Anyone who knows me is aware that I’m prone to using “colorful” language in any situation. Enemy at the Gates required people to “pardon my french” from amusement in Chapter 2, had me uttering foul phrases under my breath at the barbarism committed against innocent victims throughout, and at the end I was outright yelling profanities at the final twist. My child kept yelling “earmuffs” from the next room as I read the last few chapters.
We find Mitch in an unusual situation after the events of Total Power. The lights are back on, the world is slowly returning to normal, and a new president has come to power in the White House. Mitch is unsure of his role in the administration and, even more surprisingly, unsure if he even wants a role. The allure of a quiet, calm life alongside Claudia and Anna is pulling him further and further away from the agency. When he finally reunites with his family in South Africa he expects to try and adjust to a normal existence. Irene Kennedy has other plans. She sets up a face to face meeting between Mitch and Nicholas Ward, the world’s first trillionaire.
I can almost see Mitch playing the scene from The Godfather III in his head… “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!”. Mitch, Scott Coleman, and company are tasked with tracking down the world’s leading virologist who is lost in the Ugandan jungle after an attack on their medical facility by a sadistic monster with a messiah complex.
As far as books go, this one is simply fantastic. I mean it’s really REALLY good. We all know I’m a Mitch Rapp fanboy, but looking at this one objectively… IT IS AMAZING! I hate to keep saying this, but the insane number of great books in 2021 keeps making me do it… this is one of the best books I’ve read this year and potentially my favorite in the entire series.
I was in absolute suspense from the first to last page and was utterly devastated by the identity of the mole. With Kyle setting up a villain unlike Mitch has ever faced on the home front, the next few books are going to be absolutely wild.
On a more personal note, I would like to opine a bit:
I cannot begin to fathom the difficulty of being tasked with continuing such an iconic series as the one Kyle Mills took over with Vince Flynn’s passing. In Mitch Rapp, I believe Flynn created the modern archetype for most thriller protagonists. The series also comes with a rather knowledgeable and particularly observant group of devoted readers. Calling the Rapp fanbase “rabid” is like saying Mitch is “ok” at killing Islamic terrorists. Over the previous six books, Mills has done a superb job of staying true to Vince’s original vision, while adding his own touch to each novel.
I may be in the minority here, but upon Kyle taking over the mantle I did not expect simply a continuation of Flynn, rather at some point there would be a distinct blending of Vince’s action packed political narratives with the more conspiracy/espionage plots which made Kyle a fan favorite (and the right person to take over the series). There has always been a push and pull of those two competing forces and I have seen comments online regarding Red War saying that Kyle deviated a bit too far from a ‘typical’ Rapp book in that one. I even argued with my own superfan grandmother about it. While it may be true that it was not completely inline with previous books, Red War is still one of my favorites of the entire series (don’t worry I’m sure this will come up at some point on a 5 Angry Men segment).
In Enemy at the Gates I believe Mills has struck the absolute perfect balance of what long time fans would expect from old school Mitch and Kyle’s own superb conspiratorial plotlines. I can see distinct fingerprints from two of the genre’s all time great authors and the book is the better for it.
Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.
Purchase Enemy At The Gates
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)
Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
