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Enemy of the Good
A tense, complex, and twisting diplomatic thriller in which one woman must choose between morality and compromise and in either case, the consequences may be deadly.
Katarina Kate Wallander is a second-generation Foreign Service officer, recently assigned to Kyrgyzstan. She s not there by chance. Kate is a Foreign Service brat who attended high school in the region; her uncle is the U.S. ambassador to the country, and he pulled a few strings to get her assigned to his mission.
U.S. Kyrgyz relations are at a critical juncture. U.S. authorities have been negotiating with the Kyrgyz president on the lease of a massive airbase that would significantly expand the American footprint in Central Asia and could tip the scale in the Great Game, the competition among Russia, China, and the United States for influence in the region. The negotiations are controversial in the United States because of the Kyrgyz regime s abysmal human-rights record. The fate of the airbase is balanced on a razor s edge.
Amid these events, Kate s uncle assigns her to infiltrate an underground democracy movement that has been sabotaging Kyrgyz security services and regime supporters. Washington has taken an interest in the movement, her uncle conveys, and may find it worth supporting if they understand more about the aims and leadership. And Kate has an in many followers of the movement were high school classmates of hers.
But it soon becomes clear that nothing about Kate s mission is as it seems . . . and that she might need to lay her life on the line for what she knows is right."
Katarina Kate Wallander is a second-generation Foreign Service officer, recently assigned to Kyrgyzstan. She s not there by chance. Kate is a Foreign Service brat who attended high school in the region; her uncle is the U.S. ambassador to the country, and he pulled a few strings to get her assigned to his mission.
U.S. Kyrgyz relations are at a critical juncture. U.S. authorities have been negotiating with the Kyrgyz president on the lease of a massive airbase that would significantly expand the American footprint in Central Asia and could tip the scale in the Great Game, the competition among Russia, China, and the United States for influence in the region. The negotiations are controversial in the United States because of the Kyrgyz regime s abysmal human-rights record. The fate of the airbase is balanced on a razor s edge.
Amid these events, Kate s uncle assigns her to infiltrate an underground democracy movement that has been sabotaging Kyrgyz security services and regime supporters. Washington has taken an interest in the movement, her uncle conveys, and may find it worth supporting if they understand more about the aims and leadership. And Kate has an in many followers of the movement were high school classmates of hers.
But it soon becomes clear that nothing about Kate s mission is as it seems . . . and that she might need to lay her life on the line for what she knows is right."
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 23, 2017
25 people are currently reading
643 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Palmer
5 books75 followersMatthew Palmer is a twenty-five-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, currently serving as the director for multilateral affairs in the State Department’s Bureau of Asian and Pacific Affairs. Palmer has worked as a diplomat all over the world, but his ties to the Balkans are especially deep. In addition to a serving as the desk officer for rump Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) through the end of the 1999 Kosovo conflict, Palmer was posted twice to the American Embassy in Belgrade, initially as a first-tour officer at the height of the war in Bosnia and, more recently, as political counselor. In that position, he played a leading role in securing the “April 19 Agreement” that started Serbia and Kosovo down the road toward normalization. Palmer speaks fluent Serbo-Croatian, and his many experiences in the region served as inspiration for The Wolf of Sarajevo.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 21, 2017
I really enjoyed this story about a young woman in the Foreign Service who gets wrapped up in a high-stakes political game in Kyrgyzstan due to family relations, old relationships and a tendency to act on impulse and passion rather than calculation and consideration.
Once again, Matthew Palmer shows that he knows the Foreign Service from the inside which makes the story much more credible and interesting.
The characters are somewhat black and white, and the story loses its pace now and again which costs the fifth star in my rating, but I was very well entertained from cover to cover.
Fans of Todd Moss's brilliant series about Judd Ryker (e.g. The Golden Hour) will definitely also enjoy this and other books by Palmer - e.g. Secrets of State.
[An ARC of this book was generously provided by the publisher through the First to Read program in exchange for an honest review]
Once again, Matthew Palmer shows that he knows the Foreign Service from the inside which makes the story much more credible and interesting.
The characters are somewhat black and white, and the story loses its pace now and again which costs the fifth star in my rating, but I was very well entertained from cover to cover.
Fans of Todd Moss's brilliant series about Judd Ryker (e.g. The Golden Hour) will definitely also enjoy this and other books by Palmer - e.g. Secrets of State.
[An ARC of this book was generously provided by the publisher through the First to Read program in exchange for an honest review]
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July 19, 2017Well, this book is another example of why I generally don't read modern fiction. He writes better than most FSOs, who get trapped in government-speak. But that can't compensate for the shallow characterizations of most of the players, the unbelievably artificial "evil DOD" antagonists, and the saccharine plot line. Idealistic young girl bands together with former high school classmates to defeat morally bankrupt dictator? Really? We tried that in the '60s - daisies in the barrels of National Guardsmen's guns, make peace not war - it didn't work out too well then, either.
Or maybe I'm just a cynic!
Or maybe I'm just a cynic!
November 29, 2017
The best part of this book was its title.
Another interesting aspect of the book was the use of acronyms. The author is a twenty-five year veteran of the state department and easily references dozens of shortcuts and nicknames for offices, positions, even vehicles. Eg, APV = Armored Personnel Vehicle.
The story itself was a meaningless piece of fluff set in a Central Asian country on the Silk Road called Kyrgyzstan, home to snow leopards, lynx and sheep. The story posits a dictator who puts his opponents into a Bastille-like prison for decades, assisted by a torturer referred to a Torquemada, from the Spanish Inquisition. The heroine is a sexy young diplomat whose uncle is the ambassador to the country. Her own parents were killed in country under mysterious circumstances, so of course she's ready to support the people at the barricades. I kept gets flashes of "Tale of Two Cities" and "Les Miserable" but not in a good way. Where are John LeCarré's subtle plots and conflicting motivations when you need them?
Another interesting aspect of the book was the use of acronyms. The author is a twenty-five year veteran of the state department and easily references dozens of shortcuts and nicknames for offices, positions, even vehicles. Eg, APV = Armored Personnel Vehicle.
The story itself was a meaningless piece of fluff set in a Central Asian country on the Silk Road called Kyrgyzstan, home to snow leopards, lynx and sheep. The story posits a dictator who puts his opponents into a Bastille-like prison for decades, assisted by a torturer referred to a Torquemada, from the Spanish Inquisition. The heroine is a sexy young diplomat whose uncle is the ambassador to the country. Her own parents were killed in country under mysterious circumstances, so of course she's ready to support the people at the barricades. I kept gets flashes of "Tale of Two Cities" and "Les Miserable" but not in a good way. Where are John LeCarré's subtle plots and conflicting motivations when you need them?
May 22, 2017
What a great portrayal of government/Foreign Services. This book took a strong female lead in a predominately male job environment and formed an excellent suspenseful thriller. Kate is a second generation Embassy worker and I s the daughter of a U.S. Government man and a Kyrgyzstan woman with political family ties. Kate grew up in Kyrgyzstan and later became a foreign service person for the U.S. When things go wrong for her due to her decisions and personal involvement at her station in Cuba she is requested to go serve back in Kyrgyzstan where her Uncle on her fathers side is head of the embassy.
Kyrgyzstan with it's turbulent and violent government is on the verge of a coup and Kate is the perfect person to get in with the rebels and relay information to the the U.S. The problem is the branches of the U.S. Agencies have split interest in the country. Some agencies are interested in the deal to build a military base in country where as other factions want to establish a relationship with and help the rebels in establishing a new more stable government. As the U.S. Departments play the two government politics against each other Kate is forced to chose between her loyalty to her job and family as well as her beliefs in what is right in the country and she grew up in and the people she loves. She is faced with old friends , new enemies, and an old love which forces her to carefully chose who to trust and every decision she makes. She not only has to protect her job but her life and that of many others, with little experience and everyone seeming to try to use her as a pawn.
Matthew Palmer does an amazing job portraying the ins and outs of foreign service. He also portrays the struggles of a third world culture child in a foreign service job. Nothing is Black and White, everyone has their own agenda , and loyalty is divided between cultures, countries, and people. Excellent spy novel and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys political thrillers, great read.
Kyrgyzstan with it's turbulent and violent government is on the verge of a coup and Kate is the perfect person to get in with the rebels and relay information to the the U.S. The problem is the branches of the U.S. Agencies have split interest in the country. Some agencies are interested in the deal to build a military base in country where as other factions want to establish a relationship with and help the rebels in establishing a new more stable government. As the U.S. Departments play the two government politics against each other Kate is forced to chose between her loyalty to her job and family as well as her beliefs in what is right in the country and she grew up in and the people she loves. She is faced with old friends , new enemies, and an old love which forces her to carefully chose who to trust and every decision she makes. She not only has to protect her job but her life and that of many others, with little experience and everyone seeming to try to use her as a pawn.
Matthew Palmer does an amazing job portraying the ins and outs of foreign service. He also portrays the struggles of a third world culture child in a foreign service job. Nothing is Black and White, everyone has their own agenda , and loyalty is divided between cultures, countries, and people. Excellent spy novel and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys political thrillers, great read.
July 14, 2017
I enjoy thrillers and suspense novels, especially those that do more than provide a rollercoaster ride. Enemy of the Good is one of those special ones. It’s an international suspense novel, full of surprises and conflict—physical and moral. It’s also a self-aware diplomat’s observations about his profession, often witty and sardonic but just as often a fascinating description of an exotic, important craft. I imagine that readers in the author’s profession chuckle at Palmer’s description of its folkways and also feel pride in his recounting of the demanding canons of diplomacy. Military and intelligence professionals may bristle a bit when Palmer vivisects his characters from those communities (I am one) but diplomats don’t escape his scalpel, either.
It’s been said that a good thriller must have at its heart a moral dilemma and must teach readers something interesting. Palmer delivers both ingredients. Most of us don’t know diplomacy’s rules of the road. Here they are, an entertaining mini-course woven into the story. And the novel contains a compelling moral dilemma: choosing course when facts are lacking, morality is unclear, and personal stakes are high. The protagonist Kate Hollister, a young Foreign Service Officer, must deal with the collision between her duty and her beliefs about the leader and nature of a revolution against the despotic ruler of Kyrgyzstan, to which she is posted. As she is about to plunge into the gray area again, she thinks, “Do something wrong to do something right. Choose the lesser evil and hope the ends justify the choice.” Have any readers not been there themselves?
Palmer’s characters feel authentic to me and even the bit players are interesting. His skill is also displayed in descriptions of their appearance and the setting in which they operate. Another plus for me is that Enemy of the Good is built on the familiar ground of the real world. Together, those characteristics give the book the feeling of an experience rather than just a good read. (I can’t help wondering whether setting a tale of regime change in a real nation with a real despot caused Palmer, a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, any professional problems.)
Enemy of the Good is my first Matthew Palmer read and motivated me to keep reading him.
It’s been said that a good thriller must have at its heart a moral dilemma and must teach readers something interesting. Palmer delivers both ingredients. Most of us don’t know diplomacy’s rules of the road. Here they are, an entertaining mini-course woven into the story. And the novel contains a compelling moral dilemma: choosing course when facts are lacking, morality is unclear, and personal stakes are high. The protagonist Kate Hollister, a young Foreign Service Officer, must deal with the collision between her duty and her beliefs about the leader and nature of a revolution against the despotic ruler of Kyrgyzstan, to which she is posted. As she is about to plunge into the gray area again, she thinks, “Do something wrong to do something right. Choose the lesser evil and hope the ends justify the choice.” Have any readers not been there themselves?
Palmer’s characters feel authentic to me and even the bit players are interesting. His skill is also displayed in descriptions of their appearance and the setting in which they operate. Another plus for me is that Enemy of the Good is built on the familiar ground of the real world. Together, those characteristics give the book the feeling of an experience rather than just a good read. (I can’t help wondering whether setting a tale of regime change in a real nation with a real despot caused Palmer, a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, any professional problems.)
Enemy of the Good is my first Matthew Palmer read and motivated me to keep reading him.
August 18, 2017
I love well-written novels of intrigue and suspense.....this wasn't it. I found the writing too trivial, the need to explain everything for the reader a juvenile and shallow approach to creating solid characters, and the rationale behind the plot way too basic to capture attention. The likelihood that Kate would EVER be allowed to remain with the State Department after her insubordinate and overtly illegal actions throughout the book totally cross the bounds of believable....or even entertaining. I so respect the work of our intelligence agencies, military services and the State Department's diplomatic core, and I found this book an affront to all of them and a disingenuous attempt to play upon the worse stereotypes of these American patriots. I finished the book because that's what I do, but I can't say it was a good use of my literary time. I gave it two stars because I learned a little bit about Kyrgyzstan and its culture.
August 1, 2024
A Penguin First to Read ARC e-book in exchange for an honest review.
The beginning of the story took a while to suck me in, but suck me in it did! Katarina “Kate†Hollister is a foreign diplomat that has been reassigned to her home country after getting into trouble with her superiors on a Cuba assignment. History starts to repeat itself as she settles into familiar childhood haunts and the line between work for the US and love for her Kyrgyzstan roots starts to blend.
Political powers are at major war with each other and classified information on a resistance movement that has affected Kate personally in the past and now in the present has been leaked. The local fighting regime is on its way to being squashed before it can really publicly begin.
Kate needs to decide what is more important to her, Duty or Justice, what she knows is right.
This book has it all. A thriller, romance, politics and rebellion.
The beginning of the story took a while to suck me in, but suck me in it did! Katarina “Kate†Hollister is a foreign diplomat that has been reassigned to her home country after getting into trouble with her superiors on a Cuba assignment. History starts to repeat itself as she settles into familiar childhood haunts and the line between work for the US and love for her Kyrgyzstan roots starts to blend.
Political powers are at major war with each other and classified information on a resistance movement that has affected Kate personally in the past and now in the present has been leaked. The local fighting regime is on its way to being squashed before it can really publicly begin.
Kate needs to decide what is more important to her, Duty or Justice, what she knows is right.
This book has it all. A thriller, romance, politics and rebellion.
May 11, 2017
Katarina “Kate” Wallander is a foreign service worker assigned to infiltrate an underground movement in Kyrgyzstan to discover their leaders and agenda. She seems perfect for the job since she grew up there, a daughter of a diplomat. However she must be careful because there is a leak at the embassy. She also must be careful about letting her past friendships interfere with her duties. Michael Palmer’s Enemy of the Good is an exciting political thriller brimming with corruption and intrigue and the hard choices that must sometimes be made. Good book I am so glad I encountered.
May 20, 2017
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. My review below is honest and would be like this whether or not I won it.
I have never read Palmer before, but I had heard good things about his writing from friends and I was not dissapointed. His writing was very smooth and everything slowed very nicely during the whole story. This whole story was exciting to follow from the first chapter. It did feel a little rushed near the end, but that might have just been me. All in all great book and I highly recommend it!
I have never read Palmer before, but I had heard good things about his writing from friends and I was not dissapointed. His writing was very smooth and everything slowed very nicely during the whole story. This whole story was exciting to follow from the first chapter. It did feel a little rushed near the end, but that might have just been me. All in all great book and I highly recommend it!
April 15, 2024
Good writing from a former US Foreign Services employee. I bought this book to explore Kyrgyzstan's literary landscape. It worked beautifully. The detailed descriptions of the city and remote areas, including food, dress, literature, and more, were evocative. The spy thriller aspect wasn't "thrilling" as much as it was a realistically paced caper. The protagonist was a bit more rogue than diplomates usually are, but you have to have someone with this demeanor to make a story. This is one of my favorite reads from the "-stans."
February 16, 2021
I really enjoyed this book, great characters and an exotically beautiful setting for the story. I could see and feel the majestic beauty of Kyrgyzstan in my mind and felt a connection to its people and culture. It was wonderful to get more insight into the Foreign Service as well, so little has been written about it in modern fiction, and it has so many wonderful and amazing stories waiting to be shared.
July 20, 2017
Another headstrong American heroine who manages to get in and out of a dictator's stronghold and torture chamber not once but three times. Emerging unscathed from treasonous activities, she even gets the revolution's leader, a former high school sweetheart. Just a tad unrealistic!
May 19, 2020
This one went the wussified route. Not the hard hitting punch that Palmer's other books have. Don't mix romance with political thriller, especially when it's not your specialty. Knocked two stars off the rating for that. Ugh!!
May 28, 2017
Read my review next week on bookreporter.com .
May 28, 2017
Another great read by Matthew. Didn't want to put down. Lots of twists from an author who obviously knows the details of the diplomatic world and has been there, seen it, done it, in real time..
May 30, 2017
Enemy is strong on Kyrgyz history and is well written. I did find the story line a bit too implausible at times. But, all in all, a very worthwhile read.
June 7, 2017
Great book
August 20, 2017
385 pages
Woman is a diplomat in her old country and helps with a coup of the government
Woman is a diplomat in her old country and helps with a coup of the government
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2017
Pretty good thriller with a strong female lead. Seemed a little stereotypical at times, however, it picks up after those parts. Good entertaining read just not my cup of tea.
January 19, 2018
Enjoyed it
Good storyline. Sometimes carried a predictable plot however. Overall loved the read and will definitely read more from the author.
Good storyline. Sometimes carried a predictable plot however. Overall loved the read and will definitely read more from the author.
January 22, 2018
Political thriller about rebellion in one of the -stans, and a US State Department employee who tries to help. More thoughtful than most about politics, but slow moving.
February 23, 2018
Fairly average forgettable thriller
August 9, 2018
A diverting -- if slightly too familiar -- tale of torn loyalties and old flames.
September 14, 2019
The second book of Palmer’s I’ve read, and I liked it. The characters were very good, as was the plot.
June 30, 2020
Shallow plot, characters are quite two dimensional. A very, very light read.
May 10, 2017
The author and his willful protagonist Kate, a 2nd-generation US Embassy staffer, swept me into politically unstable Kyrgyzstan with all its highs and lows. I felt the grit of a post-Soviet regime and its questionable infrastructure. I sensed the inner-working of the US State Department with its old boy network. I could imagine the beauty of the countryside, its people and customs. I even learned a few Kyrgyz words.
The story is both one of young love and an older story of loving country, tradition, and free-minded people. The struggle for freedom in these pages seemed honest and realistic. I found myself rooting for the good.
In full disclosure, I received this book as an ARC [Advanced Reader Copy] and believe my review to be unbiased. Given the means, I would correct a few misspellings and overused phrases. Kyrgyzstan is a small landlocked country in central Asia, relatively unknown. I think the book would benefit from a few maps and ethnic pictures, perhaps at the beginning of each chapter.
The story is both one of young love and an older story of loving country, tradition, and free-minded people. The struggle for freedom in these pages seemed honest and realistic. I found myself rooting for the good.
In full disclosure, I received this book as an ARC [Advanced Reader Copy] and believe my review to be unbiased. Given the means, I would correct a few misspellings and overused phrases. Kyrgyzstan is a small landlocked country in central Asia, relatively unknown. I think the book would benefit from a few maps and ethnic pictures, perhaps at the beginning of each chapter.
March 31, 2017
This was the first book I have read by Matthew Palmer, but it will not be the last for sure. I have read many books buy his father and brother and have liked them all. What a successful author family. This book grabbed my attention from the very beginning. The story plot is about an all to caring foreign diplomat, Kate Hollister. She was reassigned to Kyrgyzstan after getting to close on a Cuba assignment warning and allowing some resistance people escape.
In Kyrgyzstan, there was a ruthless dictator in place with an underground resistance effort which she was assigned to infiltrate to help the US understand better what was happening and being planned. Unknown to many senior officials at the Embassy, one person was feeding information back to the local regime on her efforts helping them capture and take out a few of the resistance. Ultimately leading to a showdown between Kate and the source of the leaks.
The plot was fresh and realistic, and can see Matthews expertise in these matters come out in the book nicely. I read about 100 books a year, mainly in the thriller genre, This ranks up with some of the best books I have read. So for those that love thrillers will also love this book. I give this 5 stars
In Kyrgyzstan, there was a ruthless dictator in place with an underground resistance effort which she was assigned to infiltrate to help the US understand better what was happening and being planned. Unknown to many senior officials at the Embassy, one person was feeding information back to the local regime on her efforts helping them capture and take out a few of the resistance. Ultimately leading to a showdown between Kate and the source of the leaks.
The plot was fresh and realistic, and can see Matthews expertise in these matters come out in the book nicely. I read about 100 books a year, mainly in the thriller genre, This ranks up with some of the best books I have read. So for those that love thrillers will also love this book. I give this 5 stars
April 18, 2017
A thrilling political story about power and choices. Palmer brings memorable characters through the dark underbelly of a corrupt Kyrgyz government. Well written and interesting from cover to cover, not to mention a small lesson in an area of the world I personally knew nothing about.
April 20, 2017
This was an engrossing look at the workings of an embassy in a country governed by an autocrat. Kate Wallander grew up in Kyrgyzstan as th daughter of a diplomat. She has now returned as a foreign service worker. She is assigned to infiltrate an underground movement that has been challenging the government and discover who the leaders are. Problems arise when she succeeds and discovers that she went to school with some of the members and its' leader was her former boyfriend. To betray their identities would mean betraying a cause she believes in and someone she still has feelings for.
The book moves at a good pace and held my interest to the last page. I will definitely look to see what else Matthew Palmer has written. I would like to thank First to Read for providing a copy for this review.
The book moves at a good pace and held my interest to the last page. I will definitely look to see what else Matthew Palmer has written. I would like to thank First to Read for providing a copy for this review.
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June 3, 2017Interesting story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews