Customer Reviews

The Kingmaker

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am continuing to read Brian Haig's Sean Drummond series in reverse order, having been very much taken with his most recent effort. In this story Drummond, a JAG officer has been assigned to represent an army officer charged with treason. Not just any old run of the mill treason, mind you, but one that sets a new standard for betraying one's country. Not just any old run of the mill officer either, but one that had attained the rank of Brigadier General. Not just any old run of the mill Brigadier General either, but one who thirteen years earlier married the love of Sean Drummond's life. Drummond is none too happy taking on this case, but his ex-lover has asked him to defend her husband and Drummond has never figured out how to say "no" to her...about anything.

The defense appears to be a hopeless undertaking as the prosecutor, an old nemisis, keeps laying out his case for the public in various press releases and meetings and the evidence appears to be overwhelming. But, appearances can be deceiving as we all know.

Drummond hires a Russian speaking associate who is easy on the eyes and who also has a sharp and agile mind. As they start to look into the case they learn things about their client that disturb them as to his character and eventually as to whether or not he is guilty of the charges.

Haig creates a web of intrigue that is best left to the reader to discover. Suffice it to say that he does it in a very page turning type of way and you will not want to put the book down once things really start to come together. Haig has a special way with a story such as this and we should all be thankful that he does.

This tale continues Brian Haig's series of thrillers that feature Major Sean Drummond, a loud-mouthed, know-it-all attorney in the US Army. The nice thing about the story is that Haig succeeds in giving us an engrossing plot and plenty of action despite his central character. In this story, Drummond has the assignment of defending Brigadier General William Morrison against charges of spying for Russia. Morrison, who is even more obnoxious than Drummond, claims that he is innocent, and the huge amount of evidence against him suggests that he may be, or we wouldn't have much of a story, but Drummond must prove it. He enlists the aid of Katrina Mazorski, a Russian-speaking, civilian attorney, and they go to work on the evidence against General Morrison. It soon becomes clear that someone does not want them to investigate too deeply and is willing to kill them to prevent it. From here on, the story becomes increasingly exciting and reaches an unexpected, but satisfying, climax. The book kept me fascinated during a long, uncomfortable airplane ride, and is well worth reading.

Sean Drommond is back at his wise-cracking best. His next assignment has him defending an "obviously" guilty general, who happens to have married Drummond's old girl friend.

Drummond brings on board a most unconventional co-counsel that would just as soon scratch his eyes out as assist him in his case.

The old girl friend seems to still have the hots for Drummond and her filthy rich father still disapproves of Drummond.

The case is going poorly, but Drummond figures he's doing something right when people crawl out from under rocks and try to kill him.

This is another winner.

Brian Haig is on my must read list.

I took a chance and mass ordered all of Brian Haig's books (four paperbacks and his new hardback), based upon the glowing recommendations by loyal Amazon readers--a gamble well worth taking!! I have read the first three books in the series and I am thrilled to report that I have been thoroughly entertained by each of them!!! His style and plotting exceeds Nelson DeMille's recent efforts and frankly I'm stunned his lastest effort hasn't landed him on bestsellers lists. I cannot recommend Brian Haig's novels highly enough!! Enjoy!!

Brian Haig keeps getting better and better. Haig is one of the few authors for whom I will not wait for the paperback, but rather read the hot-off-the-presses hardcover edition. Sean Drummond is no less irreverant or less with the "wise-guy" wise cracks in THE KINGMAKER than his earlier appearances. In addition to being a great thriller, Haig's fiction has a lot more belly-laugh humor than the other typical legal thrillers. I just want to know who if going to portray MAJ Sean Drummond in the film version. I really regret that I had to wait until the paper-back edition came out to post this review, but I spent the last 18 months or so in Afghanistan and Iraq, and where I was stationed the hard-cover wasn't available.

I have read a few of his books and have enjoyed them alot, but the Kingmaker was just awesome! The story was so entertaining and brilliant. I can't believe I am saying this but this author has just moved ahead of Vince Flynn on my must read list.

The Kingmaker

In this outing, our hero, Sean Drummond, is summoned to defend a man he despises who has been accused of espionage. The man is a general, no less, and is married to the woman Drummond loved in college.

While the general is clearly a jerk and his wife, a CIA agent, put up with a lot of gruff from him (which Drummond wonders continuously WHY she ever married the guy), Drummond begins to have his suspicions if, despite his otherwise odious personality, he is truly guilty of the crimes he of which is accused. If so, he would be the greatest traitor our country has ever seen, having given secrets to the Russians and, before that, the Soviets for decades.

This is a classic mystery. In fact, Haig gets so much right in this book about how Russia actually operates and how the Soviet Union fell, along with how the new powers came to be, that his latest novel, The Hunted, was inspired by a man who read this novel and lived through that time. Read my review on The Hunted for more. Clearly Haig known that of which he writes, and he writes it expertly. He knows just when to insert a line of humorous dialogue or acerbic wit. Think John Corey in a military uniform. I love Sean Drummond!

If you haven't read the Drummond series, this is as good as any place to start, but I recommend reading all his books. His latest novel does not feature Drummond, but is still likely the best novel I've read in years. Brian Haig is, in my opinion, in league with Nelson DeMille, Vince Flynn, Robert Crais, Lee Child, and others. I'm so glad I discovered him.

This novel will have you hooked until the very end. Enjoy!

I like Brian Haig. I liked his Dad too, although gratefully for different reasons. But no doubt to some extent because of his father, Brian Haig has the knowledge of the inner circle or inner sanctum sufficient to make his plots believable and not far fetched.

And then there's Major Drummond, USA, JAG, courageous, witty, good sense of morals, completely irreverant, funny, relentless, and above all loyal.

Here's he's asked to represent a General Officer accused of treason. He's asked not by the General; both men hold eachother in contempt. He's asked by the General's wife. Seems that Sean got there first with the lovely, conniving Mary, who eventually dumped Sean to marry Bill. That's General Bill, now incarcerated in Leavenworth Military prison, charged with treason, adultery, and murder.

Mary did OK for herself, too, rising where few women succeed, in the tesosterone infected CIA. Haig has no love for the CIA or the FBI or the NSC, all places he is quite familiar with. What Drummond has to prove is, if it isn't his non-friend Bill, then who sold secrets to the Russians?

Remarkably, albeit now Russia is vodka drenched run by the Mafiya, we do believe that they still have millions of nuclear warheads at least some of them unaccounted for. Sean hooks up (well not really but professionally) with Katrina, a lawyer of high intellect and no resume, and the two catfight through several hundred pages in the defense of their client. She's a good match for Drummond as the two survive assination attempts, disrspecting eachother, and a sense of loyalty to eachother.

If I had a criticism it would be that I enjoyed some of the other Drummond stories where he has more contact with his superiors in JAG. Here, most of the work is in his own and while he does well, nevertheless it does seem to be a solo effort and one is left with the question, 'how'd he do that?'

The ending is not forecast too soon; there's a kind of gap at the end that makes you wonder how Sean stayed alive. Notwithstanding, he's a heroic guy that we'd like to have around if push came to shove. I'm a believer. Good read. 5 stars. Larry Scantlebury

Was delighted to find, what was for me, a new author. The cheeky yet subtle humour of the protaganist Sean Drummond and the good writing makes this a very entertaining read. Can't bring myself to order the hard back but thats because I have an aversion to buying them! Hope I can stand my ground until the paperback comes out!

Kingmaker is another in the Sean Drummond series that has enough reality mixed in that it could be "ripped from the headlines". So action packed that it was difficult to put down to go to work or go to sleep. works as a stand-alone story, but even better if read in order....