A lonely woman of 53 vanishes in fog - hidden in her cupboard is an expensive pair of cuff-links with a note: 'To You, with all possible love from your devoted, Me'. A fat 22-year-old never returns from an early morning walk - is her disappearance connected with her girlish crush on Dava, the blue-eyed 'therapist' whose speciality is 'inner harmony'? Experienced policemen know that most missing persons either turn up or go missing on purpose. But fresh young D. S. Freya Graffham won't drop it - until she discovers what ...
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A lonely woman of 53 vanishes in fog - hidden in her cupboard is an expensive pair of cuff-links with a note: 'To You, with all possible love from your devoted, Me'. A fat 22-year-old never returns from an early morning walk - is her disappearance connected with her girlish crush on Dava, the blue-eyed 'therapist' whose speciality is 'inner harmony'? Experienced policemen know that most missing persons either turn up or go missing on purpose. But fresh young D. S. Freya Graffham won't drop it - until she discovers what links the people who disappear on 'The Hill', young and old, men and women, even a little dog. Susan Hill writes with compassion, humour and a unique understanding of the details of daily life. In 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 - the local GPs, the exceedingly dodgy surgeon, the grieving widow who is helped through the ritual of Christmas by her kindly neighbour, the down-to-earth flatmate, the unhappy wife who fills her days with charity work - and the tall blond police officer, Simon, who stands at the centre of an ordinary world in which gruesome things go on in lock-up business units?
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Add this copy of The Various Haunts of Men to cart. $37.61, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Chatto & Windus.
I would compare this author to the English writer Martha Grimes in her ability to capture the English character and landscape. This book was recommended by a friend and once I started it I couldn't put it down. Neither could she.
Susan Hill has written a slew of books but this is the first in the Serailler English mystery series of which there are now four, at least in the US. Serailler is thoughtful and unique. He is one of triplets His character is deep and well defined. All the characters in this book draw you into their story.
On the other hand, Serailler doesn't enter the story until the book is half over, tho he is mentioned. The ending is exciting and makes you want to continue the series.
Be willing to put aside a good night's sleep-there's no good place to stop reading!
lindacat
Jan 18, 2008
Simon Serralier Debut Mystery
The first in a trilogy of British mystery procedurals featuring Inspector Simon Serrallier combines fine story telling abilities as well as strength of plot and a cast of characters that make this a great read..A series of disappearances seem as if they must be related but the police are puzzled as to what ties them all together and what the fate of those citizens may be. There is no fairy tale ending here as it proves to be as unforgiving as the fates of the missing. You will want to follow Hill's next installment after this final shocker of an ending.
