The Enemy Within

Home Front Detective #6

by Edward Marston

Pentonville Prison, 1917. Wally Hubbard was meant to be serving a long sentence for arson, but when he makes an audacious escape, Inspector Marmion, who arrested him, is warned to watch his back.

However, it seems that Hubbard has eyes for only one man: Ben Croft, who he blames for the death of his daughter. While Marmion struggles with heightened concerns for his problematical son Paul, the hunt to recapture Hubbard becomes entwined with a murder investigation where the identities of killer and victim become increasingly ambiguous. As complications mount up, Marmion tries desperately to untangle all the threads ...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Crime, Mystery, Historical Mystery, Fiction, British Literature

379 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2016

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

A pseudonym used by Keith Miles
AKA A.E. Marston

Keith Miles (born 1940) is an English author, who writes under his own name and also historical fiction and mystery novels under the pseudonym Edward Marston. He is known for his mysteries set in the world of Elizabethan theatre. He has also written a series of novels based on events in the Domesday Book, a series of The Railway Detective and a series of The Home Front Detective.


Series contributed to:
. Malice Domestic
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal

Reviews

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A prisoner, Wally Hubbard, escapes from Pentonville Prison in 1917 and Inspector Marmion and his colleague Sergeant Joe Keedy are put on the case to try and recapture him. The duo's boss, the cantankerous and often contradictory Superintendent Claude Chatfield warns Marmion that he should watch his back as Hubbard has a strong dislike for him as he was the arresting officer when Hubbard was initially captured.

But looking for Hubbard is not all that is on Marmion's agenda as has to find a chap named Ben Croft, who is known to be on Hubbard's hit list. In addition, Marmion's war invalided son Paul has a mental crisis and Marmion has to support his wife Ellen in their attempt to get him back satisfactorily into society. Marmion's daughter, Alice, also a police officer who is married to Joe Keedy, is also drawn into the problems with her brother and this causes tension all round, especially when Paul goes missing from home.

When a dead body is discovered in the Salvation Army hostel run by Marmion's brother the case becomes even more complicated and Marmion and Keedy are stretched to follow up all their lines of enquiry, especially as some are far removed from the capital. However, they persevere and information is gradually accumulated that leads to significant developments.

And in an exciting climax Marmion eventually resolves the case satisfactorily with one slight exception, which is ... well, it's there in this exciting book, which captures superbly the ambience of the war-torn capital.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, a page turner but not one of the better books in this series

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this last book (for now?) in the Home Front Detective series and my only complaint is the same as it was in the previous book. The "Paul" story line is a distraction and just when the action is heating up, the author switches to the Paul story for a few pages and it breaks the flow of the main plot.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 2016, 'The Enemy Within' is the 6th in the popular 'Home Front' detective series set mainly in WW1 London. The plot centres on the search for a convict recently escaped from Pentonville prison, but this mingles with additional themes, together with Marston's usual method of character driven storylines. In all, very enjoyable.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting book in the latest in the home front detective series with former foes united in action but more worrying events are on the home front. this series is getting interesting as it used ww1 as its backdrop.

[Pete Harmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoying the Home Front Detective series. This was full of tension. The search for Wally Hubbard has you willing the detectives on. A hard-to-put-down book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Iris Pusemuckel · Rating 1 out of 5]

The private life of Detective Marmion is beginning to grate on my nerves.

This intelligent, attractive man has this dull, primitive woman at home. This does not fit. I hate that she is knitting the whole day and doing nothing besides intruding in the lives of her children. Nagging, probing, questioning and prying at a disgusting intensity.

To me - and I am aware that this is really nasty to say - she is like a huge milk-tit waiting at home for her husband and children to give them the dripping nippel. And if they want to flee this intimate intrusion, they get hell to pay.

Yes. This is what I think. Ellen is a brainless, wabbeling tit, lurking on every corner to put her demanding nippel into her husband and children. Never was I more revolted by a novel character than this woman.

[Steven Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pentonville Prison. Wally Hubbard is serving a long sentence for arson. But after befriending and tricking one of the officers, Hubbard makes an audacious escape. Inspector Marmion, the detective who arrested Hubbard, is warned to watch his back, but it seems that Hubbard has another target in his murderous sights.
However, the investigation is mired in confusion, the identities of killer and victim become increasingly ambiguous. An inmate at an internment camp who might be a spy sending intelligence to the Germans complicates matters further, and the multiplying manhunts, as well as Marmion's concern for his injured and withdrawn son Paul, leave the detective desperate and perhaps with too many threads to untangle.

[David McFarlane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable book, excellent character development, and the inserts of history were not asides just thrown in, but used to give you an historical perspective. I thoroughly recommend this book

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

with a 1/2
There is something endearing about this series {and others written by EM}.
An atmospheric murder mystery set in post WW1 London and beyond...easy to be transported.
High praise to EM for his ability to compose yet another absorbing read.

[Annette O'grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

another very enjoyable read by a very good author with again lots of twist and turns

[Tim Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent series this. Another good one.

[Annie Weatherly-Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marston is such a great writer and underrated. This book was one I missed in the series and it was wonderful. Superb thriller.

[ANDREW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

[Jill Stirling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story. The side story is getting bit tedious.

[Ariane Vieira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rushed ending

[Gayle Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully plotted series.

[Sharon Jacksack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe if I had read previous books in this series I might have liked it more, but I had a hard time feeling particularly attached to any of the characters, and the mystery was really no mystery at all.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent book to an excellent series!! so many themes going on and the characters are really engaging.

[Sadie Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant read by Edward Marston during 1st World War.

[Anne Grzybowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable series