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)

If its Peter Hamilton, I know I will like it

Would you listen to Great North Road again? Why?

I don't usually re-read books, so no, probably not.

What other book might you compare Great North Road to and why?

Along the lines of the Commonwealth and Void series, Great North Road fits right into Hamilton's unique take on the future. I would personally recommend the Commonwealth and Void series books over this, but I still loved it.

What does Toby Longworth bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great reader - I am a fan

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

Avatar with a bad attitude.

Wow- RIVETING adventure, mystery, drama & romance

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have given this as a gift to my friends and have recommended it to strangers I've met. Yes it is that good.

What other book might you compare Great North Road to and why?

Asimov's writing is the closest. But this is a fascinating history/ mystery. Love all the political angles - I love a fascinating mind- twisty turny is my favorite.

Which scene was your favorite?

Too many for a single scene. You forget this is a "story" and start rooting for the poor slobs going through this.

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

sometimes nature is a bitch- think twice about messing with her

Any additional comments?

This is the first book by Peter F Hamilton I read. I admit it I am hooked. I immediately started reading the rest of his brilliant stories. His stories have the ring of truth to them and I'm waiting with bated breath for the next one.

enjoyed

it is like listening to real life. every minute.. lunches..kids..kids..wife..kids.
but the authors suspense and action moments are very much worth ...kids lunches,,,kids

Entertaining sci-fi

Where does Great North Road rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I found the Great North Road to be entertaining and absorbing but ultimately a bit of a let-down. I've read several books by Hamilton and this is my least favorite. It is still good and you will be entertained but I didn't think the ideas presented were that original. The narration is great. If you are new to Hamilton and sci-fi in general I think you will really enjoy the story. For us older Hamilton fans, you will still like it but be prepared that it is not his best.

Great, but not best work.

What did you love best about Great North Road?

Excellent interweaving storylines.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Great North Road?

The full reveal about Angela's worst night is pretty spectactular.

What does Toby Longworth bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Excellent vocal characterizations helping me tell the people apart. Similar to his work on the Mendel Files. Excellent inflection, especially at moments when characters are surprised or ironic.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The denouement with the characters was emotional for me -- probably because I have daughters.

Any additional comments?

The resolution of the main conflict isn't quite as satisfying as it was in Pandora's Star/Judas Unchained but I the personal storylines were /more/ satisfying. Toby Longworth's reading is supurb, adding depth and idiosyncrasies to the characters that layered some additional texture onto the text.

I'd just the whole thing is somewhere between Fallen Dragon and PS/JU, and a great read overall.

Another Hamilton Blockbuster.

I have read almost all of Peters work. starting with the nights dawn trilogy, including the Starflyers series ,fallen dragon and I have to say this was a little bit of a Departure from what I'm used to however Bravo!!! fantastic storylines I love how he writes kind of like watching a Tarentino movie it is fantastic. Give this a shot you won't regret it

Read Hamilton Now

(Reprised from my Goodreads review)

Peter F. Hamilton writes large. He writes 1000 page behemoths of narrative. And he writes with ideas that are space and time spanning, far beyond the usual windows of ordinary lives. And his words are imbued with the power of ideas and concepts not yet realized today. Yet, despite the immense dimensions of his imagination, he keeps it all within reach, grounded on human sensibilities, maintaining a keen sense of the grand human drama.

So in this decidedly large book, Hamilton mixes together inscrutable alien swarms, cloned megalomaniacs, monsters with bladed fingers, interworld portals, smart personal networks, sentient worlds, manufactured oil, medically-enabled longevity, with recognizable and easily accessible characters --- a persistent police investigator, a deeply religious military spook, a seemingly helpless woman wrongly imprisoned, three clones who pursue three separate ambitions of wealth, long-life and freedom --- and vast and sundry characters that a reader from the 21st century can easily relate to. He weaves a tale that could simultaneously be categorized as crime/mystery, political intrigue, spy/military, green environmental/survivalist, alien/first encounter, family drama/love story, action/SF ... all interlaced together in Hamilton's insistent style that impels and brooks no doubt that you, the reader, will hold your disbelief.

From my perspective, the most powerful aspect of this sprawling, decidedly Anglo-centric book, that which holds it together and fills it with passionate motivation and narrative impetus, is the story of Angela. Compared to her the rest of the characters seem quite mundane. Or, conversely, without her, this big, booming behemoth of a book may have failed to engage.

Hamilton has clearly improved with practice; from the Mandel detective stories, to the Nights Dawn series, onto the Void trilogy and now the amazing feat of Great North Road. One thing I can say is read Hamilton now and savor his work while he is at his inventive and imaginative best, for a hundred years hence who knows how we would appreciate his writing in the light of different mores.

Not as good as his other work

Hopefully you are familiar with Hamilton's other works like the 2 + 3 book commonwealth saga. I truly enjoyed how complex and deep those stories were so I thought I would give this one a shot too. Easily as complex but not as enticing as his other works. I use this as a filler between other audio books and am not sure when I will ever finish it but it just doesn't draw me in at all. Felt like it was building towards a grand climax and then just fell away so who knows.

The word 'Great' is well earned in the title

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

Great Science Fiction

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the down to earth characters Peter has created for this book. Even though the story takes place around 150 years into the future, you are still able to relate closely with the characters and the situations they find themselves in.

What about Toby Longworth’s performance did you like?

One of the best Narrations I have heard yet. I rank him up there with Roy Dotrice from Game of Thrones.

Any additional comments?

I originally had some reservations regarding this book as it takes place 150 years before the events in Pandora's Star and was worried that he might roll back the tech tooo much.

After 5 minutes of listening to the story, all my fears were proved false. The story instantly grabs you and refuses to let you go. The Tech is only used as a means and not the focus of the story, thus allow you to revel in the beautiful drawn characters that Peter creates. The universe is still a fantastic, futuristic place that does connect with our world.

One of the best books I have read period.

Space Opera at it's best

Where does Great North Road rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Peter F Hamilton defines space opera e.g. a long complex story with many full characters with multiple plot threads. The author spins a yarn where the characters are wedged between a bureaucratic government, a large corporation populated with clones (not just the typical figurative corporation where everybody tries to fashion themselves to a corporate image, too get a head but actual clones), a dysfunctional town full of violent criminals and a mythic alien. Into this complex social forces he creates a police procedural that is interesting and twists a with fascinating concepts. Though long 36 hours (it only felts that way in a few places), You a left with a full and complete story in the end.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sydney Hurst is a complex character forced to navigate the complex social forces with in the story in an impossible task to find the killer.

What does Toby Longworth bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The novel is very English in places with several specific items related to the local. The narrators English accent aided those northern specific traits.