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Secret Sanction
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Plot Summary of Secret Sanction
"

Warner, Jun 2001, 24.95, 405 pp.
ISBN: 0466527432

    Every military officer knows that some assignments almost always lead to retirement such as the critical but deadly role of garrison commander. That is how Major Sean Drummond of the Judge Advocate General's Corps feels as he stops at Fort Bragg to catch a flight to Bosnia where his next case awaits him.

    In Bosnia, someone executed thirty-five Serbs gangland-style. The bodies were all found containing bullets in the brains. The international media quickly jumps on the Serbian claim that an American Special Forces team of nine people committed mass murder. Sean will prosecute the case against the accused American soldiers in a military court of law. However, as he gathers information and realizes that at least one of his two aids is a “spy”, Sean knows that there is more to this mass execution then the brass will tell him. Several of the higher-ranking officers advise Sean on the record (tape recording on) before warning him about going too far and destroying his career (tape recording off). Can Sean truly prosecute a case that his superior officers want him to lose?

    SECRET SANCTION is a powerfully fresh military legal thriller that provides sub-genre fans with insight into a different form of justice as well as a close up look at Bosnia. The invigorating story line centers on military justice and wondering if Sean, who believes in the Army values including justice and honor (while higher ranked officials use the values as a convenient façade) can fairly prosecute the case? Brian Haig shows insider information of the working of the US Army in a peacekeeping scenario. This adds spice to a well-written, issue-raising thriller.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

"The goverment tries to hide a crime and the use of a secret green beret team to do the dirty work. They get revenge for the team they trained who got killed."
Randy Peil, Resident Scholar

"Protagonist, an Army Judge Advocate, conducts an investigation into the death of 35 Kosovar soldiers. However, the author demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of international law, military justice, criminal procedure, and the Army in general...despite his West Point background."
S. Felder, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Secret Sanction
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 70%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - Dry-cynical
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Legal Thriller Yes
Legal Plotlets - finding out whether someone is really guilty - military trial

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - a lawyer creature
Age: - 40's-50's
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - government investigator
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Physique - average physique

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - Eastern Europe
Asia/Pacific Yes
Asian country: - Korea(s)
Misc setting - fort/military installation

Style
Accounts of torture and death? - very gorey descriptions deaths/dead bodies
How many deaths? - 8 or more
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Secret Sanction
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A Tangled Web by Gregory Lions


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Brian Haig Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Harriet Klausner  

SCHOLARS:
Natasha Joiner  


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