Don't Ask. Don't Tell. Especially When it Comes to Murder. But Major Sean Drummond never plays it safe. Even when the young son of a South Korean war hero is found dead under dark circumstances and the Army orders Drummond to defend the American officer accused. Even when Drummond must work with his ruthless-and beautiful-old law school rival. Even when what begins as a simple case explodes into a war of secret international agendas...with Drummond in the crosshairs. I knew there was a reason I picked up this series. This book revolves around the issues of gays in the military, and in particular the ‘don't ask, don't tell' policy. Our hero is hauled out of a well-deserved Bermuda vacation and flown to riot-torn Seoul, where his new role comes as a nasty shock. Not only is his client accused of rape, murder and necrophilia, but the victim is a Korean soldier in the American army, the only son of the country's defense minister. And it turns out that Sean has a history with his co-counsel, Katherine (Moonbeam) Carlson. The hope that Sergeant First Class, Imelda Pepperfield will deliver retribution to Sean’s old antagonist quickly fades, as the 'grumpiest, gnarliest person God ever put on this green earth' beams at her new associates. This no-nonsense gal has quickly become my favorite as she educates Sean about being a bit more tolerant and a lot less judgemental when he struggles with his ethics surrounding military vs. gays. It's a combination of legal thriller and spy story with pressure from all sides, media distortion, CIA and North Korean involvement, and rampant corruption. The tension between Sean Attila Drummond and Katherine Moonbeam Carlson is tremendous fun which, along with Machiavellian plots, treachery and murder, keeps the plot moving riotously fast. Don't begin Mortal Allies unless you have a clear stretch of reading time ahead; it's a tough one to put down, even more so than Secret Sanction.
Haig brings the highly controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” mantra of the Army to the forefront in this novel, examining both the secrecy surrounding homosexuals in the military and paralleling that with a case that takes place entirely in Korea, a country even more uptight about homosexuality than modern America. While forging deeply into the topic, Haig utilises his main character, known for his brashness, to exemplify some of the military preconceived notions, but also counters that with the ignorance some deeper and higher within the ranks reflect as their knee-jerk reaction. Haig’s presentation of the issues, as well as the military legal thriller, are outstanding and make the book a must read for all who enjoy the genre.I wish to counter some of the criticism this book has garnered about its homophobic angle taken by the main character, Sean Drummond. While the naive reader may try to call Haig out for this, one must step back and examine the larger picture. A military lifer is not, for the most part, going to have opinions that stray from that which they are fed to believe. That said, Haig utilises, on numerous occasions, Drummond’s comments that he is not homophobic, but unused to interactions with homosexuals and therefore not as, open to the lifestyle. There is a clear delineation between disliking someone’s sexuality and not being readily comfortable with it. Add to that, the excellent use of Korea as a backdrop, infusing the history, traditions, and ways of life found within the country, as well as the ongoing hostility with the North (and the US military’s 50 plus year presence). Looking at the cultural differences and the key aspects around military rights on and off US bases and you have a complex, yet highly enjoyable book.Well done and kudos, Mr. Haig. I like your style and think it’s high time I plunge in to read another...
What do You think about Mortal Allies (2003)?
Downgraded from a four star due to the main characters flaws. Mainly the fact that this guy is kind of a super lawyer with a special forces background yet cannot figure out half the plot he is involved in. Perhaps I am a bit harsh here and the author just made some of the plot more transparent to the reader than the lawyer. Don't get me wrong on the enjoyment factor of the book. The author is a very good writer and I really do enjoy some of his wry sense of humor. Just a bit of a see through plot line. Would I recommend it? Sure I would, if not for the entertainment factor alone that really drives this book along at a good clip.
—Robert
Lots of great reviews for this book, however this one just didn't make it for me. While the story started out great, and at first I thought, Wow!, this is going to be a great read, it seemed to just disintegrate. I bought it thinking that it was going to be a courtroom drama, which I really enjoy. But soon it became more of just lawyer-to-lawyer bickering. There was almost no actual lawyering. I got to thinking: These have to be the world's WORST attorneys. The story then evolved into some fanciful espionage plot leaving the client sitting in his cell while the MC went off on some wild journey. Finally there were some tidbits thrown in for the last chapter that supposedly were to give it a surprise ending. But that just didn't work for me. In the last 10% there were way too many loose ends to be tied up because the author spent too much time not following the main plot line.Good ideas, really bad execution. I might pick up another by this author, but not in the foreseeable future.
—GymGuy
Sean Drummond is back, sent to Korea to defend an American Army officer accused of murdering the young son of a South Korean war hero. Drummond gets to work with his old law school rival. Imelda is back and Drummond is at his best. "Author Brain Haig is a West Point graduate and a career military strategist. Before retiring from the Army, he served as special assistant to the Chairman of the join Chiefs of Staff. The son of former Secretary of State Alexander Haig, he lives in New Jersey with his wife and four children." He knows all about what he writes ... and write well he does. Moral Allies zooms along.
—Snap
