Secret Sanction by Brian Haig
Review by Vicky T. (VickyJo)
Not too long ago, one of my patrons came into the library to return a book. She mentioned that she had really enjoyed it, but that it was the sixth book in a series. She wanted to know if I had the first five books. I checked our card catalog, and sadly, I didn’t have any of the other books. This happens sometimes. We will receive books in a donation, or sometimes I purchase a book, not knowing that it’s a part of a series. And most people, myself included, like to read series….and they like to read them in order.
Anyway, a couple of weeks went by, and this particular patron came back. She had purchased the first five books in this series, and she donated them to my library. Now, if someone wants to read a series so badly that she will buy the books…and is then willing to share them with us so we have a complete collection…well, let’s just say I’m going to take notice! (Not to mention be extremely grateful for the generous gift!)
Obviously I had to try this author, and so I took the first one home with me. The title is “Secret Sanction” and it was written by Brian Haig. You may recall Brian Haig’s father, Alexander Haig, who was the Secretary of State under President Reagan. So it shouldn’t have been a surprise to me to see that “Secret Sanction” had a strong military theme. Uh-oh. I’m not big on military novels. But still, this patron really liked this author.
So, I cracked open “Secret Sanction” and was hooked. Our hero, Sean Drummond, is a Major in the Army. He’s served for 14 years; the first five in the infantry, then three years at law school, then six months at the JAG school (which stands for Judge Advocate General’s Corps) and then the rest of the time he’s been practicing military law. He’s got a wicked sense of humor, he can be a real smart aleck, he’s confident, but doesn’t take himself too seriously…and most important of all, he’s a sharp judge of character. That’s probably why he’s been chosen to investigate an incident that could turn into one of the biggest media-frenzies the military has ever seen.
A Special Forces A-team, made up of nine men commonly known as Green Berets, had been assigned to train a group of Kosovar Albanians who had been driven from their homeland by the Serbian militia. It was part of the effort to build up the Kosovar Liberation Army, or the KLA. They spent seven or eight weeks training their recruits, then were given secret orders to accompany the unit they trained back into Kosovo.
A week later the Kosovar unit tried to raid a Serbian village, and the entire unit was killed. The A-team took it upon themselves to seek vengeance; they set up an ambush, and massacred a Serbian unit traveling along a supply route, killing 35 Serbs. The Army arrested the A-team, and called in Sean Drummond to determine if there is enough evidence to court-martial the Green Berets in custody. Talk about a no-win situation. Drummond is a loyal Army man, but it’s his job to see that justice is done. What he finds as he digs into this case will make him question his vows of duty and his sense of honor. And it just might get him killed.
This book is fast-paced, with moments of tension interspersed with wry humor. Haig reminds me of Nelson DeMille a bit. His plot flows along, he doesn’t bog the story down with excess terminology…bottom line, he’s a good storyteller and this was a gripping novel. Sean Drummond’s adventures continue in five other novels, including Mortal Allies, when he is asked to defend an American officer accused of murdering a South Korean war hero’s son, and The President’s Assassin, in which Drummond must race against the clock to find the group who has executed six people in a Washington D.C. mansion (including the White House Chief of Staff) and has promised that the President is next; within 48 hours.
If you’re looking for legal drama with a military flavor and a bit of humor, Brian Haig is the perfect choice.
I like most of the Brian Haig books and his irreverent hero, Sean Drummond.
Excellent review.
I got the book based on your review and am very happy I did.