You know that feeling when a long-running series finally jumps the shark? Fans of the Mitch Rapp universe were deathly afraid of that back in 2017. Vince Flynn, the mastermind behind the world's most effective fictional assassin, had passed away years prior. Kyle Mills had taken the mantle, but Enemy of the State was the moment the training wheels really came off.
It wasn't just another thriller.
This was the book where the "hero" of the United States officially became its greatest liability. Honestly, the title isn't just marketing fluff. It describes the literal status of Mitch Rapp after he decides that some secrets are too filthy to stay buried, even if the President of the United States is the one holding the shovel.
Why Enemy of the State Still Matters Today
Most people think of Mitch Rapp as the ultimate patriot. He is. But Enemy of the State explores what happens when patriotism conflicts with the government’s actual agenda. The plot kicks off with a discovery that is frankly a bit too close to real-world headlines for comfort. Rapp finds out that a Saudi prince is funnelling massive amounts of cash to ISIS.
Normally, Rapp would just put a bullet in the guy. Simple.
But there is a catch. A big one.
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Back after 9/11, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia supposedly struck a "blood-for-oil" deal. The Americans would bury evidence of Saudi involvement in the attacks, and in exchange, the King would keep the oil cheap and "deal with" the extremists in his own family. It turns out the Saudis weren't exactly holding up their end of the bargain.
When President Alexander realizes he’s been played, he gives Rapp a choice: go in, clean it up, but do it completely off the grid. No CIA. No backup. No get-out-of-jail-free card.
Rapp quits. He actually resigns.
For a character whose identity is so tied to the Agency, this was a massive shift. He assembles a team of "independent contractors"—basically mercenaries—including old fan favorites like Scott Coleman and even his former Russian nemesis, Grisha Azarov.
The Realism of the Rogue Operative
What Kyle Mills got right here was the gritty, unpolished reality of working without a safety net.
When Rapp is operating for the CIA, he has the most powerful logistics machine in history behind him. In this book, he’s basically a guy with a gun and a few buddies trying to outrun the entire world. It turns out that when you’re hunting a Saudi royal, the Saudi intelligence chief, Aali Nassar, doesn’t just sit back. He frames Rapp.
Suddenly, the U.S. government has to pretend to hunt Rapp down to keep the peace with their "allies."
It’s a mess.
One of the most interesting parts of the book is seeing Rapp’s relationship with Irene Kennedy, the CIA Director. She’s his mentor, his boss, and essentially his only real friend. In this story, she has to play a double game. She has to "hunt" him while secretly hoping he succeeds. It adds a layer of tension that isn't just about who can shoot faster. It’s about the emotional toll of a life spent in the shadows.
The Claudia Gould Controversy
If you spend any time on Reddit or in fan forums, you’ll see people arguing about Claudia Gould. She’s the love interest Mills introduced for Rapp, and in Enemy of the State, their relationship becomes a major subplot.
Some fans hate it. They think Rapp should be a lone wolf forever, mourning his late wife, Maureen.
But honestly? Rapp is getting older.
Watching him try to navigate being a "step-dad" to Claudia’s daughter, Anna, provides a weird, humanizing contrast to the scenes where he’s snapping necks in the Middle East. It makes him more than just a killing machine. He’s a guy who is tired. He wants something to come home to, even if he’s not entirely sure how to act when he gets there.
Actionable Insights for Thriller Fans
If you're looking to dive into this specific era of the Mitch Rapp series, here is how to get the most out of it:
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- Read the Prequels First: If you’re new, don't start here. Start with American Assassin to understand Rapp’s origin. You need to see him as a "company man" to appreciate why him going rogue in Enemy of the State is such a big deal.
- Pay Attention to the Side Characters: This book brings back Grisha Azarov. The dynamic between Rapp and a man who was once paid to kill him is one of the best "frenemy" arcs in modern thrillers.
- Look for the Geopolitical Nuance: This isn't just "America good, terrorists bad." It looks at the murky, often hypocritical alliances the U.S. maintains for the sake of the global economy.
The ending of the book is classic Rapp. No spoilers, but let's just say Aali Nassar finds out the hard way that you don't frame a man like Mitch Rapp and expect to sleep soundly. Rapp doesn't just clear his name; he reminds everyone why he was the one person the government was terrified to lose control of in the first place.
If you want to see a character evolve from a blunt instrument of the state into a man who follows his own moral compass—no matter the cost—this is the book that defines that transition. It’s fast. It’s violent. It’s exactly what Vince Flynn would have wanted for his greatest creation.
To truly understand the stakes, you should look back at the real-world declassification of the "28 pages" from the 9/11 Commission Report. Much of the tension in this novel is built on the real-life speculation surrounding those documents and the complex relationship between Washington and Riyadh. Knowing that context makes the fictional "blood-for-oil" deal feel much less like fiction.