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When Simon Serrailler was a rookie constable with the Met, he did something reckless in the course of a night's work which caused a man's death. But his act was praised by his colleagues and he was called a hero.

Years later, now a Detective Chief Superintendent who has been badly injured in the course of duty, he receives a medal for bravery at Buckingham Palace, while recollecting that fateful night of his early career, when chance disguised itself as bravery.

26 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 12, 2016

90 people are currently reading
468 people want to read

About the author

Susan Hill

180 books2,271 followers
Susan Hill was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire in 1942. Her hometown was later referred to in her novel A Change for the Better (1969) and some short stories especially "Cockles and Mussels".

She attended Scarborough Convent School, where she became interested in theatre and literature. Her family left Scarborough in 1958 and moved to Coventry where her father worked in car and aircraft factories. Hill states that she attended a girls’ grammar school, Barr's Hill. Her fellow pupils included Jennifer Page, the first Chief Executive of the Millennium Dome. At Barrs Hill she took A levels in English, French, History and Latin, proceeding to an English degree at King's College London. By this time she had already written her first novel, The Enclosure which was published by Hutchinson in her first year at university. The novel was criticised by The Daily Mail for its sexual content, with the suggestion that writing in this style was unsuitable for a "schoolgirl".

Her next novel Gentleman and Ladies was published in 1968. This was followed in quick succession by A Change for the Better, I'm the King of the Castle, The Albatross and other stories, Strange Meeting, The Bird of Night, A Bit of Singing and Dancing and In the Springtime of Year, all written and published between 1968 and 1974.

In 1975 she married Shakespeare scholar Stanley Wells and they moved to Stratford upon Avon. Their first daughter, Jessica, was born in 1977 and their second daughter, Clemency, was born in 1985. Hill has recently founded her own publishing company, Long Barn Books, which has published one work of fiction per year.

Librarian's Note: There is more than one author by this name.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
Profile Image for Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while).
2,633 reviews2,472 followers
February 1, 2020
EXCERPT: So quickly over, Everyone remembers the same thing, he thought. The warm smile, the flash of the diamond brooch, her small stature. Over in a second. The military and the police came last, so there was a long wait in the line that ran down the long corridor. Just ahead of Serrailler, a young soldier, aged 22 and looking 14. Wheelchair. No legs. One arm. Neck brace. Victoria Cross. Hearing what this boy had done, Simon felt fraudulent. Another soldier, receiving the MC, another act of astonishing bravery. Fraud, he thought again, fraud. What did you do? Your job. Nothing out of the way. Nothing to come near this.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: When Simon Serrailler was a rookie constable with the Met, he did something reckless in the course of a night's work which caused a man's death. But his act was praised by his colleagues and he was called a hero.

Years later, now a Detective Chief Superintendent who has been badly injured in the course of duty, he receives a medal for bravery at Buckingham Palace, while recollecting that fateful night of his early career, when chance disguised itself as bravery.

MY THOUGHTS: This was a wonderful little lunchtime read as I sat in the Japanese Gardens in town, glad to be out of my office and in the sunshine and fresh air for an hour. A nice 'fill-in' between novels eight and nine, both of which I have read, in the Simon Serrailler series.

There is nothing about Simon's family in this short story, other than lunching with them following the award ceremony. Instead it is a reflection on his career, and an insight into how he sees himself. Written with Hill's usual flair, it is a useful and interesting addition to the series.

In the publicity blurb for Hero, it says that #9 in the series, The Soul of Discretion, was to be the last in the Serrailler series. I am so glad that Susan Hill changed her mind and went on to write the tenth book, The Benefit of Hindsight. And she has left the way open for more to come.

****

THE AUTHOR: She attended Scarborough Convent School, where she became interested in theatre and literature. Her family left Scarborough in 1958 and moved to Coventry where her father worked in car and aircraft factories. Hill states that she attended a girls’ grammar school, Barr's Hill. Her fellow pupils included Jennifer Page, the first Chief Executive of the Millennium Dome. At Barrs Hill she took A levels in English, French, History and Latin, proceeding to an English degree at King's College London. By this time she had already written her first novel, The Enclosure which was published by Hutchinson in her first year at university. The novel was criticised by The Daily Mail for its sexual content, with the suggestion that writing in this style was unsuitable for a "schoolgirl".

Her next novel Gentleman and Ladies was published in 1968. This was followed in quick succession by A Change for the Better, I'm the King of the Castle, The Albatross and other stories, Strange Meeting, The Bird of Night, A Bit of Singing and Dancing and In the Springtime of Year, all written and published between 1968 and 1974.

In 1975 she married Shakespeare scholar Stanley Wells and they moved to Stratford upon Avon. Their first daughter, Jessica, was born in 1977 and their second daughter, Clemency, was born in 1985. Hill has recently founded her own publishing company, Long Barn Books, which has published one work of fiction per year.

DISCLOSURE: I own my copy of Hero (Simon Serrailler series #8.6) by Susan Hill and published by Long Barn Books. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page, or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Profile Image for Brenda.
725 reviews142 followers
August 15, 2019
Eight novels and two short stories and now I know how to pronounce Serrailler.
Profile Image for Richard.
2,321 reviews196 followers
May 21, 2017
Simon Serrailler is a thinking police officer who hasn't always made the correct decision. Ironically, he has been awarded one of the highest medals for police officers and has to go to the Palace to receive his gong. His family is proud, and, not unrealistically, view him as a hero.
He is moved by the ceremony and despite being severely injured in the line of duty sees himself more of a fraud, especially in the light of the soldiers brutally mutilated serving their country and demonstrating great courage to save fallen comrades.
He says goodbye to his family to walk around the capital where he first served in the Met as a rookie.
In his reflective state in a cafe his mind goes back to his early days in the police force where he acted more on instinct than experience and a better judgement. In the process, he reviews the many changes that have happened during his time in the police. How many incidents could be seen differently in the modern force and why perhaps the label of hero can never fit easily with him.
Susan Hill writes economically and with great passion. In the character of Simon Serrailler she has produced a humble man who her readers can identify with, and find comfort and ease in all of his actions. Does this make him a hero?
Profile Image for Amy.
153 reviews2 followers
August 17, 2025
Audiobook. Didn’t realise how short this would be 🤣
Profile Image for Clare .
851 reviews47 followers
July 4, 2016
I only discovered the Simon Serrailer series last year, so I was lucky enough to read all 8 books of the series.

At the end of book 8 Simon Serrailer was badly injured after working undercover. I thought that book would be the last in the series so when Hero was released I had to buy it.

Serrailer is still on sick leave recovering from his injuries. Although he lost arm he has been told he can return to work. Meanwhile, his sister Cat has married Chief Superintendent Kieron Bright, Simon's boss.

Serrailer has been awarded the Queens Police Medal for bravery. Simon, Cat and nephew Sam go to Buckingham Palace to receive the award. After the ceremony Simon feels a fraud because he was only doing his duty. He reminisces about another time when was hailed a hero when he was a young PC with the Met.

Hero is a very story at 25 pages but it was nice to see what happened to Serrailer and his family. I hope the Serrailer series will continue even with Simon's injuries.

Profile Image for Mike.
302 reviews14 followers
October 22, 2016
I have not read any of the books in Simon Serrailer series, but came across this via Audible.com. But despite the lack of exposure to any of the characters or back stories I had no trouble following the story. It was an exciting action packed story reflecting on how one's actions can be perceived as heroic by some and tragic and shameful by others. It also touched upon the tough calls that men in uniform make when faced with a situation. I highly recommend this story.
1,545 reviews9 followers
December 25, 2021
Obsessed with order I really have no idea why it was placed here which made me enjoy it less. A short story
Profile Image for ladydusk.
583 reviews279 followers
June 17, 2024
Some existential angst about heroism, but well done.
Profile Image for Ronald Keeler.
846 reviews37 followers
November 12, 2016
This is a Kindle Short that I downloaded through Kindle Unlimited (KU).

Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Serrailler is to receive a medal for bravery from the Queen of England. While in preparation for receiving his medal, he sees others medal awardees and feels all of them are more deserving than him. After leaving the medals ceremony, Simon walks through an area of London he patrolled as a new PC. He recalls an incident that occurred in his first year when he was first called a hero. He had been involved in an incident of a jewelry store robbery. The thieves had not been caught but Simon had briefly glanced at the face of one of the thieves who had fled on foot. Simon gave chase but lost the trail of the thief. A few days later, while off duty, he sighted the man again and gave chase. The thief tried to use the roofs of buildings to get away and fell through a glass roof of a mall. Falling several stories to a marble ground floor, he was killed. Simon felt guilty about the loss of human life even though the thief was a career criminal with a long record.

Simon was treated as a hero for his off-duty adventure. He was fast-tracked and promoted into the DI (Detective Inspector) ranks. He continued in his career, a career that was now more paperwork than street work. There must have been other dangerous assignments along the way. There had to be some reason for the missing arm.

The big point of this short story is that Simon would never have called himself a hero. He would call himself lucky.

The writing of this short story is good. I must find more of Susan Hill’s writing to discover what happened to Simon.
Profile Image for Nicole.
398 reviews
July 4, 2017
Well, I'm not sure what this was other than to provide some closure for Simon's story. I read the last novel in the series and, like others, couldn't wait for the next. I thought it was perhaps the very best of the whole series. But then . . . it appeared (still appears, I guess) that The Soul of Discretion was the last Simon Serrailler novel. So this short seems to provide some "afterword" for those who were upset with the cliffhanger ending of the last novel.

The story itself here is fine. It's short and provides a glimpse into Simon's backstory. But more importantly, it shows his readers he survived and what his injuries are; it shows his struggles with how/if he can continue with his work; and it shows what happens to his sister (no mention of his father, though, I don't think).

Oh, and we have him-repeatedly--telling people how to pronounce his name correctly: [suh-RAIL-uh]. I could have sworn, though, I read in one of the earlier books that it was pronounced without the French pronunciation. Oh well--maybe he got tired of telling people the correct pronunciation over the years!

I will miss this series terribly and wish Susan Hill would consider reviving it, at least one more time.
Profile Image for Eleanor.
350 reviews63 followers
November 1, 2016
Heartbroken knowing that Susan Hill's magnificent Simon Serrailler series was at an end, I was delighted when a fellow fan gave me a head's up about this ebook-only "crumb" from Hill. This marks just the second book I've read in this format, and while I still most decidedly do not like the experience of reading this way, one does what one must.

Hill continues Serrailler's story a bit and offers us reassurance that despite the devastating injury he suffered at the end of The Soul of Discretion, Serrailler has been able to soldier on. But perhaps even more illuminating is Hill's clearing up once and for all exactly how one says "Serrailler." Trust me; after years of selling this series, this was the question we fielded most often.

Hill packs a lot of gravitas into this short story, and I was glad to put my worries about Simon to rest.
Profile Image for Pam Tickner.
822 reviews8 followers
October 25, 2019
3 1/2 stars. I thought this was a stand alone and didn't realise it was the end of a series. Whilst not knowing any of the background of how Serrailler lost his arm and why he was receiving a bravery award, the short story holds it own on a reflection of what makes a hero. Is it because you are just doing your job, albeit a more dangerous job than most? Does one brave act counter earlier mistakes? Very thought provoking.
Profile Image for Herdis Brandstrup.
4 reviews2 followers
August 15, 2016
The final chapter?

I really hope this is not the end for Simon Serrailler. I have so loved the series, I want it to go on.

I was happy to learn of one loose end tied, not telling which.
Please, Ms. Hill reconsider. There must be at least one more book.
Profile Image for Andrea.
814 reviews1 follower
November 21, 2024
excellent writing

I’m surprised I haven’t read anything by Susan Hill before now. Evidently there are lots of books in her series about Simon Serrailler. I thought I would try a sample before plunging into the series of novels. Her detective is a thoughtful character, and it is interesting to follow his train of thought as he tracks down a criminal. This story is set in London, and it is well realized. It seems that Simon does not stay in London, but has his detective career elsewhere. I will check out the first book in her series (hoping he moves to Scotland).
Profile Image for Joan.
2,208 reviews
September 17, 2016
WOW. I mean WOW!

Having been told by Susan Hill that after The Soul of Discretion, there would be no further Simon Serrailler books I was absolutely thrilled to find this. And what a joy of a short story although there are still numerous questions left unanswered! But this managed to answer at least one major question and eased some of my worries about Simon ;)

He has been an absolute joy to read. I do hope we might be treated to another novel in the not too distant future???

Please??

Edited: Apparently Susan Hill is not finished with Simon - she plans to write more short stories starring him. Great news!
Profile Image for Lisa Clift.
482 reviews5 followers
February 16, 2018
It's useful to know what has happened to Simon after the catastrophic events of book 8, but he's still a bit of a smug git. As usual, Hill has jumped ahead quite significantly in the time line, so I hope she addresses some of the questions that arise from this short story. There was something a bit twee about this one, what was presumably meant to be stoic and heroic and brave just came across a little mawkish and sentimental.
44 reviews
July 8, 2016
Short story Hero?

A short story about Simon Serralier and the start and the present of his police career. Simon has lost an arm and is being presented with the Queen's Police Medal. This takes him back to the earliest days of his days of his career. Leaves more questions to be answered. Terrific
Profile Image for Lisa Blair.
Author 8 books61 followers
January 26, 2017
A young policeman who foolishly chases a criminal and it leads to the criminals demise. The policeman expects correction, but is instead heralded a hero. He tries to reconcile the two discrepancies.

A well written short story on what law enforcement faces internally and externally. Interesting and captivating.
Profile Image for Bella.
80 reviews2 followers
September 25, 2018
If you are a fan of Simon Serrailler books, this is a good quick read. But be warned just because the blurb goes on about Simon Serrailler's early career it's not some sort of prequal to The Various Haunts of Men, which I have only just read. So now know more than I wanted to about DI Serrailler's future
Profile Image for Jo Ann.
1,062 reviews5 followers
September 4, 2016
4.5 Please tell me this isn't the end of the Serrailler series!!!!! This is one of my top detective reads and I would be so sad to see this fantastic series come to an end. Ms Hill packs a lot into the 25 pages of Hero. Her prose, as always, are a joy to read.
Profile Image for Ann.
1,720 reviews
April 27, 2018
Short story that gives some background on Simon . . . . no real plot or mystery to solve, just the relating of an incident that informs his overall approach to police work. No loss of continuity if you skip it.
Profile Image for Phyllida.
989 reviews4 followers
December 21, 2016
It was good to get up to date with Simon Serailler but too short. It would have been good to have a longer read.
Profile Image for Jane Wynne.
697 reviews5 followers
January 24, 2017
A very short story about a time when Simon was a rookie policeman in the Met Police. Tightly written, a good tale.
Profile Image for Sharon.
1,896 reviews
October 14, 2017
Always a pleasure, short but gives some detail as to Simon’s earlier police career and one of the incidents that shaped his career.
Profile Image for Penny.
379 reviews39 followers
August 17, 2018
Did I miss something? There's a host of important events that have happened that I haven't read of in the earlier books - still can't wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Laura.
300 reviews7 followers
August 28, 2018
A novella exploring Simon Serrailer’s early days. It was interesting to learn how an early incident may have informed who he later became.
Profile Image for Samantha.
Author 36 books161 followers
September 18, 2020
I downloaded this book to listen to, hoping for an introduction to this character and series, having read other work by Susan Hill and quite enjoyed it. I'm guessing that the story would have meant more to me if I had already read some of the others in the series. Coming to it cold, as I did, it is a somewhat touching story, but I feel like it should have been more poignant than it came across for me.

Still, I was interested enough that I will try and make my space in my TBR for more Simon Serrailler in the future, so I think this short story did its job :-)
Profile Image for Margot.
328 reviews6 followers
March 30, 2023
I listened to this audio-book because Barbara gave it a pretty good review and mentioned she was going through the series for a second time and enjoying it very much.

When I looked at the series, wanting to start at the begining, I was under the impression that this title was a short story informing the reader about what happened at the begining of Simon Serrailler's career as a police officer.

Now I find it classified as book 8.6 (.6???) but I don't think it should influence my reading experience. It was a very quick listen and now I have started book 1.
1 review1 follower
July 29, 2020
This is a nice short read that gives some back story to the development of Simon Serrailer’s character.

Susan Hill, as usual, does a good job with her descriptions of places, scenes and so on.

But it is very brief. And there is a big error in describing sunshine (at the end) at a time when it should have been dark based on previous info given in the story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews

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