Neither Barthelme’s widow Lucette – younger than Gorski expects – nor his 16-year-old son Raymond seem moved by the news, which Gorski delivers in person on account of the man’s social standing. Lucette even seems to be flirting, discussing her sleeping arrangements – Gorski’s eyes straying here, his wife having walked out on him with their teenage daughter. Both the A303 and A358 were closed to allow enquiries to take place but reopened yesterday afternoon. We want to thank residents for their patience. I have still yet to read His Bloody Project (2015), Graeme Macrae Burnet's other book, which many people have told me is marvellous. I'll be putting that right very soon. His family, who are being supported by a specially trained family liaison officer, have been informed and our thoughts are with them.

Let’s get a look,” she said, holding her hand out. I passed her the book. “Mmmm,” she murmured sarcastically, eyeing the cover. “Sounds… interesting.”Thanks to #SkyhorsePublishing, NetGalley, and the terrific Graeme Macrae Burnet for the opportunity to read the ARC. In a statement released today (January 17), police said a family from Cornwall were travelling in the BMW involved at the time of the crash. The actions of those first on scene is often mentioned in relation to the emergency services, but more often than not, it is the public who are there at that initial stage. The road was closed while an investigation was carried out at the scene. It was clear at around 11pm.” Gorski had no time for the idea of human nature. It was a meaningless idea people used to absolve themselves of responsibility for their own actions…

As part of the investigation, we want to hear from anyone who was travelling along this stretch of road in either direction at approximately 4.15am yesterday. The Accident on the A35: An Inspector Gorski Investigation” by Graeme Macrae Burnet deservedly earned accolades as a Guardian Best Crime and Thriller Book for 2017, and was long-listed for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award for 2018. This highly compelling historical thriller — one of my fave genres — is beautifully described in the Publisher’s Note, which I’ll share here while awarding it 5/5!

The conceit that the novel wasn’t actually written by Macrae Burnet pays off less happily in stretches of prose that it’s hard to believe really were composed by a Man Booker prize-shortlisted author. The formulations “greatly concern” and “greatly concerned” turn up in adjoining sentences, the adjective “little” is employed twice within three lines, and “resulting” and “result” inside 10 words. Postmodernism may mean never having to say you’re sloppy, but it takes great charity to see these repetitions as a gag about the dodgy quality of English translations from foreign novels. Both protagonists, on a similar quest - to find answers about Barthelme's life - spend a lot of time getting soused. They approach things from odd angles, making this book funny, sad, and even silly at times. According to the afterward, written by the translator, Graeme Macrae Burnet, much of the narrative is a reflection of the author's own life. However, while much of the book may have had a basis in reality, it strikes me as a definite work of fiction. As Sartre said, a novel is "neither true nor false".

Once again Graeme Macrae Burnet adds a foreword and afterword which explain how the story is a rediscovered lost manuscript by the book's actual author, Raymond Brunet (who also wrote The Disappearance of Adèle Bedeau). It all adds another layer of playfulness to a very satisfying read. Select the ‘Location’ tab and you’ll be able to get traffic news for your location by adding your postcode, city or town. You’ll get a live picture of traffic in and around that area, and you’ll also be able to save the details as your default location. Rural East Devon Police praised members of the public who ran to help in the moments after the vehicles crashed saying their swift actions – giving first aid and directing traffic away – deserved ‘tribute and commendation’. Reading The Disappearance of Adèle Bedeau convinced me that Burnet was channeling Simenon; while carrying on in that vein in The Accident on the A35, he now brings in some of the existentialist flavor of Sartre with a side of Camus. The alienation, the desire for freedom, the internal darkness is all there, running throughout the entire novel. Burnet has really done an especially great job with the character of Raymond, who exemplifies the existential angst of doing and feeling what he wants to as opposed to conforming to social expectations; the same is true in the case of the elder Gorski, with the added problems of a failing home life and career which is anything but satisfying. Add into the mix that these dramas play out within the confines of the claustrophobic French town of Saint-Louis, and what may have started as a detective story turns into much more of an examination deep into the realm of the human psyche. And it's not pretty, trust me. A man in his 70s is believed to have fallen before a collision with a van. Paramedics attended but sadly the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Officers were called to reports of a collision involving a Citroen C3 car and a MAN heavy goods vehicle near the junction with the A358 at around 1.40pm, on Thursday 20 July. The driver of the Land Rover - a woman in her 50s from the Tooting area of London - was taken to Dorchester Hospital. Police say her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. I’m afraid I struggled with The Accident on the A35 by Graeme Macrae Burnet. It could well have to do with the translation, but as well as being unable to get close to the characters, I couldn’t raise any enthusiasm for the plot.