Welcome, Michael Phelps!

Hi Michael:

Thanks for your comments with regard to The Hunted and your advice to pass on the review.
Brian Haig the Author responded.
First, thanks for your very kind email and certainly I'm glad that you
enjoyed the book. Second, I couldn't be more pleased that you went the
extra length and went online and checked out Alex more thoroughly. Also
I'm very appreciative that you've offered me the chance to clarify the
differences between 'Defiance' and The Hunted.

When Alex first approached me about five years ago, I have to say that I
was dubious about attempting a fictional story about a real story ... that
was in reality so astounding. Like you, I also checked out the news
stories about Alex, and then he and Elena drove up here from DC and we had
dinner and spent an evening together. Alex suggested that I write a
nonfictional account of his struggle. I suggested that I not. As much as
his tale was worthy of a nonfiction book, I felt it was
problematic--legally, because it involved a number of high officials from
the Clinton administration, several of whom were friends of mine, and also
because it would take years of research to get everybody's side of the
story. I mean, Alex had his side, based on his perspective, and the US
officials involved in his prosecution had their side. Recall that during
those years I was the special assistant to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs,
so I called several friends of mine who served on the national security
council staff during that period and they tried to explain to me why Alex
was treated the way he was.

So I told Alex that instead I wanted to write a fictional story 'inspired'
by his real story. For one thing Alex's tale occured over a fifteen year
period. So I compressed that into three years, and altered a lot of the
true facts. From there, the Hunted is a mixture of tall tale built on
facts, and total fabrication. The part that is largely true is that Alex
built a fortune, and had it stolen by a clutch of former KGB thugs. But
the cabal that steals his money in The Hunted is totally invented, and
their involvement in real historical events is fabricated, as are Alex's
twists and turns to get out of the nightmare he was in. So for example,
no, the real life Alex did not have his chest fried. Nor did he escape in
Budapest as was detailed in the Hunted, and so forth and so on. Also, in
real life, the story did not have such a happy ending.

You mentioned that historical fiction goes into historical facts and uses
character as the theme. Then you mention that you are perhaps bothered by
the fact that the Hunted is simply a recounting of what Alex wrote in
"Defiance." As nearly all the characters in the Hunted are invented, and
entirely fictional, from the cabal that took Alex's money, to the FBI
director to the FBI agents, to the judges and lawyers and translators and
prisoners--and so forth--I think that the Hunted does exactly what you
believe historical fiction is supposed to accomplish. The larger
narrative in the Hunted, in many places, resembles what happened to the
real Alex, but the characters are all invented, as are the fictional
outcomes.

That said, I felt it was important to hew to the larger themes of the real
nightmare that Alex and Elena lived. One, is that as good and just as
America is, there are abuses of power that almost stagger the imagination.
And there are injustices done in the name of the American people that are
nearly sickening. But also, as ultimately was the real life outcome for
Alex and Elena, our legal system has enough safeguards that these
injustices can be, and often are, undone. Think of deathrow cases where
the convicted are exhonerated years after the fact.

Also I thought it was worthwhile to show readers exactly what happened to
the grand dreams Yeltsin inspired. I went in and out of Russia during
those years and saw the crime on the streets and the eventual souring of
idealism, and then the growth of massive crime and corruption of
capitalism that led to the rise of Putin. I hope that the Hunted helps
put a human face on this era.

So I also hope that this clarifies the concern that you highlighted.
Again Clark, thanks for the very kind note, and good luck with the review.
All the best, Brian

I think that answers a lot of questions. The review will be done Wednesday, and I will post it on the site. It is a very good book and really takes you into a realm which we as Americans do not visit very often.

By the way, I used to practice Criminal Defense as an Attorney. I certainly respect investigators as I had employed several myself through the years.

Clark