Private Sector [Mass Market Paperback]

 

 

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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 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.

I have high praise for Brian Haig's "Private Sector" and his character, Sean Drummond. I am reminded of two books, John Grisham's "The King of Torts" and Nelson DeMille's "The Lion's Game."

The former 'King of Torts' comes to mind because of the seduction of money. Here, albeit unlikely, Drummond is the antithesis of what the staid Washington corporate lawfirm he joins represents, when he is given a chance to participate in a 'lend lease' program initiated by the Armed Forces. Drummond is a rough and tumble JAG attorney and stumbles around the lawfirm insulting venerated partners, offending women with copies of the latest EEOC decisions clutched to their chests, and generally if not being a pain in their behinds, at least a thorn in their sides. But one thing Major Drummond doesn't fool around with is his loyalty to his friends. So when his associate in JAG Lisa Morrow is murdered in a botched parking lot robbery at the Pentagon, Drummond begins to link apparently unrelated clues. And, unlike Clay Carter in 'Torts,' he is shamelessly uninterested in money. As he digs deeper he is offered millions to "join" the firm however he remains undeterred and steadfast in his goal, finding Lisa's killer wherever it leads him.

Drummond hooks up with Warrent Officer Daniel Spinelli, sort of a Dennis Franz character not unlike Detective Supawitz in NYPD Blue. Drummond reminds me of John Corey in 'The Lion's Game' because he is one of the funniest private eyes (so to speak) since Corey was created by DeMille. I have to admit I laughed out loud on more than a few occasions.

A very good read and highly recommended. Five stars. Larry Scantlebury

Major Sean Drummond has become one of my favorite fictional characters. In his latest adventure, Drummond is sent to work in a private law firm through a military program that sends its officers into the private sector to ensure they are exposed to the latest in the private practice of the law. This book differs from the previous novels in that it takes place solely in the United States (as compared to Russia, Korea, and Serbia). However, the lack of an exotic foreign location does not take away from the wit and action that I have come to expect from Brian Haig. Soon, Drummond is involved in the investigation of the murder of an old colleague which, of course, leads to a much bigger conspiracy that Drummond never saw coming. A great read!

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5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and fun
Very interesting story line (like all the Sean Drummond books) and more importantly, a fun book to read. The dialouge is zippy and full of sarcasm (by drummond). Read more

Published on Jan 13 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining thirller, funny as well
Previously, I had read Secret Sanction, and seem to recall enjoying that book. This title though, made me really enjoy the character of Sean Drummond. Read more

Published on Jan 8 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars A FAST PACED NARRATIVE
Stellar voice performers John Rubinstein and Michael Emerson give can't-stop-listening-to readings of this thoroughly entertaining thriller. Read more

Published on Dec 16 2003 by Gail Cooke

5.0 out of 5 stars A FAST PACED NARRATIVE
Stellar voice performers John Rubinstein and Michael Emerson give can't-stop-listening-to readings of this thoroughly entertaining thriller. Read more

Published on Dec 16 2003 by Gail Cooke

5.0 out of 5 stars it gets better and better
i can't wait for the next installment of major sean drummond....this is a real page-turner..a must read...all the other reviews are right on the spot...

Published on Dec 11 2003 by C. Laigo

4.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book in the Drummond Series Thus Far
PRIVATE SECTOR is the fourth of Brain Haig's novels to feature Major Sean Drummond, the redoubtable military lawyer whose presence in the Armed Forces seems to be the result of... Read more

Published on Nov 17 2003 by Bookreporter

5.0 out of 5 stars (4.5) Another Action Thriller by an Underappreciated Author
I was hooked on Brian Haig's central character JAG lawyer Sean Drummond when I read THE KINGMAKER (five star review of 5/13/03); thus, I resolved to read the earlier books in the... Read more

Published on Nov 11 2003 by Tucker Andersen

5.0 out of 5 stars A Serial Killer and Crooked Corporate Dealings
Corporate lawyers and JAG officers are, by nature, opponents and Major Sean Drummond, JAG officer extraordinaire, has no desire to get sucked into that pit. Read more

Published on Oct 20 2003 by FictionAddiction.NET

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read legal thriller
JAG officer Sean Drummond is on loan to a law firm specializing in corporate law and contracts. His predecessor in the loan-out program was JAG officer Lisa Morrow. Read more

Published on Oct 20 2003 by A. Christie

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Sean Drummond Yet
Brian Haig keeps getting better and better with his military legal/murder thillers featuring maveric attorney Major Sean Drummond. Clearly this is his best book yet. Read more

Published on Oct 18 2003 by R. Enzenauer

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