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“The action, tension, and intrigue are nonstop, causing this reader to be anxious to turn the page.”

“The story is alive. I kept reading even when my eyes were closing at night.

“I love this book, not only because of the new, fresh twist to the whole average vampire story, but because it is so funny!”

5 stars1Amazon.com Good story, excellent ideas. First of all We the Enemy is an entertaining conflicted hero, action  novel. On that level it is similar to many Grisham, Balducci or other  stories, an entertaining, compelling read. If it were only that it  would be one of many books that allow us a few hours in a world unlike  our own that we visit to sample different lives or just escape our own.

However, there is much more going on here. Into into his dark view  of what our society could look like not long from now the author weaves  ideas about re-interpreted constitutional rights that make it difficult  for these rights to be ignored, twisted or used for ill. It is these  ideas that make this book stand out. Not just another action story but a good story with compelling notions that stick in the mind. These ideas seem so reasonable (and yet not impossibly Utopian) that they keep  coming back, teasing you to make you wonder why they couldn't be tried.

It's a good story full of interesting characters with some of the most interesting ideas of justice around. I recommend it.

5 stars1Amazon.com Interesting story, well done, and not the normal fare. I bought this with not much of an idea what the story was about. Was surprised by the content. Is a story that has the normal story  elements, conflict, differing characters and characters who are suffering emotionally in some way, and a main conflict. I did not expect the political content. I enjoyed the story. The writing is very good and the plot moves at a good pace. And I enjoyed the political content, which is a rare treat. Well done. A thoughtful and  thought-provoking read.

5 stars1Amazon.com I absolutely loved We the Enemy. For me, the mark of a great book is one that sticks with me long after I have finished reading it. I find myself thinking of this storyline and characters often. This is a book that I have and will read more than once.

4 starsSmashwords This is a thought-provoking story set in the near future. It brings together a black single mother living in the projects, a former Secret Service agent who is emotionally numbed by a personal tragedy, the Attorney General of the US who happens to be a lesbian, and a charismatic leader of an Oregon based movement--the Alliance--that superficially looks like it just might be a religious cult.

The action revolves around a recent implementation of a new legal system that the Alliance has managed to create in Oregon. Guns as we know them are outlawed, replaced by highly effective, but non-lethal, defensive  weapons that seem technologically plausible. A slight, but very believable, twist in the reading of the Fifth Amendment brings drastic change to the nature of trials. The biggest imaginative stretch is the correctional system which is horribly draconian in some respects, but offers an out€¯ to those who might seek personal redemption.

While this is definitely a book with a socio-political message, it avoids falling into several traps. The message emerges through the actions and dialogue of the story. There are none of the long, preachy monologues that some authors will use to explicate their vision. The main characters, at least, are far from stereotypical cardboard cut-outs. They have layers of mixed feelings and mixed motives. I did feel, however, that the author tried to move the action along too quickly at some points. Two of the characters made very serious decisions far more quickly and readily than would have seemed natural given the circumstances and those mixed feelings/motives. Both the above strengths and weaknesses may well be explained by the fact the author has apparently spent some time writing screenplays.

Wherever you stand on the current state of our society, gun violence, or the criminal justice system; this bit of speculative fiction is worth a read. It has ideas that are worth thinking about.

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5 stars1Amazon.com Intellectual Challenge with a Visceral Kick. We The Enemy is an unusual novel, both an action-packed thriller and a rational dissection of our legal system. Welcome to the near future,  where Secret Service agent-turned-mercenary Jake Black has agreed to  make life tough for a presidential candidate with Utopian leanings. Though numbed by a mysterious loss, Black finds himself warming to the politics of his victim as well as to Jewel, a single mom on the run from the lawless jungle her world has become.

Learn about the defensive weapons, nap, tangle, and whack. Experience the horrific brutality of The Keep--the place outside civil society where hardened criminals are disposed of and the only rule is might makes right. Consider the possibilities of the Alliance and its Promise. Watch the forces in the story converge for the final showdown. Rhamey pulls no punches. There are innocent victims here as in real  life. This is a fast-paced yet thought-provoking book, muscular in style and ingenious in worldview
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5 stars1Midwest Book Review A unique thriller with plenty of twists and turns, highly recommended. Truth is a cruel mistress, and may reveal one's whole purpose to be a lie. "We the Enemy" follows former Secret Service Agent Jake Black as he seeks criminal kingpin Noah Stone. In his pursuits, the evidence he finds against Stone may perhaps not be against Stone, and Black's motives are questioned about the very system who has dispatched him. "We the Enemy" is a unique thriller with plenty of twists and turns, highly recommended.”

4 starsAmazon.com Thoughtful action-packed story You are drawn into a dark though plausible near-future with a flawed,  world-weary protagonist. Yet there is a thread of hope woven, which  grows as you follow him on his journey. Good story, interesting  characters who don't always do what you expect them to, some very good  "food-for-thought" views on how to build a livable 21st century  American society. Enjoyed it thoroughly, still thinking about it.  That's a good book!

4 starsSmashwords I enjoyed We the Enemy. The concepts it explores offer a unique new approach to problems that exist today. It's an interesting cross between thriller, romance, political fiction, and sci-fi. A quick, fun read.

I don't agree with some of the ideas--but I find it hard to disagree with them, too. And they are truly different. Oregon in the novel has radically changed its system of justice and its gun laws, and the new setup works a lot better in many ways. Since I frankly don't think the current methods work, I am almost tempted to urge similar reforms in real life.

4 starsAmazon.com Message Delivered Someone once advised writers that if they wanted to deliver a message, send a telegram. The assumption being that the "message" would get in the way of the entertainment. Fortunately, there has been no shortage of writers willing to ignore that advise and demonstrate how to be entertaining and also have something worthwhile to say. This is one of those books.

Read it for the distraction of a well-told action yarn - once. But you will find yourself thinking about one point or another and checking back to seek the clarity of the message - more than once. Don't just buy the book; make an investment and even where you disagree with a specific message, be inspired to clarify your own thinking.

© Ray Rhamey 2017   ray (at) rayrhamey (dot) com 206.291.8758  Ashland, Oregon

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