The Savage Moor by Robert Fael

The Savage Moor by Robert Fael
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The Exmoor Beast is a creature of myth and mystery. Some think it’s a phantom. Others that it’s actually a big cat that escaped from a private collection. The bloody carcasses of deer and sheep found on the moor are often quoted as proof of its existence.

Now for the first time the Beast has taken human prey, and attacks seem to be intensifying. Ex MI5 agent Hollis is called in to investigate.

What he uncovers is more than just moorland myth. It’s a clash between a quiet farming community, and big city gangsters. Things are becoming increasingly violent, and the bodies they find have been pulverized with incredible force. Shotguns may be no match for AK47s, but it seems the people of Exmoor have a surprisingly fearsome ally.

Would you stake your life on local gossip?

The complexities of small town life made this such an interesting read. Some authors and readers assume that life is slower and safer in rural communities, but Mr. Fael knew better than that. Just because everyone knows everyone else doesn’t mean that terribly dangerous things can’t happen in isolated corners of the community late at night. If anything, that false sense of security can help to cover up certain crimes if people are willing to give old friends and neighbors the benefit of the doubt no matter what oddities they might witness. I enjoyed the depth the author brought to this setting and thought he did a good job of exploring both the benefits and the drawbacks of living in such a place.

This novella included a large cast of characters that I struggled to keep up with. There simply wasn’t enough space to get to know any of them well, including the protagonist. As much as I wanted to give this a higher rating, I didn’t feel comfortable doing so due to the limited amount of character development and how confused I was by who certain individuals were.

The mystery was well-paced and exciting. I had my suspicions about the possible identity of the Exmoor Beast, especially after reading a brief, bloody scene of it attacking someone, but the author still managed to surprise me in the end. As much as I’d love to go into detail about the differences between my theory and what was really going on, that’s hard to do without giving away spoilers. What I can say is that this kept me guessing and made me nod with understanding when certain clues were revealed close to the end.

The Savage Moor kept me guessing.