Gently Down The Stream
The Inspector George Gently Case Files – Book III
Alan Hunter

Robinson (Constable and Robinson)
16 September 2010/ ISBN 9781849015004
Historical Mystery / 1957 Norfolk Broads, England
Amazon US || UK

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde

Chief Inspector George Gently is sojourning on the Norfolk Broads – but this is no vacation but a murder inquiry. The charred remains of a man have been brought out of a still smoldering boat and identified as James Lammas, a well-to-do local provisional wholesaler. Married with two adult children it looks as though he might have been absconding with his pretty secretary, but Gently’s investigations are about to unearth some far more unusual and surprising facts.

This is a fine tale with a teasing plot that I certainly didn’t guess, but when the final page was turned I was thinking fond thoughts of Mr Hunter’s portrait of the Broads. He has it all spot-on – the waterways with their abundance of fish and lonely beauty, the marvellous characters that make their living from them, the local dialect, and strong sense of a place apart. A historical novelist would have added to this to build up a picture of life in 1957, but don’t expect any teddy boys, juke boxes or coypu hunters. Instead there is a compelling picture of an unspoiled place upon which the very human crime has intruded.

This is not a long novel with a multilayered plot, but a classic police procedural that is all about the crime, and apart from the vivid portrait of the Broads it is nothing more. Diluting it with extraneous details about the policemens’ lives and topical issues would spoil it and wisely this has not happened, leaving the reader with the pleasing feeling of having enjoyed a little gem. There are forty-six of these books, and I look forward to reading every one.

Other reviews in this series

Gently Does It - Book I
Gently by the Shore – Book II
Gently Down The Stream – Book III
Landed Gently – Book IV
Gently Through the Mill - Book V
Gently In The Sun – Book 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