Author: Rich Blecher
Genre: Action Mystery
Year Published: 2024
Nerdection Rating:
“Nerdection Must Read”
In Jenna Slade: Enemy Within, Rich Blecher takes readers on a gripping journey filled with suspense and intrigue. Following the story of FBI Agent Jenna Slade, we are thrust into a world where nothing is as it seems.
Spoiler-free Plot
When FBI Agent Jenna Slade discovers a body in a Miami dumpster, she expects nothing more than a routine homicide investigation. But this case links back to a series of cold cases—and, disturbingly, to her own father’s mysterious death, long ruled a suicide. Determined to unravel the truth, Jenna dives headfirst into an investigation that leads her deep into the shadows of an international underworld, exposing ties to powerful figures and unraveling secrets some would kill to protect.
As she digs deeper, Jenna’s finds strange connections to Dark Enterprises, a corporation entangled with illegal arms shipments and shadowy trust funds. She tracks a trail from Miami to Switzerland, uncovering caches of cash, hidden hard drives, and evidence her father left behind. But someone is watching her every move, and when she finds herself framed for murder, Jenna realizes just how deep the rot goes within her own bureau.
With few allies, she faces enemies on all sides: ruthless colleagues, twisted mentors, and an untouchable elite determined to keep their secrets buried. Betrayed by those she trusted most, Jenna’s survival becomes a relentless test of wits and strength. Even as she fights to clear her name, she can’t shake the looming question—was her father’s death truly a suicide, or the first cover-up in a deadly conspiracy?
As the stakes rise and the line between friend and foe blurs, Jenna finds herself in a battle not just for justice, but for her life.
My take on Jenna Slade: Enemy Within
Rich Blecher, the man behind Jenna Slade: The Enemy Within, has a unique history in the world of literature. Blecher grew up with ADHD (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), so he didn’t usually have the concentration to focus on a story or an entire book. It wasn’t until his early 40s that, thanks to his son, he began to become interested in that world, specifically in sci-fi stories. That interest grew over time until, with the help of some friends, he decided to enter the world of writing. This background tells us that Blecher’s style is simpler than that of other authors, something that he has highlighted in his own reading tastes, easy readings.
The book puts us in the shoes of—you guessed it, Jenna Slade, a young FBI agent whose experience is limited to small cases, although she aspires to much bigger challenges that make her push herself to the limit, and in fact, that’s what she gets. Blecher narrates the story in the first person, involving us deeply in all the thoughts and feelings of the character. Her next case, which brings this plot to life, is a homicide that, at first glance, seemed like just another one of the bunch, but little by little it would be discovered that it is not so, and that it has many ramifications, for which Jenna is assigned along with a group of three other agents.
Jenna’s father, who supposedly committed suicide, was also an FBI agent, but his death, as the story progresses, not only stops looking like a suicide and also seems to be related to the case that Jenna is investigating, which, with each new discovery, seems to give clues that it is something much bigger than it initially seemed. The work has very classic elements of the mystery and suspense genre and from the beginning, it is reminiscent of police television series. Jenna has her own idol in the story, Agent Kimmel, a female agent who has managed to achieve an important leadership role, something that the protagonist also wants: to succeed in an area where, traditionally, it is men who are successful.
Even though Jenna Slade: The Enemy Within is presented from the perspective of the protagonist, her thoughts and feelings, the pace of the story is not slow, quite the opposite, and the author takes care of adding new elements that help maintain interest. The way in which the case grows more and more and how it is related to powerful and very important people, as well as the “suicide” of Jenna’s father, make this story addictive, creating that feeling of wanting to know what happens next. These events are used by Blecher to generate a feeling of distrust in the reader that leads them to doubt almost everything that happens and all the characters that appear in the plot. The work is a representative of the classic genre of crime fiction, suspense and mystery novels and a must read for those who are fans of this genre.
About The Author Of Jenna Slade: Enemy Within
Rich Blecher grew up with ADHD before it was a known term. He struggled with reading and writing, but his imagination could be described at times as unimaginable. At one point in his life, he realized he could channelize his random thoughts into a linear path, allowing a story to be unfolded as fast as he could type. Xima was his first published book and with his yearn to learn and imagine more, he developed Jenna Slade based on his daughter’s best friend’s personality who he greatly admired. He continues to write and explore multiple genres.
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