Running with the Enemy


Fiction - Suspense
383 Pages
Reviewed on 01/09/2014
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Running with the Enemy is a historical/military thriller set in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War and is written by Lloyd Lofthouse, a Vietnam veteran. Ethan Card is a decorated Marine who has fallen in love with Tuyen, a Vietnamese woman. Their affair has been noted by Ortega, a corrupt and sadistic CIA agent who assembles photographs of the two, along with forged documents which incriminate Card as the seller of stolen arms to the Viet Cong. On his way to his court-martial as a traitor, Card hijacks the helicopter and fights his way through jungles and countries to rescue Tuyen.

Lloyd Lofthouse brings the horror and intensity of the Vietnam war to the reader in a fast-paced and thrilling story. Ethan Card and his unlikely allies are larger than life as they face overwhelming odds in a very plausible plot. I was struck by the subtlety with which Lofthouse adjusts the viewpoint of the reader, from an "us vs. them" to a deeper understanding of the people who were involved in both sides of this conflict. Abstract concepts such as heroism or horror become very real very quickly in this story that is so much more than an action and adventure thriller. I won't be forgetting Card carrying his fallen comrade Gunny single-handedly through gunfire to make sure he goes home to be buried, or the tenacious and caring Sun and Luu who help Case rescue Tuyen anytime soon. Lofthouse's historical novel, Running with the Enemy, is remarkable, intense, and extraordinary.

Faridah Nassozi

Running with the Enemy by Lloyd Lofthouse is a story about a marine on an army mission in Vietnam whose love for a woman from the enemy camp makes him a perfect target for a corrupt CIA officer. Ethan Card is a good marine whose only crime was falling in love with Tuyen. Ortega is a corrupt CIA officer who has been selling weapons to the enemy and needed someone to frame for his crimes. Ortega takes photos of Ethan and Tuyen together and uses them to blackmail Ethan but Ethan refuses to give in to his demands so Ortega decides to destroy Ethan by framing him for the missing weapons that were found in the arms of the Vietnamese. In an attempt to save himself and Tuyen, Ethan hijacks an army helicopter and becomes a fugitive. Luckily, his immediate boss believes he is innocent and will do anything to prove it. Ethan has to save himself, save Tuyen, and work out some issues in his love life.

Lloyd Lofthouse's Running with the Enemy is an action-packed, fast-paced thriller that tells a story of a good man who must fight hard to prove he was framed. In the process, he must also save the beautiful Vietnamese woman he loves. It takes all his will and might to fight to the end; fighting enemies from every corner and surviving agonizing injuries, even when it looks like there is no hope. Lloyd Lofthouse delivered an adrenaline-pumping thriller that kept me glued, page after page, until the very end.

Lorena Sanqui

In Running with the Enemy by Lloyd Lofthouse, Ethan Card is being framed for selling weapons to the Viet Cong and his girlfriend, Tuyen, working for the enemy is not doing him any favors. Fearing for Tuyen’s life if he goes to prison, Ethan hijacked the helicopter used to transport him to his court martial. Ethan found Tuyen with Luu, Tuyen’s guardian, and two Viet Cong soldiers in the rubber plantation where they are supposed to rendezvous. Together they flee from country to country because, besides the US army, the Viet Cong is also hunting them. When Ethan learns that his unit will be ambushed, he risks his life to go back and help the only people who are willing to believe in him.

Running with the Enemy by Lloyd Lofthouse is the story of lovers from opposite sides of the war and how they persevered to make their love work. It is full of action and it made me flip the pages nonstop to know what their next actions will be. Adding Kit’s character made the book humorous, although it was only towards the end. This book is really well written; sometimes the scenes are very graphic and made me cringe with the violence and abuse but it’s bearable. The characters have strong personalities and identities to have survived the whole ordeal. What I loved best about this book was Ethan’s devotion to Tuyen, even during the pain and agony of running for their lives. Overall, a very exciting read.