A Change of Circumstance

 

A Change of Circumstance by Susan Hill

Simon Serrailler #11

Mystery

2021

Finished on June 6, 2024

Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

In this newest installment of Susan Hill’s electrifying crime series, Simon Serrailler finds himself in devastating new territory as a sophisticated drug network sets its sights on Lafferton.

Susan Hill is back with A Change of Circumstance, the eleventh book in the acclaimed mystery series featuring the enigmatic and brooding chief police inspector Simon Serrailler. DCS Serrailler has long regarded drugs ops in Lafferton as a waste of time. The small-time dealers picked up outside the local high school can’t—or won’t—turn in any valuable names, so they're merely given a fine and the trail runs cold. But when the body of a 22-year-old drug addict is found in neighboring Starley, the case pulls Serrailler into the underbelly of an elaborate drug running operation that pushes narcotics out from the cities, into the suburbs, and right down to villages. The foot soldiers? Vulnerable local kids like Brookie and Olivia, whose involvement gives Serrailler a bitter taste of this new landscape. It’s a harsh winter in Lafferton, and with struggles both at home and on the job, Serrailler soon learns that even the familiar can hold shocking surprises. . . .

With A Change of Circumstance, Hill delivers yet another gripping piece of the Serrailler canon. Written in the tradition of the fabulous mysteries of Ruth Rendell and P. D. James, this newest case is sure to enthrall new fans and surprise old ones in what is a captivating new addition to a highly acclaimed series.

I have spent the past year or so reading this entertaining series by Susan Hill and I am finally caught up. As with most mystery series (Louise Penny's, Deborah Crombie's, etc.), some installments are better than others. Regrettably, this most recent book was not my favorite. The first half of the book was plodding and uneven, and at times I grew weary of Simon's tortured inner thoughts about life and where he was heading. The mystery was fine, and as usual, the familial relationships played front and center, but even those left me bored and wanting more depth. Hill leaves her readers with yet another cliffhanger that had me shaking my head in frustration. It's been over two years since her last publication, and I can't help but wonder how many more she has remaining to write. Sadly, A Change of Circumstance was somewhat of a disappointment. 

The Benefit of Hindsight

 

The Benefit of Hindsight by Susan Hill

Simon Serrailler #10

Fiction - Mystery

2019 The Overlook Press

Finished on March 3, 2024

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Serrailler must confront his demons as Lafferton experiences a series of shocking crimes in this 10th book in Susan Hill’s shattering crime series.

Susan Hill stuns readers once again in The Benefit of Hindsight, the 10th book in her celebrated mystery series. Now recuperated after the violent incident that cost him his arm—and nearly his life—DCS Serrailler has returned to work, though he prefers to spend his spare time sketching the medieval angels being restored on the cathedral roof. With crime rates down, Lafferton has been quiet, until one night when two men open their front door to a distressing scene. Serrailler makes a serious error of judgment when handling the incident, and the stress of this, combined with the ongoing trauma of losing his arm, takes its toll. In the tradition of the fabulous mysteries of Ruth Rendell and P. D. James, The Benefit of Hindsight is Susan Hill’s best work yet—a chilling new addition to a highly acclaimed series.

A decent installment in Susan Hill's ongoing series. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't as impressive as a few of her other recent works. There were a few loose ends, but I haven't reached the end of the series, so maybe those wil be resolved in the next book. 

The Comforts of Home

 

The Comforts of Home by Susan Hill

Simon Serrailler #9

Fiction - Mystery

2018 The Overlook Press

Finished on February 9, 2024

Rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Following his near-fatal injury dealt by his last case, Chief Superintendent Serrailler is recuperating on a remote Scottish island when the local police pull him into a murder inquiry: a newcomer has died in perplexing circumstances. Chief Constable Kieron Bright, Serrailler's new brother-in-law, calls him in to perform a cold case review. But when events take an unfavorable turn for the superintendent and an arsonist goes on a deadly rampage, Serrailler's personal and professional lives intertwine in more complex and devastating ways than ever before. The Comforts of Home, the ninth book in Susan Hill's acclaimed crime series, will terrify and astonish readers until the final, thrilling page. 

Another winner! The mysteries in each of Hill's books, and the Serrailler family relationships, continue to entertain this reader. There are only three remaining in this series, so I need to start thinking about what I want to try next.

Note: There are so many spoilers in this installment. Definitely not a stand-alone!

The Soul of Discretion

 

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.

A Question of Identity

 

A Question of Identity by Susan Hill

Simon Serrallier #7

Mystery

2012 Overlook Press

Finished on December 10, 2023

Rating: 4/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

A particularly unpleasant murder, that of a very old woman in a housing project, rocks the town of Lafferton. The murderer has left a distinctive "sign" on the body and at the scene of crime. A couple of weeks later, a similar murder occurs, and a month or so later, so does another.

Initial investigations discover that the mysterious "sign" left on the body was the calling card of a suspect who was charged with several murders in the northwest of the country, tried but acquitted on the grounds of insufficient evidence. All indications suggest that this person has simply vanished. Or is he right under their noses? Simon Serrailler is obliged to delve deeper and scratch out answers, in this addictive mystery of surpassing darkness by the bestselling Susan Hill.

Another solid mystery in Susan Hill's Simon Serrallier series. I never did guess the killer, in spite of a few clues early on. This particular book felt a bit more intense than some of her others. Maybe the elderly victims, who appear so vulnerable and trusting, made me think of some of my friends and relatives who are living alone. I have the next two books in this series ready to go, but I think I'll hold off until after the holidays. I need to read something a little bit lighter!

The Betrayal of Trust

 

The Betrayal of Trust by Susan Hill

Simon Serraillier #6

Mystery

2011 The Overlook Press

Finished on November 23, 2023

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Heavy rain falls on Lafferton, flooding the cathedral town and causing a landslip out on the moors. As the rain water slowly drains away, a shallow grave - and a skeleton - are revealed. 

It doesn't take long to identify the remains as those of missing teenager, Harriet Lowther, who was last seen sixteen years ago, waiting for a bus. But a cold case isn't a priority for a police force already struggling with staff shortages and cuts: if Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Serrailler is to solve the case, he will have to do it alone.

Meanwhile, his sister, Dr Cat Deerbon, is fighting for funding to prevent the closure of the local hospice that offers respite to so many of her patients.

The Betrayal of Trust is another entertaining installment in Susan Hill's Simon Serrailler series, but it's not a favorite. In addition to the mystery, there are several subplots dealing with Parkinson's Disease, ALS, dementia, and assisted suicide. These, and Simon's new romantic interest (which I found rather hard to believe), overshadow the main story. And, to add to my frustration, when I came to the final sentence, I was sure there was more to come on the following page. I was wrong, not to mention shocked and annoyed! The conclusion was very abrupt, leaving several loose ends. My only hope is that my questions are answered in the next installment (A Question of Identity). 

The Shadows in the Street

 

The Shadows in the Street by Susan Hill

Simon Serrailler #5

Mystery

2010 Chatto & Windus

Finished on October 22, 2023

Rating: 4/5 (Excellent)

Publisher's Blurb:

Simon Serrailler has just wrapped up a particularly exhausting and difficult case for SIFT – Special Incident Flying Taskforce – and is on a sabbatical on a Scottish island when he is recalled to Lafferton. Two local prostitutes have vanished and are subsequently found strangled. By the time he gets back, another girl has disappeared. Is this a vendetta against prostitutes by someone with a warped mind? Or a series of killings by an angry punter? But then one of the Cathedral wives goes missing, followed by another young married woman, on her way to work.

Serrailler follows lead after lead, all of which become dead-ends. The fear is that more women will be killed, and that the murderer is right under their noses; meanwhile the public grow more angry and afraid. It is only through a piece of luck, a chance meeting and a life put in grave danger that he finally gets a result…

Susan Hill has a genius for evoking atmosphere and suspense, and her characters are so real that the reader is caught up not only in the mystery but in the drama of their lives.

It's been ten years since I read this fifth installment in the Serrailler series, but after a decade, most of the details were long forgotten. I thought it was very good, and almost gave it the same rating as I did in 2013, but in comparison to some recent 4.5/5 reads, it wasn't quite as good so I bumped it down to an even 4-star rating. I don't have much new to add to my original review, so I'll simply share that below. 

2013 Review (4.5/5):

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery, which kept me on the edge of my seat (and reading late into the night) for most of the second half. Hill kept me guessing and it was only at the very end that I finally sorted out the clues, threw out the red herrings, and worked out the identity of the killer. I rarely ever read a series out of order, but I had this book in my stacks and decided to give it a try without realizing there were four others leading up to this one. My only complaint is that the lack of substantial backstory forced me to flip back and forth between the early chapters, trying to piece together the relationships among the main characters. The introduction of new characters throughout the mystery also added to my confusion, making me stop and question their importance to the narrative. As I’ve discovered in other crime novels I’ve recently read (especially those set specifically in Great Britain and Ireland), I came upon quite a few abbreviations (PC, DCD, DI, DS, DCS, DCI, CID, OIOC), but eventually was able to sort them out, pretty much in time to realize their lack of importance. However, initially their presence disrupted the flow of the narrative. I guess that’s more than one complaint, but they’re very minor quibbles and I’m quite anxious to read the other titles in this series, as well Hill’s stand-alones.

On life after loss:

Ordinary things, Cat thought gratefully. Washing up the coffee cups. Making a lamb stew. Chopping vegetables. Ordinary life. That’s what saves us.

Final Thoughts: Susan Hill, where have you been all my life?! I loved this mystery! Readers who enjoy Tana French and Mo Hayder will likely concur.

2023 Additional Thoughts:

Of course, now that I've read the earlier books in the series, I'm familiar with the main cast of characters and wasn't confused by their relationships or the lack of backstory. An extensive backstory would have revealed too much should someone read the books out of order, as I did originally. I'm very happy that there are seven more books in this series (as well as four novellas) to look forward to. 

The Vows of Silence

 

The Vows of Silence by Susan Hill

Simon Serrailler #4

2007 Chatto & Windus (first published in 2006)

Finished on August 22, 2023

Rating: 4.5/5 (Excellent)

Publisher's Blurb:

We met the enigmatic and brooding Simon Serrailler in The Various Haunts of Men and got to know him better in The Pure in Heart and The Risk of Darkness. The Vows of Silence, the fourth crime novel featuring Chief Inspector Serrailler, is perhaps even more compulsive and convincing than its predecessors.

A gunman is terrorizing young women in the cathedral town of Laffterton. What, if anything, links the apparently random murders? Is the marksman with the rifle the same as the killer with the handgun? With the complexity and character study that earned raves for The Pure in Heart and the relentless pacing and plot twists of The Various Haunts of Men, The Vows of Silence is truly the work of a writer at the top of her form. 

The Vows of Silence may be my favorite thus far in Susan Hill's mystery series. I was kept guessing until the final chapters, in which a small hint confirmed my suspicions. Well-written mysteries keep me reading late in the night, and this fourth installment did just that. And yet it wasn't simply my curiosity about the identity of the killer, but the continuation of the evolving storyline of the Serrailler family. I won't divulge more, but I will say that I was moved to tears. I know I've said it repeatedly (both about Hill's and Deborah Crombie's mysteries), but I love getting to know the characters in these books; they're authentic and so likeable. I wish, once again, that someone would create a TV series of both of these women's books. 

A solid mystery. Highly recommend, but do read these in order!

The Risk of Darkness

 

The Risk of Darkness by Susan Hill

Simon Serrailler #3

Mystery

2009 The Overlook Press

Finished on June 9, 2023

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Susan Hill's Simon Serrailler mysteries have been hailed as "masterly storytelling" by the Good Book Guide, as "astonishing" by Publishers Weekly, and they were compared to P.D. James and Elizabeth George by the Los Angeles Times. Her third crime novel, The Risk of Darkness, perhaps even more compulsive and convincing than its predecessors, explores the crazy grief of a widowed husband, a derangement that turns into obsession and threats, violence and terror.

Meanwhile, handsome, introverted chief inspector Simon Serrailler, whose cool reserve has broken the hearts of several women, finds his own heart troubled by the newest recruit to the Cathedral staff: a feisty female Anglican priest with red hair.

With the complexity and character study that got raves for The Pure in Heart, and with the relentless pacing and plot twists of The Various Haunts of Men, The Risk of Darkness is truly the work of a writer at the top of her form.

Another winner. I love the new revelations and evolutions of the Serrailler family dynamics equally as well as the mystery. Susan Hill is a master at character development. The reason it took me over two weeks to complete the book is that we've been on another road trip (this time to the Canadian Rockies), and my focus is more about our daily excursions and less about reading. (And thus, a very brief review, as well!)

The Pure in Heart

 

The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill

Simon Serrailler #2

Mystery

2007 The Overlook Press (first published in 2005)

Finished on May 17, 2023

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

A little boy is snatched as he stands with his satchel at the gate of his home, waiting for his lift to school. A severely handicapped young woman hovers between life and death. And an ex-con finds it impossible to go straight. The Pure in Heart is a crime novel arising from character and circumstances, about the psychology of crime, something more enthralling than plain thrillers or whodunits. In Lafferton, Serrailler's town, Susan Hill has brilliantly created a community with detail so sharp and true to life that readers feel that these people are their own neighbors and friends. But there is terror and evil in their very midst. There are no easy answers in The Pure of Heart, a magnificent novel about the realities of police work and the sometimes desperate humanity of family. Haunting and truthful, gripping and convincing, it is a thrilling achievement.

I recently re-read The Various Haunts of Men (the first in the Simon Serrailler series), and I plan to read all twelve installments over the course of a year. As with Deborah Crombie's Kincaid/James series, I've quickly come to care about Simon and his co-workers and extended family. The fictional cathedral community of Lafferton (as well as the cast of characters) is fully drawn, and as in Crombie's books, a detailed map of the town and surroundings is included in the endpapers. 

It took me a few chapters to get engrossed in the mystery, as various characters are introduced and their plights established, but once hooked, I couldn't put the book down, savoring the final chapters. I'm pleased to report that The Pure in Heart is equally as entertaining as The Various Haunts of Men. I'm eager to start The Risk of Darkness!

Note: I've only read two installments, but I strongly suggest that this series is read in order, unless the revelation of major spoilers isn't an issue.

The Various Haunts of Men

 

The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill

Simon Serrailler #1

Mystery

2004 Henry N. Abrams

Finished on March 22, 2023

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Having transferred to the small cathedral town of Lafferton from London's "Met," police detective Freya Graffham explores her new community and becomes fascinated by Chief Insp. Simon Serrailler, her enigmatic superior. Though she fits well within the local police force, she finds herself unable to let go what seems like a routine missing persons report on a middle-aged spinster. When yet more townspeople turn up missing, her hunch is verified and a serious police search begins, bringing her into closer proximity with Serrailler at the same time it exposes her to danger. Susan Hill writes with compassion, humour and a unique understanding of the details of daily life. In The Various Haunts of Men, she has created a small cathedral town (within the orbit of a large urban city) and filled it with recognizable characters.

Now that I've finished reading all of Deborah Crombie's books in her Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series, I have begun this series of Susan Hill's. The Various Haunts of Men is a second reading for me; I listened to the audiobook in 2015 and gave it a 4.5/5 rating. I enjoyed it quite well this second time, but I think the audio production enhanced my initial experience; the book is 438 pages and it felt a little sluggish here and there. Rather than link up to my previous review, I've included it below since I don't have much to add.

This is a marvelous book! I accidentally read The Shadows in the Street, which is the fifth installment in the Simon Serrailler series, a couple of years ago and enjoyed it immensely. After reading a friend's review for another book in the series, I remembered that I wanted to get back to this author’s books and decided to see if I could borrow The Various Haunts of Men from my library. I was able to get it on audio and it was a top-notch listening experience. I got so caught up in the narration, I found myself holding my breath, anxious to hear what was about to happen next. One of the nice things about listening to an audiobook is that I am never really sure where I am or how much further it is to the last chapter. I find that this intensifies the suspense more than when I’m reading a print edition of a mystery or thriller. On the negative side, I missed out on a two-page detailed map of Lafferton, which is presented at the beginning of the book and which I only happened to stumble upon while looking up a couple of passages to share.

I don’t remember too much about the mystery in the other book I read, but I do remember that I liked the characters, so it was nice to start at the beginning of the series and get some background history on the main cast. Hill’s characters are fleshed out and the dialogue rings true, although I had to laugh at one point when one of the characters was referred to as middle aged. She is 53. Seriously? I don’t think I’ve ever considered myself middle aged! [Now at 61, I probably should!]

I love a good mystery and Hill kept me guessing up until the end of the book, but I also enjoyed the domestic details (reminiscent of Rosamunde Pilcher’s) of the narrative.

On simple comforts of home:

Simon went into the kitchen but Cat did not follow, not yet, she wanted to luxuriate in this room. It ran the length of the house and had long windows. From the kitchen there was a glimpse of the Hill.

The white-painted wooden shutters were folded back. The polished old elm floorboards had two large good rugs. Light poured in, on to Simon’s pictures and his few carefully chosen pieces of furniture which mixed antiques and contemporary classics with confident success. Beyond this one huge room, he had a small bedroom and a bathroom tucked out of the way, and then the galley kitchen. Everything centred here, in this one calm room, where Cat came, she thought, for almost the same reasons she went to church—peace, quiet, beauty and spiritual and visual recharging of her batteries. Nothing about her brother’s flat bore any relation to her own hugger-mugger farmhouse, always noisy and untidy, spilling over with children, dogs, wellington boots, bridles and medical journals. She loved it, that was where her heart was, where she had deep roots. But a small, vital nugget of herself belonged here, in this sanctuary of light and tranquility. She thought it was probably what kept Simon sane and able to do his often stressful and distressing job as well as he did.

On house calls and death:

She prayed that her phone would not ring. Spending some time now with a dying patient—doing something so ordinary as making tea in this kitchen, helping an ordinary couple through the most momentous and distressing parting of all—put the hassle and increasing administrative burden of general practice in its place. Medicine was changing, or being changed, by the grey men who managed but did not understand it. A lot of Cat and Chris Deerborn’s colleagues were becoming cynical, burned out and demoralized. It would be easy to give in, to process people through the surgery like cans on a conveyor belt and palm the out-of-hours stuff on to locums. That way you got a good night’s sleep—and precious little job satisfaction. Cat was having none of it. What she was doing now was not cost-effective and no one could put a price on it. Helping Harry Chater through his dying, and looking after his wife as well as she could, were the jobs that mattered and as important to her as to them.

Excellent British series! I can’t wait to return to the cathedral town of Lafferton to see what’s in store for DC Simon Serrailler. Next up The Pure in Heart. British actor Steven Pacey is a wonderful reader and it appears that he is the reader for all the audiobooks in this series.

Howards End is on the Landing

 

Howards End is on the Landing by Susan Hill

Nonfiction/Essays

2010 Profile Books (first published in 2009)

Finished on December 25, 2020

Rating: 2/5 (Fair)

Publisher's Blurb:

This is a year of reading from home, by one of Britain's most distinguished authors.

Early one autumn afternoon in pursuit of an elusive book on her shelves, Susan Hill encountered dozens of others that she had never read, or forgotten she owned, or wanted to read for a second time.

The discovery inspired her to embark on a year-long voyage through her books, forsaking new purchases in order to get to know her own collection again.

A book which is left on a shelf for a decade is a dead thing, but it is also a chrysalis, packed with the potential to burst into new life. Wandering through her house that day, Hill's eyes were opened to how much of that life was stored in her home, neglected for years. 

Howards End is on the Landing charts the journey of one of the nation's most accomplished authors as she revisits the conversations, libraries and bookshelves of the past that have informed a lifetime of reading and writing.

I've read a couple of Susan Hill's Simon Serrallier mysteries (The Shadows in the Streets and The Various Haunts of Men are excellent!), but this was my first encounter with one of her nonfiction titles. I learned about Howards End is on the Landing from my friend Nan (Letters From a Hill Farm) many years ago. She loved the book and I was so inspired, I bought a copy to give to my mom without reading it ahead of time. I added both this book and Jacob's Room is Full of Books (also by Susan Hill) to my stack for the Nonfiction November reading challenge, eager to read a couple of books about books.

Oh, how I wanted to love this book. How could I not love a book about spending an entire year reading from one's own shelves? Nan spoke so fondly of it (you can read her thoughts here and here), but I am sorry to say that I found it rather dull. There is far too much name dropping and as I don't read a lot of British authors, many of the names were unfamiliar to me. I did enjoy the essay about Virginia Woolf (which has inspired me to give Mrs. Dalloway another reading), as well as one about children's books, but overall I was disappointed and admit that I even skimmed several pages. I hope Jacob's Room is Full of Books is the better of the two books. 

Be sure to visit Nan's blog and read her glowing review of this book.