Even after leaving Los Angeles and on the plane to Israel,
Zacchaeus (Zach) Miller, a young freelance writer with free
time on his hands and a mother willing to help financially,
is still unclear about what he plans to do there.
With a tip for a story lead from his longtime buddy
Preston, Zach has just recently had a strange encounter
with Jivin, a wise beyond his twelve year old self Native
American boy from the Mescalero tribe. With just a few
words and fewer details, Jivin tells Zach that as part of
his destiny he was to save millions of lives, but he has to
go to Israel first.
Still pondering his unusual situation, Zach is first
irritated by the constant chatter of his talkative
seatmate, but then gets intrigued by the handsome
Palestinian actor's lively story. They part on landing with
an invitation to visit Amir's home in Beit Sofafa in the
Old City of Jerusalem.
Slightly frustrated and a little bored after a few days of
aimless sightseeing and not knowing exactly what he is to
do, Zach calls Amir and is invited not only for lunch but
to stay with the wealthy Hamdallah family. Very quickly he
becomes part of their family and is given the fullest of
hospitality. Over time Zach thinks he knows them well and
even is semi in love with Amir's sister. Things start to
shift very quickly, however, when he does some idle
snooping. Discovering some hidden plans, Zach is suddenly
afraid and wonders at what is really going on. How deep
does the treachery go? Who can he turn to now? Who would
believe him?
MISTAKEN ENEMY is the first book in a new Zach Miller
series by debut author Dennis Nehamen. With its quick
witted dialogue and storyline that delves deep into the
complex world of Israeli-Palestinian politics, Nehamen has
crafted a suspenseful and intriguing thriller, filled with
revenge, buried family secrets, deception and dastardly
intent. With his extensive background in forensic and
clinical psychology, Nehamen brings realistic understanding
and insights into his characters' motivations and intents
to this incredible story that rings both outlandish and
credible. His descriptions of Zach's feelings and
reactions while imprisoned or in traumatic situations are
particularly strong.
Zach is also an interesting protagonist who is full of
curiosity and has a very adventurous spirit. His views are
apolitical and non-religious at the start but as the story
develops, his character grows considerably in the story,
yet he is still young enough to have lots of room to grow
in future books. Zach has a great sense of humour and
makes many playful connections and humourous metaphors in
his thoughts as the book is written from his perspective.
While this is a good thing, I found it a tad irritating at
times as it seems overdone and sometimes less is more. This
might just be a personal thing on my part and every reader
will have their own reaction. It does add humour that
helps release tension in some of the bleak situations.
Overall, I also found Nehamen's descriptions of secondary
characters to be well crafted, especially that of Zach's
mother and Mr. Hamdallah as their background motivations
and histories are revealed. Thriller fans will find there
are more than enough surprising twists and amazing
revelations to make for a very interesting story from a new
author with the promise of more to come! The implications
of the story about what fanatics will consider on both
sides in this story will reverberate in your mind long
after you finish this dramatic story! Enjoy!
Freelance writer Zacchaeus Miller travels to Israel, where
he is told he has the ability to impact the lives of
millions. He dives into the culture of his surroundings, in
the end accidentally exposed to inside information
threatening international borders. Burdened with the
knowledge of an underground terrorist plot soon to be
executed, the protagonist is then forced to play a role in
the crisis. In a race against time, and an ongoing struggle
to declare his innocence, he must intercept the impending
attack or watch helplessly as innocent people are
slaughtered and nations destroyed. But even the unintended
emissary isn’t sure which side he is on.
Controversial, addicting, and bold, Mistaken Enemy is
compelling new author Dennis Nehamen’s first release of the
Zach Miller Thrillers. What begins as the captivating
chronicle of one man’s exploration of a foreign land soon
becomes a heart-racing account of hate, revenge, and
conviction, ultimately testing the boundaries of human love.
Excerpt
1) No, what almost every male likely considers their most
vital organ
had passed its last rigor mortis exam quite some time before
—it had not
officially been declared deceased, however, until one awful
morning when
a fantasy crept past the guards and snuck into my cell. What
must have been
an apparition was a hip cat who immediately aroused my
jealousy because
he was happy: I saw him as the epitome of a free spirit. He
had a shaggy
beard and long brown hair protruding from a green knit cap.
He was wearing
old jeans fraying at the cuffs, with lots of holes and a
piss-yellow t-shirt that
heralded him a beatnik.
His upper garment plucked my heart like a sour musical note,
bountifully proclaiming “ALL IS COOL” in bright pink across
the front.
He was smiling gleefully but must have traded his guitar for
the Hustler
magazine he was holding in his hand. He was a bighearted
dude, opening the
centerfold to show it to me. It was a dead ringer for
Bahlya…and I threw up.
2) I tried to repeat what I’d shared with her prior to that
day about my
background, but as I spoke I started hearing sounds,
trampoline pounding
vibrations atop my words, repetitions of my name tumbling,
bouncing, and
flipping, timed perfectly as Bahlya had spoken it…Zaci,
Zaci, Zaci. Zaci,
Zaci, Zaci, over and over.
But her mouth never moved. The portrait of her sorrow
remains
embossed in my permanent memory, ready to be revealed on
short notice—
as I’m doing presently, reclaiming a memento from the past,
a sound
recording cherished—for it was not of accusation but
absolution. She was
expressing full exoneration from any doubt she might have
had in my
regard, making a plea as I heard her call out my name, Zaci,
Zaci, Zaci.
Jivin had taken the liberty of familiarity with me; much
like a conductor
tends a member of his orchestra. Bahlya climaxed to this
intimacy out of
desperation; there was no need to respond.
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