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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:
"I had never thought of writing crime novels because to me those had always meant ‘detective stories’ and although I enjoyed reading them, I knew I would be no good at the problem-solving sort of story with a series of dropped clues and a surprise ending. But the crime novel has become a serious literary genre over the last few decades and I realised that it presented the sort of challenge I wanted.
My aim was to look at issues in the world around me and contemporary life – which I have not done in my novels before. I also wanted to know not ‘who dunnit’ but much more importantly, WHY? What motivates a criminal? Why does someone murder and perhaps not only once?
Various real crimes interested me, I talked to psychiatrists, police, doctors and gradually worked my way towards the first book.
I also wanted to make sure that the victim or victims is someone about whom the reader can care. The ‘body in the library’ at the beginning of a story is just that – a body, not a real character. But if we have got to know the victims, even a little, then we find their murder more moving, distressing, involving - we care about them, as readers.
I wanted to follow the successful formula of many contemporary crime writers of having one main detective – and some other regular characters – and also to anchor the stories in one place, even if other places are visited during the course of one book.
So, Lafferton, a Cathedral city somewhere in the South of England, came into being. I am often asked if it is based on a real place. No, but if you think of places like Exeter or Salisbury you are on the right lines.
The Detective is Simon Serrailler, a Chief Inspector in the first book, later promoted to Detective Chief Superintendent. Members of his own family also appear in all the books – his parents, both retired doctors, his sister Cat and her husband Chris, both GPs, and their children.
Although the novels follow in chronologoical order, each one can be read independently."
In paperback from Overlook: The Various Haunts of Men, The Pure in Heart, The Risk of Darkness. Just Released in Hardcover: The Vows of Silence.
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
While preparing for a posh London exhibit of his drawings, Simon is called to join a team searching for a number of children who have been abducted near his village of Lafferton. A suspect is quickly detained, but the evidence is scant. As Simon mentors the team through the investigation, violence rattles the village further as a young widower, crazy with grief, takes the new Anglican priest hostage. The handsome and enigmatic detective is instantly attracted to this feisty lady cleric, who ruffles his reserve and just might break his heart. Hill blends just the right measures of darkness, tension, and human interest. Her consistently well-crafted plot and believable characters make this a welcome addition to the series. Highly recommended.”
— Library Journal (STARRED)LIBRARY JOURNAL
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."
The Richmond Times-Dispatch has a great idea for a Christmas stocking stuffer: "Susan Hill knows how to tell a ghost story, and The Man in the Picture is a stylish little gem that's creative in conception and traditional in execution. Hill masterfully builds the dread as she lays out the story, but she never oversteps the bounds of edginess into excess. With a refined touch that other authors should envy, she makes this elegant story sing by melding the ethos of the traditional ghost story with the assurance of a contemporary prose artist."
New in paperback this month is Susan Hill's The Various Haunts of Men, introducing readers the enigmatic detective Simon Serrailer and the cathedral town of Lafferton. Rich in psychological complexity, The Various Haunts of Men has drawn comparisons to the best works of Ruth Rendell and P.D. James. The sequel, The Pure in Heart, was released last year, and Overlook will publish Susan Hill's beloved ghost story, The Man in the Picture, in October 2008.
The Class of 2k8 is a website launched to introduced 27 new middle grade and young adult novels from 27 debut authors, all being published in 2008. This is one way to discover some new middle-grade or YA authors that you might not have found so quickly on your own. It looks like there are some great reads here.
YA author Justine Larbalestier posted a lovely rant on her blog called Cranky about what it’s like to be a YA author whose edgy books have something in them that one person or another objects to–bits of darkness or pain, language, etc. Larbalestier’s post is entertaining and informative, and I think it’ll interest not only other YA writers, but also readers.
Larbalestier blows away the myth that YA writers write bleak/dark/edgy YA fiction–or fiction that has some drugs, sex, or swearing–just to be shocking, or for marketing. She writes: “Newsflash: the inclusion of swearing and sex and drugs and the other things that render YA books less than squeaky often, nay, usually, has the opposite effect. Book clubs won’t pick them up, Wal-mart and Target won’t stock them, nor will many school libraries, and lots of conservative parents won’t let their teens buy them.” Of course, some edgy YA books do sell well, as Larbalestier pointed out, but “The YA writers I know think long and hard about including anything “controversial” because nine times out of ten it will reduce their sales, not increase them.”
I really like Larbalestier’s honesty. And I find it strange that some people would attack edgy YA fiction. We need all kinds of books–light and dark, funny and sad, fantasy and reality–and readers are free to choose what appeals to them, what they need at the time. There are teens right now going through painful experiences, to varying degrees. Some will want to turn to a voice that understands them, a book that offers them validation, lets them know they are not alone, and others will want to turn to something that takes them completely outside their world and experience. Both are valid.
I went through some pretty awful abuse growing up–and books were the safest place I could turn to. Books saved me. Edgy realistic AND fantasy. I needed them both. And I know I hope that other teens, now, find that same place to turn to–books. So Larbalestier’s rant makes me feel good on many levels. As a reader. As a writer. Thank you, Justine!
Angieville has created a fantastic list of Top Ten Kick-A** Heroines of YA Literature. She includes many strong girl protagonists that I would have chosen myself, and that first came to my mind when I saw the subject, including Alanna of Trebond from Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness)
by Tamora Pierce (I love that book!); Dicey Tillerman
from Dicey’s Song
by Cynthia Voigt (another of my favorites!); Meg Murry from A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L’Engle (you guessed it–another of my favourites!); and more.
I really want to read the one or two books from Angieville’s list that I don’t know, since I love almost all the books she’s featured here. I love her taste! Needless to say, I’ve now added Angieville to my blog readings.
I would add Tish from When She Hollers
(she stops her stepfather from sexually abusing her); Max from Maximum Ride: School’s Out Forever
(she protects her “flock” and fights back against the people who experimented on them); and Ann Tucker from Tin Can Tucker
(she chases down her dream of being a rodeo champion and finds a family in the process). I know there’s more, but they’re not coming to my mind right now.
I think it’s so important to have strong female characters in books, so that girls and women can absorb those messages, and not just the victim, prostitute, or other stereotyped and harmful female roles in the media. We need to see revel in strong girls. We need to believe in ourselves.
Head on over to Angieville to check out her great post and some fantastic reads!
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:
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Thanks for stopping in, Cheryl. I’m going to put your suggestions on my TBR stack. They sound like girls I need to get to know.
Oh, good; I’m glad! They’re great books. I loved so many of the books you listed.