One of the things I think is virtually unique to the thriller genre is that while there is an overarching story about the personal life of the central detective figure, it is quickly summarised so the reader can figure out the relevant backstory that informs the character’s quirks, modus operandi, and temperament. The third instalment of Tim Ayliffe’s series, The Enemy Within easily and succinctly gives a reader new to the series (me) all the necessary information: the protagonist, John Bailey, is a recovering alcoholic former war correspondent who recently watched the woman he loved die. If it sounds like a lot, that’s because it is, but it also seems that virtually every protagonist in a long-running thriller series must have some kind of demon with which they grapple. With that being said, Bailey’s sobriety is never put into question, and the trauma that he experienced in the previous instalment is something he’s working to overcome. In all, then, the reader isn’t forced to witness what has become the trope of the embittered, world-weary detective figure engaging in self-destructive behaviour and somehow still managing to solve the case. Instead, while Bailey is definitely scarred, he is wholly competent and is unafraid to do serious legwork in order to not only get his story, but to get answers. This isn’t necessarily a new counter-trend, but Ayliffe has a deft way of depicting this in a manner which doesn’t belabour the point.
The central focus of the mystery revolves around the rise of white supremacy in Australia. I really enjoyed the fact that the novel was set in urban Australia (something which Katherine Firkin mentioned was not usual for a lot of Australian thrillers, when I spoke with her about a month ago), and that the central underlying thematic focus of the novel is a genuinely thought-provoking issue. Far-right nationalism is an issue of which may of us are unaware, or do not necessarily treat with the requisite level of concern, despite the increasingly bold behaviour of groups such as the collection of neo-Nazi men who went camping in the Grampians—an Australian National Park—in January of this year, amid the existence of calls for greater legal frameworks to confine such groups. Given the January insurrection of Capitol Hill in America, it’s obvious that Ayliffe has a clear understanding of some of the more meaningful points of concern across Western societies – especially considering the manuscript of The Enemy Within would have been completed last year.
I’m of the firm belief that there is such value in books like this which are written with competence and in an engaging, easily digestible format. Because they don’t need to be the attention-grabbing short form of most news stories, books such as this have the space to really provide in-depth and nuanced explanations behind certain issues. In this instance, exploring the causes and insidiousness of white supremacy is something that often seems obvious at face value, but because of that obviousness, it can sometimes be difficult to mobilise people to understand exactly why those kinds of ideologies are so dangerous and need to be treated with the same kind of seriousness with which our society views fundamentalist Islam extremists.
The novel unfolds in a manner that differs from standard thriller and crime novels in terms of its pacing, but given the effective antagonist and perpetrator of the crimes is white nationalist ideological movements, it completely works, and at no point is the sense of pace forfeited. In fact, I’ve been reading a lot of thrillers of late, so I actually really appreciate the ones whose plot unfolds in a manner that subverts or plays with the traditional formula. In fact, the way the ultimate perpetrators are revealed is cleverly done, in a hiding-in-plain-sight sort of manner. It was a twist I didn’t see coming, but definitely should have.
In part, it’s because the manner in which Ayliffe tells his story of the investigation is done in concert with an interesting discussion about how the media can inadvertently advance the cause of extremist groups; by reporting on them, it can incentivise people to actually seek out these groups, and play into the agenda of people who want to incite specific reactions from others. Moreover, the question about the media’s complicity —inadvertent and deliberate—in creating inflammatory content for a variety of reasons, is beautifully explored, and is ultimately tied in to the mystery at the novel’s conclusion quite skilfully.
In short, The Enemy Within is the kind of timely read with an important issue at its core, but one that’s told with an engaging and clear voice. I highly recommend it.
The Enemy Within is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of July 28th 2021.
Will you be picking up The Enemy Within? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Like Michael Connelly’s Bosch, former war correspondent John Bailey will risk everything to get to the truth – and expose a deadly enemy.
He heard a voice, someone calling out in the distance, followed by a loud fluttering of birds. Bailey looked up just in time to see a body falling from the sky …
Investigative journalist John Bailey is doing his best to turn his life around after losing the woman he loved. He has a new job. He’s given up the drink. He even has a dog.
But then Federal Police raid his home with a warrant granting them unprecedented powers to take anything they want, including all his electronic devices and passwords. When Bailey protests, they threaten to put him in a prison cell.
Someone wants to stop Bailey doing what he does best – exposing the truth. He has been investigating the rise of a global white supremacist group and suspects that a notorious neo-Nazi in the United States has been directing deadly racist attacks on Sydney’s streets.
When the body of one of his key sources washes up on a nearby beach, it’s clear Bailey and anyone helping him have become targets. Bailey reaches out to a ruthless old friend – CIA veteran, Ronnie Johnson – to lure the enemy from the shadows.
An enemy who thought they were untouchable. Until now …
