A Bounty of Books

Code 13 by Don Brown is the second installment of The Navy JAG series. Code 13 centers around the legality of a proposed drone project that has powerful advocates on both sides. Because of the billions of dollars that stand to be gained or lost depending on one's business ventures, various outside interest groups get involved to try and sway the legal opinion in their preferred direction.

Code 13 is better than the first book in this series (which I reviewed here). The characters weren't quite as oversized as before. There were definitely some overhanded and less than subtle statements and attitudes, but in this installment, there were at least hints of nuance. The overall plot was much tighter and easier to follow as well. The pace is fast and Brown does a good job of maintaining the suspense of what will happen next. While there is definitely room for improvement, Code 13 is much more like Brown's earlier works that I generally enjoy.

Anyone who enjoys military fiction will probably enjoy Code 13. Those interested in drones and how they can be used in various aspects of American life will also find this book interesting. It does raise interesting questions about where the line is between protecting Americans and violating their right to privacy. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to everyone, but there are some groups that will find it an interesting and enjoyable read.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookLook book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Detained by Don Brown is a novel about a terrorist plot against the U.S. There are several moving parts, including a foreign-born member of the United States Navy, his father, two Navy JAG lawyers, the Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Navy and his wife, and several characters from the Department of Homeland Security. Honestly, there are too many main characters for any of them to be fully developed.

The plot of Detained is convoluted at best. I have read other novels of Brown's in the past, and remember enjoying them, which is why I was so surprised with how much I did not like Detained. The plot is so outlandish and the characters seem like they belong in an SNL skit they are so one sided and a mockery of themselves.

I generally enjoy any novel that takes place in the military world, even if the plot and/or characters are not as developed or tight as I normally prefer them. However, there was just nothing in Detained I could latch on to. This won't stop me from reading Don Brown in the future, but I definitely won't be reading the rest of this series. 

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookLook book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255