Enemies Foreign and Domestic
by Matthew Bracken

Soldiers and law enforcement agents swear an oath before going on the job. They promise to defend the Constitution of the United States from enemies both foreign and domestic. Although America has seen foreign enemies and dealt with them accordingly, how many men and women would uphold their oath when it's a domestic enemy they're after - an enemy that is, perhaps, composed of neighbors, friends, or business associates? Conversely, how many would ignore their oath when they're convinced they're doing the right thing?

In Enemies Foreign and Domestic, we meet Brad and Ranya. Brad isn't too pleased with the way the politics of the country is going, but he's making plans to sail off into the Caribbean on a long term cruise. He's less worried about what's happening than about setting sail before he's not permitted to do so. Ranya, meanwhile, is a college student. The only daughter of a gun store owner, she's both much-loved by her father and well trained. But the plans both have are foiled by circumstances far beyond their control when a truly horrific sniper attack that takes place at a crowded football stadium results in an immediate outcry for harsh gun control measures and a war on domestic terrorism.

Brad and Ranya might never have met if not for the fact that one store owner targeted by federal investigators in the wake of the sniper attack and resultant gun control legislation is owned by Ranya's father. Brad, who met the man merely in passing, finds himself coerced into helping the FBI make its case. But when a few people discover who's really behind the ongoing acts of domestic terrorism, the fight starts to get very dirty and even more dangerous. With help from friends willing to take the risk, Ranya declares her own personal war. Ranya is ready to fight for freedom and her father; Brad is willing to fight for Ranya. But can either of them win? And how much might they both lose?

I found Enemies Foreign and Domestic to be difficult to read. So much that happens in the book rings so true that I frequently had to stop and remind myself that the story is fiction. The author is both a freedom lover and a former military man which lends passion and authenticity to his story. And, of course, the politics of the present day is close enough to the circumstances in the book that the story is quite believable. It's that fact that makes me inclined to call this less an action/adventure tale than a horror story because, frankly, it scared me. But fear can teach lessons, and what you'll learn from reading Enemies Foreign and Domestic is too valuable to miss. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the book is also damned hard to put down. Enemies Foreign and Domestic is available for purchase online.