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Sean Drummond #4

Private Sector

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Length: 13hrs 58 mins

In Brian Haig's latest thriller, that wise-cracking but self-critical JAG lawyer Sean Drummond returns to investigate an international intelligence leak of mammoth proportions. When Drummond is loaned out to a white-shoe law firm, he tumbles to the realization that its number one client, a telecom giant, may be weakening American power by vacuuming up intelligence for a foreign power. Ironic, sarcastic, and cynical to the last, he navigates the treacherous shoals of international relations with the aplomb and aggression of a born lawyer. The son of former Secretary of State Alexander Haig, Brian Haig knows his international politics, and he invests his protagonist with a winning intelligence and complexity. Who knew that law could be so much fun?

Audio CD

First published September 28, 2003

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About the author

Brian Haig

32 books396 followers
Brian Haig is the son of former US Secretary of State Alexander Haig and has been born and bred in the American military.Since retiring from duty and has been a special advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and now runs a large Helicopter company.

Series:
* Sean Drummond

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5 stars
1,008 (41%)
4 stars
1,050 (43%)
3 stars
315 (13%)
2 stars
31 (1%)
1 star
14 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
Profile Image for Pierre Tassé.
530 reviews68 followers
December 30, 2022
A book that allows you this think and has a few smiles throughout. You don’t need to have read all the other books prior to this one to enjoy this book.
Profile Image for Freda Malone.
378 reviews63 followers
March 23, 2016
I could swear that every book I’ve picked up in this series just gets more and more complex. Sean Drummond is hired out to a private law firm to gain some skills in corporate contracts, syndicates, audits, and telecoms. When his JAG rival and friend, Lisa ‘Moonbeam’ Morrow is murdered shortly after his arrival, there is no such thing as coincidences. Three more women are violently murdered and there is a connection, but to get some answers, Sean must go up against the most powerful client in the firm. Once again he must out-wit, out-smart and stay ahead of the game of the infamous L.A. Killer copycat.

It starts with an audit of the firm and ends in a conspiracy and espionage involving syndicates, trade swapping, and money. Only a skilled accountant will manage to keep up with this novel and I am not one of them but there are enough twists and turns to keep you riveted to find out who is behind all these secrets. Sean's humor does not falter here as he continues to make me laugh at his wise-ass cracks and bring even the most powerful of tyrants to his knees.

Another great novel in the Drummond series. Brian Haig keeps his mind sharp and creative with great characters and ideas when it relates to our military, government, defense department and laws while at the same time makes you question the very foundation of your morals and ethics throughout. Weighing the greater good against the lessor wrongs.
Profile Image for Jim.
Author 7 books2,066 followers
August 7, 2020
Another excellent addition to the series featuring a smart-mouthed lawyer. As usual, it was a twisty tale of corruption, greed, & murderers. Drummond barely seems to hold his own until a brilliant ending. Great fun & well narrated. Highly recommended. Each book stands well alone, but reading them in order is recommended.
Profile Image for Jacob Peled.
458 reviews10 followers
March 14, 2017
Brain Haig is one of those writers that for me every book of his is a 5 star. This is the 4th book I read and sure enough it got my 5 stars. I love the witty of the main character -Sean Drummond. It is one of those few writers that although his genre is about legal drama he still make me laugh.
This book has everything in it with just the right measure. Legal, Drama, FBI, CIA. And even a little bit of romance.
I wish it was 700 pages and not “only” 500. The story has twists and surprises in every new chapter. I don’t recall reading so much on my cell phone, just couldn’t wait to get back home to my kindle
Profile Image for Metodi Markov.
1,548 reviews383 followers
July 28, 2020
Майор Дръмънд трябва да работи за година в частна адвокатска кантора. Това е поредната блестяща идея на армията, с цел да се сдобие с адвокати-пенкилери.

Той трябва да смени колежката си, капитан Лайза Мороу, която тъкмо е завършила своята година. Да, същото онова секси парче от разследването в Косово, с което мръсникът Шон съвсем тайно от нас читателите е флиртувал през годините.

Уреждат си рандеву, но когато господинчото закъснява с половин час, на мястото за среща заварва трупът ѝ и купчина вашингтонски полицаи, че и един цапнат в устата военен следовател.

За разнообразие не го подозират за убийството ѝ, но докато се опитва да открие убиеца, Шон се оказва здраво въвлечен във въртопите на корпоративното право, където изобилстват остри подводни камъни.

За капак, убийството може да е извършено от сериен убиец, жертвите капят една след друга...

P.S. Жертвата има страшно сексапилна сестра, заместник прокурор на Бостън, какво повече да ви обяснявам...
Profile Image for Gopal.
118 reviews15 followers
March 11, 2017
Brian Haig is like a fine wine. He's maturing with each subsequent Sean Drummond books. I swear I like Drummond a bit more every series. Every Drummond book is a just a little bit more complex than the last, its like trying to solve a Rubix cube. All the pieces are there in front of you but they have to be put into the right places. They have to be aligned to get to the solution.

Sean Drummond as I said earlier is a wise ass true, but he's a nice wise ass. He's out of his comfort zone in this one by moving out of JAG cases to the corporate law side. The military says he needs to know how corporate law works.

In this book Haig delves into the murky relationship between corporate lawyers and companies. Drummond is out of his depth from the very first page when the Army loans him to a high flying corporate partnership. But he does not lose his pizzazz. He's the same wise cracking a-hole he was while handling criminal cases as he is while handling corporate cases.

The book opens explosively with Lisa Murrow murdered. 3 more women are brutally assaulted and murdered just when you think there is a serial killer on the loose, Haig twists the plot.

Everything is put together in the end but its messy. The shenanigans that's pulled in the name of investors, share holders and country leave you feeling a little dirty and a little bit in need of shower. Drummond pulls through in the end ensuring that Lisa is avenged but it is a close call for him. He almost succumbs to the pressure of choosing the nation over his personal thirst for revenge, but he finds a way out to keep both the parties satisfied while getting Lisa avenged.

Drummond comes across like a loser in most of the scenes. During a lot of the scenes I felt that Drummond was being dominated and he gave in alot easily than needed or did not come across as macho. Drummond gets the last laugh though. This book made me think about the importance of patience and waiting for the right opportunity to get things done. Drummond has it in spades.

I am a hardcore Drummond fan and I would definitely read the next books in this series.

My verdict: Read It
Profile Image for Nooilforpacifists.
925 reviews59 followers
October 17, 2018
Entirely unbelievable that a criminal lawyer could be assigned to a complex contract in a white shoe law firm, but what fun.
34 reviews
August 12, 2018
Loved the storyline

What a great read. Reading whenever I had a minute. Twisted tale. Edge of seat. Memorable characters. Remarkably funny and scary
Profile Image for Michal Hofkin.
2 reviews
July 2, 2017
Wow! I'm in love with this character. Sean Drummond is my kind of wise ass. Brian Haig weaves a wonderful tale. Read them all!
Profile Image for Matt.
4,173 reviews12.9k followers
November 13, 2012
Haig is back with his latest bestseller, in which he straddles the line between criminal and corporate law. Main character Major Sean Drummond in front and centre, sarcasm still dripping from his every pore and ready to tackle a new assignment, no matter what is tossed his way. While the story shifts away from the military battlefields and into the boardroom, the story still pushes forward as an apparent minor storyline, a killer on the loose, begins to gain momentum. One of the victims is close to Sean, bringing him into the investigation with both barrels blazing. What lies behind each and every corner when the killer discovers Drummond is looking for him and how will the JAG lawyer piece things together while stuck inside a corporate law firm? There is the same old John Corey-esque nature to the character, leading me to keep wondering if Nelson DeMillie picked up another nom du plume.

Haig experiments in a few ways with this novel: type of law, role for Drummond, and dual-narration (first person for Drummond chapters and third for the killer). Many of these experiments work out really well, though it is sometimes hard to keep track of who we are dealing with when it comes to the narration (perhaps a downside to a single audiobook narrator). The attention to detail, dialogue, and flow of the book kept it as exciting as any of Haig’s previous books, by far. While Drummond is used to investigating, his sleuthing abilities become all the more important, as he is not looking for legal loopholes, but plain clues. Looking at things away from the military angle was refreshing, though I do miss some of the minor regular characters, just a little.

Kudos Mr. Haig for another great book. Bring on the next one!
Profile Image for Jan Norton.
1,638 reviews3 followers
October 17, 2020
This is my first book by Brian Haig that I have read and will now read his novels that were written about the mail character before this one. Major Sean Drummond, JAG lawyer, seems to attract trouble without looking for it. At the beginning of this story it turns out that he is a bit late for a date with fellow JAG officer Lisa Morrow due to his being stopped for speeding. The delay turns out to be fatal to Lisa as she becomes the victim of what eventually appears to be a serial killer. At the time of the killing Drummond has just been "loaned" to a private sector law firm under the Working With Industry Program (WWIP) by his commanding officer. The firm is high powered, well connected and into some rather dubious dealings. Drummond is quickly in hot water with those he has to deal with. As the story progresses, the deaths which seems to be random slowly start to appear to have a pattern. The unraveling of that story and how it all relates to the law firm is well done by the author. I am excited that I have found a new author.
Profile Image for Samyann.
Author 1 book83 followers
July 18, 2023
Sean Drummond is a lawyer - a JAG officer. Sardonic, sarcastic, and self-deprecating at times, Sean is a good guy, a patriot that has taken his oath to "preserve, protect, and defend" to heart. Each book is a complex who-done-it murder mystery in a military environment - from Baghdad to South Korea to Washington DC to Abu Ghraib, Leavenworth, and more.

Intricate plots, no objectionable language, little sex - all fade to black; Brian Haig shopped around with regard to narrators. Preference? Scott Brick or Christopher Lane - but they are all acceptable. There is a bit of violence - Sean gets himself into some scrapes, but nothing gratuitous.

Written by Brian Haig, the Sean Drummond Series consists of seven novels - Secret Sanction, Mortal Allies, The Kingmaker, Private Sector, The President's Assassin, Man in the Middle, and The Night Crew. The novels range from 12-17+ hours in length, each story has a beginning-middle-end, and you can jump in anywhere, no need to read in sequence. Released over a period of 10+ years - several publishers.

Recommended mysteries.
627 reviews10 followers
July 21, 2020
4 1/2**** "Money, money, money - the root of all evil. Money tied to ego, the root of the most sublime evil." This quotation from Private Sector sums up the theme of this exciting story. Brian Haig has written an up-to-date novel featuring everything a loyal American trusts just doesn't happen in our democratic form of government, but fears it really does.
Sean Drummond, Haig's lead character in 3 other novels, is a gung-ho, masculine, crudely funny JAG attorney who is 'loaned' to a Washington, DC law firm to aid them in what he is not sure. What follows are a number of murders, a race to discover who is behind them and why.
Brian Haig, like his Brother Alexander knows a lot about the workings of the US government, and it shows in his stories. He is also a most entertaining author and here has given us a likeable and totally 'wise-ass' character in Sean Drummond. A most enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Melissa.
713 reviews25 followers
January 24, 2018
Let me just say this from the very start: Private Sector is a great mystery. Let me say this from the second start: Private Sector is NOT for those who are delicate to cuss words. I say this last part because for some reason I do a better job editing certain types of things when I read a book but when I listen, which I did with this one. Audiobooks, the curses just come right on through. For everyone to hear: grandparents, children, me. (Disclaimer over)
This was a great thriller and there were so many bad people who choose from, who could possibly be the killer except ALL OF THEM?
4 Stars. Lotta swearing. A whole lot. Innuendo and very suggestive situations. Some graphic descriptions of death scenes.
Profile Image for Bonnie.
2,238 reviews7 followers
September 2, 2018
This was a real page turner and it kept me thoroughly engaged and entertained. I had no trouble staying awake on a 4 1/2 hour flight. I had to get up at 4:45 a.m. and never got sleepy. I was a little disappointed at some of the resolution of the story. Also I could have done without some of the gruesome details of what the serial killer in the story did to his victims. But I enjoy the main character and the story was quite intriguing.
1,316 reviews4 followers
March 31, 2021
I could not put the book down even though it was way out there at times. I enjoyed the mystery but as I mentioned a couple of books ago, sometimes the author goes a little too far with the joking from Drummond. Another thing, he always shows his strong, very intelligent, beautiful women and at the same time those women have baggage from the men they have picked. Lisa Morrow with the attorney, Si, then her sister Janet with the FBI agent, George. What losers in men.
1,980 reviews6 followers
July 9, 2017
Another good Drummond novel which finds him outside the military. Assigned to spend a year with a Washington DC corporate firm Drummond finds himself investigating the murder of a close friend. She recently spend a year at the same firm and somehow became the target of a serial killer. As he investigates will Drummond be targeted by the same person.
772 reviews12 followers
December 21, 2021
JAG attorney Major Sean Drummond's bad attitude is probably responsible for his assignment on loan for a year to a large corporate law firm. Just before he can get information hand off from the JAG attorney who did the stint before him, she was murdered. Other murders pile up and it's looking like they aren't random and they are connected to the firm. This is another good read from Haig.
Profile Image for Dan Smith.
1,625 reviews17 followers
March 8, 2018
The wisecracking, bull-in-a-china-shop JAG lawyer, Sean Drummond gets loaned out to a white-shoe law firm whose #1 client, a telecom giant, may be vacuuming up intelligence for a foreign power.

Great Story. Drummond goes head first into everything.
August 23, 2018
EXCELLENT book! This is the first book by Brian Haig that I’ve read and I loved it! Very well written, great storyline, no gratuitous sex, and no unnecessary profanity. I highly recommend this book. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
759 reviews
April 27, 2020
I just love Brian Haig’s writing style and the pages fly by. He’s one of those authors who seems to fit my reading niche, intelligent and articulate with a wry sense of humour, a bit cheeky but not gauche, cocky but not cocksure. A thoroughly entertaining story.
Profile Image for John Hamilton.
10 reviews4 followers
August 17, 2020
great read . sean Drummond is a mans man . Brian haig knows how to get you to turn the pages faster and faster . After almost 55 years of reading i can now stop looking around book shops and go straight to Brian haig and Sean Drummend . Michael Connelly has been moved to number two.
Profile Image for Jkane.
542 reviews2 followers
March 26, 2022
Another great installment dealing with our hurricane Sean Drummond. ONce again, a lawyer and Jag officer who never sees the inside of a courtroom, but that's ok, plenty of action goes on outside of the courtroom.
Profile Image for Dorina.
408 reviews2 followers
July 6, 2023
Such a good story. Kept me turning the page wondering what was going to happen next. The book is part of a series. I did not know that until I finished it, so it is a good stand-alone read. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
Profile Image for Sue.
2,171 reviews
Shelved as 'decided-not-to-read'
August 17, 2023
A wisecracking, authority-defying Army lawyer; sent to work at a private firm for a year; a series of particularly gruesome murders; & a plot that by now (two-thirds through the book) has gotten top-heavy & unbelievable.
Profile Image for Joe.
445 reviews5 followers
February 4, 2017
Quick read. As usual a complicated plot with a collection of excellent characters. This one takes place largely in Washington DC and involves corporate law as opposed to the more common military law.
95 reviews
October 22, 2017
This is actually the first Drummond story I read and it sold me on the others. I enjoyed rereading it very much. Drummond is sly and irreverent and Haig's storylines do not disappoint.
69 reviews
March 2, 2018
The book was drawn out. I believe it was well put together, the mystery, the humor, the logic, but it went on too long.
Profile Image for Robert.
368 reviews1 follower
April 5, 2018
Oh, well...another one of them "quick reads" that has all the punch of a bag of over-ripe fruit. Got through it, anyways.....
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews

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