The Soul of Discretion by Susan Hill
Simon Serrallier #8
Mystery
2014 The Overlook Press
Finished on January 2, 2024
Rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good)
Publisher's Blurb:
The cathedral town of Lafferton seems idyllic, but in many ways it is just like any other place. As part of the same rapidly changing world, it shares the same hopes and fears, and the same kinds of crime, as any number of towns up and down the land.
When one day DC Simon Serrailler is called in by Lafferton’s new Chief Constable, Kieron Bright, he is met by four plainclothes officers. He is asked to take the lead role in a complex, potentially dangerous undercover operation and must leave town immediately, without telling anyone – not even his girlfriend Rachel, who has only just moved in with him.
Meanwhile, Simon’s sister Cat is facing difficult choices at work that will test her dedication to the NHS. But an urgent call about her and Simon’s father, Richard, soon presents her with a far greater challenge much closer to home.
To complete his special op, Simon must inhabit the mind of the worst kind of criminal. As the op unfolds, Lafferton is dragged into the sort of case every town dreads. And Simon faces the fight of his life.
Fantastic crime drama. There's not much of a mystery here, and the family dramas are front and center, but Susan Hill has written another gripping story. The disturbing subject matter is handled delicately, and I was thankful that I didn't need to skim over abhorrent or obscene details. I also appreciated the smaller cast of supporting characters as this particular installment to the series focuses mostly on Simon's undercover case and the personal problems that have cropped up in Cat, Richard, and Judith's lives. There is such depth to Hill's character development; I feel as if I really know these people! And the superb pacing kept me on the edge of my seat until the final paragraph. It was all I could do to turn out the light and not begin the next book in the series. Bravo!
Highly recommend, but be forewarned that this installment deals with child pornography. Again, no graphic details are revealed, but it is a disturbing story.
This sounds like a good one. I am glad the author skips over gory/icky details. We really don't need them as our imaginations can probably fill in the gaps.
ReplyDeleteHelen, it's one of my favorites, in spite of the subject matter. Not sure I could watch a movie based on this installment, though. Undercover work makes me so anxious!
DeleteI think the small cast of characters and the way she writes about the town make her writing very vivid and as if it was a real place. At least that's what I remember liking so much about the first book I read. I just went to look and didn't realize she had so many in this series. So glad it's continued to be a fantastic read.
ReplyDeleteIliana, Hill's setting is very vivid, isn't it? I'm glad I still have several remaining to read in this series!
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