Mortal Allies

Major Sean Drummond continues to fit the bill, as a witty, wise-cracking, charismatic JAG attorney who finds ways to entertain in cases where the odds are severely stacked against him. "Mortal Allies" takes place in South Korea. A by-the-book Captain is charged with the most unspeakable acts one can be charged with. The evidence is strong enough to convict even with a severely biased jury. Sean Drummond was hand-picked as co-counsel by an old schoolmate from Georgetown Law. A female student whom he just couldn't get along with. As an added kicker, these charges were committed against the son of the South Korean Minister of Defense! All of this makes for a compelling novel. And from what it seems, when this novel is written by Brian Haig, it's practically guaranteed to satisfy. Drummond is raw, funny and witty. The plot is thoroughly engaging and quick. The character development is as strong as is necessary. This is easily a book I'd recommend to anyone who likes a strong central character in military fiction. Well done!

Sean Drummand is a JAG lawyer who finds himself teamed with a female co-counsel in Korea, who just has to one up him in a controversial murder trial with world wide implications. The pair are defending a gay American officer who has been accused of killing the son of a South Korean war hero. Because Drummend isn't a PC kind of guy, the CIA likes him to no end and they trust him with secrets that seem to point of a very open & shut case, but it is just the first layer of a many layered conspiricy. This is my first Brian Haig thriller (borrowed from my husband while we were on vacation and I was out of reading material) and I found I enjoyed it a whole lot more than I first thought. Seriously, when you think of Brian Haig, don't you think guy book? Well I did and I guess I still do, but, you know, once I started it, I couldn't put it down. Lucky for me my hubby has everything Mr. Haig has ever written, so the next time I run out of something to read, I'll just raid his bookcase.

"Mortal Allies" tells the story of an Army lawyer assigned to defend an American soldier in South Korea accused of murder. But there is layer upon layer of complications that make this an extremely interesting read. First, the accused is gay. The victim is male lover of the accused. The victim is also the son of the Minister of Defense of South Korea. Finally, the case is airtight, with conviction virtually a certainty. All of the above would have made it a decent thriller, but there's more. We get to look into the fragile alliance our country has with South Korea. If not for the American presence, the Korean War would likely resume after half a century. But there have been so many accounts of misbehaving U.S. soldiers that the Koreans are ready to toss them out anyway. The danger that North Korea poses, both in the novel and in today's headlines make it better. But what puts it over the top is the relationship between the defense lawyers on the case. The narrator is a fairly conservative Army lifer who was second in his class. By one point. To a female. A very liberal female. They were at each other's throats in college, and he finds himself with her on the defense team. There has not been such good sparring since Bruce Willis took it up with Cybil Shepard, and this makes for great reading. The book executes a perfect balance between the serious and the humorous. The murder plot gets more and more complicated, reaching to high levels of government More people die, and we see the pain experienced from this very clearly. I was hoping for more information on that most mysterious country, North Korea, and was not disappointed in that area either. But the humor does balance out at the right times, as the lead character has to work with his old nemesis, her very gay team, and the issue of military gays in general. The plot takes several twists, and quite a few secrets are revealed as we go along. I will make note of one of the secrets, but only to point out a hint. Like the movie "The Sixth Sense", all the clues are there if you just look for them. If you read the book, look for the term "blue eyes", and it will give you a connection for one of the books big surprises. Now go out and get the book.

I've definitely become a fan of Brian Haig's with this latest (second) novel. The South Korean Defense Minister's son is brutally murdered and raped. The people whom stand accused for this heinous crime are three US military men. Katherine Carlson, a highly intelligent and cunning civilian attorney, is representing one of the accused, a Thomas Whitehall, who doesn't stand much of a chance since the other two will testify against him. Katherine requests Major Sean Drummond to be the military co-council. Drummond takes on the job with some reservations. When Drummond was in law school, Katherine was a classmate and they constantly fought like cats and dogs. Never did they get along. So needless to say Drummond is quite baffled as to her choice of co-council. It turns out the case goes beyond just the murder and rape.Brian Haig's witty first person narrative and a fast-paced story line, gets the reader highly involved and makes this a very good novel. The South Korean setting and gays in the military are two prominent themes in the story. A great military legal thriller.Highly recommended

Sean Drummond returns to investigate a puzzling murder.Summoned to South Korea, Sean must look into the bizarre murder of a young Korean man. The crime is unlike anything Sean has seen, and the defendant, a young officer, swears his innocence. The Koreans see the crime as a repulsive act of homosexuality, and necrophilia, but Whitewall (the young accused officer) claims he did not kill the young man and have sex with him, and to make matters worse Sean must team up with his law school rival, Katherine Carlson, a lawyer known for taking controversial cases.As the investigation heats up, Sean senses an attraction with Katherine, one that could prove to be dangerous for both of them for behind the murder of the young man lies a conspiracy too shocking for words, friends that may be enemies, and a killer waiting for the right moment to strike again.`Mortal Allies' continues the strong series of Sean Drummond military legal thrillers and what an enjoyable novel it is; suspenseful and well-written the novel grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until the last page is turned. Taking elements of the best military, and legal thrillers `Mortal Allies' speeds along with an engrossing plot filled to the hilt with unexpected twists.Brian Haig is quickly taking over the territory once owned by Nelson DeMille, and he is doing a terrific job of it. His new novel deserves to be one of the summer's big bestsellers, and catapult Mr. Haig to the front of other authors writing in the genre.A MUST read!Nick Gonnella