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Badge of Honor #9
The Traffickers
Homicide Sergeant Matthew Payne is used to murder, but lately there’s been an awful lot of it in Philadelphia. A gangland shooting in a popular tourist location has left six dead, most of them innocent bystanders, and days later the body of a headless Latina turns up in the Schuykill River. Everybody assumes they’re not related, but Payne can’t shake the hunch that there’s something more to it—and that hunch leads him far from the City of Brotherly Love to the Texas–Mexico border. There, he finds a world where the lines of law and order are murkier than he ever imagined possible, and the daily question is “ O Plato o Plomo?” Silver or lead. Cash or death.
Which will Matt Payne take? Or will he just go home, glad to be alive . . . ?
Filled with authentic color and detail, this is a riveting novel of the men and women who put their lives on the line, from the cop on the beat to the commissioner himself. It’s a story of fears, dangers, courage, loyalty, and genuine heroism: storytelling at its best.
Which will Matt Payne take? Or will he just go home, glad to be alive . . . ?
Filled with authentic color and detail, this is a riveting novel of the men and women who put their lives on the line, from the cop on the beat to the commissioner himself. It’s a story of fears, dangers, courage, loyalty, and genuine heroism: storytelling at its best.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2009
303 people are currently reading
635 people want to read
About the author
W.E.B. Griffin
351 books1,299 followersW.E.B. Griffin was one of several pseudonyms for William E. Butterworth III.
From the Authors Website:
W.E.B. Griffin was the #1 best-selling author of more than fifty epic novels in seven series, all of which have made The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and other best-seller lists. More than fifty million of the books are in print in more than ten languages, including Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and Hungarian.
Mr. Griffin grew up in the suburbs of New York City and Philadelphia. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1946. After basic training, he received counterintelligence training at Fort Holabird, Maryland. He was assigned to the Army of Occupation in Germany, and ultimately to the staff of then-Major General I.D. White, commander of the U.S. Constabulary.
In 1951, Mr. Griffin was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, interrupting his education at Phillips University, Marburg an der Lahn, Germany. In Korea he earned the Combat Infantry Badge as a combat correspondent and later served as acting X Corps (Group) information officer under Lieutenant General White.
On his release from active duty in 1953, Mr. Griffin was appointed Chief of the Publications Division of the U.S. Army Signal Aviation Test & Support Activity at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Mr. Griffin was a member of the Special Operations Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Army Aviation Association, the Armor Association, and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society.
He was the 1991 recipient of the Brigadier General Robert L. Dening Memorial Distinguished Service Award of the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, and the August 1999 recipient of the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, presented at the 100th National Convention in Kansas City.
He has been vested into the Order of St. George of the U.S. Armor Association, and the Order of St. Andrew of the U.S. Army Aviation Association, and been awarded Honorary Doctoral degrees by Norwich University, the nation’s first and oldest private military college, and by Troy State University (Ala.). He was the graduation dinner speaker for the class of 1988 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
He has been awarded honorary membership in the Special Forces Association, the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, the Marine Raiders Association, and the U.S. Army Otter & Caribou Association. In January 2003, he was made a life member of the Police Chiefs Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and the State of Delaware.
He was the co-founder, with historian Colonel Carlo D’Este, of the William E. Colby Seminar on Intelligence, Military, and Diplomatic Affairs. (Details here and here)
He was a Life Member of the National Rifle Association. And he belongs to the Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Pensacola, Florida, chapters of the Flat Earth Society.
Mr. Griffin’s novels, known for their historical accuracy, have been praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer for their “fierce, stop-for-nothing scenes.”
“Nothing honors me more than a serviceman, veteran, or cop telling me he enjoys reading my books,” Mr. Griffin says.
Mr. Griffin divides his time between the Gulf Coast and Buenos Aires.
Notes:
Other Pseudonyms
* Alex Baldwin
* Webb Beech
* Walker E. Blake
* W.E. Butterworth
* James McM. Douglas
* Eden Hughes
* Edmund O. Scholefield
* Patrick J. Williams
* W. E. Butterworth
* John Kevin Dugan
* Jac
From the Authors Website:
W.E.B. Griffin was the #1 best-selling author of more than fifty epic novels in seven series, all of which have made The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and other best-seller lists. More than fifty million of the books are in print in more than ten languages, including Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and Hungarian.
Mr. Griffin grew up in the suburbs of New York City and Philadelphia. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1946. After basic training, he received counterintelligence training at Fort Holabird, Maryland. He was assigned to the Army of Occupation in Germany, and ultimately to the staff of then-Major General I.D. White, commander of the U.S. Constabulary.
In 1951, Mr. Griffin was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, interrupting his education at Phillips University, Marburg an der Lahn, Germany. In Korea he earned the Combat Infantry Badge as a combat correspondent and later served as acting X Corps (Group) information officer under Lieutenant General White.
On his release from active duty in 1953, Mr. Griffin was appointed Chief of the Publications Division of the U.S. Army Signal Aviation Test & Support Activity at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Mr. Griffin was a member of the Special Operations Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Army Aviation Association, the Armor Association, and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society.
He was the 1991 recipient of the Brigadier General Robert L. Dening Memorial Distinguished Service Award of the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, and the August 1999 recipient of the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, presented at the 100th National Convention in Kansas City.
He has been vested into the Order of St. George of the U.S. Armor Association, and the Order of St. Andrew of the U.S. Army Aviation Association, and been awarded Honorary Doctoral degrees by Norwich University, the nation’s first and oldest private military college, and by Troy State University (Ala.). He was the graduation dinner speaker for the class of 1988 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
He has been awarded honorary membership in the Special Forces Association, the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, the Marine Raiders Association, and the U.S. Army Otter & Caribou Association. In January 2003, he was made a life member of the Police Chiefs Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and the State of Delaware.
He was the co-founder, with historian Colonel Carlo D’Este, of the William E. Colby Seminar on Intelligence, Military, and Diplomatic Affairs. (Details here and here)
He was a Life Member of the National Rifle Association. And he belongs to the Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Pensacola, Florida, chapters of the Flat Earth Society.
Mr. Griffin’s novels, known for their historical accuracy, have been praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer for their “fierce, stop-for-nothing scenes.”
“Nothing honors me more than a serviceman, veteran, or cop telling me he enjoys reading my books,” Mr. Griffin says.
Mr. Griffin divides his time between the Gulf Coast and Buenos Aires.
Notes:
Other Pseudonyms
* Alex Baldwin
* Webb Beech
* Walker E. Blake
* W.E. Butterworth
* James McM. Douglas
* Eden Hughes
* Edmund O. Scholefield
* Patrick J. Williams
* W. E. Butterworth
* John Kevin Dugan
* Jac
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
February 24, 2016
3 ½ stars ~ Enjoyable read but not great.
I believe some of the newer Griffin readers are missing the boat. 2 things one should note ref Griffin. First and foremost, THE Griffin is 85+ years of age which most likely means he is NOT writing anymore, merely lending his name / legacy to his son and the son is no WEB Griffin. Hence the latest versions of all of his series are not nearly as good as the older ones.
Secondly, the books do repeat a lot of old information and tidbits as that is how he has always ran his series. It allows the reader to invest over the long haul in his characters. He writes as if he is doing a television show that only comes out every few years. The repeat of old info allows us long time readers to get back in the swing of his things but also allows newer readers a look back at some character / story history.
Griffin books are generally meant to engage the reader and let you grow in your interest as each character progresses. I’d encourage any new Griffin reader to go back to the start of some of much older original series such as Brotherhood of War, The Corp and Men at War. Start at the beginning and those series are more than worth the read. Plenty of legitimate 4 and 5 star books in that batch. I continue to read the newer ones as they come out as I am a long time devotee of the Griffin characters and readily admit that the aforementioned military series are much better than the more current Presidential Agent and Badge of Honor ones.
I believe some of the newer Griffin readers are missing the boat. 2 things one should note ref Griffin. First and foremost, THE Griffin is 85+ years of age which most likely means he is NOT writing anymore, merely lending his name / legacy to his son and the son is no WEB Griffin. Hence the latest versions of all of his series are not nearly as good as the older ones.
Secondly, the books do repeat a lot of old information and tidbits as that is how he has always ran his series. It allows the reader to invest over the long haul in his characters. He writes as if he is doing a television show that only comes out every few years. The repeat of old info allows us long time readers to get back in the swing of his things but also allows newer readers a look back at some character / story history.
Griffin books are generally meant to engage the reader and let you grow in your interest as each character progresses. I’d encourage any new Griffin reader to go back to the start of some of much older original series such as Brotherhood of War, The Corp and Men at War. Start at the beginning and those series are more than worth the read. Plenty of legitimate 4 and 5 star books in that batch. I continue to read the newer ones as they come out as I am a long time devotee of the Griffin characters and readily admit that the aforementioned military series are much better than the more current Presidential Agent and Badge of Honor ones.
October 4, 2022
The book was a pleasant surprise. I picked up this book in a book store and could not put it down. Page turner for sure . Story more semi predictable but with lots of twist and turns . Read it!
October 20, 2021
Standard Griffin novel. Lots of conversation, humor, and the backstory of each main character. When there is action, it's quick, not drawn out and the focus is on the characters.
Let's face facts, these are simple stories. Not a lot of heavy thinking required.
One thing this author is good at is bringing out historical facts. Often during the conversation between one character and another.
In this story the main protagonist for the Philadelphia Police Department is teamed up with a Texas Ranger. The Texas Ranger over the course of the novel gives the other characters a history of the Texas rangers.
It does delve into some political issues, They discuss second amendment as well as illegal immigrant issues, The drug war and terrorist ties to drug sales.
Let's face facts, these are simple stories. Not a lot of heavy thinking required.
One thing this author is good at is bringing out historical facts. Often during the conversation between one character and another.
In this story the main protagonist for the Philadelphia Police Department is teamed up with a Texas Ranger. The Texas Ranger over the course of the novel gives the other characters a history of the Texas rangers.
It does delve into some political issues, They discuss second amendment as well as illegal immigrant issues, The drug war and terrorist ties to drug sales.
July 5, 2010
An interesting plot mired down under the weight of having to constantly announce that it takes place in Philly. Seriously, one or two landmarks per chapter would suffice; this reads more like a travelogue to the seedier side of the city. And does the author really need to explain twice that salsa is sorta like spicy ketchup? Hellooo! It's been outselling ketchup nationwide for about a decade now. And if there's a Philly cop out there who doesn't know what cojones are, someone needs to take his/her badge away now. I might have enjoyed the story more if I wasn't constantly pulled away from it by these telling little details that basically told me the editor was out to lunch on this one.
July 7, 2014
I have enjoyed this series until this book. It's much less a police procedural than a thinly veiled diatribe against gun control and immigration, ending with the bad guy being executed by one of the "good guys", who launched into a spiel about why this was good for the US in general and Philly in particular. Devoutly hope this is not an indicator for the rest of the series
March 8, 2020
I loved this book. Out of all the W.E.B Griffin series, the badge of honor series is my favorite. The main character Matthew is funny and super easy to like. I love the styles that he uses where a bunch of things happen that don't seem related, but then somehow they all come together to one conclusion. In this one, they have to find a trafficker who takes advantage of illegal immigrants and has a tendency to cut off people's heads. In the process, new friends are made, there's plenty of action, and some heart warming moments as well. In the end, there is an extremely satisfying conclusion to the case.
July 6, 2013
I really like The Badge of Honor series. I like the main characters and feel as if I know them. The stories are interesting and keep my attention. The main complaint I have is all the dialogue describing a scene or what someone is thinking, it can go on for pages. Then there are the text messages that are sometimes 4 or 5 pages. To me this is just padding. I skip tons of descriptive narrative until I see the characters talking again. Also each book describes the same people, their relationships, positions in the dept. and how they got there. The books could be half the length if some of this trivial info was left out.
December 28, 2013
I listened to this as a book on tape. This was the first one in this series that I read. Right from the beginning, I thought he overdid it on the overused cliches. The plot was okay but the writing was tiresome to get through. I felt like the author wrote it quickly just to have another novel completed.
September 18, 2009
I couldn't wait to finish it so I could start something better; but for some reason I felt compelled to find out how it ended. Drugs, human trafficking, cowboys and cops. I now need a break from W.E.B. Griffin.
March 30, 2023
I'll be reading more of this guy's books.
February 9, 2013
Disappointing
January 29, 2020
Ok book, not sure I’m into Police Detective books.
I found the lead Officer to not focus on his job and although is the hero in some ways, he is more bumbling and lucky. There wasn’t much detective work, lots of talking then a lucky break and the book is over.
I also found the book repeated many things from one person explaining something to another person reading the same thing. It would have been a much shorter book if they just said.... he read the same story that so and so had explained to... one or two sentences instead of pages of repeating.
Not disappointed, glad to have read it but probably won’t rush to pick up another.
I found the lead Officer to not focus on his job and although is the hero in some ways, he is more bumbling and lucky. There wasn’t much detective work, lots of talking then a lucky break and the book is over.
I also found the book repeated many things from one person explaining something to another person reading the same thing. It would have been a much shorter book if they just said.... he read the same story that so and so had explained to... one or two sentences instead of pages of repeating.
Not disappointed, glad to have read it but probably won’t rush to pick up another.
September 14, 2025
I started this book right after the last one I had read in August, but after the first couple of chapters I put it down as I was not very interested in the story line. I had been reading this series of books back to back, but I was a bit disappointed when the authors moved the storyline to (then) present day instead of based in the seventies.
After reading some other books, I came back to this a month later and once I stopped comparing it to the first few books in the series, I really enjoyed it. I liked them adding a Texas Ranger into the mix. I'm ready to get back to reading the few left in this series.
After reading some other books, I came back to this a month later and once I stopped comparing it to the first few books in the series, I really enjoyed it. I liked them adding a Texas Ranger into the mix. I'm ready to get back to reading the few left in this series.
December 10, 2022
This series as officially lost it's charm for me. The writing is not what it was and the plot should have filled only half the book - the rest was just regurgitated from previous books.
Where we are the characters I had grown so attached to? Why does Matt fall in love with a different girl every 5 minutes? I liked the idea of a Texas Ranger, but this one wasn't interesting.
Can we go back to the 70s?
Where we are the characters I had grown so attached to? Why does Matt fall in love with a different girl every 5 minutes? I liked the idea of a Texas Ranger, but this one wasn't interesting.
Can we go back to the 70s?
December 5, 2024
Matt Payne returns to the force on limited duty – they want him to just do office stuff – but part of that includes helping a Texas Ranger who comes to Philadelphia to investigate a gang of drug- and human-traffickers (as the title indicates). Some of Matt’s friends are involved in the money laundering and the drugs, too.
I won’t spoil anything, but this might be the best book of the series so far!
I won’t spoil anything, but this might be the best book of the series so far!
November 25, 2025
I enjoy these W.E.B. Griffin (and grandson) novels about the Philadelphia police department. The focus is on Matt Payne, and his discovery, along with his friend the Texas Ranger, a group of Latin American men who help Latina women escape from their lives of poverty - only to imprison, rape and force them to service other men. The reader is relieved when the horror is over - for a while. A good read.
June 20, 2019
Matt Payne.....a Philadelphia homicide detective is caught up in a murder/drug and human trafficking case. With the help of a Texas ranger who has experienced similar goings on in his home town they are able to get to the bottom of the horrific acts of violence that are taking place and apprehend the leader of the drug cartel. A fast moving mystery that kept me in intrigued.
May 3, 2020
Used to be a big fan of this series, until I got to this book. Between the name dropping of pop culture items to characters suddenly changing their entire personality or having characters that were written out of the previous book suddenly reappear, it's just not worth my time continuing to read this series.
November 4, 2025
I do not know this but this book seems to have been written more by the son than the father. It is just NOT as smoothly done as all the other Griffin books I’ve read. The story is OK but not great. The new characters don’t have the same fully developed biography. The love series at the end seemed very rushed.
June 17, 2018
One protagonist is a Mary Sue and the other is so stereotypically Texan that it was painful. Plot was a bare-bones vehicle for the author's political opinions and strawmen. Research was...sparse, at best. Often felt like the Wikipedia page for something got dumped in with no real understanding.
September 9, 2020
Weer eens een boek van Griffin. Toch wel een bekend thema, maar dan vanuit de VS. Volgens mij mis ik wel een beetje de echte Griffin, dus duidelijk de invloed van de co-writer? Na een wat moeizame start het bekende snelle werk, dat leest prettig. En ja, the good guys always wins...
December 17, 2020
I didn't like this one as much as the others, but that could have been my mindset. December is a distracted month for listening. I did like this narrator and storyline. I do hope that the woman in this story sticks around for a bit. ;)
Read
July 17, 2022A story that made me feel uncomfortable to read. The crimes the cartels commit are inhuman as well as the statistics mentioned in the story are unimaginable. The introduction of the Texas Ranger was a fun new idea. I enjoyed his part in the story.
September 9, 2022
Would have give this book 3 stars but Matt acts like a lustful 13 year old at times and the story line lost 10 years. The first book started in 1973. This book takes place 6-7 years later but everyone has a cell phone. That didn't happen until almost 1990, not 1980.
April 15, 2024
Good book. My biggest complaint, and most people could care less, I'm sure, but the previous books in the series is based in the '70s. And this book is based after 9/11. But nobody has aged at all. Payne is still in his late 20's, where he should be at least 15 years older by the books timeline.
December 9, 2024
A gangland shooting in a popular tourist location leaves 2 dead and many others hurt; a motel room blows up, killing 2 and injuring more; and the body of a headless Latina turns up in the Schuylkill River.
January 10, 2018
Matt, helps the Texas Ranger's find a Mexican Drug Lord who is chopping the heads off of women
February 24, 2018
A reader of mystery books for years, I looked forward to reading a new author with a book rating of 3.92. However, this book was a great disappointment. Don't waste your time.
June 5, 2018
WEB Griffin does it again
I love how Griffin tells us about what has happened and what is happening in the world through fiction! His books are super addictive!
I love how Griffin tells us about what has happened and what is happening in the world through fiction! His books are super addictive!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews