truth about the criminals—and themselves.

Genres: War, Military Fiction

279 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

J. W. Stone is an exceptional author with thirty years of military service. He was with the marines in Iraq during the Battle of Fallujah and developed a unique perspective on modern warfare. His writing brims with action, real characters, and a deep understanding of courage and commitment, both from the perspective of the grunts on the ground and the highest-ranking officers.

Reviews

[Viviane Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

War isn’t pretty and this novel is the epitome of its brutality and misunderstandings that just escalate into more violence and disputes. It’s also about survivors, those who survive battle, those who survive the hate of the Iraqi people, those who survive by turning into thieves and murderers, and those who are so sick that they actually enjoy the battles and torture. And then there are those who are revered because they face formidable obstacles and manage to maintain honor, integrity, and compassion – but who said it’s easy to maintain that stance?
J. W. Stone has written a very fine, realistic novel about the Battle of Fallujah. Captain Michael Beck is a former civilian lawyer now serving in a legal capacity in Iraq. Before the attack a female photographer, Anne Merrill, is determined to capture the entire battle which gets a lot of officers angry because she seem to ignore the very real risks of an actual attack. Things get worse between Beck and Merrill after she walks into a room and starts snapping pictures of dead Iraqi bodies and a soldier standing with his gun aimed toward them. They don’t realize one of the bodies isn’t dead and he will much later be the key witness who makes all the difference in the world. It’s obvious that the ramifications of a soldier gone berserk with killing would have on the Iraqi people and then on the American military. The rules are super strict for a reason, to prevent this disaster in the making. Now Beck and others will be challenged to stretch the rules to cover up this living nightmare!
To tell more would be to spoil a fascinating (hate to use the word in this context but it is) examination of the Iraqi thug who forces other Iraqi citizens to carry out his torture and death squad activities. Here he hopes to set up a scene that will force the Americans to leave for good. It’s not that he hates Americans for their help; he just wants total control of the devastating conditions for his own self-interest and material gain. Religious motivation is just a cover here!
As time passes, we are beginning to see more novels about the Iraq war coming to publication and this is an excellent presentation of the horrors and surprises of war that make our service men and women honor what they do and why they do it. Innocence and guilt must have very clear definitions in these scenes; the alternative is too horrific to even think about.
Great writing and very real depiction of what many wish would not be so – but it is and therefore is more poignant and devastating and heart-warming because of your telling of the truth of all sides! Great read! Thanks for sharing, J. W. Stone!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duty to Investigate is a military crime thriller set in 2004 at the lead up to the Iraq War. I believe it is an authentic depiction of events and of the effects the war has on those involved, and the repercussions of misinterpretation of events and actions taken. It is a story in narrative form from several perspectives, the military, the interaction of troops with civilians and the enemy, and personal relationships.

The protagonist Lieutenant Colonel Mike Beck (USMC reserve) is good looking, highly intelligent with chauvinistic tendencies. He treats women as an R'n'R activity, to be used and discarded, but he is also compassionate, with a great deal of integrity and a strong sense of morality and totally dedicated to his work. Beck is a successful lawyer who is appointed as the 4th Division's Staff Judge Advocate.

Anne Merrill is a highly motivated newspaper journalist who also works for a tv corporation. She is beautiful, independent, headstrong and totally driven to get to where, and get what she wants on her own terms with no compromise. After an incident with fatalities taken in an ambush in Fallujah she is determined to provide coverage of the war in Iraq and has no qualms about using her positions to get her there.

Anne stumbles across an 'incident' and takes photographs. She is convinced that she knows what occurred and is determined to report what she has witnessed. Mike however wants to investigate further but will he jeopardise his integrity in the process to get to the truth.

Haitham Rasheed and his cousin, Ahmed are teenagers wanting to do anything to help their family and make the difficulties of everyday life in a war torn country more bearable. Their actions have disastrous repercussions for all involved.

I particularly enjoyed reading about these characters and genuinely felt empathy, and concern for them. They were well drawn out, highly credible with flawed and complex traits, and I'm sure that some of the events and tragic circumstances will not sit well with some readers. However, I did not fully believe in the relationship between Beck and Anne towards the end as it appeared out of character and rather rushed. But then again, maybe being in an intense war zone where the threat of death is a possibility, perhaps people do act out of character during that period. I don't know, but the author does, so I asked him if Beck and Anne were based on real people but as yet I've had no response. I had hoped his reply would give credibility to his characters actions.

'Duty to Investigate' is a thrilling military tale which at times has some harrowing scenes. It humanises the Iraqi civilians instead of demonising them as a nation. 'DTI' should appeal to anyone interested in military thrillers, and about the Iraq War.

I look forward to reading more from JW Stone.

I received an e-copy from the publisher for an unbiased review. I should like to thank them for the opportunity to review this title.

[Johnplavelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Chicago Lawyer volunteers for a safe position aimed at helping his chances for promotion in the USMC reserve unit the will "never" be mobilized. Soon we are in the streets of Falluja and under fire from insurgents with AK47s and rocket propelled grenades. Throw into the mix an attractive newswoman looking for the story of her career as she is embedded with a Marine unit that is involved in the second attempt to capture Fallujah from the enemy. This is a fast moving and hard hitting novel of the war in Iraq. J. W. Stone has created a novel that will make its mark on the war in the middle east regardless of the politics of most readers.

[Julie Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story very much, even more than I thought I would. It was a realistic portrayal of what I imagine war is like, without romanticizing it or demonizing it. The MC is a JAG lawyer who is tasked with investigating a possible war crime, and he doesn't shirk off this duty. All of the characters are very human, which means they are flawed and realistic. The ending was very satisfying, as well.

This was an enjoyable, quick read, and I very much recommend it.

5/5 stars.

[Kate Anders · Rating 3 out of 5]

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Every now and again I read a good military book. Some of them I get entranced by and enjoy from beginning to end. Just like I'm a sucker for a good military movie, I am a sucker for a good military book. I had a lot of high hopes for this book because I can actually remember the events that this book kind of take place around. My husband and father-in-law are both active duty army so I remember hearing a lot about Fallujah at the time.

So to kind of start off the book seems to have a slow pace, particularly in the beginning. There is a lot of build up and explanation about what everyone was doing prior to the events in Fallujah. Which is fine. I like a good backstory. This backstory though, in my opinion, could have been done in half the pages while still accomplishing its point, plus the pace would have picked up a lot more.

Another big issue for me was the the POV jumps around a lot. Like too much. I like having more than one POV, but when you start getting into having three or more, I need the length of time spent in that POV to be a bit longer. The problem, at least for me, is that the book starts to feel like it is jumping around an awful lot and it kind of starts to break apart the rhythm I get into with the characters.

Now that being said, I thought the book was pretty decent. The author either had some first hand knowledge of being in a war zone and how the military works, or he did a pretty good job with researching. Either way it all came off as decently authentic to me. I have to say he was also pretty good at giving descriptions of people, especially the Marines (particularly the one Marine who looked like he belonged on a Marine merchandise poster). Overall, the prose was pretty good, and very clear.

As for the characters, I liked both Anne and Beck. Anne is for the most part really clear on what she wants. And once she decides on what she wants, she just goes for, doesn't stop until she gets it. She has a good moral center too, which I like. I have to admit in the beginning when she was bouncing around the firefight, I kept thinking to myself that she's going to get herself killed, and then I also found myself thinking she isn't doing these Marines a whole lot of favors since they have to keep watch on her and she won't follow any direction at all. But then again, she was doing her job, so I can understand where the character is coming from. Beck as a lawyer, well he's a pretty good one, he has some traits that aren't 100% my favorite, but he is a flawed person just like everyone else in the world. And he works really well within the confines of the book.

The characters I couldn't stand reading were the young Iraqi boys. I thought it was really interesting that the author was going to put in POVs from both sides of the aisle, and I was pretty excited to see how this played out, but ultimately I didn't like it all. Honestly, the writing for the boys seemed more juvenile than anything else, and did not in any way pull me into the story like the other characters did.

Overall, I liked the book for the most part. I think anyone who has an interest in military oriented books would probably enjoy reading this book. For me, the POV issues and pacing were hard for me to overlook, so I give this book a solid three stars.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

DUTY TO INVESTIGATE by JW Stone is a military, political, legal thriller. Although a bit confusing at the beginning with the introduction of all the characters and events, the story evens out. There are some disturbing scenes/events depicted which are to be expected during wartime, the book is an interest read.

.Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

[MartyAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

TITLE: Duty to Investigate
AUTHOR: J.W. Stone
GENRE/AUDIENCE: Military/Legal Thriller -- Adult audience
PUBLISHER: Open Road Integrated Media
PUB DATE: July 2, 2013

REVIEW: Marine JAG lawyer Lt. Col. Mike Beth finds himself looking for the truth in the middle of hell. A family is executed in a schoolroom in Fallujah. Who is responsible? The truth may be out there, and it also may cost him deeply of his sense of right and wrong, which war has a way of making upside down, sloppy, bloody, deadly and at the risk of every sense of integrity he possesses. If he is determined to do right, and to investigate effectively, he may have to do considerable wrong to get there.

Civilian model turned war photojournalist Anne Merrill has her own gut feelings about the scenes she watches play out, and not much stands in her way for long. Anne also comes upon a civilian case of a grandmother whose mortgage is being changed, endangering the ownership of her only home. Anne's investigations play from morality as much as justice.

War is raw. Ugly. Hard to take. Close your eyes and scenes still flicker there. No one in war zones walks away unharmed.

The chain of command is both the layers of command structure and also the men who answer each layer of command. Mike Beth has a command to lead as well. He has commanders to obey. Not obeying orders is foreign to especially a JAG officer, but the truth is crucial in determining what is truly right. Mike Beth finds himself in the ugly realities of all these things.

TAGS: War, duty. command, JAG, Military Justice System
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ABOUT THIS REVIEWER: I am a book lover and aspiring librarian. My passion is in reader's advisory -- finding the right book to be read next! This means I read very widely. My Blog on Blogger had over 700 hits in July, 875 hits in August. http://martysreads.blogspot.com/ Share the word!

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A female reporter trying to prove herself, a Marine lawyer with his first taste of combat, a young man who lost his job and enlisted in the Marines, and a young Iraqi native see their world's collide during the Second Battle of Fallujah.

Mike Beck is a trial lawyer and a Marine Reservist, who finds himself called up and headed for Iraq as Staff Judge Advocate. Anne Merrill, trying to prove she is not just another pretty face, gets embedded as a photojournalist with a group of Marines. Jeremy Case loses his job, and enlists. And Haitham, an Iraqi national, is just trying to survive, doing anything to bring money and food to his family.

The author brings these characters together into an Iraq that comes to life, written as only someone who has experienced it could. The action is well paced, the battles well articulated and the armaments well described.

This books reads like a movie and I would enjoy seeing it on the big screen.

[Oma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family is executed in a schoolroom in Fallujah. Who is responsible? The Marine found with his pistol pointed at the victims? Or was someone else responsible? An investigation is needed and Beck, a Marine reservist, serving as a legal adviser/investigator must find out what has happened before an embedded reporter submits her article and photographs of the crime. The writer approaches this story from a variety of angles. He writes about the lead characters and their actions leading up to the atrocity and making the point that what seems obvious is not always true. The book presents the bravery of our troops in battle and in helping to find the truth about the slaughter of civilians. It also presents some insight into the motivation-or lack there of- that drove some of the insurgents. I have not been compensated in any way (other than being given a copy of this book to review) and my opinion on the book is entirely my own.

[Sunflower · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say, I have no real military experience and know only what I see on TV or in the movies. This book was an eye opener to military jargon, chain of command, and how civilians fare in a country raged with war. You have to read the prologue to really get a feel for the story, which opens in Fallujah, Iraq, with a squadron of Marines, and where the captain is “babysitting” a reporter, Anne Merrill. Here the squadron runs into a school and a battle ensues leaving several civilians dead. Or were they dead before the battle? That’s basically what the running question is throughout the story. Here enters Mike Beck, a prosperous attorney in Chicago and also a reservist in the military. He goes on active duty and defends the squadron. This is where the story really picks up speed. Not going to tell the ending here. The author does a good job describing the events, Iraq, and the characters. A very good read.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written book with a very interesting and human Hero. He is an attorney and Marine reservist assigned to a unit that hasn't been activated in decades. Within weeks of his assignment he and his fellow Marines find themselves active and on their way to the Middle East. He is tasked with investigating the brutal killing of a group of civilians that is being blamed on a young Marine.

Duty To Investigate contained multiple subjects to hold my interest: two mysteries, military action and intrigue, well developed characters and a romantic ending. At first this mix of subjects was a bit confusing, but after a couple of chapters it began to make sense and then I couldn't put the book down.

I highly recommend this book and think that it appeals to a wide audience of readers.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked how the book showed the path that all the characters took so that they all ended up in the same place during a cluster. It was interesting to see what everyone first thought versus what really happened. I was glad that people had open minds for so many reasons.

I really liked how for the most part the characters were "good" guys, but at times ended up in bad situations. I liked how Anne was tenacious and went after what really happened. Beck was interesting, there were times I didn't like him, but in the end he seemed to always make the right decision. So many other characters had me laughing, sometimes with them, sometimes at them, especially when they would end up in a crazy situation.

I also really liked how real all of the military situations were. When they were driving for their lives it seemed like you were right there with them.

[Julie (Bookish.Intoxication) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this novel from NetGalley.

This novel was action packed and fast paced. The number of interesting and engaging characters makes for a great read and a comradery only seen within military forces. The novel allows a look into the minds of men and women whom are at war, with a people who don't know what it is they are fighting for. The story line in itself is great.

The reason for only three stars is due to when being read from the Iraq boys poiny of view, the narrator seems to be taking to a child and seems quite condescending, there are many spelling errors, minor though and until the last twenty percent of the novel it feels quite laggy, as though nothing really happens until the very last chapters, which is annoying.

A good book and an intriguing read, definitely for any fans of war fiction or just a good tale.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of they book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love military time novels and this was a real gritty, in your face book about war. Anne Merrill is a reporter that goes to write a story about the battle of Fallujah.

Mike Beck, civil trial lawyer, ends up being the staff judge advocate for the 4th division. He is deployed to the war. During a mission, Anne gets photos of a possible war crime and Mike is sent to investigate.

This changed perspectives with many of the characters in the book. It was written very well and enjoyed the changing perspectives without getting confusing. If you enjoy this type of novel, this is a definite must read.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would classify this novel as a military story, a legal thriller, and political intrigue. J.W. Stone has written a sharp, edgy book that reads like non-fiction. I could totally see this as a "story ripped from the headlines." The characters were strong, multi-layered and compelling. The book was evenly paced and the premise exciting. The plot was strong throughout and the settings became support characters. The ease of immersion was good, and I would recommend this book to both men and women. The subject is harsh, the scenarios realistic, the outcome satisfying. I would definitely read more form this author.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.