‘Hunted’ a superb tale of suspense

  In the 1990s, immediately after the fall of communism, there were some Russians who made a ton of money by bringing Western-style capitalism to Russia’s financial and business markets.
  It was a complete shock to the old Soviet system, like downing a liter of castor oil or running the Badwater Ultramarathon.
  One of those men was infamous billionaire Alex Konanykhin. He was a young entrepreneur who started a construction business in the late 1980s, which took off after the Iron Curtain came down. His Western-style business acumen was second to none. But he and his beautiful wife ran afoul with the Russian mafia and dark elements within the new “democratic” government. They were tortured but fled to the United States. Their troubles didn’t end there, however. They sought political asylum but were pursued by Russian agents and the FBI. He suddenly became Russia’s No. 1 thief, for allegedly stealing millions from his own Russian corporation. It was a new world order, but Alex and his wife felt like it was the old.
  Brian Haig has written a superb suspense story based on Alex’s life, who has been renamed in the book as Alex Konevitch. “The Hunted” is a Russian-centric novel that is full of tension and geopolitical intrigue. It’s not a true thriller, in the sense that the reader is left hanging after every short chapter. “The Hunted” is more complex and caters to a slightly more sophisticated crowd. It’s a gripping drama that is one of this year’s best in that category. It’s similar to Nelson DeMille stories, which feature richer characters, deeper plots and troubling real-life scenarios.
  Haig is no slouch when it comes to international relations. He is a former special assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
and is the son of former Secretary of State Alexander Haig. Brian is best known for his novels about JAG attorney Sean Drummond.
  “The Hunted” is Haig’s first stand-alone novel, and it’s well worth picking up. Despite the intricate international subject matter, Haig’s
story never loses focus. It’s got realistic action, excellent pacing and some witty dialogue. It’s observations about the new Russia are
dead-on and frightening. Nasty villains are everywhere, and its one-man-vs.-the-world scenario couldn’t be more compelling.