Allison & Busby, 2000, 288 pages, ISBN 0-7490-0451-6It comes as a surprise when you finish reading this book to find that all the action takes place over 11 days.
People are gathering on Hungerford Common near the neolithic stone horsehoe in time for the summer solstice. There will be a traditional English fair with stalls, crafts, shire horses, food and drink. Romanies and new Age travellers are arriving with their gypsy caravans and campervans.
On the evening of 19th June DS Greg Summers is being held hostage by a grief stricken Romany who has just accidentally shot his wife dead. Her body lies on the floor in the B&B room where she and her children have been staying. Huwie Lee is holding DS Summers and the landlady hostage.
This is the first of a number of incidents in what will be an action filled week for Greg Summers. On the night before the summer solstice six year old Jordan Abbott who lives with her mother in the houses bordering the Common disappears, and local distrust of the gypsies surfaces.
THE LONE TRAVELLER is #1 in Susan Kelly's Gregory Summer series, and the author is rather obviously laying a lot of groundwork for an extended series. That doesn't make the story any less interesting, but I suspect it does mean that it will be worth attempting to read the books in order, which I intend to do.
Other books in the series:
2. Killing the Fatted Calf (2001)
3. Little Girl Lost (2002)
4. In Cold Blood (2003)
5. Death of a Ghost (2004)
6. A Disguise for Death (2005)
7. Murder on the Dancefloor (2007)
My rating: 4.3
Have you ever noticed how book reviews tend to gather the least number of comments of any sort of post on a book blog? Interesting, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI recently read this book, and in my review, I mentioned that I couldn't remember where I got the recommendation. I think it was from your monthly reads post at 4MA. So I hereby tender my heartiest Thank You! (Now if I can only get my hands on that second book in the series...LOL)
Glad you enjoyed it Cathy. I think it was recommended to me by Arthur on oz_mystery_readers. The recommendations are really viral aren't they? Thanks for coming in a telling me you enjoyed it.
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