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

Wow...Seriously, seriously great book..a 6

So that I don't bury the lead -- this is one sophisticated, complex wonderful book. The narration is great as well. I wish Audible/Amazon would allow folks who listen to more than 20 books a year to, just a once a year, give a 6 star rating. Just one. Like a premium frequent traveler rating. I'd love to see the books that made that list. I'm certain this would be get the 6th star from a lot of people.

I enjoy historical biographies and hard science fiction particularly when the Sci-Fi comes in very long books or multiple book series -- with one or more of the following themes: modern space operas, complex storylines, detective or noir/cyberpunk overtones, cascading clever thoughts/dialogue and/or military. This has led me to earlier works by Peter F. Hamilton (Void Trilogy, Greg Mandel Series), Dan Simmons (Hyperion), Alastair Reynolds (Revelation Space Trilogy, Terminal World), Richard K. Morgan (Altered Carbon) and most recently Charles Stross. (Halting State and Rule 34.) (A swirling, clever, funny and very complex pair of police procedurals done just enough into the future to look at the next big thing in social engineering, computing, communications and just about anything else you can imagine.)

I never thought I'd say that I liked another Hamilton book as much as the Void Trilogy -- and this is a slightly different type of animal. Where that was broad and wild, this is tight and classy. It is like Wallander (obscure Swedish police procedural reference) meets the Void Trilogy. It IS "modern space opera, complex storyline, detective or noir/cyberpunk overtones, cascading clever thoughts/dialogue and/or military."

When I read Charles Stross' Halting State, I initially found it hard to get into the three rotating storylines and the fact that the narration is, oddly, in the second person -- but it was worth the work to do so. This one takes no such early work. Pay your one credit, hit the button an WHOOOOOSSSHHHH ! You are off. Like Halting State, it is a rock solid police procedural with a clever and appealing set of smart characters.

It is like listening to a great new song...you sort of know the rhythm and style but WOW. Toby Longworth is perfect too -- superb meld of material and delivery. Like I said, a 6 on a scale of 5.

New entry on the top ten.

WOW! Much more than I expected

So it goes without saying that PFH (Peter F Hamilton) is among the best out there for long sci-fi books and this one is long, 976 pages in print form so you can understand why its 36 hours long but don't let that put you off its totally worth it.

This isn't like the other PFH books but that's sorta like he writes, each one is different but has the same feel to it.

This is a standalone book which is not something that this author has done much of in the past, its really always been 3 books or 2 like Pandora's Star/Judis Unchained, but thats not a problem, PFH said in an interview that he likes the idea of finishing a book and having that story be over, not having to work on the next book - well this works good for me as long as he writes one every year or more ha.


The Review:

This is a great story about a murder 20 years apart on 2 different planets in the same fashion the supposed killer Angela Tramelo was convicted and jailed for that murder but it seems that her story of an alien attack might be true, so this causes all sorts of problems.

This is the story of a mother who would do anything to save her sick daughter, and how she was once a rich girl who lost everything when all the other rich families conspired against hers and her father's company causing her to loose everything, she grew up and hatches a plan to rip off some people who wronged her because it turns out he daughter is sick, the kind of sick that costs so much the only people who can afford the treatment are the ultra-wealthy milti-billionaires on the planet and she was no longer one of those.

But something happens on that mission, an alien monster? or some sorta crazy person in a muscle armor suite with blades for fingers? whatever it is they go back to the planet that the original murder happened at and "look for an alien monster" because that's what Tramelo said happened, and that's where this story starts.

Although the author said hes not writing another book in this "world/universe" there could be one after this ended, its not like things were left open and misunderstood, everything is explained pretty much and the rest is obvious. I wont tell you if there is or isn't an alien monster you will have to read to find out but what you do find out is that its something that you didn't expect because that's how PFH does it.


Great book, highly recommended!

Great look at the near future

Would you listen to Great North Road again? Why?

Yes, interesting mix of detective story and scifi

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

Most other space Opera

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

Angela was the most interesting

Enough is too much

Any additional comments?

An intricate story told in foreshadow and flashback, advancing the narrative ever so slightly over so very long in clock time of listening. The three stars is because of the abuse of my patience. The story is very good, the reader is amazingly flexible - all those different characters. I can't believe such an imaginative and capable author could not have crafted a more tolerable and less tedious length.

Held my interest but ending was a letdown

The plot was interesting but lacked the full wonder of his previous works in The Commonwealth Saga and the ending was a bit of a letdown. With that said, Peter still displayed his master craft literary skills that I've come to admire.

A step back from his other work

What did you like best about Great North Road? What did you like least?

The best part was the intertwined story, the way it's told with flashbacks slowly explaining everything and that it kept me guessing and really the first half of the book was great. BUT, "yet another PFH story" with a women who's tougher than everyone else around her, but still has to sleep with everyone to make her way in the galaxy was tiresome. The last part of the story started to seem like PFH just wanted to get it over with or something. (sort of spoilers ahead) People are able to make huge leaps of logic early on, but then couldn't put 2 and 2 together near the end. Would iron man let an average guy go through the door first if he thought Iron Monger was behind the door waiting for them. Would Clark Kent go undercover and let weeks go by with people being randomly slaughtered because he didn't want to reveal he was Superman? Granted no one is this story was supposed to be a Superhero. But their "superpowers" which was way better technology; was given to them to do the job. Yet they didn't use that power to do that job until AFTER something really bad happens, over and over in one case. And this one really is a spoiler, why didn't the person just pull the fancy gun out and shoot as soon as there was someone else coming close enough to get injured by the bad guy? Using a gun was the whole reason she was there... When people have WiFi built into their heads why don't they get out warnings quicker, all it takes is a thought and done, and when you know the bad guy makes the WiFi drop out how come that isn't just as good of a warning??? After all the irrational behavior and bloodshed and then as soon as the bad guy gets stunned he suddenly becomes totally rational/peaceful/willing to communicate and cooperate...? How about just let your presence be known? If the Avatar became human and took on our bad traits, he would also get our good traits. Norths weren't murderers, sure they might have screwed over people for money. But they didn't just go around slaughtering people. So why did the bad guy do that? And most of all, what was it that was so bad about the bioil was doing to the planet??? I don't recall ANYTHING being mentioned about pollutants, leaks, or any environmental impact. I guess there must have been a fair amount of clear cutting to make room for the operation and the human settlers? But it sounds to me like bioil would be a heck of a lot cleaner way to make Oil than drilling for it!!! The book is still worth reading. But I definitely got more and more disappointed in some of the details. Definitely not his best work. "IF" his other books had so many plot holes in them I was so enthralled and entertained nothing ever really occurred to me. But this book was like a Hollywood blockbuster where it's normal for a person to have to "suspend disbelief" just to enjoy the story.

Would you be willing to try another book from Peter F. Hamilton? Why or why not?

Of course, my favorite author and have read everything he's put out.

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

Really great ability to change voices and characters. He can sound just like Micheal Ironside. It was a little weird at first because Sid sounded just like Greg Mandel at first. But as the character was built it became Sid to me. (a few other voices he did were the same ones from other PFH books)

Did Great North Road inspire you to do anything?

The never giving up/being open to going forward and dealing with whatever life throws your way.

Any additional comments?

It would have been nice if he didn't use a super sexed blonde bombshell using sex to make her way across the universe. (spoiler) what if the princes of new Monaco had bankrupted Angela in part because she DIDN'T sleep with them? That would have been a nice change. Even would have made her further exploits an even more difficult personal decision/sacrifice than when you consider sex had already been nothing to her. Plus it didn't seem true to character that she never got revenge against the Middle Eastern guy as well as the Norths.

WoW.

It's hard to write a review when you're left feeling speechless (oh, the irony). And Great North Road has left me feeling speechless.
The story begins as a cliché 'homicide detective thriller', but after a few hours of character and plot development some weird stuff starts to happen and it begins morphing into, for lack of a better explanation, a realm of pure fantastic 'Hamiltonian strangeness', and then becomes seventeen hours of full on superb science fiction — aliens, astrophysics, fusion bombs, planetary gateways, genetic enhancements, and...
Narration by Toby Longworth was phenomenal. On par with John Lee indeed.