Does Peterborough feature at all? I thought Great North Road might be a reference to the road of the same name here in Britain that happens to run through Peterborough (I'm fairly sure), and he has form in that area, with it being a major economic powerhouse in the Greg Mandel books.
I've found it a pretty horrible place the few times I've been there, myself.
(I have the ebook, but I think it'll be a while before I get to it.)