The Eynhallow Enmity

by Robert Forrester

While the rest of the country is worrying about the Falklands Conflict, an escaped mental patient drags Inspector Anderson away from his desk to the remote Orkney Islands. The Special Branch detective soon realizes it’s no threat to national security and is looking forward to wasting his expenses and spending a few days relaxing.

However, when more bodies start turning up, a feisty young psychiatrist suggests the patient could be the cause, but the foul-mouthed Inspector ignores her, resulting in tragic consequences.

With a killer demonstrating seemingly supernatural abilities, the acerbic Inspector Anderson is forced to ask the young psychiatrist for help. Together they unravel the reason for the killing spree and discover the secret to the apparent supernatural attacks that goes all the way back to Nazi Germany.

236 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 22, 2012

About the author

Robert Forrester is a writer and journalist based in Birmingham, United Kingdom. He is the author of the Inspector Anderson Mysteries, Hope and Carver Mysteries, the thriller Rogues, and various short fiction that has appeared in numerous anthologies and literary magazines.

Reviews

[Harry Tomos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy the writing, always creates a visual journey as I read, laced with humour. Enjoyable to read.

[David Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, let me say the title of this Novel confused me. The Eynhallow Enmity. I assumed Eynhallow was a proper name, but I confess to looking up the meaning of enmity. It was not the only time I tangled with words in this work. The author, Robert Forrester, is a writer living in the United Kingdom. The old saw about “us” and “them” being separated by a common language holds some level of truth, but that was not the basis for my few bits of confusion. This story, for the most part, takes place in the northern regions of the United Kingdom. While about half of my dubious ancestors hail from Scotland’s Lewis Island, I, alas, am somewhat less than a born and bred Scot. Therefore, some of the dialect confused me a bit, but that’s okay. It confused the hero, Inspector Anderson, too. Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate well-written dialect as much as I do well-written dialogue, and Mister Forrester succeeds at both. I find his characters to be handled well also. They are finely drawn, without intruding on the reader’s imagination, and they are not so numerous as to confuse the reader’s experience. The author does not beat you over the head with excess description, but allows you to discover more about the characters as the work progresses. Just like life.

I found the plot and the storyline enjoyable. In these days when “shock and awe” seems to be more important in both motion pictures and novels than content and credibility, Mister Forrester does something unusual. He tells a good story. He is not wordy, complicated, or preachy. He is direct, he is uncluttered, and he speaks to Theatre of the Mind.

The Eynhallow Enmity by Robert Forrester is a good blend of characters and plot, feels real, and is a more than satisfying read. I liked it. A lot.

David R Lewis, Ironbear-Ebooks.com

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eynhallow Enmity
by Robert Forrester

An escaped, possibility drowned asylum patient. A hospital worker and a priest drop dead of heart attacks within hours of one another. Simple heart attacks or something more sinister? The first inquiry certainly has all the earmarks of a fatal, yet ordinary heart attack according to Inspector Anderson and his partner Sergeant Harrison. A headstrong young psychiatrist, Dr. Ruth Duncan has differing ideas regarding what's behind the cause of death. But another heart attack follows so close on the heels of the first one leaves them all with questions, and no answers.

I simply can't stress enough how much I've enjoyed this book. It quickly became one of my favorite books. The plot itself draws you in quickly, combining that with the dialogue and the characters, I had a book I couldn't put down. Even more, I had one of those rare books that leave you feel disappointed that you can't spend more time following along with the characters. Seemingly living vicariously among them.

I easily award the book 5 stars....I highly recommend this book for all mystery lovers that enjoy a bit of the paranormal mixed in for a more powerful kick!


The author gave me this book in exchange for a fair and impartial review.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

An OK police thriller set in Orkney and Edinburgh let down by the implausibility of the plot and the lack of definition of the central character, who is apparently fronting a series. Writing is ok and story rattles along, but this is not a very satisfactory read.