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The Enemy
Financial consultant, Malcolm Jaggard, begins a desperate investigation when flourishing industrialist and former Russian scientist, George Ashton, the father of Jaggard's fiancée, mysteriously disappears following a vicious acid attack on his daughter. Ashton is traced from his home in Buckinghamshire to the wintry forests of Sweden, in a compelling tale about rivalries between intelligence groups and shocking experiments in genetic engineering.
298 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
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About the author
Desmond Bagley
131 books165 followersDesmond Bagley was a British journalist and novelist principally known for a series of best-selling thrillers. Along with fellow British writers such as Hammond Innes and Alistair MacLean, Bagley established the basic conventions of the genre: a tough, resourceful, but essentially ordinary hero pitted against villains determined to sow destruction and chaos in order to advance their agenda.
Bagley was born at Kendal, Cumbria (then Westmorland), England, the son of John and Hannah Bagley. His family moved to the resort town of Blackpool in the summer of 1935, when Bagley was twelve. Leaving school not long after the relocation, Bagley worked as a printer's assistant and factory worker, and during World War II he worked in the aircraft industry. Bagley suffered from a speech impediment (stuttering) all of his life, which initially exempted him from military conscription.
He left England in 1947 for Africa and worked his way overland, crossing the Sahara Desert and briefly settling in Kampala, Uganda, where he contracted malaria. By 1951, he had settled in South Africa, working in the gold mining industry and asbestos industry in Durban, Natal, before becoming a freelance writer for local newspapers and magazines.
His first published short story appeared in the English magazine Argosy in 1957, and his first novel, The Golden Keel in 1962. In the interval, he was a film critic for Rand Daily Mail in Johannesburg from 1958–1962. Also during this period, he met local bookstore owner Joan Margaret Brown and they were married in 1960.
The success of The Golden Keel led Bagley to turn full time to novel writing by the mid-1960s. He published a total of sixteen thrillers, all craftsmanlike and nearly all best-sellers. Typical of British thriller writers of the era, he rarely used recurring characters whose adventures unfolded over multiple books. Max Stafford, the security consultant featured in Flyaway and Windfall, is a notable exception. Also typically, his work has received little attention from filmmakers, yielding only a few, unremarkable adaptations. Exceptions were The Freedom Trap (1971), released in 1973 as The Mackintosh Man by Warner Brothers, starring Paul Newman and Dominique Sanda; and Running Blind which was adapted for television by the BBC in 1979.
Bagley and his wife left South Africa for Italy in 1960, and then England in 1965. They settled in Totnes, Devon from 1965–1976, then lived in Guernsey in the Channel Islands from 1976-1983.
Bagley also published short stories. When not traveling to research the exotic backgrounds for his novels, Bagley spent his time sailing and motor-boating. He loved classical music and films, military history, and played war games.
Desmond Bagley died of complications resulting from a stroke at a hospital in Southampton. He was fifty-nine. His last two novels Night of Error and Juggernaut were published posthumously after completion by his wife. His works have been translated into over 20 languages.
Bagley was born at Kendal, Cumbria (then Westmorland), England, the son of John and Hannah Bagley. His family moved to the resort town of Blackpool in the summer of 1935, when Bagley was twelve. Leaving school not long after the relocation, Bagley worked as a printer's assistant and factory worker, and during World War II he worked in the aircraft industry. Bagley suffered from a speech impediment (stuttering) all of his life, which initially exempted him from military conscription.
He left England in 1947 for Africa and worked his way overland, crossing the Sahara Desert and briefly settling in Kampala, Uganda, where he contracted malaria. By 1951, he had settled in South Africa, working in the gold mining industry and asbestos industry in Durban, Natal, before becoming a freelance writer for local newspapers and magazines.
His first published short story appeared in the English magazine Argosy in 1957, and his first novel, The Golden Keel in 1962. In the interval, he was a film critic for Rand Daily Mail in Johannesburg from 1958–1962. Also during this period, he met local bookstore owner Joan Margaret Brown and they were married in 1960.
The success of The Golden Keel led Bagley to turn full time to novel writing by the mid-1960s. He published a total of sixteen thrillers, all craftsmanlike and nearly all best-sellers. Typical of British thriller writers of the era, he rarely used recurring characters whose adventures unfolded over multiple books. Max Stafford, the security consultant featured in Flyaway and Windfall, is a notable exception. Also typically, his work has received little attention from filmmakers, yielding only a few, unremarkable adaptations. Exceptions were The Freedom Trap (1971), released in 1973 as The Mackintosh Man by Warner Brothers, starring Paul Newman and Dominique Sanda; and Running Blind which was adapted for television by the BBC in 1979.
Bagley and his wife left South Africa for Italy in 1960, and then England in 1965. They settled in Totnes, Devon from 1965–1976, then lived in Guernsey in the Channel Islands from 1976-1983.
Bagley also published short stories. When not traveling to research the exotic backgrounds for his novels, Bagley spent his time sailing and motor-boating. He loved classical music and films, military history, and played war games.
Desmond Bagley died of complications resulting from a stroke at a hospital in Southampton. He was fifty-nine. His last two novels Night of Error and Juggernaut were published posthumously after completion by his wife. His works have been translated into over 20 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
March 31, 2012
I loved bagley when younger, and this is a great, farsighted plot for its time. Very inventive, though reminiscent of a certain time and position in British society. A terrific read - I wish I could write like this. 4+ . I don't understand why he doesn't have higher ratings - could be US v UK markets - it's very British.
June 20, 2009
Fun! Reading this from the classic 'spies and Cold War shenanigans' author Desmond Bagley has reassured me that we didn't always live in a Dan Brown age. This has a fast-paced, complex and exciting plot AND (shocker) Bagely writes well. Of course, it's all a bit silly, but in a good way.
January 8, 2013
The Enemy
Desmond Bagley
Some Lines from the book:
• Knowledge is power, and servants must not have power.
• We have met the enemy, and he is us.
• He had the look of a small boy who has just discovered that the world is an unjust place, the look of a boy who has been punished for something he hasn't done.
• My heart was like a singing bird and I realized the truth in all that the say about love.
• French proverb "The man who finds a good son-in-law gains a son, but the man who finds a bad one loses a daughter."
• If anyone shoots at me, I shoot back.
• Everything always seems to come back to money and politicians.
• Fire is a great thing for destroying what is bad.
• A man must do something important in his life, something that people will remember.
Desmond Bagley
Some Lines from the book:
• Knowledge is power, and servants must not have power.
• We have met the enemy, and he is us.
• He had the look of a small boy who has just discovered that the world is an unjust place, the look of a boy who has been punished for something he hasn't done.
• My heart was like a singing bird and I realized the truth in all that the say about love.
• French proverb "The man who finds a good son-in-law gains a son, but the man who finds a bad one loses a daughter."
• If anyone shoots at me, I shoot back.
• Everything always seems to come back to money and politicians.
• Fire is a great thing for destroying what is bad.
• A man must do something important in his life, something that people will remember.
July 6, 2025
Another solid/fun throwback-to-the-'70s Bagley novel written very much in the style of Alistair Maclean.
The story here is all over the place, but in a good way — foot chases across Sweden, storm-swept islands off the coast of Scotland, model trains and acid attacks and religious fanatics and bioweapon labs and then a genuine surprise twist at the end…good stuff all.
I've found that, aside from humor books like those of David Sedaris, this and similar fiction — exciting but not taxing — make the best audiobooks; with anything more complex or (God forbid) anything non-fiction, I just find myself wandering and having to rewind too frequently.
Listened to the whole thing on a long solo drive from Virginia to Upstate New York; nice to be alone in the car for anything more than my daily 20 minute commute, so that I can really get into the story — thanks, family in Upstate New York!
The story here is all over the place, but in a good way — foot chases across Sweden, storm-swept islands off the coast of Scotland, model trains and acid attacks and religious fanatics and bioweapon labs and then a genuine surprise twist at the end…good stuff all.
I've found that, aside from humor books like those of David Sedaris, this and similar fiction — exciting but not taxing — make the best audiobooks; with anything more complex or (God forbid) anything non-fiction, I just find myself wandering and having to rewind too frequently.
Listened to the whole thing on a long solo drive from Virginia to Upstate New York; nice to be alone in the car for anything more than my daily 20 minute commute, so that I can really get into the story — thanks, family in Upstate New York!
December 2, 2021
An excellent old school thriller. Tight and linear, suspenseful and fun. This is one of Bagley's best novels.
November 29, 2019
I'm not usually into spy type stories but Desmond Bagley never fails to tell a good story. I was hooked within the first 30pgs. He is such a good writer...what I call a classic old school writer. Give him a try..and enjoy!
October 28, 2010
I wouldn't call "The Enemy" groundbreaking but it's a fun, entertaining espionage mystery. The kind of book you read when you're too tired to think.
March 9, 2023
Got forced to read this in English class but I actually enjoyed it, it has a lot of plot twists and gets you hooked
January 3, 2025
I'm loving these old Desmond Bagley books. Great plots, easy to read, likeable characters.
Some of the attitude towards women is very dated, but it was written in the 70s.
An enjoyable read.
Some of the attitude towards women is very dated, but it was written in the 70s.
An enjoyable read.
January 10, 2022
I read this for my book club. It's not something I would have normally read, but I enjoyed it. The plot did move around a lot and I was frustrated by the ending. I probably won't read more books like this any time soon, but I'm glad I got to read something out of my comfort zone for once.
July 22, 2022
A great classic 😊
January 18, 2021
Another great read from Desmond Bagley. Cracking story with a bitter sweet unexpected ending
January 17, 2025
3.5/5
I read the summarized version of the book, but it was still nice
If you're interested in biology, i recommend you read the full version of the book so you can enjoy it more.
I read the summarized version of the book, but it was still nice
If you're interested in biology, i recommend you read the full version of the book so you can enjoy it more.
June 27, 2020
With ‘Running Blind’, Bagley welded his mastery of the action thriller genre to the tenets of the espionage novel, elements of which carried over into its semi-sequel ‘The Freedom Trap’ and were revisited in even more labyrinthine fashion in ‘The Tightrope Men’. Following an unprecedented swerve into courtroom drama with ‘The Snow Tiger’, Bagley took his last great throw of the espionage dice. ‘The Enemy’ has the starkest title in his bibliography and certainly the starkest ending. Which isn’t to say that his wry humour isn’t present - this is a first person narrative and Bagley was always at his driest writing in the first person - and that it doesn’t function as a typically propulsive thriller. Not unlike Alistair MacLean’s ‘The Satan Bug’, it starts out as a procedural before ramping up the action (a stylistic lurch in MacLean’s hands but a seamless transition in Bagley’s). Having said all that, the most memorable and inventive set piece involves a model railway layout.
January 21, 2017
Decidedly silly and slightly fussy thriller about fastidious tea drinkers who bungle their cases repeatedly before almost accidentally stumbling upon the truth of them. A semi-progressive throwback featuring an intelligent woman who is also something of a fair maiden, The Enemy features an odd story progression, needless deaths unintentionally provoked by the protagonists, and an Australian secret agent.
This wasn't enough to make me eager for more Bagley, but I shall always know he's on hand if needs be.
This wasn't enough to make me eager for more Bagley, but I shall always know he's on hand if needs be.
July 11, 2020
From a day and time when genetic engineering was still a dream away, and computers were a lot more primitive. Great yarn with unexpected ending.
October 21, 2018
A mystery with good suspense. As if I'm peeling back the layers of an onion. It keeps me guessing till the end, with different scientific fields💊 and history involved. The terms and explanations are a bit rushed and complicated tho, so I can't understand them completely. Some technical info I just skimmed through🤔 It shows the thorough research the author has done I guess, which makes the story believable. The human relations in the characters’ workplaces are realistic and contribute to quite a part of the plot.
I like the main characters enough and know about them. The personality of the protagonist Malcolm can be shown by his narrative. Sad thing is I am not very emotionally invested.😪 The style is too matter of fact and direct, like a statement because it's written as an article for the news. I love the surprising ending, telling us the purpose of the whole piece, which is to reveal the truth and warn us about selfishness.
Overall, The Enemy is a mix of Lee Child and Dan Brown, but not as good since it is relatively too short (only 288 pages) for such a sophisticated plot. It is enjoyable and teaches a great moral lesson. Not a light read tho.
Rating: 3.8/5
I like the main characters enough and know about them. The personality of the protagonist Malcolm can be shown by his narrative. Sad thing is I am not very emotionally invested.😪 The style is too matter of fact and direct, like a statement because it's written as an article for the news. I love the surprising ending, telling us the purpose of the whole piece, which is to reveal the truth and warn us about selfishness.
Overall, The Enemy is a mix of Lee Child and Dan Brown, but not as good since it is relatively too short (only 288 pages) for such a sophisticated plot. It is enjoyable and teaches a great moral lesson. Not a light read tho.
Rating: 3.8/5
November 17, 2022
Wow, what a story ... although it started off slow, the progress captured my interest especially in the twists and turns of the plot! This had intrigue, mystery, in British & Russian espionage, with a lone wolf, Malcolm Jaggard who falls in love with Penny Ashton. But a freak, deadly accident splinters the Ashton family that starts this 'spy' thriller going! Why is Benson, a trusted manservant so devoted to Penny's father? And what is this connection with an elaborate, detailed, gigantic train set in the attic? Doctor Penny's career as a research biologist specializing in genetics is one of the attributes that has attracted Malcolm who is a 'thinking man' in his line of work.... Gosh this review sounds very disjointed, just like I felt with the story until the puzzles started to piece together! The acid attack, lots of info was secret, Father Ashton has disappeared with Benson, why are the Russians involved and what has a now British Lord got to do with the case? Oh bother, I have come to the last page and it's not what I expected....
June 25, 2025
“When your father dies in a car crash and the official files say he never existed—you don’t just grieve. You dig.”
The Enemy is Bagley at his most cerebral and chilling. This one isn’t about lost gold or undercover missions—it’s about hidden truths buried beneath layers of Cold War secrecy and family deception. Corporate intrigue meets scientific espionage, and every answer only leads to deeper paranoia.
Our protagonist, Malcolm Jaggard, is a government agent—but also a man slowly realizing that his fiancée’s father might be tied to something far more dangerous than industrial research. It’s a slower burn than The Golden Keel, but the stakes feel ice-cold and nuclear-hot at the same time.
I bought The Enemy in the same 2008 Book Fair binge where I basically looted Bagley’s entire shelf. This one, I remember reading during a power cut, with a torchlight tucked into the crook of my neck, flipping pages like a man possessed. I loved how it made me think—not just race to the climax. It’s Bagley’s quietest thriller—but also, perhaps, his most unsettling.
The Enemy is Bagley at his most cerebral and chilling. This one isn’t about lost gold or undercover missions—it’s about hidden truths buried beneath layers of Cold War secrecy and family deception. Corporate intrigue meets scientific espionage, and every answer only leads to deeper paranoia.
Our protagonist, Malcolm Jaggard, is a government agent—but also a man slowly realizing that his fiancée’s father might be tied to something far more dangerous than industrial research. It’s a slower burn than The Golden Keel, but the stakes feel ice-cold and nuclear-hot at the same time.
I bought The Enemy in the same 2008 Book Fair binge where I basically looted Bagley’s entire shelf. This one, I remember reading during a power cut, with a torchlight tucked into the crook of my neck, flipping pages like a man possessed. I loved how it made me think—not just race to the climax. It’s Bagley’s quietest thriller—but also, perhaps, his most unsettling.
May 26, 2022
One of quite a stack of books that I got from my grandfather's collection. I thought it was my first time reading it, but as soon as I came across the model railway I remembered that I had already read it once before. I couldn't remember the end from that, but I could recall one of the big twists as a result.
It was a fun book with an interesting story, but nothing fantastic overall and it is quite dated in parts. Some of it is just funny - I particularly liked seeing the cutting edge of genetics research at that time and where they thought it might go - but other bits just didn't age well.
Therefore, I will now be passing this book on as I have enough others from the collection that I will definitely keep.
On a side note, I found the cover art very odd. It's of something that happens right towards the end of the book and so gives away a bit more than I'd really like a cover to. The same with the synopsis on the back cover. I wonder if this was normal back then.
It was a fun book with an interesting story, but nothing fantastic overall and it is quite dated in parts. Some of it is just funny - I particularly liked seeing the cutting edge of genetics research at that time and where they thought it might go - but other bits just didn't age well.
Therefore, I will now be passing this book on as I have enough others from the collection that I will definitely keep.
On a side note, I found the cover art very odd. It's of something that happens right towards the end of the book and so gives away a bit more than I'd really like a cover to. The same with the synopsis on the back cover. I wonder if this was normal back then.
July 12, 2025
Between the late 1950's to about the late 80's the UK seemed to rule the roost as far as boys' own muscular thriller writers were concerned. Authors such as Alistair MacLean, Gavin Lyall, Hammond Innes and Desmond Bagley, were best selling all over the world. This style of vivid adventure isn't so prevalent now it seems, and has generally morphed into series fiction such as Lee Child's Jack Reacher.
This novel by Bagley is a perfect example of the former. It treats the reader with intelligence, it has a robust hero, it has convincing locations, in this case including Sweden & the west coast of Scotland.
What really stood out for me with this book was the prescience with which Bagley anticipated genetic modification of crops, and computers that speak to each other, anticipating today's world wide web.
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip back in time to the mid 70's, and look forward to my next excursion with one of these classic thriller writers.
This novel by Bagley is a perfect example of the former. It treats the reader with intelligence, it has a robust hero, it has convincing locations, in this case including Sweden & the west coast of Scotland.
What really stood out for me with this book was the prescience with which Bagley anticipated genetic modification of crops, and computers that speak to each other, anticipating today's world wide web.
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip back in time to the mid 70's, and look forward to my next excursion with one of these classic thriller writers.
January 31, 2020
Without doubt the best novel of Desmond Bagley.
The intricate intertwining of the lives of a defected Russian physicist, who is now a respected industrialist in English midlands, his God fearing home-maker daughter who faces a tragedy, his geneticist second daughter who is mutating DNA across microbes, the various governmental departments who are exploiting their situation, his prospective son-in-law who is caught up among all of this coming to a calamitous climax on Kirkwall islands in Northern Scotland.
Excellently written, extremely fast paced story telling, characters very well etched and to top it all, a theme so contemporary in 2020, almost 50 years after it is written .. the perils of unrestricted genetic engineering.
The intricate intertwining of the lives of a defected Russian physicist, who is now a respected industrialist in English midlands, his God fearing home-maker daughter who faces a tragedy, his geneticist second daughter who is mutating DNA across microbes, the various governmental departments who are exploiting their situation, his prospective son-in-law who is caught up among all of this coming to a calamitous climax on Kirkwall islands in Northern Scotland.
Excellently written, extremely fast paced story telling, characters very well etched and to top it all, a theme so contemporary in 2020, almost 50 years after it is written .. the perils of unrestricted genetic engineering.
April 8, 2018
Okey, me lo tuve que leer para la Uni, pero si es una lectura bastante rápida y fácil, aunque al mismo tiempo muy predecible y llena de clichés.
Si bien me gustó que el final no fuera that commun happy ever after, tampoco es que me haya dejado loca y encantada. Siento que fue una lectura muy "meh".
Tiene mucho misterio lo que a ratos puede atraparte un poco, si, pero creo que un capítulo de Detective Conan o CSI pueden superarlo fácilmente.
Si bien me gustó que el final no fuera that commun happy ever after, tampoco es que me haya dejado loca y encantada. Siento que fue una lectura muy "meh".
Tiene mucho misterio lo que a ratos puede atraparte un poco, si, pero creo que un capítulo de Detective Conan o CSI pueden superarlo fácilmente.
April 23, 2020
I remember reading it back in junior high.....ahh such a good book!
The best moments of it were:
- Malcolm's proposal in the hospital. At first, I thought it was a bit odd, but then it got so emotional!!!
- The ending made me so sad and mad at the same time, like why did he have to die ?!?!
I gave it 4 stars because of the cover ( I know I know, it's an old book) but, I need me some good covers to look at!
The best moments of it were:
- Malcolm's proposal in the hospital. At first, I thought it was a bit odd, but then it got so emotional!!!
- The ending made me so sad and mad at the same time, like why did he have to die ?!?!
I gave it 4 stars because of the cover ( I know I know, it's an old book) but, I need me some good covers to look at!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2025
Dafuq have I read. 1984 wannabe. Se aprecia el trabajo de escribir un libro pero se nota mucho que su único propósito es contar una historia para la gente que empieza a leer inglés. Parece un libro escrito por una persona que acaba de descubrir lo que son las mafias rusas y que se cree que decir “no te fíes del gobierno” es un descubrimiento super maduro y de alto nivel intelectual.
Libro obligatorio del colegio, sin más.
Libro obligatorio del colegio, sin más.
July 3, 2021
An old book I found when clearing out the attic during lockdown. At 45 years old, it still stands up as an incredibly well written story - clever plot, great characters - good and bad, and a bittersweet ending.
That said the only surprising thing (because Desmond Bagley is a master story teller!) is that I couldn't remember any of it from the first read all those years ago!
That said the only surprising thing (because Desmond Bagley is a master story teller!) is that I couldn't remember any of it from the first read all those years ago!
January 4, 2021
Leí esta historia en inglés como resultado de mis ganas de aprender más del idioma. Si mal no recuerdo, apenas iba en básico o inicios de intermedio cuando lo leí, y no me arrepiento. Fue verdaderamente interesante y adictivo. Lo terminé en un día de lo bueno que estaba.
March 10, 2023
Even though they made me read this book in class, it was actually pretty good and it had a lot of plot twists, i would recommend it for when you don’t know what to read or if you’re in a book slump, it’s short but it sure entertains you :)
January 4, 2024
Starts slow and meanders, in all honesty. Last 150 pages is explosive and rather well handled. It is intriguing and the main character especially is well described.
Not quite Le Carre when it comes to cloak and dagger, but very readable.
Not quite Le Carre when it comes to cloak and dagger, but very readable.
February 14, 2024
Excellent plot with interesting twists right up until the last few pages. It is slightly dated having been written in the 1970s, but the topics are surprisingly insightful. Bagley was decades ahead of his time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews