Product Description

New York Times bestselling author Brian Haig delivers his a thriller inspired by a true story about one man running between two countries, trying desperately to escape his past.

In 1987, Alex Konevitch was thrown out of MoscowUniversity for "indulging his entrepreneurial spirit." But by 1991, he was worth $300 million. On track to become Russia's wealthiest man, he makes one critical mistake: he hires the former deputy director of the KGB to handle his corporate security. And then his world begins to fall apart. Kidnapped, beaten, and forced to relinquish his business and his fortune, Alex and his wife escape to the United States, only to be accused by his own government of stealing millions from his business. With a mob contract out on his life and the FBI hot on his trail, Alex is a desperate man without a country-facing the ultimate sacrifice for the chance to build a new life for himself and his family.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13202 in Books
• Published on: 2009-08-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 1.50" h x 6.30" w x 9.40" l, 1.56 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 464 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780446195591
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Based on a true story, this absorbing stand-alone thriller from bestseller Haig (Secret Sanction and five other books featuring army JAG lawyer Sean Drummond) charts the incredible rise and fall of a Russian multimillionaire. The brilliant, hard-working Alex Konevitch amasses a fortune in the building trades in the early 1990s only to have it stolen by a cabal of KGB men led by the KGB's deputy director, who not only takes Konevitch's money and control of his company but also frames him for assorted crimes. Pursued by assassins, Konevitch and his wife go on the run. The couple make their way to America, where they begin to prosper, then fall afoul of a venal FBI director out to enhance his own reputation. The reality aspect of the tale will remind readers of the repressive regime that Russia was and may be again—and of the perfidy of individuals in our own government when greed and ambition are put before democracy and justice. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"A sizzling thriller...the mouthy lawyer with the susceptible heart is as good as the genre offers." (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on THE PRESIDENT'S ASSASSIN )

"Enormously exciting, timely, and entertaining." (Library Journal on PRIVATE SECTOR )

"Entertaining." (PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on PRIVATE SECTOR )

"Brian Haig is John Grisham in an Army uniform." (Jack Higgins, author of THE BORMANN TESTAMENT )

"A must-read thriller writer . . . a star." (John Sanford, author of DEAD WITCH )

"A remarkable writer . . . Haig combines a nice mix of wit and wisdom." (Nelson DeMille, author of WILD FIRE )

"Haig delivers." (HOUSTON CHRONICLE )

"A maestro of pacing." (Vince Flynn, author of ACT OF TREASON )

"Haig keeps the action and wisecracks coming fast . . . He has a natural narrative gift." (WASHINGTON POST )

About the Author
BRIAN HAIG lives in New Jersey with his wife and four children.

Customer Reviews

"The Hunted" Falls Short
Brian Haig is the best all-around writer in today's thriller community. His novels are well thought out, with a degree of plot complexity and engaging characters that we all embrace and look forward to enjoying. And his character, Sean Drummond, is a breath of fresh air in the company of Mitch Rapp, Scot Harvath and Jack Reacher, all great series characters, but without the wit and wisecracking charm of our favorite JAG lawyer.

After a half dozen Sean Drummond novels I looked forward to watching Haig step away from his proven character and try his hand at something new. He certainly has the story-telling ability, rhetorical skills and stylistic virtuosity to expand his repertoire successfully.

So, I'm puzzled over "The Hunted."

Based on real-life events in the collapsed Soviet Union of the early 1990s, "The Hunted" is a sparse tale of political corruption, aging spies and a not altogether likable man-on-the-run. Since the story is necessarily predictable, Haig's challenge is to create interesting characters, explore their motives, and perhaps throw in unexpected plot twists to propel his characters toward their already-known conclusion.

Unfortunately, Haig fails on all counts.

In "The Hunted" his characters are utterly predictable, two-dimensional caricatures: Alex Konevitch, the brilliant young entrepreneur who becomes a multimillionaire at age 22 through his smarts and timing; Elena Konevitch, Alex's "stunningly beautiful" wife who loves Alex for himself, not his money; Golitsin, the corrupt former KGB deputy director and his cabal of sadistic out-of-work KGB operatives; and the list goes on. As "The Hunted" unfolds, not a single character develops in any way whatsoever: each does little more than embody a stereotype sprung full-grown from the time he is introduced.

Motive? Simple: greed. Not millions, not hundreds of millions, but "billions," as Nicki, the dark double of Alex's wife, Elena, says: "Nicky adored that word 'billions.' It rolled out of her lips so beautifully. She could repeat it as often as she liked." And she does: again and again and again.

Brian Haig creates Sean Drummond with wit and humor, sprinkling the page with aphorisms that make the reader laugh out loud and bring his character to life. It's odd, then, that in "The Hunted" everyone from Konevitch's arch nemesis Golitsin through the most minor KGB knuckle dragger manages little more than to be called a "moron" ("Listen closely, moron. Wherever you run, I'll find you.") or an "idiot" ("So long, Boris, you idiot."). "Idiot" is actually used 37 times (so my Kindle tells me) to describe a character or his actions, enough that it stands out in memory and becomes an annoying verbal twitch. Likewise, in "The Hunted" Haig slips carelessly into verbal gaffs, such as "His President could care less about anything that didn't register in national polls and outside Hollywood." It should read "couldn't care less," not "could care less: if he could, he would.

Perhaps I'm holding my expectations too high, but I think not. Brian Haig is the best writer currently working the thriller genre. His skills certainly allow him to explore beyond his Sean Drummond character to create other memorable characters and stories.

The problems with "The Hunted" are more basic:

1) It relies on narrative summary, rather than character interaction to tell the story. I haven't counted, but I'd guess that 80-85% of the book is spoken by the narrator, rather than the characters themselves.

2) The characters are thus two-dimensional and not very interesting. At the end of the day, we don't really care about any of them.

3) If the characters are not interesting to us, I suspect they were not very interesting to Brian Haig, either; hence, he allowed himself to take the easy way out: calling a character an "idiot," rather than showing why he's an idiot.

I'm certainly not going to write off Brian Haig because of "The Hunted." After a half dozen books or so, too many authors fall into formula, cut corners and and count on their following to sell their books (e.g., Vince Flynn's "Extreme Measures" and Brad Thor's "The Apostle"). I don't think Brain Haig has done that with "The Hunted." He took a chance, stepped beyond his proven character, Sean Drummond, and took a stab at something new. That indicates growth as a writer, and it should be encouraged.

Outstanding Thriller!
Rendered one of Russia's wealthiest men for his entrepreneurial talents, financial genius Alex Konevitch ill-advisedly hires the KGB's former deputy director to handle his corporate security and subsequently loses his company before fleeing with his wife to America, where he struggles for survival amid false accusations and a contract on his head.
I didn't actually realize this was based on a true story till I came to the end of the book. Fascinating. That being said I found this to be one of those rare thrillers that truly kept me engrossed the whole time. A captivating and emotional thriller with authentic and convincing characters. One of my favorite novels of the past few months.
Highly Recommended to all thriller fans!

A Change of Pace Masterpiece
I thought I'd miss Sean Drummond .... but after reading Brian Haig's latest, I'm convinced I'd like anything he would write.
This book is simply a wonderful story, rich with assorted, believable characters - those you love and those you love to hate - and a fascinating plot that keeps you engrossed until the end, then wishing there was more. You can not help but wonder, as the tale unfolds, which parts are truly factual and which are the product of a creative writer.
For readers of suspense/mysteries/thrillers and those that like a little legal thrown in, plus possibly some foreign intrigue, this book is the best of the year - thoroughly recommended.
Perhaps, Alex, the star of the book, or his attorney, MP Jones, could hook up with Sean Drummond in a future story?