Salt Is Leaving

By J.B. Priestley

Book Overview

' A] formidable exercise, distinguished by Priestley's undiminished gusto for storytelling.' - "New York Times Book Review" ' A] most satisfactory suspense story. It has the advantage of being... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060134275
• ISBN13: 9780060134273
• Release Date: January 1975
• Publisher: Harpercollins
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Pastiche the Salt

A number of mainstream writers try their hands at doing a mystery/detective novel, and the results are mixed. English novelist and critic J B Priestley's attempt in "Salt is Leaving" is good There are no weaknesses, but still somehow it is not really satisying. Physician Dr Salt is preparing to leave the small English city of Birkden to go to live overseas. He feels he has one piece of unfinished business to settle before his departure: to discover what has become of a patient of his, a young woman whose disease requires close monitoring and treatment. The story moves along leisurely. The plot is good although not particularly original. The characters are generic: Salt curmudgeonly but kind-hearted man of principle, Maggie (playing the part of Watson) mix of sophistication and naivete who has love/anger relationship with Salt, corrupt millionaire industrialist, sleazy club manager, and so forth. There are some very good scenes, for instance Salt explaining how a seemingly unfruitful interview revealed much information. However, so much seemed so familiar. To use one of those fancy words "Salt is Leaving" reads like a pastiche rather than a original story.