Leave Only Footprints

The evocation of small-town England in 1972 is perfectly done: the right cars, tunes on the radio, wage freezes, strikes and a way of life long since vanished. Drugs are being sold in the local pub and the cinema can only survive by doing bingo three times a week.
The author drops his lead character, a rookie newspaper reporter, Paul Sears, into this time and place and uses his local knowledge to help solve the crimes committed. There's plenty of empathy and all the characters come across as real people. This is a book for people who want a good story and care about the way in which it is told.

Another classic example of the retiree fiction. This may not be its official designation, but it’s the one I’ve coined and I like it. Essentially, books written by people who’ve taken up writing after retirement, usually from nonwriting related careers. The results traditionally vary. This one came out fine, if fine’s what you’re after.
Fine is a funny word, isn’t it. A heavy lifter, doing triple duty on regular basis. It can denote a superior accomplishment, fine art, the finest things in life, fine ass, etc. It can stand in for complete mediocrity, blandness, nothing to report, as in a reply when someone asks how you are. And it can be used sarcastically or ironically to mean the very opposite, well, isn’t that just fine and dandy.
This book is that second kind of fine. It’s perfectly serviceable, decently written story set in 1972 about reporter investigating some local murders in a small town and uncovering the menacing presence of Italian mafia. The town’s so small that everyone pretty much known each other, has, is or might be dating each other, etc., which creates for an initial confusion of characters. Once you sort it all out, it’s a fairly straight forward story that doesn’t take forever to sort itself out. There’s nothing really wrong with it, it’s just kind of bland and perfectly forgettable. But for retirement fiction it’s pretty good. The author should stick with it and maybe next time intersperse that nice milquestoast Britishness of it all with some genuine excitement.
Since I’m the first person to rate and review this one, I’ll round it up with uncharacteristic generosity. Thanks Netgalley.

This is a good book to read if you want strong characterisation but a relatively simple mystery. There is some benefit to the simplicity as it means you can dip in and out of the book rather than focus in a single reading. I really liked the setting and the author did a good job in painting the picture.