Rating: 
Summary: Murder most foul and a sleuth with style
Review: There's a new star on the scene of the mystery/suspense genre: Brian Haig. I was suspicious at first of this brother of General Alexander Haig, thinking maybe Brian was taking advantage of easy celebrity. No way. Brian Haig proves his talent in Private Sector, written in an energetic, light-hearted style with a good dose of self-deprecating humor. Sean Drummond is perfectly happy as an Army Attorney, not particularly excited about participating in an attorney exchange program between the Army and the "Private Sector", assigned to a high profile, high-billing law firm. But Sean signed up to follow orders. As the fledgling member of the prestigious D.C. law firm, Sean wastes no time establishing his reputation as a bad boy, unconcerned with keeping this particular assignment. Clearly, Drummond has no love for this arrogant group, specialized litigators who cater to the most elite of Washington businessmen. Sean readily disdains the smooth talkers with their extravagant lifestyles and has no intention of fitting into this particular niche. Sean is baffled by the aura of menace that surfaces as soon as he begins to ask questions about his predecessor, a young woman recently found murdered. Naturally inquisitive, Drummond is especially interested, since he once dated the young woman. Any attempt on his part to uncover her activities at the firm before her death is met with a wall of silence, which, of course, only piques Sean's curiosity. He appears to spend his days cavorting through his duties in designer suits, driving a new Jaguar provided by the firm, but, in reality, he is intent on uncovering the circumstances that led to this strange death. Not one to be easily thwarted or intimidated, Drummond enlists the aid of a D.C .cop and an Assistant D.A., who also happens to be the sister of the murdered girl. Continuing his pursuit of inside information, Drummond uncovers a convoluted plot with serious implications of government interference. Then other young women are killed, each in a similar fashion, although with progressively more violence. The police request help from the FBI, assuming they are dealing with a serial killer, but there is far more involved than the apparent serial murders. As Sean and Janet delve deeper than is prudent, their actions put them both in imminent jeopardy. In Private Sector, Brian Haig serves up a volatile mix of sociopathic assassins, CIA operatives and FBI investigators, with frightening implications. A sly master of bluff and bravado, Haig's Sean Drummond is a sympathetic, even endearing, character, easy to like, imperfections and all. Oblivious to personal danger, Drummond stubbornly pursues the motive and the murderer, refusing to ignore conflicting motives that may impact his investigation. Take the infamous inter-agency conflicts between the CIA and the FBI, add a twisted plot with international criminal overtones and you have a nicely stylized mystery novel by a talented author. Haig knows how to tell a story. This young author is ensured a bright future, with his fresh voice and penchant for innovative plotting. Luan Gaines/ 2003.
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