When Susan Hill first introduced us to the city of Lafferton, to its meticulously crafted cast of characters, and to its chief police inspector Simon Serrailler, readers went wild. When it was released in hardcover, The Various Haunts of Men was named a BookSense Pick and was immediately on the must-read list of every mystery fan. Now out in paperback, Hill’s intricate and pulse-pounding novel … will reach an even wider audience.
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Easiest way to write this review is a list of what I loved:
1. The writing is fabulous. The details are vivid. This is definitely a highly atmospheric novel that makes you feel as if you are a resident in the town of Lafferton.
2. The characterizations are wonderful. The reader gets a good sense of each person in the book. Beyond that, Hill isn’t afraid to push boundaries. She intentionally makes some characters unlikeable and I loved that. It made me want to get to know more about them. There are ideas touched upon in this book that I feel certain will have to be addressed in later books in the series.
3. The subject matter of the book is interesting. The detectives think their killer may be a practitioner of alternative medicine. Hill touches upon the pros and cons of various practices which I liked. I also found the subject of psychic surgery very intriguing.
4. Hill writes the book true to life. The things that happen in the book are how I would perceive them to happen in real life. She definitely doesn’t hold back which made the book a true page turner.
5. I wasn’t really sure who the murderer was until over half way through the book. Hill gave away a little bit of info at a time. There seemed to be just enough to keep the reader guessing and then even when you are pretty sure you know, a small bit of doubt would creep in.
6. Finally, the book has elements of mystery, a touch of romance, and even a bit of psychology to entertain and delight the reader.
A woman vanishes in the fog up on the Hill in Lafferton. The police have one lead – a pair of expensive cuff-links found in her flat, with a mysterious note attached to them. Then a young girl, an old man and even a dog disappear in quick succession in exactly the same place. Young policewoman Freya Graffham and Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler are given the task of unravelling the mystery.
A well written series starter, I’ve been collecting this series for a while & am now delving in. I wasn’t disappointed, the characters have depth & are well portrayed, I can’t say that I loved them but I did like them & found them interesting & would have thought Simon would have had a larger part. The book started slowly & the pace gradually increased, it did hold my interest all the way & I do look forward to continuing the series even though the end wasn’t as I expected
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
This is an amazing series, though occasionally it is structured as if written by someone who knows nothing of crime fiction conventions. Plots slip over from book to book and the characters take wings – they really lead the action. In case anyone is worried, there is no supernatural element here, which Hill does so well in her other books but which some people detest in crime fiction. Serrallier is a very damaged individual but his sister Cat is delightful and anchors the series. The writing is wonderful, and stays with you.