- Title:
- The Enemy of My Enemy (Brainrush, #2)
- By:
- Richard Bard
- Pages:
- 408
- Rating:
- 4
When a freak accident gave Jake Bronson near-superhuman mental powers and landed his loved ones in the crosshairs of an Islamic terrorist, the only way out was with guns blazing. But Jake was unable to put a stop to his nightmares or his murderous nemesis, Luciano Battista, in that ferocious showdown in the mountains of Afghanistan. Now the terror czar and his minions have brought the fight to American soil—along with the most terrifying bioweapon that has ever threatened the free world. They demand vengeance, and Jake’s family and friends are caught in the crossfire.
From California’s beaches and Mexico’s deserts to the depths of a raging underground river and the treacherous Venezuelan jungle, Jake and his unlikely alliance of combat veterans and gangsters wage a rolling war of wits, weapons, and indomitable will ? to rescue those they love and to stop a madman’s bid for global conquest dead in its tracks.
Although I had flashes where things seemed stretched to be ultimately unbelievable, this was still a very fast and hitting thriller. The scene where Jake says his final farewells is touching, even if you expect him to pull a rabbit out of his hat and not get himself blown up, shot, beaten to death or die of a heart attack.
Even the guide dog came in handy, which I thought, at the opener, was just another heartstring to be played. It is, of course – kids in the mix and all that – but the dog was important to the plot, too.
One thing that often bothers me is a character that changes his mind halfway through. Here, it worked well; the seeds were planted very early on and all the bases covered so neatly that, when it happened I was impressed in spite of myself.
There are limits. I don’t think Jake could work in more than another book, or two at the most, not unless the forty year thing holds true and we go to kids. Bard’s clearly got an agenda and I can only hope that things won’t run away into a series for the sake of it. I’m guessing book three will be a scorcher!