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This was very disappointing to me in a lot of ways. We see a lot more of Simon Serrailler in this second book in the series but he is not very likable other than his love for his sister Martha. On a totally unrelated topic, Karin, from the first book, somehow is cured of raging, spreading, severe cancer just by eating healthy, doing some visualizations, and other alternative things. Right. Like that would do it. I have seen a lot of people die that way and seen others get cured with the usual treatment that we know can work. This is a dangerous message to send out to people and irresponsible.
Susan Hill has a writing style that feels different. It’s softer, kinder, gentler. It soothes and relaxes me and I sink into the story. By the time she took her A levels, she had already written her first novel, The Enclosure, which was published by Hutchinson in her first year at university. [7] At best, this book is Part 1 of an unfinished book. At worst, this book is a complete waste of time. All that said, this is still several cuts above the majority of contemporary crime novels. Serrailler is, frankly, often annoying in his approach to his personal life, which is realistic and quite deliberate by Hill and which I rather admire – although there is a hint of more settled things to come. So, although this may not be the finest of the series, it is still very good.Just as the story was coming to a head, things came to an abrupt end with a toe-curling Mills and Boon flourish. On yet another unrelated note (everything in this book was unrelated) a rich 56 year old moves to town with his sexy 22 year old wife, buys a stately house, gives a million pounds to Simon's mom's charity to fund a respite day care for those caring for the elderly and the wife wants Karin to help her with her gardens. Uh huh.
The quiet cathedral town of Lafferton undergoes an undergoes an unexpected turn of events as its usually tranquil environment is disturbed following the disappearance of a woman up on an area known as ‘the hill’. Although the vanishing of this woman is not suspicious in of itself, people tend disappear of their own accord all the time up there, it’s the mysterious turn of events that precede the vanishing act. A young girl followed by an older man and then even a dog all disappear from the top of the hill, leaving everyone with the suspicion that there is something else going on up there. Freya Graffham is the young policewoman that’s been assigned to case of investigating what it is that’s going on here, as she has only recently just joined the police-force and is looking to make her way in the department. With a compassionate and inquiring mind, she aims to solve her first case with conviction. Working in and around Lafferton, Serrailler works to get to the bottom of the case in these intricate and intelligent mystery stories. There is also talk of a television adaptation in what could potentially become a long-running series to rival that of previous popular shows such as Inspector Morse. This all builds towards Simon Serrailler becoming one of the best known fictional detectives, in a franchise that has plenty of life left in it yet. Simon Serrailler: The Various Haunts of Men Simon Serrailler is the main protagonist of the series and is designated as a Detective Chief Inspector and the commanding officer of Sergeant Freya Graffham. He is also the brother of Dr. Cat Deerbon. The whole thing is, of course, extremely well written in that way Susan Hill has of crafting elegant, readable prose which never draws attention to itself but carries the reader along beautifully. The story, too, is a timely one and in many ways well done; the stories of the children involved and of the effects on their families are vivid and gripping, for example. However, I did find the policing aspect just a little clunky and preachy; at one point the Chief Constable gives a long and rather sententious speech to his officers, after which, one comments, “Didn’t have the chief down for a rallying-cry-before-battle sort of guy, did you?” Well, no I didn’t – and he was all the better for it. Serrailler himself sounds a bit like a politician with a pre-written answer at times, too, and I’ve come to expect better from Susan Hill.
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
As I said, not all things are resolved. If you need that, then go read a cozy. (And btw I do read and like cozies.) But this is not that. This is fiction writ so large and real, it hurts. Although there are crimes, this is not a police procedural or a thriller. Nothing is really resolved when all is said and done. The ending could be considered ambiguous, but then you have to consider the odds and face reality. Finally, this is another absorbing and enjoyable addition to the series. It’s well written and easy to read. Although this is the eleventh it can easily be read as a stand-alone but I do recommend the series.
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