The Hybrid Enemy

Review of The Hybrid Enemy by Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer - Midwest Book Reviews ’The Hybrid Enemy is the first book in a James Macrae thriller series. It opens in 1980 with the meeting of two strangers on a lonely trail who are not lost, but prefer the back roads of quiet to hiking the well-beaten, people-laden paths of nature. James and Sarah meet in Snowdonia National Park in Wales, where she learns that he is the fourth generation in an established international shipping business, destined to take the reins of corporate control from his ailing father. Fast forward to 1994, where James faces a series of threats to the family legacy that personally draw him into an investigative trail of crumbs. These lead him to some dangerous truths that could undermine everything he’s worked for and dreamed of. As he faces stevedore revolts, espionage, and subterfuge that strike at the heart of his company and life, James is forced to plan responses that lead him ever further from his love, Sarah, and his family. Richard D. Ross unfolds a vivid story of espionage and intrigue which remains as firmly rooted in interpersonal relationships as it is in a power play that draws James into new roles and situations he can barely navigate. The love between Sarah and James remains his rock, as steady as the progressive onslaughts to his psyche and financial pursuits. As Sarah is drawn into events to confront Jack Carter and Hugh Stanfield, owner and CEO of Euro-Asian Freight Services, intrigue and business perspectives evolve and meld in unexpected ways as James probes the roots of the conspiracy and the possible involvement of forces, he’d never imagined could impact his life. Ross’s mix of business and international espionage subjects, combined with the personal evolution of James and Sarah’s family and the complexities of their relationships, makes for a thoroughly engrossing read that holds the opportunity for business fiction readers to be introduced to a thriller format they may not have previously appreciated. Libraries and readers interested in the captivating blend of relationship evolution, business savvy, and international forces at play on a field of special interests will find The Hybrid Enemy both satisfyingly complex and hard to put down or predict.’ Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer - Midwest Book Reviews