Play Book Tag discussion

I picked this up because I have been watching the BBC TV series George Gently, which is based on these books. I've enjoyed the series, but I was disappointed by this book and I don't think I'm inclined to pay to continue reading the series. Published in 1955, it shows its age.

Gently is on holiday in Norchester when he learns about the murder of a local timber merchant and hangs around the police investigation, offering his services. They at first welcome him, but when he contradicts their easy conclusions about the case, they start to resent his methods, particularly when he shows them up.

The mystery itself was okay, but I found the story overall to have way too many contrivances, and wasn't enamored of the florid descriptive style obviously meant to build atmosphere. And I particularly disliked how bumbling and idiotic the local police investigator Hansom is made to be, which seems to only serve to showcase Gently's smarts. In my opinion he was unnecessarily antagonistic and it was especially distasteful how he would rather let a killer get away than be proven wrong. I'm still willing to give it 3 stars, though.