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Susan Hill's extraordinary collection of mysteries featuring Simon Serrailler and the English cathedral town of Lafferton continues to gain fans and draw attention across the country. New in paperback this month is The Risk of Darkness, which follows last year's hardcover release of The Vows of Silence.

Here's what one appreciative reader has to say: "In The Risk of Darkness- A Simon Serrailler Mystery by Susan Hill. the third in the Sellailler series, one of my favorite police inspectors is back, and finally, for those of you that might have read the second book and been a bit dissatisfied by the ending, we has a conclusion to the crime of the abducted children. And quite a interesting conclusion it is, not one I expected at all. Nor did I suspect that we would have the solution within the first 70 pages of the book. But fear not. As in the previous books of the series, there are any number of other issues, other storylines, to be explored and in this book, the solution of the crime is just the beginning of the story. It is one of the strength of this author, of this series, is that all these various plots can be explores without ever becoming confusing. Of course, not surprisingly, death is at the center of so many of these stories. The heartbreaking reaction of a family to death, a man driven mad by the loss of the one he loves to a horrible illness and even Simon again see death and loss touch his life in several ways. A fine continuation of this series.

Susan Hill takes a few minutes to discuss her acclaimed series of mysteries featuring the enigmatic detective Simon Serrailler and the catherdral town of Lafferton, England:

Susan Hill's fourth Simon Serrailler mystery, The Vows of Silence, is reviewed in ForeWord Magazine's December issue: "There is a serial killer on the loose in the English country township of Lafferton and it has everyone, including Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler, flinching at every car that backfires. What makes this case especially baffling is that the killer seems to follow no pattern—the weapon is a rifle in one case, a handgun in another. The only linkage among the growing number of murders is a frightening one. The victims are all women.

This is the premise for Susan Hill’s fourth entry in the police procedural series about C.I. Simon Serrailler. What separates Ms. Hill’s work from the groaning shelf of mystery and procedural novels is her ability to tell a story without having the reader thumb back a few pages to feel caught up. Her style is straightforward and smoothes out the ridges of her complex plotlines. And there are enough twists and turns in The Vows of Silence to make the reader reach for a literary Dramamine.

As if it’s not enough to have everyone breathing down his neck over the unsolved murders, Simon Serrailler has enough personal problems to give the most optimistic among us a splitting headache. His sister Cat has returned from Australia with her husband, who is dying from an insidious brain tumor. Serrailler, very fond of his brother-in-law, broods about the inevitable. His mother has passed away some time ago and now his father has taken up with a woman he doesn’t approve of, and, oh yes, Simon is also estranged from his own love interest, the Reverend Jane Fitzroy, who has moved from Lafferton to put space between them. There’s an old cliché in the writing business that says you can never give your hero enough problems, an idea to which Ms. Hill obviously subscribes.

Susan Hill’s portrayal of English country life seems spot on. Her narrative voice, pacing, and, especially, her ability to create believable characters, makes reading a pleasure. Finally, The Vows of Silence passes this reviewer’s litmus test for any author who writes a series: it’s time to go back and read the first three Serrailler books. After that, I’ll join the burgeoning Hill fan club that awaits the fifth Simon Serrailler novel. - Reviewed by Michael Lee

Susan Hill's The Vows of Silence in the Midwest Book Review: "In Lafferton, a culprit uses a handgun to kill newlywed Melanie Drew in her apartment. Soon after that a sniper uses a rifle to shoot into a crowd standing outside a nightclub. Next a gun is fired killing a mother standing with her infant. The seemingly random killings have the townsfolk frightened and panicked. Lafferton Police Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler and his unit see no ties beyond the age and sex of the victims. The three homicides is made even more complicated by the use of two weapons. Simon wonders if two killers are stalking the streets yet keeps going back to the concept of a psychopathic serial killer. As he struggles with preventing the next murder, his sister Cat has health issues and his nephew is known for creative cheating at Scrabble. The police procedural subplot is well written, filled with suspense and has a red herring suspect, but the emotional intensity happens more to people in Simon's personal circle as he is the "watcher" even with Jane Fitzroy, a woman he is attracted to. The story line is fast-paced and Susan Hill effortlessly moves back and forth between the case (to include the killer's perspective) and Simon's personal life. British police procedural fans will enjoy Simon's not simple investigation and look for his previous caseload (The Various Haunts of Men, The Pure in Heart, and The Risk of Darkness).

The fourth installment of Susan Hill's magnificent series of novels featuring Simon Serrallier is coming in November from The Overlook Press. Booklist offers an early appraisal of The Vows of Silence in the September issue: "Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler is certain the murders taking place in the quiet English community of Laffterton are linked, but neither he nor the members of his investigative team are sure about the common element. In the meantime, the murderer remains on the loose, and he is more than happy to fill in the rationale behind his killing spree (if readers haven’t already guessed it) in occasional chapters that venture into his deluded mind. Complicating matters is an upcoming wedding at the local cathedral with guests of honor to include the Prince of Wales. Individuals familiar with Hill’s three previous books about laidback Chief Inspector Serrailler are the best audience for this fourth series entry, as familiarity with the characters will help sort out the family relationships (Simon’s as well as those of other characters in the town) that play a huge part in the story, constantly drawing on Simon’s attention as he looks for the killer. Fortunately, Hill does a good job balancing the interpersonal stories with the mystery, while adding to the mix a surprising, very credible overlay of deep emotion." -— Stephanie Zvirin

"Fans of the new breed of British psychological mysteries, a sub-genre that has been led for years now by Elizabeth George and P.D. James, will be thrilled to know there’s a new series to add to their reading lists: Susan Hill’s Simon Serrailler books. The Risk of Darkness is Detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler’s third literary excursion and it is a doozy. If you’re looking for a sleepy Sunday read, this is not it. This book is a tense, surprise-packed, complex, modern mystery masterpiece. DCI Serrailler is asked to assist in the investigation of a missing 8 year-old boy, a case very similar to one he had run into a dead-end on months before. When the unlikely culprit is caught, a number of lives are affected. This main plot is interwoven with that of Serrailler’s physician sister, Cat Deerborn, and a distraught young husband under her care. Like the best modern mystery writers, Ms. Hill doesn’t tie off every loose end—as in real life, questions stay unanswered and lives are left in unresolved shreds. Unaccustomed readers may be disconcerted by this; however, if this type of tale is your cup of tea, get ready to pour, drink, and enjoy." - Michelle Kerns, Sacramento Book Review

Eleanor Bukowsky offers glowing praise of Susan Hill's new mysery The Risk of Darkness on the terrific Mostly Fiction website: "Susan Hill's Simon Serrailler series is one of the most original, wrenching, and unforgettable of all the police procedurals to come out of England. In The Risk of Darkness, the writing and dialogue are as sharp as ever, and the fast-paced narrative is absolutely mesmerizing. All of the characters are superbly delineated, from the main character to those who make only brief appearances. Simon has many admirable qualities: He is devoted to his sister and mother; he is a dedicated office of the law; and he is an extremely gifted artist. Unfortunately, he is also self-centered, reclusive, and cold towards those women unlucky enough to fall in love with him. . . .In The Risk of Darkness, Susan Hill explores many thought-provoking themes that she introduced in her earlier works: What is the nature of evil? How can the loss of a loved one bring a person to the brink of despair? What price do homicide detectives pay for their exposure, day after day, to the worst offenses that human beings can commit? Is there any way that true justice can be meted out to child murderers? How do members of families and communities support and, in some cases, undermine one another? The author challenges us to shake off our complacency and take a hard look at the harsh realities of our contemporary world. One may quibble that The Risk of Darkness has too much heartbreak and too little joy. That may be true, but the book's strengths compensate for the sadness that the story generates. Fans of Simon Serrailler will eagerly await the release of the next installment, The Vows of Silence."

Susan Hill's third mystery novel featuring Simon Serrailler and the English cathedral town of Lafferton, The Risk of Darkness, gets a starred review in the current issue of Booklist: "Hill is a prolific and gifted writer who has tackled multiple genres, but she may do her best work in crime fiction, as illustrated by her gripping series featuring Detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler. In his latest outing, the enigmatic Serrailler faces his most challenging case yet when a young boy is kidnapped while waiting for the school bus. It’s as if the boy has vanished from the face of the earth – no one saw him being abducted, there are no clues, and eight months later, the case is still unsolved. Then another child vanishes in similar circumstances. But this time there is a witness who not only sees the make of the kidnapper’s car but also catches part of the license-plate number. As if the main story line isn’t gripping enough, Hill adds several riveting subplots that, rather than detracting from the main story, add to it. This is an outstanding crime thriller from one of Britain’s best writers. Taut, inventive, tragic, intriguing, and full of unexpected twists, it’s a must-have for all mystery collections.” – Emily Melton (starred review)

Nick Owchar's "Siren's Call" column in The Los Angeles Times features the unlikely pairing of Susan Hill, author of The Man in the Picture and the forthcomimg The Risk of Darkness and the great H.P. Lovecraft. Looking at Hill's rceent ghost story The Man in the Picture, Owchar asserts: "Hill's story is a clear descendant of Henry James' ghost stories and their familiar elements -- the narrator with an odd tale to tell, the English infatuation with Italy, even the hearth fire -- without feeling derivative; and the use of so many hoary, gothic cliches (a hidden painting whose image alters under a supernatural hand) is a cross between "Dorian Gray" and "The Twilight Zone."And yet the terrain feels fresh and all Hill's own. . . Hill is a successful mystery writer living in England who also owns a small publishing house. A writer noted for her psychological detective stories -- The Risk of Darkness, featuring inspector Simon Serrailler, will be published next month -- she seems the model of that writer who has a serene, bookish, rustic life (she and her Shakespeare scholar husband live in the North Cotswold countryside) while her prose is full of violent, unsettled passions and disturbing situations."