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Greatest Enemy (American Mercenary) Paperback – December 18, 2017

by Jason Kasper (Author)

4.0 6,971 ratings

Book 1 of 6: American Mercenary

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“Jason Kasper’s American Mercenary series boils with bold action, exotic locales, and spellbinding intrigue.” Mark Greaney, #1 NYT Bestselling Author of the Gray Man series

David Rivers is an Army Ranger—a combat veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He has almost completed his final year at West Point when his world is turned upside down by a sudden discharge from military service. Angry and confused, David soon hits rock bottom.

And that's when they appear.

Three mysterious men. Men who know David's dark secret—they know that he has murdered someone in cold blood.

And they want him to do it again.

______________________________________________

Perfect for fans of Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, Mark Greaney, and Brad Taylor.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"David Rivers is an equal to Jack Reacher or Mitch Rapp." "Blew me away...Explodes the assassin-action-anti hero genre...Original, daring, riveting on every level." "This is the first time in 30 years I've been rocked back on my heels by a new author." "David Rivers is right up there with John Rain, Scott Harvath, Mitch Rapp, or Jack Reacher.""Forget about comparisons to Thor, Flynn or Clancy... Jason Kasper blazes his own trail. The American Mercenary series is action-adventure storytelling at its best."-Brian Andrews, #1 Bestselling Co-Author of the Andrews & Wilson TIER ONE series "Jason Kasper delivers a dark, intensely gripping thrill ride with the American Mercenary series. These unforgettable, action-packed thrillers are perfect for fans of Mitch Rapp, Jason Bourne, and Jack Reacher."-Steven Konkoly, USA Today Bestselling Author of The Rescue

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (December 18, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 246 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1973552361
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1973552369
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.62 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,825,209 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4,638 in Assassination Thrillers (Books)
- #6,925 in Military Thrillers (Books)
- #10,347 in Political Thrillers (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.0 6,971 ratings

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Jason Kasper

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Jason Kasper is a USA Today bestselling thriller author. He served in the US Army, beginning as a Ranger private and ending as a Green Beret captain. Jason is a West Point graduate and a veteran of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and was an avid ultramarathon runner, skydiver, and BASE jumper, all of which inspire his fiction. Follow him on social media at @KasperAuthor.

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4 out of 5

6,971 global ratings

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Andrea Payne

Great action

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2024

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Greatest Enemy is Book 1 of American Mercenary. It is meant to be read in order. A thriller, written by a veteran, this is packed with highly detailed action and combat scenes.

I enjoyed this book. While dark, it is also quite realistic regarding the things that many of our service members and veterans face, which is darkness.

I am immeasurably grateful for you all, we couldn't be who we are if you weren't willing to be who you are.

I would absolutely recommend it, for adults due to mature content. I will read the next one.

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Ducrot Pepys

Interesting anti-hero introduction

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2024

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No romanticism here, but an engaging look into mission-oriented drive. David Rivers is a relatable off-kilter protagonist that many would fantasize. It’s a good read, and I’ll continue with the series, but I’d like to think that West Point wouldn’t produce many of these sociopaths.

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Randy Smith

meh? to each his own...but....

Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2019

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had this book on my list of books to read for a while now and after reading it, I coulda waited longer....it's an acquired taste...I just love the ex serviceman who come back from war to do good for people...fictional characters like john stone (the manning brothers), jack reacher (lee child), jack keller and tony wolf (J.d. Rhodes), John puller (david Balducci), orphan X (greg Hurwitz) and others......but david rivers? nah....he's an extremely flawed ex serviceman with suicidal tendencies and joins a team of killers who kill for money....I guess I didn't like it only for the fact that I never saw him as a hero doing good.....other-n that, it was action packed and well written, just didn't grip me like the others aforementioned....

2 people found this helpful

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Brutally Honest Book Reviews

HIGHLY readable, enjoyable, stuffed with action. Better than the average action shooter stuff.

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2018

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The main character, David Rivers, is a guy who seems like he tried to do the right thing in life but was dealt a crappy hand. He did time in the service, seeing combat, and then got appointed to West Point. Unfortunately, his military career took a dive. So did his personal life. In an effort to escape his past defeats he engages in high risk activities, including skydiving, BASE jumping (leaping off buildings, towers, bridges, whatever, with a parachute), and consuming massive quantities of alcohol. When he is not jacked up from these activities, he wallows in misery and contemplates suicide. He also likes to write about his experiences. He has a friend who participates in his adrenaline rushes, and when that friend is killed in an accident, he slides even closer to the edge.

Among his personal baggage are an ex-fiancé and an ex-girlfriend. It turns out that the ex-girlfriend has an ex-boyfriend who is not pleased about David stealing her away. When David reaches the absolute bottom of the barrel, he makes a plan to kill himself just after he blows away the boyfriend. He is successful with the first part, but it turns out he is observed killing the guy, and is captured before he can eat his gun.

As it happens, the people who captured him are members of a small group of highly skilled ex-military guys who do odd, very violent jobs for a mysterious person named the “Handler”. They are impressed with his skills, particularly his BASE jumping ability, and they forcibly recruit him to help with one of their assignments. The mission is successful, and he tentatively becomes one of them, and finds that they are all living on the edge, facing death on a regular basis in order to escape their past demons.

The story follows the group as they prepare for and accomplish a variety of hit jobs. The final mission of the book is the hardest they have ever taken on, and it does not end well. However, it changes David’s life forever, and opens the door for the next book.

The book is well written, moves at just the right pace, is highly accurate in terms of weapons details and combat procedures, doesn’t get bogged down in useless ramblings, and contains twists that you absolutely do not see coming. The writing is rich and full of detail, and is articulate and grammatically correct. It is a pleasure to read. I read the thing in a couple of long nights, and immediately ordered the next two books in the series. This is a very literate shoot-em-up that you will enjoy reading.

92 people found this helpful

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Doc Tisch

New Series

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2024

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I started a new series by this author. Book one was pretty good and I’m looking forward to book 2.

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Ross M

The most realistic combat I've ever read

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2018

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A gripping read by a talented young author. This book begins the saga of David Rivers, an Army Ranger who has experienced more of life by the age of twenty five than most men manage in the entirety of their three-score-and-ten. Life's ups and downs, to include surviving a nighttime parachute assault in the harrowing invasion of Iraq, have driven David down a dark path. He's already begun flirting with death via skydiving. He then begins illicitly BASE jumping while he's attending West Point to further his military career when, on the brink of graduation, he's found medically unfit to serve. Facing this latest setback - among numerous others that have already occurred - David is contemplating the Final Solution when he's suddenly thrust into a new situation that will test his mettle like nothing ever has before. He finds himself with a debt of obligation to men cut of a similar cloth, but who exist in a more gray, morally questionable world. Exploring their path will test the character of this recent West Pointer, who until recently could not "lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do." David discovers his past experiences are both a blessing and a curse - though he continues to suffer from The Darkness, the skills he's developed over the course of a decade fighting and training for war make him uniquely situated to pay off his debt to these new comrades. The new challenges they place in front of him, as well as the intense adrenaline rush he feels each time he draws closer to death, renew David's zest for life. As the stakes grow higher with each task he begins to question the motivations of the men he's working for and with. Each is driven by their own wants; each is suffering from their own demons. There are layers upon layers to this new crew, and David must rely on these very men for both physical and emotional support. As the twists and turns build to a confrontation that will stress David and the bonds holding together his team, he finds himself going through a crucible like nothing he's ever imagined. This is an extraordinary tale of loss and discovery, hope and defeat, all seen through the lens of an author who has "seen the elephant." Kasper has unquestionably "been there and done that," and the action scenes he writes are the proof. As a fellow veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq I can testify that the author has come closer to capturing the realities of combat than anyone else I've ever read. As a former Green Beret Kasper gets all the details right, from weapons nomenclature to team dynamics. There were times when I felt my own memories come roaring back as the scene I was reading literally made me experience an adrenaline rush. If you're a fan of dark, gritty action tales filled with interesting characters I simply cannot recommend this book highly enough.

11 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer

Accidental find on my kindle unlimited

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2021

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I actually read a much later book in the series before downloading this one. Jason Kasper can certainly write a gripping story. I read it through the night. I particularly like his telling of David's thought processes. A really good read and I have already downloaded the next one. So pleased to have found a new author with a series of books.

Wendy

Action-packed Mercenary Missions

Reviewed in Canada on February 2, 2020

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“Greatest Enemy” the first in the David Rivers saga opens as the twenty-five -year- old ex-Army Ranger, depressed and contemplating suicide having broken up with a fiancée; accepting a discharge after completing his final year at West Point; and killing a man, is recruited into a group of mercenaries.

In a darkly violent and bleak plot filled with gritty language Jason Kasper takes the reader on a journey as former Ranger who’s depressed, lost and angry discovers new purpose and an adrenaline rush after joining a mercenary team. Short in length and action-packed intensity and suspense begin to escalate when the murder he commits is witnessed by three men and he’s initiated into a group of soldiers for hire. Although the action scenes are realistic and tense with Rivers’ love of “BASE jumping” and his escape from tricky situations, there is little background information especially about why the victims are being targeted as well as very little character development.

“Greatest Enemy” is a different approach to the life of a former Ranger who appears to have PTSD, and would be a compelling and captivating series if the stories were expanded. I rate it a 3.8 so have given it a 4.0 on the scale.

2 people found this helpful

Todd Simpson

Simply Brilliant

Reviewed in Australia on October 17, 2017

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Simply Brilliant. It’s easy to see that Jason Kasper knows this subject very well, with his background in Special Forces, but what he’s done really well is putting together a highly entertaining and interesting plot, that had me glued to the pages for hours. David Rivers is a great character, and I really enjoyed his dry sense of humour and quit wit. The action scenes are fantastic, and it’s really just a great story.
David Rivers pretty much lives in his own world, and he’s not used to relying on others. Not surprising though since he grew up without his parents, and then his plans to stay in the Army didn’t pan out. Even his best friend let him down in the worst possible way. So when the chance comes up to join a team of Ex-Special Force Operators, he jumps at the chance. With his background as an Army Ranger and his skills in parachuting and base jumping, he’s the perfect fit for the team. Although he experienced war in Iraq and Afghanistan, David was about the experience a whole new level of Violence. If you enjoy Action Thrillers then this is a book that is definitely worth a read.

3 people found this helpful

Theresa Dea

Dark and violent

Reviewed in Canada on March 29, 2021

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A not unrealistic look at the darkness and violence inside our vets. The main character, a vet, is depressed, suicidal, an alcoholic and has PTSD. The only thing that keeps him going is BASE jumping which gives him the thrill of "almost" dying. If you can handle that you'll love the book! He gets recruited by a team of assassins who specifically need his BASE jumping skills and lack of fear of death. There's lots of thrilling twists and turns, non-stop action, betrayal and mystery about who is pulling the strings.