Gently By The Shore

Chief Superintendent Gently #2

by Mr Alan Hunter

You'll find plenty of bodies stretched out on a summer beach - but they're not usually dead...

In a British seaside holiday resort at the height of the season, you would expect to find a promenade and a pier, maybe some donkeys, 'Kiss-Me-Quick' hats, candy floss and kids building sandcastles. You would not expect to find a naked corpse, punctured with stab wounds, lying on the sand.

Chief Inspector George Gently is called in to investigate the disturbing murder. The case has to be wrapped up quickly to calm the nerves of concerned holidaymakers. No one wants to think that there is a maniac on the loose in the town but with no clothes or identifying marks on the body, Gently has a tough time establishing who the victim is, let alone finding the killer. In the meantime, who knows where or when the murderer might strike again?

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, British Literature, Detective, Procedural, Mystery Thriller

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1956

Reviews

[Alan (the Lone Librarian rides again) Teder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gently's Red Scare
Review of the Constable Kindle eBook edition (2010) of the Rinehart and Company hardcover original (1956).

A faraway look came into Gently’s eyes. It was directed at the ceiling, but in reality it plumbed sidereal space and lodged betwixt two spiral nebulae. … Gently prized up a peppermint cream from the dwindling stock in his pocket. It induced that faraway look in his eye which Mrs Watts mistook for profound cerebration, but which in reality was connected with his solvency in terms of that important commodity … though Starmouth was pretty good peppermint cream country at most hours of the day and night.

This second book continues my mini-investigation into the George Gently novels as inspired by my recent discovery of the TV-series. The early novels are set in the 1950s and there is a dated air to them with the feel of a lost era. Gently on the Shore has the Chief Inspector and his assistant Sergeant Dutt called in to investigate a body found on a resort beach in the fictional seaside town of Starmouth. The Dutt partner role adds some banter to the proceedings which was missing in the 1st of the series which had Gently called in on a local case when he was on vacation.

Gently continues his obsession with peppermint cream candies (in 1957's Book #3, he finally explains that they help him to concentrate his thinking, so it is not just a case of a sweet tooth) while pursuing the case. The body on the beach leads to a nest of saboteurs and counterfeiters who are the agents of a fictitious "bolshie" organization. Gently's deductions are in opposition to the ideas of the local police, but of course the Central Office CID man is proven to be correct in the end. Because of the foreign espionage angle, the heavies from Special Branch also appear on the scene. Gently has the unexpected local assistance of a mentally challenged street person, who is referred to in a disparaging manner as a "half-wit."

The Alan Hunter books read as very dated police procedurals now. Gently is an entertaining character nevertheless and I've been able to source the very early books for 99 cents each in their Kindle format at amazon.ca so they have become a recent regular source of light reading between my lidderary* reads of longlists and shortlists.


The front cover of the original 1956 hardcover edition of 'Gently by the Shore' published by Rinehart and Company. Image sourced from Buckingham Books.

Favourite Quotes
Hunter includes some rather long monologues which attempt to convey various dialects, which are sometimes a challenge to interpret 😅, such as:

‘Weel, there ye have it, Supereentendent. We drappit down here owernight and fetchit up at Wylie’s before the toon was astir. I paid aff the crew bodies and saw them awa’ to the station, then I lifted the hatch and huiked out the cargo. He wasna in the best o’ shape, ye ken – it gi’es me a deal o’ consolation thinkin’ o’t – but I gar him ha’ a wash, whilk he did, and a swig at the borttle, whilk he didna, and betwixt doin’ the ain and not doin’ t’ither he was sune on his legs agin and marchin’ off doon the quay. And that’s the spae, evidence or testament of Andy Carnegie McParsons, the truth of whilk is kenned by him on the ain part and his creator in pairpetuity, whatever doots may occur in the more limited minds of his accusers.’

‘But yon’s the man – the verra spittin’ image! Sae ye kent him – ye kent him a’ the while – it’s jist a try-on, a’ this chargin’ and fulin’ – ye’ve got yer hands on him a’ the while!’

Footnote
* Not a typo, just a callback to a favourite passage in Zadie Smith's Swing Time (2016) where show business manager Judy would read and rate books as possible film adaptation vehicles for her Madonna-like client named Aimee. Judy's rating scale was:

"Zippy" - which was good;
"Important" - which was very good;
"Controversial" - which was either good or bad, you never knew;
"Lidderary" - which was pronounced with a sigh and an eye roll and was very bad.

Trivia and Link
The George Gently books were adapted as a TV series Inspector George Gently (2008-2017) with actor Martin Shaw in the title role. Very few of the TV episodes are based on the original books though and the characters are quite different. The timeline for the TV series takes place in the 1960s only. A trailer for the first episode can be seen here.

[Dar vieną puslapį · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Džentlis pajūryje” - tai antroji detektyvo Džentlio byla. Įdomus faktas - viso jų 46. Šį kartą detektyvas išvyksta į pajūrio kurortinį miestelį ir ne, ne atistogoms, o spręsti iš pirmo žvilgsnio atrodytų beviltiškos bylos. Į krantą išmetamas neatpažinto vyro lavonas be jokių asmens dokumentų ir kitokio būdo jį identifikuoti. Vietos policija šią bylą jau seniai nukišo į giliausią stalčiaus kampą ir jokių vilčių nededa. Na, bet Džentlis nebūtų Džentlis, jei neišjudintų reikalų, o galiausiai ir išspręstų painią bylą.

Kuo ši dalis kitokia nei ankstesnė? Neskaitant to, kad tai nauja byla, šiuokart Džentlis be savo didžiulio pomėgio mėtinėms pastilėms dar labiau atskleidžia savąjį “aš” - matome, kad ne toks jau jis rožinis ir pūkuotas. Tas šiek tiek priduoda aštrumo ir charizmos. Taip pat įvedamas dar vienas veikėjas - jo padėjėjas Datas. Tarpusavio diskusijos įveda žaismingumo ir dinamikos.

Ties knygos viduriu atsiradusi nusikalstama grupuotė, mano skoniui, pasirodė nelabai vykęs sprendimas, bet bendrai - knyga patiks klasikinių logika paremtų deteltyvų mylėtojams ir įsirangius po šilta antklode su karšto šokolado puodeliu, manau, puikiai praleisite laiką. Gero skaitymo!

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gently By the Shore is the 2nd book in the Chief Inspector George Gently mystery series by Alan Hunter. It's the 3rd book I've read. And like the others, this was an excellent mystery.

I find myself comparing the books to the TV series which is unfair. The TV series is set much later in Gently's career (at least I assume it is, as in the TV series, you find Gently working out of Newcastle, instead of as a Scotland Yard inspector). But having said that, it's neither here nor there as both are excellent.

In Gently by the Shore, we find Inspector Gently on vacation near Norfolk. A murder takes place at a lumberyard and Gently hears about and offers his assistance to the local constabulary. His presence is resented by the local inspector, Hansom. The owner of the local lumberyard, a Dutchman, Peter Huysmann, is murdered in his office (stabbed in the back) and his safe emptied. Suspects are his estranged son (now working in a travelling fair as a motorcycle rider in the Wall of Death), his daughter, the manager of the lumber yard and the chauffeur.

As Alan Hunter says in his preamble, the story isn't so much a 'whodunit' as a police investigation. Gently comes with no preconceived notions, except his feeling that the son is not the killer, but instead, investigates and gathers clues. to find out who the suspect actually is. The locals have their sights set on the son, who has disappeared, but Gently is very sure he isn't the one.

There is an excellent cast of characters, even down to the little boy who Gently meets in the ruins. Those are lovely scenes. Gently is a wonderful character, older, smart, intuitive and I need to get me some peppermint creams. He's methodical with his investigation and is able to dig out clues that the other cops don't even think about. Excellent story and series so far. (4.5 stars)

[Terence M [on a brief semi-hiatus] · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook - 8+ hours approx. - Narrator: Andrew Wincott
Finished 9 out of 21 chapters - Shelved as 'DNF will-try-again'.
2.0 stars out of 5.0

Set in the early 1950's or thereabouts ("Teddy Boys" in full "Teddy" drag and haircuts, etc. are described in one scene) when I was just a young teenager. Lots of plum and not so plum British and Scottish accents make for enjoyable listening, but the storyline became somewhat boring and outdated. I know Martin Shaw takes the lead in the TV series, but his acting, plus the visual effects, make the series watchable. I didn't dislike the book, and I think it is worth two stars today and probably three if I ever try reading it again, but it was a bit too old-fashioned for my current mood. So, onwards and upwards to the next book in my voluminous TBR list!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this second book in the George Gently series, the Inspector is actually working a case he's been assigned rather than stumbling across a murder whilst on holiday, as in the first book. Because of this, we meet his comically cockney partner in crime-fighting, Sergeant Dutt, for the first time.

I liked the addition of Dutt as he gives Gently somebody to bounce his ideas off and the interaction between the two of them is often amusing.

The plot of this one starts with a body being found on the beach with four fatal stab wounds. A significant portion of the novel is taken up with identifying the victim before the search for the murderer can begin in earnest. There's also a counterfeiting case going on but nobody will be shocked to discover that (crime novel trope alert) the two cases ultimately end up being related.

The author really captures the feel of an English seaside town, even if the town in question, 'Starmouth', is fictional. I was picturing Broadstairs throughout, despite fact that Gently's stomping grounds are a fair bit further north.

I enjoyed this one a great deal. As with the first book, most of the story is a good, old fashioned police procedural climaxing with an exciting ending. I can't see me getting bored with this series anytime soon.

[Pauline Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second in a very long series of British police procedurals (sort of) with all the faded charm of their post-war era - quaint references to Brown Windsor soup and jam roly-poly, diggings and National Service, plus a seaside town with two piers which haven’t yet been burnt down, and tourists who arrive by train on Saturday for a week’s full board. There’s a certain interest in these little details even without the murder mystery.

Other aspects haven’t worn quite so well. The writing style is not quite up to snappy modern standards, and the characters are more like caricatures. Here’s the Scottish sea captain called in to tell the police his story: “We drappit down here owernight and fetchit up at Wylie’s before the toon was astir. I paid aff the crew bodies and saw them awa’ to the station, then I lifted the hatch and huiked out the cargo. He wasna in the best o’ shape, ye ken – it gi’es me a deal o’ consolation thinkin’ o’t – but I gar him ha’ a wash, whilk he did, and a swig at the borttle, whilk he didna, and betwixt doin’ the ain and not doin’ t’ither he was sune on his legs agin and marchin’ off doon the quay.” Got that? Good.

The plot, which starts off as a traditional body-on-the-beach, soon descends into fifties Iron Curtain paranoia, with a Trotskyite conspiracy, no less, and an over dramatic finale. Gently himself, the peppermint cream sucking detective, has his moments, but he is helped rather by just happening to go into a particular cafe, or see a particular car, or notice a particularly suspicious character, which chance event inevitably leads to the revelation of a Big Clue. And this particular plot was greatly helped by a significant character deliberately and voluntarily giving him a great deal of important information. I’m tempted to go for two stars, but in honour of the Brown Windsor soup and two piers, I’ll be generous. Three stars.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, and I especially like George Gently's calm, take-no-prisoners attitude. He doesn't suffer fools gladly, be they suspects or his own colleagues. The mystery, involving a neo-Communist group infiltrating England, involved the death of one of its members, found on a beach under a pier, and a host of criminals and wannabe-criminals from the shore town of Starmouth. My only difficulty is following the language: as with Jonathan Gash's Lovejoy mysteries, I struggle with the regional dialect (and the slang from the era - this was first published in 1956). My husband and I really enjoyed the BBC series, loosely based on these novels, featuring Martin Shaw as Inspector Gently.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first George Gently mystery. If I had read it when it first came out some 60 years ago, I probably would have given it higher marks. Now it seems a bit dated. I like the George Gently TV series, and the character there is very much like the one here--calm, kind, stolid, slow to be swayed by the theories of other investigators, playing his cards close to his vest, but tough and pitiless when required. The setting is a seaside resort town in mythical Northshire, approximately Norfolk, where the author lived for most of his life. A body is found on the beach, the local police are baffled, Gently quickly starts to uncover hints of an eastern European spy organization. Those darned Russians are always up to something, even though Gently exclaims, "We're not after either Malenkov or Senator McCarthy!" in a reference very current for the publication date but which younger readers nowadays might not get. Typical of the better British mysteries of its time: many colorful local characters, carefully laid out clues, much misdirection, every possible hint followed up, no loose ends. But occasionally Gently knows things we haven't been told, which allows him to be more certain of his conclusions than the reader could be.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars.

I think that this is the best Gently story that I have read. Although it is a fairly dated police procedural, it does have a bit of everything: murder, vice, burglary, espionage and counterfeiting included. Gently shrugs and grunts his way around in a way which reminds me a bit of Maigret.

[Hapzydeco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alan Hunter’s George Gently, a well-developed character, makes for a pleasant read. Hunter has an excellent command of local dialects, but the plethora of accents may distract some readers. While a typical police procedural, the story does provide a dramatic ending.

[dmayr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chief Inspector Gently, with his name and his peppermint creams and habit of blowing smoke-rings, seemed a slow and introspective detective, yet now and then shows a hint of steel that Copping, one of his colleagues, is surprised to witness. And he manages to tie the case up quite neatly, from the identification of the naked and tortured corpse that was found on the beach to its link with counterfeit notes and secret organizations. His interrogation of witnesses is a sight to behold, and one highlight is the conversation between him and the main suspect near the end. I think I have found another detective series to delight in.

[Susan Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gently is called in to Starmouth when a body is discovered naked on the beach. The local constabulary are confounded and have circulated pictures, but he has not been identified. Then CID George Gently comes up with the identity and the case becomes very tricky - involving counterfeit money, spies, etc. He does not endear himself to the police, but he does solve the case.
Gently is such a quiet detective, not making any judgments or decisions, but waiting for his mind to paint a picture of what happened. He is also addicted to peppermint creams and they seem to be essential to solving a case.

[Becky Loader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy the George Gently books because I have seen the PBS series. I can really picture Martin Shaw as I am reading. The heavy dialect in a couple places is distracting and really not necessary. The reader knows where the stories take place and can hear it without having it written out in bad phonetics.

Still, the puzzle is good.

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

started strong and then lost me in the last 50 pages

[Steve Shilstone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a good sign when you are constantly checking to see how many more pages there are until you reach the end of the chapter. Characters all come up short of interesting.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not a fan of murder mysteries that turn into international intrigue; I skimmed much of the last third.

[Wayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always like to have an escape from modern crime fiction with a Gently.
In a world where it's all about brutal murder, thrilling chases, heroes who can kick some ass (and play by their own rules), sex scenes and glamorous locations it's nice to land on a British beach, bit of sun, bit of rain and an old school copper who sticks to the rule book, uses his mouth rather than his fists and thinks things through.
It's always going to be more "midsummer murders" as opposed to "se7en" but sometimes that makes a nice change...

[Bert Mccollum · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Gently by the Shore' by Alan Hunter is witty, well plotted and thoroughly enjoyable. When the body of a naked man washes up on the shore of the popular beach resort of Starmouth Chief Inspector Gently must deal with counterfeiters and spys, a prostitute and her "fancy man," a bookie and the village idiot. Only George Gently could sort out this lot and unravel the complex tale of greed and fanaticism that lies behind the body on the beach.

[David Kilner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot summary:
When a naked body is found on an English beach with multiple stab wounds, Inspector Gently is called in to unravel a mystery the local cops seem powerless to solve. With his usual perseverance and perspicacity, Gently gradually unravels the mystery behind the death, linking the killing to the activities of a very Cold War organisation of foreign spies and local accomplices.

Overall:
Good quality mystery which is rather dated.

Plotting:
A pleasure to read - Gently gradually unpicks the substance of a complex case.

Characterisation:
Vivid characters who are well drawn if a little stereotyped and dated.

Dialogue:
Enjoyable. Hunter captures the nuances of different English accents based on class and region.

Setting and Description:
Convincing evocation of an English seaside resort town in season.

Readability:
I found it very readable.

Sub-plots:
There aren’t any.

Read another by same author?
Yes.

www.davidkilner.com

[A.J. Blanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second entry in the Gently series was a considerable improvement over the first. This one was easier to follow and more interesting, at least I thought so. While it seemed more like a spy thriller than a police procedural, not to mention quite predictable, it fit with the times and was a nice change of pace.

Speaking of the times however, there seems to be a number of reviews that said the book felt dated. I was a fan of the show before I started reading the books, but it's very clear in both mediums that the series takes place in the late-50s onward, and the copyright wasn't hidden or anything, so I don't know what they were expecting.

Overall I'd say if you came to know George Gently as I have, through the TV series, and liked it, give the books a try and see how they compare. Otherwise, you might find at least these early books a bit too quaint to dive into the nearly 30 books in the series.

[Linda Brue · Rating 2 out of 5]

GENTLY BY THE SHORE, Alan Hunt, 1956
I thought, a few years back, that I had discovered a wonderful series. I loved the first 3 of them that I read: GENTLY DOES IT, GENTLY THROUGH THE MILL, AND GENTLY IN THE SUN. So when I picked up BY THE SHORE, I was thinking that I was in for a treat. Now, I don't know if it was me or the book, but while I didn't hate this book -- it was more like detested -- I couldn't give it much of a recommendation. It begins with Gently being called in on a case where a naked man is found washed up on a holiday beach. His biggest problem, at first, is in simply identifying the corpse. After that, it gets more complicated, involving local bad guys and international secret gangs, the government, and other nonsense. Like I said, I didn't enjoy it, but the writing is always good, and perhaps this was written for someone else. As they say, your mileage may vary.

[Mark Higginbottom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in the series of George Gently detective novels.Once again it reminded me very much of the Frost or Wycliffe books which I've also read but I do think that they are just that bit better than this series.The main reason for that is I think the actual character of George Gently,I just can't seem to warm to him at all.He is quite rude, sarcastic and abrupt to people when often there's no need to be ( although I do approve of his constantly nibbling on peppermint creams ...yum !! ).I am enjoying the setting though,the late 1950's.The writer recreates it well and also the seaside location.On the whole they are enjoyable easy stories that won't tax the little grey cells too much and will definitely appeal to fans of Morse,Frost and Wycliffe.

[Veronica-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great whodunit crime mystery. All the facts laid out for the reader and the race is on to find the culprits of Gently's latest murder. This is the second in The Inspector Gently series and it does not disappoint. The humor in the story is well-placed and one finds oneself doing a little chuckle along with Gently as he investigates with vigor and verve. Outstanding and I look forward to reading the 3rd book in the series.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

As we reach Gently #2, his not so gently personality emerges somewhat, and yet he seems to drift through the whodunit all the while surmising the who and what *might* have done something, and facing down the Brit bureaucracy with aplomb. I am comparing him to Morse, since Morse also has this oblique approach to his job, but Gently lacks Morse's sentimental baggage, so far. In any case, this definitely inspires me to move on to #3 sometime soon.

[Nicola Lodge-Bruce · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really wanted to at least care if the chief inspector nabbed the right culprits but I just didn’t. In fact I was bored almost from the beginning. The plot was very cliche as were the characters. Definitely not a book for me and I doubt I’ll read another in this series.
However I did enjoy the TV series so perhaps I’ve just been in the wrong frame of mind for this particular novel, so on second thoughts there is a chance I may read another George Gently in the future.

[Tiina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though Mr Hunter probably didn't write this to be an historical novel, it had become such. Oh how different the times were then! Police detectives ate a peppermint cream every once in a while and blew smoke rings during meetings and even during interrogations.

George Gently was scarily effective! He arrived to look into a case with no leads, and in a few days, he had solved it and more. No wonder they made a tv series of him!

[Leila Mota · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I've read the first book with the main character, I was hooked and ready to go to the second one. It doesn't disappoint. A good balance between the "hero" and everything else, from the secondary characters to the plot to the English background, which I do love.

[Yvette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t as enjoyable as the first one for me. I think the time period it was written in did date it significantly. Generally I need a sympathetic character of some kind but I didn’t respond to anyone in this story that way.

[Debbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Gently! I love his powers of observation and his "luck." His quiet, thorough, dogged investigations get the results and I love that. I can't figure out why the tv series didn't have Gently eating peppermint creams all the time--it would have become iconic like Kojak with his lollipops!

[Mirhanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beach, a resort town and George Gently. What more could one want?