Code of Conduct (Rich Merritt)

From the instant I started reading chapter one, I could NOT put this book down. From cover to cover, I was enthralled with the story line. This is the first book I've read from this author, but I'm now a loyal fan/reader!

I had the pleasure of meeting Rich Merritt on a ferry on the way to Provincetown. Knowing Rich forover four years now, this book not only speaks from his creative mind but also his past. There areparts of this book which are inspired by what Rich went through which made me love this book even more.

Through example, we see in this novel the practical impossibility of living dual lives, one professional, and one personal, where being fired is the remedy for a conduct violation. For this, the novel is quite powerful and remains vibrant long after the adoption of the silly "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Perhaps most compelling in the book is a glimpse into the workings of our military through the characters: Who wouldn't love Gunnery Sergeant Hawkins? Less so were the speeches on gay rights, intended to be impromptu, but sounding more like a didactic diatribes. Similarly distracting was the level of violence, which at times seemed implausible, and the obsession of the two investigative agents, which took repressed homosexuality into a conspiracy of the absurd. Perhaps toning down these more sensational elements would have made the central theme of "don't ask, don't tell" more compelling and a bit less trivial. That said, the author leaves us with plenty to think about, making... Read more

The title of my review pretty much sums up (at a very high level) the two things that will decide a book's fate for me: did it keep me engaged and did I care about the main characters? The answer for this book, in both cases, is yes. I agree with other reviewers that the dizzying number of characters in the beginning of the book and (in several cases) the rather thin development of them in the story was the only downside for me. Once you got the names and ranks down, the rest of the story was fantastic and (again like other reviewers) I was emotionally drawn in to their stories and their worlds. Also, for those of us who came of age during the early 90's and the first Clinton administration, the author's capturing that time period was evocative and authentic - it brought back a lot of good memories. Some of the dialogue was a bit trite and the main antagonist (Jay) never really came together for me, but I still really loved the story. My MAIN gripe, and this extends to gay ... Read more

Well what can i say bout "code of conduct" That as soon as i read the first chapter i was pretty much hooked, now i'm not normally a novel reader but when i seen this book i didnt actually read a review so a bit pointless writing this review but none-the-less i am writing this for guys that do actually read the review first b4 purchasing the novel. Code of Conduct is a book about Homosexuality in the navy, The US Marines. It's a very warm and welcoming novel to read, let me just say this! if ur a Gay/Bi man and obviously love your hot men, then this book you will love, It's part way between a Novel (which it is)and Porn, there are few pages in most chapters that graphically give an image very clearly of what the guys in the novel are doing ;) hint hint :) All Up i would definatly say that this novel was worht it, Buy It! You wont be dissapointed