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Sergeant Cluff #1
Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
'He could feel it in the blackness, a difference in atmosphere, a sense of evil, of things hidden.'
Amy Snowden, in middle age, has long since settled into a lonely life in the Yorkshire town of Gunnarshaw, until—to her neighbours' surprise—she suddenly marries a much younger man. Months later, Amy is found dead—apparently by her own hand—and her husband, Wright, has disappeared.
Sergeant Caleb Cluff—silent, watchful, a man at home in the bleak moorland landscape of Gunnarshaw—must find the truth about the couple's unlikely marriage, and solve the riddle of Amy's death.
This novel, originally published in 1960, is the first in the series of Sergeant Cluff detective stories that were televised in the 1960s but have long been neglected. This new edition is published in the centenary year of the author's birth.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1960
45 people are currently reading
304 people want to read
About the author
Gil North
19 books7 followersGil North is the pseudonym of Geoffrey Horne, a British writer. He was born in Skipton Yorkshire and educated at Ermysted's Grammar School and Christ's College Cambridge. He married Betty Duthie in 1949. From 1938 to 1955 he was a civil servant in the African colonies. He has also written novels under his own name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
February 7, 2017
This bleak, sparse crime novella is a very quick read and can almost be devoured at a sitting. Set in a remote 1950s Yorkshire town (it was published on January 1, 1960), it is an uncompromising slice of rural noir. This is the first in a series featuring Sergeant Cluff, a large, untidy and informal local copper who knows everyone and is anathema to his new boss, city suit Inspector Mole. The books were adapted for TV in the 1960s, before I was old enough to watch.
This isn't really a mystery in the conventional sense, but there are some unexpected twists. At the start of the book, an unhappily married woman, Amy, is found dead after apparently gassing herself - but was it suicide or murder? Cluff is determined to find out, and starts to haunt the footsteps of her much younger husband in search of answers. The character of Cluff is the book's main strength - Martin Edwards compares him to Maigret in the interesting introduction, and indeed he has the same sort of determination and constant presence.
I found the first third or so of the book compelling, but then somehow I felt as if the noirish elements started to become increasingly OTT. Everything is dark, cold, dirty, miserable - if anyone eats a meal, it's covered in grease. The characters apparently never wash, with frequent descriptions of grey necks, lank hair and body odour. At times I was reminded of Cold Comfort Farm! Perhaps the problem is that there just isn't enough of the black humour which is usually a strong element in noir. There are occasional witty lines, but they are too few.
There is also a depressing insistence on the appearance of female characters in particular, with shuddering descriptions of wobbling flesh and huge breasts. It's a pity, because the depiction of Amy's bleak life is sympathetic, but the portrayals of the other women in the story work against this. All in all, I found this an interesting read and might possibly try another by North, but it didn't live up to my initial expectations.
This isn't really a mystery in the conventional sense, but there are some unexpected twists. At the start of the book, an unhappily married woman, Amy, is found dead after apparently gassing herself - but was it suicide or murder? Cluff is determined to find out, and starts to haunt the footsteps of her much younger husband in search of answers. The character of Cluff is the book's main strength - Martin Edwards compares him to Maigret in the interesting introduction, and indeed he has the same sort of determination and constant presence.
I found the first third or so of the book compelling, but then somehow I felt as if the noirish elements started to become increasingly OTT. Everything is dark, cold, dirty, miserable - if anyone eats a meal, it's covered in grease. The characters apparently never wash, with frequent descriptions of grey necks, lank hair and body odour. At times I was reminded of Cold Comfort Farm! Perhaps the problem is that there just isn't enough of the black humour which is usually a strong element in noir. There are occasional witty lines, but they are too few.
There is also a depressing insistence on the appearance of female characters in particular, with shuddering descriptions of wobbling flesh and huge breasts. It's a pity, because the depiction of Amy's bleak life is sympathetic, but the portrayals of the other women in the story work against this. All in all, I found this an interesting read and might possibly try another by North, but it didn't live up to my initial expectations.
December 13, 2018
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
This book is just… kind of gross. If there’s a woman on the page, North is bound to describe her breasts. If she’s anything less than a perfect housewife from the 1800s, she’s a whore and the narrative — and main character — treat her as such. Even the murder victim is described in somewhat less than sympathetic ways: that kind of desperate-for-a-man stereotype for a stalwart police officer to pity when she inevitably comes to grief.
I don’t understand Martin Edwards’ praise for this book in the introduction. The writing style is probably a matter of taste, but it felt clumsy to me, and way too reliant on staccato narration: “This happened. Then that happened. The man was afraid. The woman laughed.” That kind of style. It creates a certain kind of tension at times, but doing it that way for the whole book is just actually kind of boring.
Skip Gil North’s writing, even if you’re collecting the British Library Crime Classics. Ugh.
This book is just… kind of gross. If there’s a woman on the page, North is bound to describe her breasts. If she’s anything less than a perfect housewife from the 1800s, she’s a whore and the narrative — and main character — treat her as such. Even the murder victim is described in somewhat less than sympathetic ways: that kind of desperate-for-a-man stereotype for a stalwart police officer to pity when she inevitably comes to grief.
I don’t understand Martin Edwards’ praise for this book in the introduction. The writing style is probably a matter of taste, but it felt clumsy to me, and way too reliant on staccato narration: “This happened. Then that happened. The man was afraid. The woman laughed.” That kind of style. It creates a certain kind of tension at times, but doing it that way for the whole book is just actually kind of boring.
Skip Gil North’s writing, even if you’re collecting the British Library Crime Classics. Ugh.
July 30, 2016
This slim novel kicks off a smashing 11-book series featuring detective Sergeant Caleb Cluff, an irascible Yorkshire bachelor with a giant chip on his shoulder. But even the petty, envious Inspector Mole has to admit that no one knows the village of Gunnarshaw and its environs like native son Cluff. And few people knew human psychology like he does, either.
The coroner rules the death by natural gas of Amy Wright, a woman with a small fortune and a much younger husband she married a year ago at 45, to be a suicide. We know better — and so does Sergeant Cluff. Although first released in 1960, Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm has a Golden Age cozy aura with its Yorkshire setting and its clever, persistent hero. Yet author Gil North doesn’t leave it there: He imbues the novel with a soupçon of American noir and plenty of dark psychology and suspense and makes the amalgam work. I can’t wait for the second in the series, The Methods of Sergeant Cluff, due out in September.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, British Library, and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.
The coroner rules the death by natural gas of Amy Wright, a woman with a small fortune and a much younger husband she married a year ago at 45, to be a suicide. We know better — and so does Sergeant Cluff. Although first released in 1960, Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm has a Golden Age cozy aura with its Yorkshire setting and its clever, persistent hero. Yet author Gil North doesn’t leave it there: He imbues the novel with a soupçon of American noir and plenty of dark psychology and suspense and makes the amalgam work. I can’t wait for the second in the series, The Methods of Sergeant Cluff, due out in September.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, British Library, and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2025
Found the "Cluff" series on youtube and liked it very much - a bit disappointed in
this novel. It wasn't particularly suspenseful, Amy Snowden, the village spinster who
has recently married a younger ne'er do well, is found dead and everything points to
suicide. It's an open and shut case to all but Sergeant Caleb Cluff who feels she was worth
more than the scant attention everyone is giving her. He goes on a vendetta, stalking the
rattled husband. The novel gathered momentum in the last third but not really enough
to have me looking for more of Gil North's novels.
this novel. It wasn't particularly suspenseful, Amy Snowden, the village spinster who
has recently married a younger ne'er do well, is found dead and everything points to
suicide. It's an open and shut case to all but Sergeant Caleb Cluff who feels she was worth
more than the scant attention everyone is giving her. He goes on a vendetta, stalking the
rattled husband. The novel gathered momentum in the last third but not really enough
to have me looking for more of Gil North's novels.
January 24, 2021
In the introduction, Martin Edwards explains that North wasn't so much writing whodunits but - inspired by writers like Maigret - about the human condition. The first part is certainly true, the second only if the human condition is "All women are whores but it's still important to comment on their breasts even if they are dead or barely of age".
July 16, 2016
Dark and menacing...
When Sergeant Caleb Cluff is called out to the scene of a sudden death, it looks like a clear-cut case of suicide. After the death of the mother she had looked after through her youth, Amy Wright in her loneliness had made a bad marriage to a younger man who only married her for her money. Made miserable by him, she is found in her bedroom with the gas tap turned on. Although everyone holds Alf Wright morally responsible for her death, legally he seems to be in the clear. But Cluff can't accept the coroner's verdict, partly out of guilt because he, like everyone else, knew that Wright was cruel to Amy but had done nothing to stop it. Since there's to be no official police investigation, Cluff takes some time off and begins to pursue Wright himself.
This book is being re-published to celebrate the author's centenary. Written in 1960, the book feels more modern than the other British Library Crime Classics books I've read so far. It's much darker and Cluff, though a man of high moral principle, is something of a maverick, following his own path to justice when the system fails. North has a distinctive writing style – short, sharp sentences that nevertheless allow him to deliver some excellent descriptive prose and create an ever-growing atmosphere of tension as the book progresses. It took me a few chapters to get tuned in to his style, but once I had, I found I was totally gripped and ended up reading the whole book in one session. (As an aside, how lovely to get a book that delivers everything necessary and yet still comes in at under 200 pages. The good old days!)
The characterisation is excellent, not just of Cluff and the other major players, but even of minor peripheral characters North introduces in passing to add depth to his portrayal of the town. North does have a rather unfortunate obsession with describing the breasts of every woman who appears. (I was going to comment that this was probably to do with the time of writing but then remembered how often I've sighed over the same obsession in some contemporary male authors!) However, it's not enough of an issue to spoil the overall enjoyment, and otherwise I felt his female characters rang as true as the men.
The first part of the story takes place in Gunnarshaw, a fictionalised version of Skipton in Yorkshire. It takes North very little time to give a real flavour of life in a small town at a period when neighbours still knew each others' history and business. Cluff lives in Gunnarshaw, alone in a cottage with his dog and cat for company, and knows the people of the town in the way local police officers did in rural communities back then. North takes us behind one or two of the net curtains in the town to catch a glimpse of Cluff as seen through the eyes of the residents, and he's revealed as someone who is trusted by the people he works amongst. However, his single-mindedness isn't always appreciated by his bosses and colleagues in the police – he's a man who tends to go his own way and it's probably only his ability to get results that saves him from the wrath of his superiors. He sees himself as some kind of arbiter of the town's morals, quite prepared to tell someone to leave town if he feels they're a bad lot.
In this case, he pretty much stalks Wright, hoping that somehow he'll give himself away. Cluff's behaviour is threatening and intimidating, and he finally drives Wright to flee Gunnarshaw and go into hiding on a farm on the moors. And it's when the scene shifts to the moors that the plot begins to both thicken and darken, taking an entirely unexpected turn. North uses the wildness and isolation of the setting to build up a brilliant atmosphere of menace and terror, while gradually the action ratchets up to a truly thrilling climax.
The book has an enjoyable and informative spoiler-free introduction from Martin Edwards, who tells us a little about the author's life and puts his books into the context of their place in the development of the detective story. A great start to the series – it's hard to understand why books as good as this become 'forgotten', and I'm delighted the British Library have brought North back for a new audience. I know they're bringing out at least one more in the series, The Methods of Sergeant Cluff, in September, and hope they'll go on to re-publish the rest of the series.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, British Library, via Midas PR.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
When Sergeant Caleb Cluff is called out to the scene of a sudden death, it looks like a clear-cut case of suicide. After the death of the mother she had looked after through her youth, Amy Wright in her loneliness had made a bad marriage to a younger man who only married her for her money. Made miserable by him, she is found in her bedroom with the gas tap turned on. Although everyone holds Alf Wright morally responsible for her death, legally he seems to be in the clear. But Cluff can't accept the coroner's verdict, partly out of guilt because he, like everyone else, knew that Wright was cruel to Amy but had done nothing to stop it. Since there's to be no official police investigation, Cluff takes some time off and begins to pursue Wright himself.
This book is being re-published to celebrate the author's centenary. Written in 1960, the book feels more modern than the other British Library Crime Classics books I've read so far. It's much darker and Cluff, though a man of high moral principle, is something of a maverick, following his own path to justice when the system fails. North has a distinctive writing style – short, sharp sentences that nevertheless allow him to deliver some excellent descriptive prose and create an ever-growing atmosphere of tension as the book progresses. It took me a few chapters to get tuned in to his style, but once I had, I found I was totally gripped and ended up reading the whole book in one session. (As an aside, how lovely to get a book that delivers everything necessary and yet still comes in at under 200 pages. The good old days!)
The characterisation is excellent, not just of Cluff and the other major players, but even of minor peripheral characters North introduces in passing to add depth to his portrayal of the town. North does have a rather unfortunate obsession with describing the breasts of every woman who appears. (I was going to comment that this was probably to do with the time of writing but then remembered how often I've sighed over the same obsession in some contemporary male authors!) However, it's not enough of an issue to spoil the overall enjoyment, and otherwise I felt his female characters rang as true as the men.
He could feel it in the blackness, a difference in atmosphere, a sense of evil, of things hidden. The doors he passed should have been locked and bolted. In the dark they appeared closed, but Cluff had an impression that they were open, just the slightest of cracks, people listening behind them in unlit hallways. Pale patches showed in the upstairs windows of the houses on the side opposite to him, disappearing when he paused to look. Eyes watched him. More than once he heard a quick intake of breath.
The first part of the story takes place in Gunnarshaw, a fictionalised version of Skipton in Yorkshire. It takes North very little time to give a real flavour of life in a small town at a period when neighbours still knew each others' history and business. Cluff lives in Gunnarshaw, alone in a cottage with his dog and cat for company, and knows the people of the town in the way local police officers did in rural communities back then. North takes us behind one or two of the net curtains in the town to catch a glimpse of Cluff as seen through the eyes of the residents, and he's revealed as someone who is trusted by the people he works amongst. However, his single-mindedness isn't always appreciated by his bosses and colleagues in the police – he's a man who tends to go his own way and it's probably only his ability to get results that saves him from the wrath of his superiors. He sees himself as some kind of arbiter of the town's morals, quite prepared to tell someone to leave town if he feels they're a bad lot.
In this case, he pretty much stalks Wright, hoping that somehow he'll give himself away. Cluff's behaviour is threatening and intimidating, and he finally drives Wright to flee Gunnarshaw and go into hiding on a farm on the moors. And it's when the scene shifts to the moors that the plot begins to both thicken and darken, taking an entirely unexpected turn. North uses the wildness and isolation of the setting to build up a brilliant atmosphere of menace and terror, while gradually the action ratchets up to a truly thrilling climax.
The high wall of the croft rising above the level of the kitchen window screened off most of the late afternoon light. The room was dark, lit only by the leaping flames of the fire. They sat quietly, wearied of talking, in a silence intensified by the ticking of a clock, eerie in the stillness. The noises of the farm had died away as the day was dying. Time and place and life itself were unreal and shadowy.
The book has an enjoyable and informative spoiler-free introduction from Martin Edwards, who tells us a little about the author's life and puts his books into the context of their place in the development of the detective story. A great start to the series – it's hard to understand why books as good as this become 'forgotten', and I'm delighted the British Library have brought North back for a new audience. I know they're bringing out at least one more in the series, The Methods of Sergeant Cluff, in September, and hope they'll go on to re-publish the rest of the series.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, British Library, via Midas PR.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
August 23, 2016
The descriptions of women often felt very misogynist - there's only a few but each one really emphasises talk about her breasts, how "shapely" she is, and appearance is used as a way to describe their moral character, too (although even the "good" ones don't really get off unscathed). It's not pleasant and soured me a bit although luckily it's only a few instances.
This book weirdly reminds me of an early noir story except with a small town policeman in the north yorkshire moors. The writing style is very staccato type like lots of short sentences with shortish words. There's some nice description for the setting of the town itself, the farms, the moors. The characterisation isn't that great but it didn't bother me too much.
It's definitely not a mystery type story for a lot of reasons - very limited pool of suspects, very few clues, little attempt at misleading you. There was a weird bit at the end though - major ending spoiler
I liked it well enough as a suspense crime type novel thing. Got pretty caught up in it. Nothing exciting but solid enough if you like that sort of thing.
This book weirdly reminds me of an early noir story except with a small town policeman in the north yorkshire moors. The writing style is very staccato type like lots of short sentences with shortish words. There's some nice description for the setting of the town itself, the farms, the moors. The characterisation isn't that great but it didn't bother me too much.
It's definitely not a mystery type story for a lot of reasons - very limited pool of suspects, very few clues, little attempt at misleading you. There was a weird bit at the end though - major ending spoiler
I liked it well enough as a suspense crime type novel thing. Got pretty caught up in it. Nothing exciting but solid enough if you like that sort of thing.
May 6, 2016
This is the first book I've read by this author and I don't recall the TV series which was made in the 1960s based on the books featuring Sergeant Cluff, though I do recall the characters' name. Sergeant Caleb Cluff is very much a law unto himself and an upholder of natural justice as can be seen from this first book in the series.
A middle aged woman - married to a much younger man - is found dead in her home and her husband is apparently missing. It seems like a case of suicide but Cluff is not convinced in spite of the cursory police investigation and the inquest verdict and he takes leave from his job in order to investigate, taking some very unorthodox steps to uncover the truth.
The style of this book is pared down, with few adjectives and adverbs and yet the author conveys a vivid picture of the characters, the surroundings and way of life of the people involved in the story. The book could almost serve as an example for anyone studying creative writing. I thought the story intriguing and while the writing style takes some getting used to I found it growing on me by the end of the book. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review.
A middle aged woman - married to a much younger man - is found dead in her home and her husband is apparently missing. It seems like a case of suicide but Cluff is not convinced in spite of the cursory police investigation and the inquest verdict and he takes leave from his job in order to investigate, taking some very unorthodox steps to uncover the truth.
The style of this book is pared down, with few adjectives and adverbs and yet the author conveys a vivid picture of the characters, the surroundings and way of life of the people involved in the story. The book could almost serve as an example for anyone studying creative writing. I thought the story intriguing and while the writing style takes some getting used to I found it growing on me by the end of the book. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review.
March 5, 2019
Not what I expected. I thought this would a cozy Christie type whodunnit but it's not
This is a gritty, cruel tale of murder and madness
The writing style is sparse and atmospheric and reads like a american crime noir but set in Yorkshire. The hero "Cluff" is a man of few words and grunts his way though the book and doesn't really detect but follows the suspect about until he makes a mistake
It loses a star because every female character is described by her breasts. They are all introduced, breasts first, and attention is made to them all the time. and happens so often it's creepy and sordid even for 1960's
3 stars
This is a gritty, cruel tale of murder and madness
The writing style is sparse and atmospheric and reads like a american crime noir but set in Yorkshire. The hero "Cluff" is a man of few words and grunts his way though the book and doesn't really detect but follows the suspect about until he makes a mistake
It loses a star because every female character is described by her breasts. They are all introduced, breasts first, and attention is made to them all the time. and happens so often it's creepy and sordid even for 1960's
3 stars
December 5, 2019
This is a village crime story from the 1960s - before the evidence-based police procedurals came to dominate the scene. The police officer we follow is a solitary type, with no bad habits we know of, nobody to speak to but his faithful dog. When he comes across a murder / suicide / accident case, he investigates just by hanging around and scowling. And, of course, by asking the pub landlord. I tend to think the villain's actions are overdone - presented for drama where in reality the house would have been sold and the case never closed, if it was formally open.
Sentences are often short and descriptive of atmosphere, not always grammatical. They can read as though the author meant to get around to finishing them later. We are given quite a good picture of life in mountain villages at the time, when a horse was still used to pull a work sledge on the farm and everyone knew everyone.
This is an unbiased review.
Sentences are often short and descriptive of atmosphere, not always grammatical. They can read as though the author meant to get around to finishing them later. We are given quite a good picture of life in mountain villages at the time, when a horse was still used to pull a work sledge on the farm and everyone knew everyone.
This is an unbiased review.
July 9, 2019
In any ways this feels like the outline for the eponymous TV show 'Cluff' starring Leslie Sands. I am not sure which came first. The style is quite sparce, and the lead character not particularly appealing. In many ways Cluff could be seen as a forerunner in the 'damaged detective' stakes (if you exclude Holmes, naturally) and in many ways the sense of era feels far closer to Victorian/Edwardian fiction. Which is why I was surprised to learn that Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm was written in 1961 and not a century earlier.
I am a firm believer that books should reflect their roots and not be edited to suit modern sensibilities, which is why I have read many of this series. Fiction when written contemporaneously gives an accurate reflection of society but in this case that would appear not to be the case.
When held against crime fiction written forty years before it North feels like something of a dinosaur, and Cluff's 'gruffness' quickly palls, especially in terms of the overt sexism of narrative that occasionally spills perilously close to misogyny.
I have enjoyed many of the books in the British Library crime series but this was not one of them.
I am a firm believer that books should reflect their roots and not be edited to suit modern sensibilities, which is why I have read many of this series. Fiction when written contemporaneously gives an accurate reflection of society but in this case that would appear not to be the case.
When held against crime fiction written forty years before it North feels like something of a dinosaur, and Cluff's 'gruffness' quickly palls, especially in terms of the overt sexism of narrative that occasionally spills perilously close to misogyny.
I have enjoyed many of the books in the British Library crime series but this was not one of them.
June 10, 2016
Meet larger than life Sergeant Cluff. Determined, an outcast at his station and when he knows something is amiss he becomes a dog with a bone, not letting up until he has the truth. He knows Amy Snowden didn't kill herself and he will get to the truth of her death. His determination sees all proper police procedures abandoned and Cluff basically becomes a stalker, seeking his prey waiting for them to slip up and reveal their true colours.
One thing I must mention is that the author seems to have an obsession with describing breasts, every time a female character is introduced, we readers are treated to a depiction of their anatomy. Yes this made me chuckle at first, however it did get a little tedious, but it is an element very much indicative of the time period it was written, the 1960's, so I can take it light heartedly with no offence.
I have to say this hasn't been my favourite of the crime classics, I prefer the earlier written mysteries, but I still enjoyed this. Cluff is a great character and it's easy to see why Gil North's books were made into a TV series.
One thing I must mention is that the author seems to have an obsession with describing breasts, every time a female character is introduced, we readers are treated to a depiction of their anatomy. Yes this made me chuckle at first, however it did get a little tedious, but it is an element very much indicative of the time period it was written, the 1960's, so I can take it light heartedly with no offence.
I have to say this hasn't been my favourite of the crime classics, I prefer the earlier written mysteries, but I still enjoyed this. Cluff is a great character and it's easy to see why Gil North's books were made into a TV series.
September 7, 2016
If you're looking for a country/cozy, keep on looking - this is countryside that smells of burnt flesh, manure, and musty houses whose villains haven't washed in days. Sergeant Cluff is a solid piece of work as he pursues his man like Nemesis through the moors - his slow-moving silence and the general heaviness of the villagers involved in the initial, inciting death are well depicted. There's probably one action set piece/twist too many, and if you are at all skittish about reading about cruelty to animals (alluded to and described) I'd take a pass - this probably won't be a Masterpiece Mystery any time soon as it's far, far too dirty but it's definitely a solid read.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 10, 2018
I found this 1960 novel, with its bleak Yorkshire setting and dour, grim characters, more curiously dated than others in the series from earlier periods.
Martin Edwards, in the brief Introduction, predictably refers to Georges Simenon and Jules Maigret. There are some similarities in the writing- a spare, pared-down prose style- and both detectives are very much their own men. Both authors have an odd view of women, especially of strong, independent ones. However, the Maigret stories have much stronger psychological insight and are mostly superior.
Interesting but not one to which I will return.
Martin Edwards, in the brief Introduction, predictably refers to Georges Simenon and Jules Maigret. There are some similarities in the writing- a spare, pared-down prose style- and both detectives are very much their own men. Both authors have an odd view of women, especially of strong, independent ones. However, the Maigret stories have much stronger psychological insight and are mostly superior.
Interesting but not one to which I will return.
March 14, 2025
Though it's set in rural Yorkshire, this mystery is written in noir style, with short, staccato sentences that only include the bare description of action and dialogue. It's a dark, gritty tale of murder, abuse and cruelty. Sergeant Cluff remains an enigma to everyone, including himself, evidently. For those readers who enjoy this style of mystery, they may like this unusual series. I'm not a fan.
May 5, 2025
Well. This book certainly needs some context if you’re going to read it, and I think you should, though it is not for the faint of heart. This author doesn’t hold your hand and explain things. He expects you’re smart enough to figure it out. Remember, it was written in 1960. The war is over but the deprivation remains. TV was just becoming a thing. Film Noir was a very big thing. Rural England was changing rapidly. It’s a rough story to read, but it’s masterfully written. It starts out slow and sleepy, literally, and ends with your heart in your throat. It reminds me of Raymond Chandler. I didn’t love it, but I really enjoyed reading it and I plan to read more of Sergeant Cluff and his dog Clive. All the Cluff dogs are named Clive, you know. That line made me fall in love with Sergeant Cluff. And the book cover! Don’t even get me started. I want to hang it on my wall.
January 10, 2024
3.5*
A crime suspense novel rather than a mystery, this first book in the Sargeant Cluff series reminded me of Ruth Rendell or Patricia Highsmith. Unfortunately, I am not fond of this type of crime books, preferring the 'whodunit' type. Still, it was well written and very atmospheric.
A crime suspense novel rather than a mystery, this first book in the Sargeant Cluff series reminded me of Ruth Rendell or Patricia Highsmith. Unfortunately, I am not fond of this type of crime books, preferring the 'whodunit' type. Still, it was well written and very atmospheric.
July 29, 2025
Not a bad story. Just not my cup of tea. The writing had an abruptness and grittiness to it that just isn't my thing.
October 8, 2019
2 1/2 stars. Cluff very much represents the stolid Yorkshire farmer man that remains fairly the same for generations even though some technology changes. It is interesting to read for the atmosphere and the character but I don't really like how many of the women are portrayed. In this stark and desolate land, either town or country, there is too much linking with women equally bad sexuality. It's not so much religious or woman as whore but a bad association nonetheless. Even the description of some women mention their breast shape and nipples in staccato sentences but it is not to suggest sexuality because the rest of the description doesn't go with that. This is not a strong thread throughout the book but it annoyed me.
October 7, 2017
I came across this author in the library. I enjoyed the story with the dour Yorkshire Sergeant Cluff. The apparent suicide of Amy, a local girl and her cowardly husband. The background of the bleak, wintry Yorkshire moors. The setting of the village without indoor toilets. The focus of Cluff of uncovering the reason for Amy's suicide uncovers other crimes and a wicked slovenly villainess. All these elements combines for a good read.
I look forward to reading the other 10 books in the series.
I look forward to reading the other 10 books in the series.
May 28, 2021
Not sure why Martin Edwards is so enthusiastic about this character, televising it now would be a nightmare as it stands with its mysoginistic attitudes and deductive jumps seemingly based on prejudice. I didn't see any of the innate compassion he suggests, just a difficult phlegmatic man who decides on an opinon and stands firm, but to the reader theres no explanation. His attitude to women jars and repels as others have noted.
January 7, 2022
RA
Written in a plain, but powerful style. Rather like Wuthering Heights written in the style of Graham Greene. A steady, well paced atmospheric story building to a dramatic conclusion. A thoroughly good low-octane read.
Written in a plain, but powerful style. Rather like Wuthering Heights written in the style of Graham Greene. A steady, well paced atmospheric story building to a dramatic conclusion. A thoroughly good low-octane read.
August 20, 2023
Boring
it was like reading a child’s book very short sentences
The author is obsessed with describing womens breasts
I ve read a few British library crime classics and enjoyed them but not this one
it was like reading a child’s book very short sentences
The author is obsessed with describing womens breasts
I ve read a few British library crime classics and enjoyed them but not this one
November 4, 2016
Didn't love. Okay mystery. Sexist. Too many cringe-worthy comments about breasts.
July 5, 2022
I felt that this "kitchen sink" era crim novel showed its age. I'm not planning to read any more "Sargeant Cluff" books.
October 20, 2024
Cosy crime with proper Yorkshire sensibility and a peculiar breast fixation.
I don't normally read police procedural novels but the British Library series has intrigued me for a while. Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm seemed like a good place to start with it's low page count and spare prose that created powerful atmosphere.
The plot sees the titular village police officer investigating the death of a local woman he admired. Cluff's superiors are content that the cause was a tragic gas leak, but he suspects foul play. So begins an understated character piece exploring rural life in the fictional Gunnershaw. Gossip, greed and romantic manipulation are the key themes of this book. While I felt the main villain reveal was melodramatic and played up a gender bias, I was willing to endure it for the prose's overall pensive style.
However the aforementioned breast fixation kept pulling me out of the text. For some reason women's chests seem to factor into every chapter of this book, and not in a particularly leery way. While I wouldn't like to speculate on North's relationship with women, Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm seems to promote an antiquated ideology where women are either pure with a firm bosom, or perverse with a flabby cup size. It dates this novel more than references to closed rural community life.
If this is indicative of how North writes, I doubt I'll be back to his work. His stunning descriptions of light and shadow in old buildings simply isn't enough for me to endure more jarring sexism. That being said, if you have a high tolerance for such things and want to read more about Yorkshire grit in police work, you might get something out of Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm.
I don't normally read police procedural novels but the British Library series has intrigued me for a while. Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm seemed like a good place to start with it's low page count and spare prose that created powerful atmosphere.
The plot sees the titular village police officer investigating the death of a local woman he admired. Cluff's superiors are content that the cause was a tragic gas leak, but he suspects foul play. So begins an understated character piece exploring rural life in the fictional Gunnershaw. Gossip, greed and romantic manipulation are the key themes of this book. While I felt the main villain reveal was melodramatic and played up a gender bias, I was willing to endure it for the prose's overall pensive style.
However the aforementioned breast fixation kept pulling me out of the text. For some reason women's chests seem to factor into every chapter of this book, and not in a particularly leery way. While I wouldn't like to speculate on North's relationship with women, Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm seems to promote an antiquated ideology where women are either pure with a firm bosom, or perverse with a flabby cup size. It dates this novel more than references to closed rural community life.
If this is indicative of how North writes, I doubt I'll be back to his work. His stunning descriptions of light and shadow in old buildings simply isn't enough for me to endure more jarring sexism. That being said, if you have a high tolerance for such things and want to read more about Yorkshire grit in police work, you might get something out of Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm.
December 2, 2021
I discovered this book by accident when randomly searching for books set in Yorkshire. I'd never heard of the Cluff books nor the author Gil North and after reading the book, I can understand why.
The book, originally written in the early 1960's has an unusual style - short sentences with no conjunctions - which makes for a disjointed, but surprisingly descriptive read. The writing and clever use of vocabulary do seem to reflect both the harshness of the Dales and the down-to-earth gruffness of Cluff himself. That being said, the books reflect a bygone image of the Dales - dark, forbidding, remote, austere. Nowadays, we tend to see the Dales portrayed in a much more wild and beautiful light and this 'dark, satanic mills' depiction seems oddly dated.
The writing and view North portrays are not the only aspects of the book which jar. His characters are gritty and 'Northern' almost to the point of caricature. His antagonists are unremittingly Dickensian and every time he refers to a female character, he can't seem to avoid commenting on the current state of their breasts. Cluff himself seems to solve the crime through extreme stalker behaviour rather than detective work.
In summary, this book is different enough to modern crime fiction to be worth a read. The style is unusual, effective in places but ultimately tiring. Worth checking out.
The book, originally written in the early 1960's has an unusual style - short sentences with no conjunctions - which makes for a disjointed, but surprisingly descriptive read. The writing and clever use of vocabulary do seem to reflect both the harshness of the Dales and the down-to-earth gruffness of Cluff himself. That being said, the books reflect a bygone image of the Dales - dark, forbidding, remote, austere. Nowadays, we tend to see the Dales portrayed in a much more wild and beautiful light and this 'dark, satanic mills' depiction seems oddly dated.
The writing and view North portrays are not the only aspects of the book which jar. His characters are gritty and 'Northern' almost to the point of caricature. His antagonists are unremittingly Dickensian and every time he refers to a female character, he can't seem to avoid commenting on the current state of their breasts. Cluff himself seems to solve the crime through extreme stalker behaviour rather than detective work.
In summary, this book is different enough to modern crime fiction to be worth a read. The style is unusual, effective in places but ultimately tiring. Worth checking out.
July 9, 2018
I, like many other reviewers found this book rather too much on the grim side. The portrayal of Gunnarshaw was a typical view of how people saw small towns and villages (especially in the north of England) at that point in history. Cluff for me is very irritating as he is loner and yet he knows and understands everything about the people of that town and it outlying areas - which one would assume has several thousand people! He operates on the understanding that he knows how the people tick and that he is responsible for enacting revenge on perpetrators of crimes where there is not enough evidence to convict them. For cosy crime readers Sergeant Cluff may be too depressive to stomach. The description of Gunnarshaw it's people and environs are way too bleak (even though this was probably true of many small places at that time) - it's a question of - do you really want to read about these things - as many cosy crime readers read cosy crimes because they are cosy and depart in many ways from reality and/or mainstream life at the time of writing - this novel covers warts and all. I would give this book 5 out of 10.
January 3, 2023
This book is not so much a murder mystery as much it is a portrayal of the titular character Sergeant Cluff. To be honest, it was more of a description of the human condition, caught in webs of loneliness and desperation.
Sergeant Cluff has no other reason for dogging the prime suspect, than his own sense of injustice at the death, he is called to investigate. What did make the story interesting was that though the story started out with one incident, the actual crime and its investigation ended up being something else altogether.
However, I disliked the all-knowing attitude of the detective, and the last part of the book was too action-packed to hold my interest for long. It would be nice to have a strong, steadfast man like Sergeant Cluff on your side but if you are looking for a detective yarn, where clues are followed and the mystery unraveled with neat precision, then this is not your cup of tea.
Overall, an ok read but not a great one.
Sergeant Cluff has no other reason for dogging the prime suspect, than his own sense of injustice at the death, he is called to investigate. What did make the story interesting was that though the story started out with one incident, the actual crime and its investigation ended up being something else altogether.
However, I disliked the all-knowing attitude of the detective, and the last part of the book was too action-packed to hold my interest for long. It would be nice to have a strong, steadfast man like Sergeant Cluff on your side but if you are looking for a detective yarn, where clues are followed and the mystery unraveled with neat precision, then this is not your cup of tea.
Overall, an ok read but not a great one.
July 6, 2024
This was originally published in 1960. Later in the 1960s the series starring Leslie Sands as Sergeant Cluff was televised. I am of an age to remember it, if not too clearly.
The writing could be describes as terse. The sentences are largely short and that gives you the impression of action moving on. The settings in the town, Gunnarshaw, which is based on Skipton, is bleak and is meant to represent a Yorkshire small town in the 1960s where everyone knows everyone else, and outsiders are sort of welcomed if mistrusted, at least at first.
The book shows Cluff as a blunt Yorkshireman whose instincts lean towards justice, especially for the people he knows, which in Gunnarshaw and the district is just about everyone, rather than a strict adherence to the law. He's a brilliant invention, and totally of his period. You can't mistake this book for something written in the last 20 years, say.
The writing could be describes as terse. The sentences are largely short and that gives you the impression of action moving on. The settings in the town, Gunnarshaw, which is based on Skipton, is bleak and is meant to represent a Yorkshire small town in the 1960s where everyone knows everyone else, and outsiders are sort of welcomed if mistrusted, at least at first.
The book shows Cluff as a blunt Yorkshireman whose instincts lean towards justice, especially for the people he knows, which in Gunnarshaw and the district is just about everyone, rather than a strict adherence to the law. He's a brilliant invention, and totally of his period. You can't mistake this book for something written in the last 20 years, say.
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