Book Review: Anatomy of Evil – Author Brian Pinkerton

Anatomy of Evil
By: Brian Pinkerton
Samhain Publishing
207 Pages

When a group of life-long friends embark upon an exotic vacation getaway for a little recreational fishing they soon find out their tropical paradise has much more sinister, unholy connotations than they could have ever imagined.

Anatomy of Evil will mark the inaugural reading journey I’ve undertaken with author Brian Pinkerton. The folks at Samhain Publishing never cease to amaze. This time around horror is delivered in the form of what lurks within and beckons the most primal of questions in each of us; what if?

We begin with a glimpse into the main characters’ lives prior to their exotic vacation getaway in Kiritimati Island. Their seemingly trivial, uneventful lives can just as easily be a mirror into the everyday events of average Joe reader. Author Pinkerton ignites the variables in achieving a sense of rapport with these characters as we vicariously look for an escape from the mundane every bit as much as Kelly, Rodney, Carol, Jake, Gary, Emma and Sam do. We feel a certain sense of foreboding in the air however and very quickly detect their lives may never be the same again.

Carol’s utilization of self-help discs is a contemporary slice of life many will relate to. While being railroaded and used as a door mat at her company it isn’t difficult to predict she subconsciously fantasizes with greed in mind. Her character passages are an excellent segue into introducing the first of the seven deadly sins. As the conflict rapidly begins to escalate we cannot wait to see what her Id in contrast to the super ego possesses her to do next.

The use of the tropical island once the weekend warrior have arrived is a breath taking locale and chosen effectively. Perhaps the irony in these references is the envy many of the readers may feel when the environment is created in picture perfect execution. As we get to know the gang we become one of them and desire to engage in their carefree soiree every bit as much as they do.

Some of the most unnerving scenes are orchestrated once the fishing endeavor has commenced. Rodney, Gary, Sam and the unlikely final variable to the equation Carol set out on their ill-fated expedition returning with a metamorphosis into evil that will chill you to the bones. Pinkerton’s applied knowledge of nautical jargon and of course not to be excluded the nuclear components surrounding Kiritimati Island is testament of a writer that has covered all his basis in extensive research. We question not the authenticity of his writing and the fluency in which the facts roll off continue to engage the reading audience further.

The real fun begins however as the trip winds down and the gang heads for home. The behaviour of Rodney, Sam, Carol and Gary’s changes so erratically it’s almost comical in a very dark certain sense of the word. The sins have reared their ugly head and we’re suddenly fixated on just how they will continue to evolve into the very real evil unleashed from within.

Anatomy of Evil in a certain sense can be described as a reverse coming of age tale. The subtext most certainly is how the seven deadly sins are forged into the individual lives of the collective characters. It’s captivating to see how each individual turns the tables on their preconceived character flaws exploiting the extreme opposite. There’s an undeniable theme of you cannot go home again which proves itself time and again. As the protagonists very quickly adapt the role of antagonists the reading audience cannot resist the sensation of being fascinated into what may happen next. One unholy, heinous act follows after another and we begin to question if there is any stopping the frightful foursome.

No question Anatomy of Evil moves at a thrilling pace as the subconscious within the readership has an innate desire to unfold each character’s sinister intention and dirty deed.

Perhaps the greatest appeal to Anatomy of Evil is the very real, tangible fear that lurks within each of us. We grapple daily to maintain a healthy psychological unity and balance to coexist within society. For some of us that struggle is more prevalent than others. Tales of the paranormal, supernatural, creature features, zombie lore, etc. are abstract in design yet genres that have been proven in different levels in horror. Little argument can be given for the very real terror, evil personified within each of us on a most profound level. Pinkerton captures this fear flawlessly and unleashes a fury before an almost inevitable vast audience.