I enjoyed parts of the book and action but overall would not recommend it. Either I could not keep up or it was just very disjointed with many gaps. the darkness of the character was kind of cool, but again, his story was hard to follow. the whole couldn't be an officer thing was weird too. he was okay to be in the service but not as an officer later? weird. Enjoy the genre, like the action, and premise of book was ok except for the execution of the author. ( )

Greatest Enemy by Jason Kasper is book one of the David Rivers series and an explosive way to start. It is a roller coaster ride, full of action and suspense, that will you have rushing to the end.

David Rivers is adrift in life and suffering from PTSD from tours in Afghanistan and Iraq as an Army Ranger. Since his release from the military, he has become an alcoholic with suicidal tendencies and is in desperate need of an intervention. He gets one of sorts, just not in the form he truly needs. He is recruited to join a team of mercenaries because of his experience in BASE jumping. Just the thing an adrenaline junkie needs to stave off the suicide thoughts.

At only 25 he is the youngest member of the team and must prove himself. He sets out with vigor to do just that. However, there are forces, unbeknownst to him, that are working against him. Will he have the tenacity it takes to make it in this new career path?

The story reminded me a little of the Jason Bourne books. The prose was not as polished but the story was good. The main focus was the action and sometimes, as occurred here, the depth of the story and characters is a little shallow. I am hoping that future books will delve into David River’s story more so the reader can connect with him in a meaningful way. This is not to say I did not understand him and have empathy for him, because I did. I just think there is room for improvement.

I feel the story is geared toward a male audience. In addition, the language and violence in the book are not for some readers. However, the scenes of violence where not overly graphic except in just a couple of cases. I feel comfortable recommending this to readers who like a fast paced book with lots of action and drama and do not mind the subject matter and violence.

I received a free copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.

For more of my book reviews, and author interviews, see my blog at www.thespineview.com. ( )