Brian F. Haig

The Hunted by Brian Haig

A frightening story of corruption and violence, Haig shows that lack of morals is not restricted to foreigners. A lurid story of corruption at the highest level in the “new” Russia, “The Hunted” showcases the KGB role in modern Russia. A young entrepreneur finds that democracy doesn’t truly exist when a mafia, KGB consortium conspires to steal his fortune. He discovers the corruption is as rampant in the USA as in his home country. The depths that show more politicians sink to further their own goals with out regard to human rights is depressing, especially considering the book is a fictional account of a true story.

Haig portrayed an ambitious, talented couple with compassion and interest. Alex and Elena would be likeable and interesting without the violent story line. The character development was superb. The story line was dismayingly frightening. There was a surreal feel about the story that suggested improbability. In historic perspective the story may have been less lurid than reality in the “new” Russia. The lack of concern by high officials in both governments for human rights was depressing. It put totally new perspective on the whole illegal immigrant debacle.

I enjoyed the book, I recommend it. It was unpredictable and depressing on occasion but it didn’t just hold my interest, it snatched it, grappled with it and squeezed it without mercy until I turned the last page. show less

I just love wise-cracking protagonists; they have a skill I've never been able to develop. Sean Drummond is the JAG attorney creation of Brian Haig, son of Alexander (you know, of "Don't worry, Alex is here. I'm in charge, so nothing to worry about" fame), but I won't hold that against him.
Major Drummond has been asked to spend a year working for a private law firm - Culper, Hutch, and Westin - that represent some of the District of Columbia's most respectable institutions, as an experiment show more in army/private sector cooperation. The fact that he is unpopular with his army superiors for his sharp tongue and insubordination might also have had something to do with it. Drummond begins irritating his stuffed shirt bosses from the moment he arrives. He figures if he makes himself sufficiently unpopular, he can get himself kicked out of the program, where he follows in the footsteps at the law firm of Lisa Morrow, another JAG officer and Sean's erstwhile old flame.
Lisa had been killed in the Pentagon parking lot just before a dinner date that Sean hopes might rekindle some of the former embers. Her death is followed by three others, all the ostensible work of a serial killer whose modus operandi appears very similar to that of the LA Killer of several years before, i.e., the victims' necks had all been snapped. There was no apparent connection between the victims.
Sean, in the meantime has become embroiled in an audit of Morris Telecommunications, a company that has retained his law firm. Sean discovers some unusual financial arrangements, but he has no reason to suspect anything particularly nefarious until his brother, a financial wizard with spreadsheets, points out that several "swaps" on Morris's books put Sean's firm in some financial jeopardy. (Swaps are what sank Enron. Basically, two entities get together to show revenue on their books for the largely insubstantial use of each other's services. It's a way of propping up income statements to keep stock prices up, all legal according to generally accepted accounting principles, but another reason to shoot the accountants before going after the lawyers. :)) ) Drummond also begins to realize that the firm's attorneys might be capitalizing on his inexperience with corporate law to set him up as a fall guy. They to reckon without his long experience as a criminal attorney for the army.
In the meantime, Janet Morrow, Lisa's sister and assistant district attorney in Boston, has decided to follow the investigation into her sister's death from close up. She and Sean discover that Lisa's emails had been hidden and quarantined in the firm's network behind a secure firewall. Sean is accused of malfeasance by the firm, but by some not-so-subtle pressure on the privates of his boss (in a very funny scene), Sean extorts the help of the firm's computer expert to examine Lisa's emails. It's there that he discovers a link between the victims. Lisa had known all of them.
Soon Drummond is snared in a mesh of conflicting loyalties, as he discovers that some governmental agencies are involved in some very secret business. A fun read. Drummond is a great character who ranks with Nelson DeMille's wiseacre CID investigator. show less

Not as good as either Mortal Allies or The Kingmaker, but still a very entertaining book. This time, the novel throws in a serial killer element to go with thriller and mystery elements. And I enjoyed the fact that Haig remembers characters that he has introduced previously and returns to them where appropriate. Sean Drummond is, now that I know what to expect, becoming one of my favorite characters. (As an example of the sort of dialog that a reader can expect, in one sequence Maj. show more Drummond's commanding general orders Drummond to report for a new assignment that Drummond wants no part of. Drummond asks if the new assignment is negotiable and the general replies that it is not. To this Drummond asks: "Is your non-negotiability negotiable?") Smart and funny without taking away from the action and excitement. Said another way: Funny without being stupid. show less

My favorite character and wiseass, Sean Drummond, is back. Someone has offered a $100 million bounty on the president's life and just to get everyone's attention, assassinates, in his home, the Chief of Staff and his family and the Secret Service detail assigned to their protection.

Haig nicely integrates some -- what I think -- pertinent information regarding the real world. While interviewing the major general in charge of the Army CID to help locate some missing weapons (specifically a show more Bouncing Betty and anti-tank missile) we learn that because of the enormous requirement for munitions in Afghanistant and Iraq, the Army has had to contract out security at the ports to civilian contractors who hire guards at $9.00 an hour and that given the amount of material being shipped (and later exploded) it was impossible to account for a lot of the explosives. That rings very true and is not particularly comforting.

Far-fetched plot, predictable ending. Nevertheless, I am a sucker for Sean Drummond, Haig's wise-cracking CIA/FBI/MP/JAG/CID jack-of-all investigative trades. Fun. show less