Final Justice

This was the 1st book in this series I read. It got me hooked so I went back and read the rest of the series. I got so wrapped up in the chracters that I couldnt put it down. The end seemed cut off though and I hope he writes another to finish the story.

Griffin skillfully weaves three major police investigations into his story of Detective Matt Payne's involvment in these cases as a member of the Philadelphis PD. As a former law enforcement officer, I found Griffin's narrative realistic in his development of clues to lead his police characters to the perpertrators of two of the crimes.In one of the cases, a lt. of detectives decides to go over the same evidence and the scene in a shooting and robbery at a fast food restaurant. His dogged investigative approach turns up a baseball cap which was overlooked initially and eventually is a key in solving the case because of a partial finger print left on the cap. While Payne is portrayed as a sort of super cop, Griffin also shows his weakness as a human being caused by the stress of his job and private life. Griffin obviously acquired an intimate knowledge of how a big city PD works, and he passes on this information to the readers without the tedious manner of McBain in his books. There is also a fascinating number of characters inside and outside of the PD to entertain and interest readers. It is a great book for anyone who likes a book with an interesting, realistic, and entertaining police story. There are 466 pages in this book and at first I thought I might not finish reading it. But I found it one of those books you hate to put down and I kept returing to because of the story and the author's easy style of telling the story.

Like most people, I prefer books about areas in which I have personal experience, but my lack of experience with Police work does not prevent me from enjoying this excellent book, Final Justice, in this great Badge of Honor series. The author again shows us that there are as many heroes in the police department as there are in the military. Final Justice again highlights the skills of newly minted Detective Sergeant Matt Payne, using him as one of many examples of the intelligence and dedication of the members of the police department. The author always talks about the good and bad of every organization, revealing the humanity and the problems of someone who is dedicated to public service. Mr. Griffin writes about people he knows, and he tells you marvelous inside stories about what happens behind the scenes. This is another great story with dedication as its base. This author knows people and he knows how to make them come alive. He does it so well that many of my friends forget that his books are fiction, so they expect every fact in the books to be completely accurate.I like fiction that teaches me something, at the same time I get a great story. A friend of mine calls this 'faction'. I get this from Mr. Griffin's books, directly and indirectly. I love his books because Mr. Griffin is a great, natural storyteller, and he forces me to research what is real and what is not. I have purchased 100-200 non-fiction books to check out his characters. His stories always point out how many heroes we really have in America. For me, some of his books are five plus, and some are five, but they are never less than that. You will enjoy this book at least as much as all of the author's other books, because it is a great story about the good guys versus the bad guys. The good guys work very hard, creating a lot of strain and stress on their personal lives. I wish all authors could write stories this good. As a Navy Brat, a draftee and an Army Reservist, I identify more with Mr. Griffin's books about the military, but these police books are equally enjoyable. This author's books are the only ones I reread on a regular basis, and I give them as gifts to others who are doing a great job, or in the hope that they will emulate the good guys. We need more authors writing about the heroes in this world, to continue to encourage people to do these tough jobs, in spite of the personal adversity they face daily.

In FINAL JUSTICE, Griffin again delivers what has made him the popular, best-seller that he is -- characters like you and me who are doing their doggone best in extra-ordinary circumstances.These are people we come to know and care about. You cringe when Matt Payne suffers from the memory of his murdered girlfriend. You cry when his sister the shrink attempts to analyze and treat him. You laugh when Mickey the reporter makes a mockery of those who deserve it. And you cheer when the good guys chase the bad ones.Unfortunately for Griffin, this remarkable ability to create such compelling people and their stories causes some readers to hold him to an extremely high standard. So, there's a time jump? It's okay -- because this is a terrific tale. It's great entertainment!

Instead of going to law school and becoming an attorney in the prestigious family firm, Matt Payne joins the Philadelphia police force. At first, everyone connected to Matt, on the job and off, thinks this is something he has to get out of his system before returning to the "proper" fold. Matt however solves some high profile cases and eventually becomes a respected detective. When he passes his sergeant's exam with the highest score, he obtains his wish a transfer to homicide.From the day he arrives there, he gets in the middle of the action, helping his superiors on a robbery that ends up with a woman and police officer dead. He's also assigned to work the case of a rape murderer who has to be caught before he strikes again. In the middle of all this, he is assigned to baby sit a movie star in town to raise funds for charity. Matt Payne may be an excellent police officer but he also has to learn that he is not a superhero before he implodes.Fans of police procedurals have a treat in store for them when they read FINAL JUSTICE as readers observe a day-to-day look into the workings of a police department and the toll it takes on an individual officer. W.E.B. Griffin humanizes the police officers he writes about so his audience feels sympathetic towards them and hope they are not killed in the line of duty. The final call on this novel is a winner for the audience.Harriet Klausner