Great North Road

By: Peter F. Hamilton

Narrated by: Toby Longworth

Length: 36 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

A century from now, thanks to a technology allowing instantaneous travel across light-years, humanity has solved its energy shortages, cleaned up the environment, and created far-flung colony worlds. The keys to this empire belong to the powerful North family - composed of successive generations of clones. Yet these clones are not identical. For one thing, genetic errors have crept in with each generation. For another, the original three clone "brothers" have gone their separate ways, and the branches of the family are now friendly rivals more than allies.

Or maybe not so friendly. At least that's what the murder of a North clone in the English city of Newcastle suggests to Detective Sidney Hurst. Sid is a solid investigator who'd like nothing better than to hand off this hot potato of a case. The way he figures it, whether he solves the crime or not, he'll make enough enemies to ruin his career. Yet Sid's case is about to take an unexpected turn: Because the circumstances of the murder bear an uncanny resemblance to a killing that took place years ago on the planet St. Libra, where a North clone and his entire household were slaughtered in cold blood.

The convicted slayer, Angela Tramelo, has always claimed her innocence. And now it seems she may have been right. Because only the St. Libra killer could have committed the Newcastle crime. Problem is, Angela also claims that the murderer was an alien monster.

Now Sid must navigate through a Byzantine minefield of competing interests within the police department and the world's political and economic elite...all the while hunting down a brutal killer poised to strike again. And on St. Libra, Angela, newly released from prison, joins a mission to hunt down the elusive alien, only to learn that the line between hunter and hunted is a thin one.

©2012 Peter F. Hamilton (P)2013 Tantor

Critic reviews

"It's a perfect introduction to his gifts for character design, dialogue, and sheer, big-idea-driven storytelling." ( Booklist)

Another fun immersing book by Peter.F

lots of fun hours listening to this to thi marvelous universe unfolding.

great storyline an characters and a great adventure to boost.

thank you!

Supurb storytelling of great Science Fiction!

Would you listen to Great North Road again? Why?

Even though this is a long listen it flew by. The performance was believable and engrossing.

What did you like best about this story?

A multi-faced noir detective story style with a Strong Female protagonist

Which character – as performed by Toby Longworth – was your favorite?

Angela was so vivid and distinctly voiced.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Secrets don't die on Alien Worlds

Be prepared for a long haul Marathon

Wow, I can't believe I made it to the end. That's not to say it was a dull read but it was indeed LONG. It was a marathon not for the faint of heart. This was a slow slow burner. The ah-ha moments didn't really happen until like the 4th quarter of the book and the real gotchas until hour 33 for me. But the nice thing about that, was that for me - a usual early guesser of plot surprises - the plot twists were indeed that, a twist til the end. I said a lot of "noooo waaaaayyy!"s in those final hours.

Initially you get the impression this is a 36hr whodunit mystery....borrrrrring right?....but it unfolds slowly into something way more thoughtful and involved and captivating. The depth of character and familial history is remarkable. The story unfolds in the future behind the lens of a local police detective Sid's homicide investigation. The deceased being none other than a mystery North clone. The North's are this notorious family of clones originated from 3 clone brothers. Each subsequent clone generation degradating a bit each time down the line. Being a 2 North, this mystery clone is important. So in march all the key players on the task force - Sid's team. Sid is in the hot seat of a case that could make or break his tenuous hold on his career. This being a North case turns the usual set of protocols on its top and sends Sid's team into overdrive trying to back track modern technology's records of what happened the night of the murder.

This is a fresh and relevant glance on what life could look like in a 100 years with regard to space/time travel and modern technology. What with self driving cars, smart dust cast about entire cities and smart cells in a person's body recording events as they unfold and that analyze body functions its hard to commit the perfect murder, but somehow it happens.

Hamilton does a fine job of weaving subplots in and out between the chapters. While Sid's team is feverishly chipping away at the North murder mystery, we're introduced to a whole nuther set of characters. Angela Tremela was accused and charged of a mass murder some 20yrs prior of a North and his entire household using the same unique method of killing as Sid's case. She professed her innocence 20yrs ago and still maintains it today. Being that this is big deal North business she's released from a life sentence in prison and is brought along to another planet to hunt for a "monster" whom she claimed killed the North household in the past. So Angela and an extensive search team set out to St Libra to begin the hunt. This journey is fraught with one hurdle after another as they're plunked into this alien jungle on the manhunt for a mystery monster who smells like mint. The clock begins ticking as the world is thrown into an artificial winter and the hunters become the hunted.

I also found the cultural nuances to be fascinating. Being an English author there were some colloquial vocabulary that I wasn't familiar with and was entertained by. Sid and all his associates and family using the term "pet" when referring familiarly or endearingly towards one another. It seemed to be most frequently used by a man to a woman but not reserved for people in a relationship together. Sid called colleagues and key witnesses AND his wife "pet".

If you enjoy sci-fi and crime mysteries this might just be the perfect marriage of the two genres all rolled into one big story.

AMAZING

Only con was that it was hard to keep up with the characters and the timeline, but as you keep listening, it works itself out.

NOT IN THE US

I enjoyed listening to this exciting story and couldn't wait for my next free time, to settle down with the cats and knitting, being taken away.to a different, but yet still recognizable world. Cops and villains, adventurers and conservatives, religious fanatics and even real monsters!! All of this surrounded by technology we can now only dream about, science fiction become science fact and so much more. I loved the characters, so real, as they loved, hated, cheated, murdered, were victimized! I could have, however, done with a lot less British lingo! What, for heaven's sake, is a byte-head?? I heard "bite", and couldn't figure out, why the police force would employ somebody/thing that bites! Who, pray tell, is "Pet", since it appears anyone might be called that at any given time! Finally, let's call a bathroom by its name and not use strange expressions like "en suite". This is still the US and if this book is recorded for an American audience, don't confound us with strange cilloquialisms! It takes away from the overall enjoyment.

Classic Peter F.Hamilton

If you have ever read (or listened) to Pandora's Star or the Void books you don't need to read this review, you already know what it is like.

Although this is a stand alone book in a separate universe it may as well be a prequel to the Common Wealth books.

Wormholes linking colony worlds with earth? Check. Strange alien menace that most people do not believe exists? Check. Working class colonist family drawn into epic conspiracies? Check. Every character model from his other books is represented here. Police detectives, Ultra rich families, genetically modified women with uncertain morals. Nothing is left out. This author very clearly has a certain set of characters that he likes.

This however, is not a really a bad thing. He writes with clarity and humanity and the plot moved steadily, punctuated with bits of explosive action and violence that can erupt from out of the blue (literally) Again, if you have read his other books you know what I am talking about. If you haven't just keep in mind that if the book every starts getting boring just hold on for another chapter or two, before long there will be a massive alien attack or sun exploding just to mix things up.

It really is a good book, just not an innovative one. If you read a lot of sci-fi don't expect anything that you've never heard before, this is solid adventure but nothing mind bending.

It really is a shame that he didn't just market this as a prequel to his other books. The technology and culture is so similar to the history of the Commonwealth series I found it distracting and it made it hard to accept this universe as a separate than his others.

It also would have been nice to see him branch out a little and try something different but since I really liked his previous books I guess I can't complain when he writes more of the same.

The narration is somewhat hit and miss. The reader speaks with a strong british accent, which is appropriate for most of the characters, but not all of them. It would have been better if he had just stuck to that accent for all characters but unfortunately he attempts to speak with other accents when appropriate for the character. Some readers can pull this off, this one cannot. His American accent is so horrible its almost funny.

All in all the author paints a world that I would love to live in and which I have no trouble getting lost in for a few hours, even if it feels very familiar.

Daunting Read

Peter F. Hamilton is one of my favorite science fiction writers. I have to compare him with George R. R. Martin and "A Song of Ice and Fire." Like Martin, Hamilton writes without any editing. Every character in his chapters seems like the main focus of the plot and no detail is left untold.

The "Great North Road" is a daunting read. I've read "Commonwealth Saga" before and that was an excellent series and much longer, but this recent title just seems to be bloated and long with every molecule being explained.

It's an epic story by far and a great modern science fiction, but it's hard to tackle because there is so much detail to comprehend.

I should had pace myself at listening to "Great North Road" because I finished 36 hours in a few days. I should had taken a break because I felt that I was being burned out with the story.

The alien monsters and the revealing of the North is totally worth the listen, but there is a lot of reading before and even after.

Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained in the Commonwealth are much more enjoyable and easier to follow.

Wild Ride!

I listened to this book in a non-stop Listen-Fest, something like 37 hours! I spent the first part of the book being confused, then I was sure I knew where it was going, but it didn't go there, it also didn't go to the next place I was sure it would go, or the next... I literally couldn't sleep until I'd finished it!

Endlessly labeling technology

There is a vast amount of high tech action in this story. However, the story is fundamentally a detective story placed in the future. The constant referenced to the names of devices, technology, processes, organizations, etc., makes the story plod along. Very long in relation to the content. Okay but could be better.

Peter F. Hamilton: Great visionary science fiction

If you could sum up Great North Road in three words, what would they be?

Amazing Sci-fi Epic.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

All paths converge onto the Great North Road.

Any additional comments?

It is a Great big book and I enjoyed every little bit of it. Doubtless I will enjoy all of his available work.