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The Enemy Within

Book #3 of John Bailey

About The Book

SET TO BE ADAPTED FOR THE SCREEN. Like Michael Connelly’s Bosch, John Bailey will risk everything to get to the truth – and expose a deadly enemy.

Shortlisted for the 2022 Danger Prize.
Shortlisted for the 2022 Ned Kelly Award.

'He heard a voice, someone calling out in the distance, followed by a loud fluttering of birds. Bailey looked up just in time to see a body falling from the sky ...'

Investigative journalist John Bailey is doing his best to turn his life around after losing the woman he loved. He has a new job. He’s given up the drink. He even has a dog.

But then Federal Police raid his home with a warrant granting them unprecedented powers to take anything they want, including all his electronic devices and passwords. When Bailey protests, they threaten to put him in a prison cell.

Someone wants to stop Bailey doing what he does best – exposing the truth. He has been investigating the rise of a global white supremacist group and suspects that a notorious neo-Nazi in the United States has been directing deadly racist attacks on Sydney’s streets.

When the body of one of his key sources washes up on a nearby beach, it’s clear Bailey and anyone helping him have become targets. Bailey reaches out to a ruthless old friend – CIA veteran, Ronnie Johnson – to lure the enemy from the shadows.

An enemy who thought they were untouchable. Until now …

The brilliant third book in Tim Ayliffe’s John Bailey series. Bailey’s adventures in The Enemy Within, State of Fear and The Greater Good are to be adapted for the screen by CJZ Productions, Australia's largest independently owned production company series.

Praise for The Enemy Within:

‘A breathlessly written book, ripped from today’s headlines, this is a cracking read that blurs the line between fact and fiction. More please.’ Michael Robotham

'A cracking yarn told at breakneck speed. I couldn't put it down.' Chris Hammer

‘Sharp, gritty, sophisticated. Ayliffe’s criminal world is terrifyingly real.’ Candice Fox

Praise for State of Fear

‘Another brilliantly crafted thriller from Ayliffe that fits perfectly in today’s worrying world … Verdict: Get this guy on TV.’ Herald Sun

‘Sharp, incisive and scarily prescient, I was hooked from the first chapter to the final page.’ Sara Foster, bestselling author of The Hidden Hours

‘Utterly compelling and terrifyingly timely. I could not put it down.’ Pip Drysdale, bestselling author of The Sunday Girl

‘As a correspondent, I lived this world. Tim Ayliffe has written it.’ Stan Grant, writer and broadcaster

Praise for The Greater Good


‘A brilliantly written character starring in cracking crime thriller.’ Herald Sun

'Ayliffe delivers a taut, nail-biting page-turner, stamping his mark on the modern day Australian thriller.’ Better Reading

‘An absolute cracker of a thriller.’ Chris Uhlmann

About The Author

Photograph © Courtney King Photography

Tim Ayliffe’s thriller novels have been informed by his 25-year career as a journalist in Australia and around the world. He writes about espionage, extremism, politics and the global power games at play in the 21st Century. He has been the Managing Editor of Television and Video for ABC News and also Executive Producer of News Breakfast. He is the author of the ‘John Bailey’ series including The Greater Good, State of FearThe Enemy Within and his most recent novel, Killer Traitor Spy. Tim's thrillers are also in development for TV. When he's not writing or chasing news stories, Tim watches rugby and surfs. He lives in Sydney.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia (July 28, 2021)
  • Length: 368 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781925640984

Raves and Reviews

‘Tim Ayliffe is one of Australian crime fiction’s most reliable entertainers, and The Enemy Within is another sure-footed mystery starring investigative journalist John Bailey.’

– Simon McDonald

‘Sharp, gritty, sophisticated. Ayliffe’s criminal world is terrifyingly real.’

– Candice Fox

'A cracking yarn told at breakneck speed. I couldn't put it down.'

– Chris Hammer

‘A breathlessly written book, ripped from today’s headlines, this is a cracking read that blurs the line between fact and fiction. More please.’

– Michael Robotham

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More books from this author: Tim Ayliffe

More books in this series: John Bailey