Secret Sanction

Sean Drummond Series, Book 1

By: Brian Haig

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's Summary

A battalion of Serbs has been senselessly murdered in Kosovo, and the Green Berets stand accused. Now, Major Sean Drummond, a top Army lawyer, is assigned to investigate this unspeakable atrocity. But of course, no one saw anything. Drummond gets consistently suspicious depositions from all of the Green Berets: Supposedly pursued by Serb soldiers, they left the engagement with wounded Serbs firing at them, and no one can explain the number of deaths. Teamed with a straight-laced prosecutor and a sexy defense attorney, Drummond probes further, but forces continue to hide the truth. Soon a reporter is found dead, Drummond suspects there's a traitor on his team, and everyone from the CIA to the president may be involved in a cover-up that could threaten the stability of the most powerful nation in the world.

©2001 Brian Haig (P)2016 Tantor

Critic Reviews

"Well written and briskly paced, while in addition raising, evocatively, the ever-interesting question about whether loyalty is allowed to be blind." ( Kirkus)

I want the rest of the Sean Drummond series!

This is the first in the Sean Drummond series, written in 2001. If I didn't know better I would think it was written yesterday. It doesn't feel like a dated book, unless you look at what was happening then and now.
Brian Haig writes some of the BEST military legal thrillers. His books are always controversial and suspenseful. You never know who done it until he is ready for you to know. In this book, the story of a group of Serbs being slaughtered unfolds through out the book and so as each piece is revealed it points to a different suspect and more then one is claiming guilt or being blamed.
Joe Barrett narrated this FANTASTICALLY!!!! He is such a great narrator, Brian Haig uses LOTS of sarcasm, double entendres and humor and this narrator knows exactly where to put the emphasis.
This book is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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Thank You.

Secret Sanction is finally available in an...

...unabridged audiobook. It has been available in an abridged audiobook for years. This is Book 1 in the seven novel Sean Drummond military legal series. Drummond is a US Army JAG officer. With today's release today of Book 2 audiobook, Mortal Allies, only Books 3 and 4, The Kingmaker and Private Sector, are unavailable in audio format. Audible, please address this!! Brian Haig is easily one of the best mystery/thriller writers alive today. With the 2015 release of Night Crew, Book 7 in the Sean Drummond series, I hoped that author Brian Haig would again start releasing a new novel annually like he did 10 years ago. Secret Sanction is a solid 5 star novel. Joe Barrett's narration is excellent, but a suspense thriller as great as this novel would be best narrated by Scott Brick, Dick Hill, George Guidall or R,C, Bray.

Best legal thriller!

Complex plot and interesting main characters. The book is set on 1999 during NATO / UN and US presence in Kosova to help prevent ethnic cleaning. plot is largely around whether US military reacted legally to a significant event.

A great listen!

What made the experience of listening to Secret Sanction the most enjoyable?

Love the twists and turns that being a lawyer in the military with his combat background can weave.

What did you like best about this story?

Learning about the main character as the story evolved!

What about Joe Barrett’s performance did you like?

He did an excellent job of going from a crusty soldier to a female.

Any additional comments?

I'm looking forward to reading more about this smart ass Sean Drummond!

A First Rate Beginning

Would you listen to Secret Sanction again? Why?

I look forward to listening to Secret Sanction again. I often go back and listen to a complete series, but only by the best; the best authors and the best performances. I rank Secret Sanction among those and plan to enjoy this series for many years to come.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot was thoughtfully crafted, with unexpected but believable twists - almost as if one were following a story in the news, as it might have been.

What about Joe Barrett’s performance did you like?

I really like Joe Barrett's performance. His delivery anticipates the nuances of Haig's characters, freely eliciting the listener's emotions.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

An intellectual thriller

Any additional comments?

Looking forward to many more adventures in this series.

I Good listen

Enjoyed this book. Got for free and most likely would not have bought from the description. That would have been a mistake, was interesting.

Its Worth Listening to this Book

Would you listen to Secret Sanction again? Why?

Sure, I would. It was suspenseful and funny at the same time. I like the story with plenty of twists.

What did you like best about this story?

The Narrator was good in this book.

Which character – as performed by Joe Barrett – was your favorite?

The female characters

Fascinating story

Very interesting story of intrigue and conspiracy. Great character development. Very high quality performance. Sean Drummond is a vey interesting character. This is the first book in the series. I have also read book 7 which is also excellent. Brian Haig is a refreshing author.

Enjoyable read

What made the experience of listening to Secret Sanction the most enjoyable?

Good story that was not predictable.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Secret Sanction?

The interviews with the prisoners.

Which scene was your favorite?

Probably the interview with the team member that called for the ambush.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No.

Thoroughly enjoyable

Just finished my first book by Brian Haig, and I'm already downloading the next one. The characters in this book were excellent. The legal drama in this book were excellent.

After some of the audiobooks I've listened to lately, I really needed this one. I didn't think Joe Barrett was going to do a great job, but he actually did.

J