The Last Enemy

The Last Enemy Series Book 3

Fiction - Adventure
222 Pages
Reviewed on 07/20/2019
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

Author Biography

Dan Hendrickson was born in Sheridan Wyoming near the rustic Big Horn mountain range in 1962 to Carl and Helen Hendrickson. Dan went to school in the Sheridan School District graduating from Sheridan High School in 1981. He spent his athletic time participating in boxing, martial arts, wrestling and a little track. His father Carl owned a small eight lane bowling alley that he ran until Dan was 12 years old. After losing the business to the bank he was forced to go back to school and finish his masters in English. Dan picked up on his father’s love of the written word and enrolled in Casper Community College in 1982 majoring in journalism. Although he found that he had an aptitude for investigative reporting he decided that his desires lied in other areas. He went on to do much volunteer Christian ministry work throughout the United States most of his adult life and continues to pursue those endeavors to this day. During that time he gained another degree in Practical Theology and throughout his many ministry assignments work several secular jobs. Most notable were his auto detailing endeavors. He and his wife Cheryl have owned three different detailing businesses throughout the country the last of which they still run to this day. Recently he has returned to his passion of telling stories and has several books in the process of being published.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Lesley Jones for Readers' Favorite

In The Last Enemy by Dan E. Hendrickson, the third and final book of The Last Enemy series, we see the Hero of Cozumel, Commander Jacob Edwards, about to board a plane with his wife and mother at LAX airport. Meanwhile, an old adversary, Mexican cartel boss Maximillian Maneres, has hatched a sinister plot of revenge with Boris, a notorious Russian gangster. When their plane crashes into the Pacific ocean, everyone believes them to be dead, except for Marnia, The Cartel Crusher. Jacob's bravery is the reason Marnia is alive, and since he rescued her, she respects and loves him like a father. Although it is three years since the ambush, she believes him to be alive. Now all she needs to do is find Jacob before Max deems him worthless and kills him. With the help of Jacob's daughter, Danielle and a decorated Navy SEAL, Marnia uses every skill Jacob has taught her to try to rescue him and his family. The hunter soon becomes the hunted in this explosive finale.

I have read the previous two books in this series, but what I liked was the synopsis of both books at the beginning for anyone who has not. The characters were still as vibrant, exciting and interesting as ever, with new characters like Commander Tommy Williams. I loved the cool, calm and collected Tommy, who had a painful past that shaped his personality in a positive way. The author shows amazing talent in the creation of his characters and their dialogue; he can depict evilness in a character so subtly but effectively that it sends shivers down your spine. The dynamics between the characters are brilliantly relayed too, especially between Jonathan and his father. The events in the prison and the characters within it were chilling. There were so many sub-plots which were equally as strong as the main storyline, which you often do not find in a novel. The tension and rollercoaster of excitement and thrills were interjected perfectly with some quite beautiful moments of loyalty and love. Although the main antagonist was of Mexican descent, I liked the fact that the people of that country, as a whole, were portrayed positively and the author did not use the typical stereotypes of that nation.

Grant Leishman

In Book Three of The Last Enemy series: The Last Enemy, author Dan E. Hendrickson brings readers the explosive finale of the Cartel Crusher adventures. Commander Jacob Edwards was known throughout Mexico and the American border as the Hero of Cozumel for his exploits over a decade earlier when, as a United States Coast Guard Commander, he foiled a planned assassination of the then Mexican president’s daughter, Marnia Gonzalez, aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Mexico. Marnia would go on to become one of Mexico’s most feared law enforcement agents, known as the Cartel Crusher. Jacob’s actions had put him in direct conflict with some powerful and dangerous people; Boris, a notorious Russian mafioso whose sole ambition was the accumulation of power and money, along with powerful Mexican cartel lord Maximillian Manerez. When Jacob, his wife, and his mother are all killed in a sabotaged plane crash whilst heading to Australia on holiday, it appears Boris has won – but has he really? Marnia believes Jacob was not actually on that plane and is determined to uncover the truth, along with Jacob’s father and his daughter Danielle.

Having read the first two books in the series, it was a pleasure for me to be reunited with all the old, familiar characters in The Last Enemy. Author Dan E. Hendrickson has drawn characters at the very extremes of human nature, from the intensely patriotic and family-oriented members of the Edwards’ family through to the magnificent evilness of Boris and Maximillian. What I particularly liked about Jacob as a character was that he was flawed and defined by his actions that had seen him proclaimed as the Hero of Cozumel. He knew he had a dark side to him as evidenced that day but he accepted his limitations and still did whatever was necessary to protect his family and his country. I felt the author went out of his way to present positive and uplifting characters on the Mexican and Central American sides. Given the current stereotyping of these people, this was a real plus for me to read. If you like a series with realistic action sequences, lots of twist and turns, plus some good, old-fashioned values and family love, then you shouldn’t miss out on this book and this series. This is an excellent series and one in which the author has grown as a writer. I look forward to what’s next from this author.

Christian Sia

The Last Enemy, the third book in The Last Enemy series by Dan E. Hendrickson is an impassioned tale that is filled with adventure, themes of family and loyalty and the incredible mission to save the hero of Cozumel, Commander Jacob Edwards, believed to have been dead for three years in a plane crash over the Pacific Ocean. When his daughter, Danielle Edwards, and a girl, Marnia Gonzalez, who has grown up to look at him as a father figure, learn that he is still alive, they set out on a rescue mission.

Filled with action and fast-paced, this novel begins with a powerful premise: a respectable commander and a well-loved father, believed to be dead, is alive. It is a moment that changes everything. The writing is fluid and the scenes are beautifully captured. For instance, I loved when Jacob wakes up in the hospital: "Jacob awakens two days later in what looks like a hospital room. He springs to a seated position and discovers his wife Mary and mother Linda in similar beds. All are handcuffed to their beds. He shakes his head trying to clear the grogginess and make sense of his predicament when two Latino men walk into the room." The writing is focused and balanced and the points of view come across clearly. There are scenes that are emotionally rich and the whole story stands out in its psychological depth. Character development is impeccable and the plot is ingeniously done so that it leaves readers no choice but to keep turning the pages. Compelling characters, a cunning plot, and pulsating action are just some of the elements that make this book an exciting read.

K.C. Finn

The Last Enemy is a work of adventurous and action-packed fiction penned by author Dan E. Hendrickson and is the third book of The Last Enemy series. Following the events of The Good Fight and The Cartel Crusher, we find the double team of heroic females Danielle Edwards and Marnia Gonzalez at the head of a new adventure. They both have much admiration and respect for Commander Jacob Edwards, The Hero of Cozumel, whom they both believed to be dead. But when Marnia discovers that Jacob might still be alive, the women work together with a team of trained professionals to recover their hero once and for all.

Something that I really enjoyed about the work of author Dan E. Hendrickson was the fact that he doesn’t shy away from strong women who go through success, failures, and learn important lessons during their adventure and rescue mission. Danielle and Marnia are very different girls with different upbringings, but their common goal allows them to have mutual respect for each other’s skills, and the team supporting them, and what results is a powerfully realistic and inspiring rescue story with plenty of twists and turns. I loved the descriptions of all the exotic places they explore, as well as the well-paced chapters and the way the action is revealed through sharp prose and realistic dialogue. Coupled with a clever plot that is well paced in its reveal, this makes The Last Enemy a thrilling ride for readers who love crime, military, action and adventure tales.

Rabia Tanveer

Both Danielle Edwards and Marnia Gonzalez have Jacob Edwards to look up to. While he is a father to Danielle, he is a savior for Marnia. For three years, they believed that he and his wife had died in a plane crash; however, when they come to realize that Jacob and his wife are both alive, these two women join forces to find him and bring him back home. They are ready to do whatever it takes to bring Jacob back home, but it is not easy, especially considering the fact that they must encounter an uncharted territory to rescue Jacob. Can these two women bring him back?

Although The Last Enemy is the third book in The Last Enemy Series by Dan E. Hendrickson, I had zero issues catching up with the story and becoming invested in it. I enjoyed how the protagonists were both strong females who understood themselves, didn’t try to punch above their weight and capitalized on their strengths. These are no wannabe heroines; these are two smart women who know their worth and are big fighters. Danielle Edwards and Marnia Gonzalez are two very strong female characters that are at once relatable and easy to remember. The plot itself is very interesting, the pace is fast, the flow is smooth and the development of the story is wonderful. The elements of mystery, suspense, action, and adventure are all very well written to stand strong on their own yet at the same time complement each other as well. A fantastic novel.