Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Gently Where The Roads Go
The Inspector George Gently Case Files – Book X
Alan Hunter

Robinson Publishing (Constable and Robinson)
April 1, 2012 / ISBN 978-1780331508
Mystery / 1962 / Norfolk, England
Amazon / Amazon UK


Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde

Somewhere in the east country there runs a great road called the A1. For centuries people have travelled up and down it with just their destinations in mind; parts of it are nowhere in particular. This is the story of how one tiny spot in a lay-by becomes briefly famous when a Polish immigrant trucker called Tim Teodowicz is murdered. Shot two hundred times with what must be a machine gun, there are various suspects for the killing and as many reasons why anybody should want him dead, George Gently investigates.

Alan Hunter excels at the sort of evocative descriptions of a place that has existed forever but is suddenly spotlighted. He must have loved roads, as in Gently Go Man (also reviewed on this site) he waxes lyrical about them and does so again here. For modern readers this is a fascinating snapshot of a time when the Second World War was recent history, a time of social upheaval when Britain was starting to become a multi-cultural society. Once again I guessed much of the plot, which is very linear; but with a series like this I think the plot is only a small part of its appeal. From the sinister MI5 operative to the minute description of a post-war air force base, a lonely roadhouse to those poetic descriptions of the A1 this is social history at its most entertaining.

Other reviews in this series

Gently Does It - Book I
Gently by the ShoreBook II
Gently Down The Stream Book III
Landed Gently Book IV
Gently Through the Mill - Book V
Gently In The SunBook VI
Gently With The Painters Book VII
Gently To The Summit Book VIII
Gently Go Man - Book IX
Gently Where The Roads Go – Book X
Gently Floating - Book XI
Gently Sahib - Book XII
Gently With The Ladies - Book XIII
Gently Northwest - Book XV
Gently Continental - Book XVI
Gently With The Innocents - Book XVII


 
Reviewed 2012
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