4 out of 4 stars
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An Enemy Within by Roy David is a book in the political thriller genre. The story is set against the backdrop of the US attack on Iraq in 2003.
Lieutenant Matt McDermott thought he was serving his nation, fighting for justice, and following God’s will; but a terrible incident shatters his illusions. Now a pair of brown eyes haunts him day and night, and endangers his sanity. Unknown to him, he is the centerpiece in a plan to boost the President’s re-election campaign, a scheme concocted by people calling the shots in the government. Alexandra Stead (or Alex), a freelance photographer, is roped in to follow the lieutenant and photograph the future star of the re-election campaign. Though unsupportive of the war, her lean finances compel her to join Gene Kowolski, Senior Special Advisor at the Pentagon, on a trip to Iraq.
Kowolski prided himself on his careful plotting abilities, but he had mixed feelings about the lieutenant. Something about the soldier reminded him of ‘unknown unknowns’ – ‘things we do not know we don’t know’. Was it only the lieutenant or were his own feelings the ‘unknown’ factor in the equation? Three lives are inextricably entangled by an explosive secret, and it all hinges on Matt. What will be the consequences, when the powers that be find out that their perfect pawn is not willing to play their game anymore?
“A cohort of political elite had betrayed the trust of the people like an enemy within.” This sentence aptly explains the novel, as well the Iraqi debacle of 2003. The book made me ponder if the human right violations during the war were worse than what was supposedly being perpetrated by the dictatorial regime in Iraq. Now that almost a decade and a half has elapsed since the event, and the ISIS has emerged as biggest crisis of our times, there is no doubt that the US invasion of Iraq was a serious miscalculation. “Once the lid is off the box who knows what will crawl out?”
Written in third person omniscient point of view, the author has penned down an authentic narrative, which does not go over-the-top with the action element, and yet keeps the reader hooked with an uncomplicated but well-written, riveting plot. This book takes the reader on a fast-paced, gripping journey, meandering through political machinations of the then American regime, the harrowing struggles faced by the Iraqi people, the ethical dilemmas confronting the soldiers, and a conflict of professional growth vis-à-vis personal beliefs that journalists had to grapple with. The author’s realistic depiction of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD), portrayed through Matt’s character, deserves a special mention.
Coming to the characterization, the author has carved well-rounded, believable characters, and not just the primary ones, but even the supporting characters have a meaty role in the story. From the beginning, it is clear that Matt is the hero, the good guy caught in an evil situation, and his internal struggles with his conscience are painful to read. What is worse is that it is the political class that benefits from playing with soldiers’ lives, their sacrifices and mental misery, as the author correctly points out. The author presents an interesting character in Alex who wants to do some good, but is helpless against the might of the CIA. Kuwolski portrays an intriguing grey character that sees his actions in a different light and has to watch others endure the grave consequences of his manipulations.
This book is a good reminder, not just of the war, but also the greed and thirst of power that motivated the war. Readers, who like an engrossing, emotionally charged, and thought-provoking political/war thriller, should try this one. I rate this novel 4 out of 4 stars.
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An Enemy Within
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