Book Review: Enemy in Blue

Enemy in Blue

Empty your bladder, have your favorite drink ready, sit in your comfy chair, and read. Don't stop. That is the only way to get through Enemy in Blue by Derek Blass. If you stop reading and think about this story, you might not finish it. Suspension of disbelief is lacking because there are so many plot holes throughout. I will not list them in deference to the people who love thrillers that rely on the constant building of hate for characters and unbridled violence to keep themselves entertained, regardless of the lack of commonsense or cohesion within the story.

The writing and twists are fine; the character backstories interesting, but superficial. The plot line has merit, but was born from the thriller-in-the-vacuum of reality hatchery. That's why you need to read it fast. Just like Steve Martin's movie "The Jerk" where you mumbled, "What a jerk," at his antics, I kept mumbling, "This is so stupid," with regard to some of the action. Example: the reporter, kidnapped, beaten, and face blistered from burns, is thrown into a car with the "good guys" for a long drive to Mexico to help fight the bad guys. This is so stupid. She wasn't capable of fighting anyone! She needed medical attention, but I guess the author needed to create a romance angle with the lawyer. And depending upon who was doing the driving in this story, different desperate drivers drove to the same spot in Mexico anywhere from 8 hours (police chief) to 4 days (the wives).

But even for thriller lovers, I don't understand all the 5 ratings. Four maybe. As I read to the end of the story and the unbelievable (not in a good sense) trial, I kept wondering if the author was ever going to bring back the seventh cop at the initial opening scene as a surprise gotcha witness. Sadly, another loose end. And yes, there was a seventh cop. A cop had to be driving the SWAT vehicle as the team rode in the back to the initial crime scene. Guess I should have read faster over that point. If you're detail oriented, this is a 2; otherwise, this is a 3.