MAN IN THE MIDDLE by Brian Haig
If you are not aware of the writing talent of Brian Haig, and it surprises me that so many of you aren't, you owe it to yourself to test the waters of his novels. He is a master at writing political thrillers and his sardonic hero, Sean Drummond, has a mouth on him that you will either love or hate. Personally I love every quippy, flippy remark he makes. If you put Drummond alongside Nelson DeMille's John Corey it would be like a night at a Comedy Club.
Drummond is a Colonel in the Army but he is on loan to the CIA. Don't ask how, just accept it. He does. He has a boss named Phyllis who gets under his skin and on his nerves but he respects her down deep in his soul. They have been through quite a few skirmishes together and they are at it again in MAN IN THE MIDDLE, Haig's latest tale about the world of Drummond.
This novel starts with Drummond investigating a murder in Washington, DC. The victim was a Pentagon official and he had some strong political ties to the party in office. Drummond is on the scene to see if there is a need for CIA involvement, and he is joined by Bian Tran, a major with the Army Security Police.
As the mystery of this man's death unfolds Drummond and Tran are sent on a mission to Iraq. There they must capture a man whose knowledge could influence the war in the Gulf area. It is a dangerous mission and one whose secrets are unknown even to Drummond. He is the veritable "man in the middle," operating with opposing forces on both sides.
Haig is brilliant at writing sharp dialogue for Drummond to spew and even craftier at weaving plots that unravel to allow circles and circles of intrigue. You never know exactly where you are in a Brian Haig novel until Haig finds it is appropriate to clue you and Drummond in on the smoke and mirrors that surround him.
This time out he has also created a fascinating character in the person of Tran. She is as mysterious and as shrewd as anyone Drummond has encountered in the past. Tran has a few secrets up her sleeve, and she is a woman to whom Drummond is drawn. The sexual tension between the two of them crackles off the page.
Once you read a Haig novel and get hooked on his style of writing you are going to want to go back and read everything he has written. This new book is not his only chilling thriller; there are five others just as good.
So find a comfortable chair, get yourself something to drink, and dive into the pages of MAN IN THE MIDDLE. You will love the humor, appreciate the plot, and even learn something about all that is going on in Iraq. Now those are three good reasons to become a Brian Haig fan. He may be the most talented author the country isn't reading, but surely that is about to change. It will if I have anything to do with it.
MAN IN THE MIDDLE is published by Warner Books. It contains 450 pages and sells for $25.99.