Six-foot-three and 232 pounds of solid muscle, John Puller never wanted anything but to wear an army uniform. He’s college-educated and speaks French, German, and Italian. He was the star of his military police training school and has a heroic combat record as an Army Ranger. Now he works for the Army Criminal Investigation Division. Unlike his father and brother, he never took officer training because he never wanted to find himself behind a desk. His father, Lieutenant General “Fighting John” Puller, has created a hard legacy to live up to. His older brother Robert, on the other hand, is in prison for treason.

Order and discipline are important to him, as is honor, and honor includes following orders from superior officers. The Army continues the rigid upbringing imposed by his father and at the same time provides him with the sense of family that he didn’t get from his cold, accusatory father. Over the course of the book, Puller learns how to integrate strength and vulnerability. He does this through his acquaintance with Cole, and when she dies, he can grieve for her without losing control of himself.