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Simon Serrailler #1
The Various Haunts of Men
As the story begins, a lonely woman vanishes while out on her morning run. Then a 22-year-old girl never returns from a walk. An old man disappears too.
When fresh-faced policewoman Freya Graffham is assigned to the case, she runs the risk of getting too invested--too involved--in the action. Alongside the enigmatic detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrallier, she must unravel the mystery before events turn too gruesome.
Written with intelligence, compassion, and a knowing eye--in the tradition of the fabulous mysteries of Ruth Rendell and P.D. James--The Various Haunts of Men is an enthralling journey into the heart of a wonderfully developed town, and into the very mind of a killer.
When fresh-faced policewoman Freya Graffham is assigned to the case, she runs the risk of getting too invested--too involved--in the action. Alongside the enigmatic detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrallier, she must unravel the mystery before events turn too gruesome.
Written with intelligence, compassion, and a knowing eye--in the tradition of the fabulous mysteries of Ruth Rendell and P.D. James--The Various Haunts of Men is an enthralling journey into the heart of a wonderfully developed town, and into the very mind of a killer.
549 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2004
721 people are currently reading
11187 people want to read
About the author
Susan Hill
180 books2,274 followersSusan 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.
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 1,486 reviews
September 15, 2021
Having read the most recent addition to Susan Hill's Simon Serrailler series, I decided to reread the first in the series, feeling that through time that the series had changed, and whilst this is true to some extent, there is also so much that still feels so familiar. I have to say that I am still not particularly enamoured of Serrailler as a personality, although he remains a minor presence, we grasp more of who he is through the eyes of others, such as GP sister, Cat. DS Freya Graffham has the opportunity to begin life anew after troubling times in London, and she is settling in well. There a number of disappearances, disappearances that begin to consume her. There is a serial killer at large, and it takes some time for Serrailler to be convinced that the missing are something to be worried about. This was a mixed bag of a read, with pacing that shifted through the narrative. I was particularly not a fan of that horror of a ending!! Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to reread this.
October 27, 2021
3.5 stars rounded down. This book is rather long--549 pages. It opens with what is evidently a transcription of of a recording. It reads like a letter from someone to another person. Theses transcriptions are interspersed with events in the small town of Lafferton, England, from the perspective of various inhabitants.
Although the book is book 1 in the Simon Serrailler series, he is not the main character. DS Freya Graffham is actually the central character. She takes a missing person report from Carol Ashton. Carol is Angela Randall's supervisor at a nursing home. Angela has not reported for work for 4 days.
Carol says that Angela is her most reliable employee. When Freya visits Angela's home, she suspects that something is wrong. When more peolpe go missing, her superiors take her more seriously.
They don't know it, but there is a serial killer in town, who does not make his appearance until 200 pages into the book. This book is as much a character study of life in small town England as it is a mystery. I prefer my mysteries to be a little faster moving than this book. It took me 11 days to read it.
However, if you like cozy mysteries with no graphic violence and no foul language, then you may like this book.
One quote: "A nut feeder hung at the window from which blue tits came to eat with little, darting movements and bright watchful eyes, before flitting off again. The garden was well tended, with a rookery down which a small waterfall ran into a pool. A contented life, Freya thought, the old fashioned life still lived by so many people up and down the country in ordinary places..."
I received this book in an exchange with my GR friend Theresa.
Although the book is book 1 in the Simon Serrailler series, he is not the main character. DS Freya Graffham is actually the central character. She takes a missing person report from Carol Ashton. Carol is Angela Randall's supervisor at a nursing home. Angela has not reported for work for 4 days.
Carol says that Angela is her most reliable employee. When Freya visits Angela's home, she suspects that something is wrong. When more peolpe go missing, her superiors take her more seriously.
They don't know it, but there is a serial killer in town, who does not make his appearance until 200 pages into the book. This book is as much a character study of life in small town England as it is a mystery. I prefer my mysteries to be a little faster moving than this book. It took me 11 days to read it.
However, if you like cozy mysteries with no graphic violence and no foul language, then you may like this book.
One quote: "A nut feeder hung at the window from which blue tits came to eat with little, darting movements and bright watchful eyes, before flitting off again. The garden was well tended, with a rookery down which a small waterfall ran into a pool. A contented life, Freya thought, the old fashioned life still lived by so many people up and down the country in ordinary places..."
I received this book in an exchange with my GR friend Theresa.
January 13, 2013
I loved Susan Hill's The Woman in Black, and so I was excited to read this first book in a series of hers. I will concede that Susan Hill is an excellent writer, and as a mystery, this book was indeed well written. However, I ended up feeling sucker punched by the ending, not something that endears a book to me. Also, it's a Simon Serrailler series, but he was more of a minor, inconsequential character in this story. I was quite taken with the character of Freya Graffham, and I actually would have loved a series about her rather than the flat Simon Serrailler character. I felt that the author betrayed me by gaining my investment in certain characters of this story and then knocking the legs out from under me with her insistence that anything less than a tragically unhappy ending would be beneath her. The killer's last victim seemed to be a gratuitous throw-in of the author wanting to shock us one last time. I don't often react angrily to a book, but this one just made me mad at the end. I doubt that I will pick up the next in the series.
March 10, 2019
I was surprised that I liked this book so much. The beginning was slow; probably the first half was devoted to introducing and developing characters. As an older publication, the book represents a different time when books were not rushed to a twisted ending. So, I was prepared for the slower pace. Halfway through the book, though, the pace picked up a bit and I was thoroughly invested right to the end.
Although labeled a “Simon Serrailler” book, the lead character is DS Freya Graffham. Freya is newly divorced and has left London to become a new resident of Lafferton. She’s finding happiness in Lafferton; her home is perfect, she loves her job, she’s making friends, she’s taking up hobbies that she dropped to please her now ex-husband. At work, she’s sensing something more sinister in a missing persons case.
Ultimately, there’s three missing women and they are well developed characters, as are their closest friends. We meet Simon briefly at first and then later in the book, and he is a puzzle. He is one of a set of triplets, but very unlike either sibling. We meet his family, who for generations have been doctors, and Simon has displeased his father by becoming a detective.
I enjoyed this book so much that immediately after closing the cover, I ordered the second book in the series from the library. This is an author whose writing appeals to me, and I really want to read more of this series.
Although labeled a “Simon Serrailler” book, the lead character is DS Freya Graffham. Freya is newly divorced and has left London to become a new resident of Lafferton. She’s finding happiness in Lafferton; her home is perfect, she loves her job, she’s making friends, she’s taking up hobbies that she dropped to please her now ex-husband. At work, she’s sensing something more sinister in a missing persons case.
Ultimately, there’s three missing women and they are well developed characters, as are their closest friends. We meet Simon briefly at first and then later in the book, and he is a puzzle. He is one of a set of triplets, but very unlike either sibling. We meet his family, who for generations have been doctors, and Simon has displeased his father by becoming a detective.
I enjoyed this book so much that immediately after closing the cover, I ordered the second book in the series from the library. This is an author whose writing appeals to me, and I really want to read more of this series.
July 29, 2018
This is well written and kept me engaged, although I got confused many times by the author's introduction of yet another new character. We are allowed inside their thoughts which is intriguing, but seemed like window dressing as most of them are not integral to the plot.
There is a prolonged discussion too about illness and about the pros and cons of medical doctors versus holistic and alternate therapists. All of which was again not necessary to the story, but was interesting.
The worst thing this writer does is break with traditional story lines and kill off the main detective that you have grown to admire and sympathize with. This is subtitled a Simon Serrailler mystery, but he was barely mentioned in the text, all we are told about him is he is handsome, cold, artistic, and competent at his job as head of police.
There is a prolonged discussion too about illness and about the pros and cons of medical doctors versus holistic and alternate therapists. All of which was again not necessary to the story, but was interesting.
The worst thing this writer does is break with traditional story lines and kill off the main detective that you have grown to admire and sympathize with. This is subtitled a Simon Serrailler mystery, but he was barely mentioned in the text, all we are told about him is he is handsome, cold, artistic, and competent at his job as head of police.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2008
THE VARIOUS HAUNTS OF MEN (Pol. Proc-DS Freya Graffam-England-Cont) – NR
Hill, Susan – 1st in series
Chatto & Windus, 2004, UK Hardcover – ISBN: 185619714x
First Sentence: Last week I found a letter from you.
In a small English cathedral town, a 53-year-old single woman disappears while on her daily run on “The Hill.” DS Freya Graffam searches the woman’s cottage for clues and finds a hidden present; a pair of expensive cufflinks and a note saying “To You, with all possible love from your devoted, Me.” It is surprising as no one knew the woman had been seeing any one. As Freya investigates, she also finds a number of other people who have disappeared from “The Hill” as well.
I was annoyed by this book almost from the first page. I felt drowned in a minutia of detail which had no real relevance to the plot. There are too many strands to the plot, many of which are just left hanging at the end.
Many of the characters begin as interesting but, again, fade off to nothing. This is supposed to be a “Simon Serrailler” book, but his presence in the story is negligible.
The subject of conventional versus non-conventional medicine could have been interesting but becomes rambling instead. The book is overlong and I lost interest about half-way through the book and skimmed from there on until toward the end.
I was underwhelmed by the killer’s motive and annoyed to have the killer revealed significantly before the end of the book. The end of this book was one that moved it into the category of a wall-banger for me.
This book has been sitting on my shelf since 2004. I regret having wasted the time to read it and even more, wasted the money to buy it.
Hill, Susan – 1st in series
Chatto & Windus, 2004, UK Hardcover – ISBN: 185619714x
First Sentence: Last week I found a letter from you.
In a small English cathedral town, a 53-year-old single woman disappears while on her daily run on “The Hill.” DS Freya Graffam searches the woman’s cottage for clues and finds a hidden present; a pair of expensive cufflinks and a note saying “To You, with all possible love from your devoted, Me.” It is surprising as no one knew the woman had been seeing any one. As Freya investigates, she also finds a number of other people who have disappeared from “The Hill” as well.
I was annoyed by this book almost from the first page. I felt drowned in a minutia of detail which had no real relevance to the plot. There are too many strands to the plot, many of which are just left hanging at the end.
Many of the characters begin as interesting but, again, fade off to nothing. This is supposed to be a “Simon Serrailler” book, but his presence in the story is negligible.
The subject of conventional versus non-conventional medicine could have been interesting but becomes rambling instead. The book is overlong and I lost interest about half-way through the book and skimmed from there on until toward the end.
I was underwhelmed by the killer’s motive and annoyed to have the killer revealed significantly before the end of the book. The end of this book was one that moved it into the category of a wall-banger for me.
This book has been sitting on my shelf since 2004. I regret having wasted the time to read it and even more, wasted the money to buy it.
March 8, 2025
Susan Hill never disappoints. This is her first venture into crime/mystery novels and is an astonishing achievement. She breaks all the rules and sets a new standard in a well-established genre.
November 23, 2019
I’m a little conflicted with this one as I could understand what Susan Hill was trying to achieve, I just think it will miss the mark for most readers...
Whilst this is billed as the first Simon Serrailler case it’s actually Detective Sergeant Freya Graffham who gains the most focus, having transferred from the met to the quite cathedral town of Lafferton.
The slower change of pace is reflected in the opening half of the novel, which some readers may like - but I was desperate for something to happen to keep me hooked.
There’s a certain first episode feel about this entry as the various people Freya meets really sets the tone for the setting of this series.
I think theirs an audience for this type of story, but I prefer something to really get sucked into.
I think I’ll stick to Hill’s spooky stories instead...
Whilst this is billed as the first Simon Serrailler case it’s actually Detective Sergeant Freya Graffham who gains the most focus, having transferred from the met to the quite cathedral town of Lafferton.
The slower change of pace is reflected in the opening half of the novel, which some readers may like - but I was desperate for something to happen to keep me hooked.
There’s a certain first episode feel about this entry as the various people Freya meets really sets the tone for the setting of this series.
I think theirs an audience for this type of story, but I prefer something to really get sucked into.
I think I’ll stick to Hill’s spooky stories instead...
January 22, 2009
WOW would be the one-word review, but perhaps you want more information than that...
This is a classic contemporary British mystery, complete with a cathedral town (Lafferton), a tantalizingly aloof Chief Inspector (Simon Serrailler), and a cast of wonderfully drawn supporting players whose side stories are interesting enough to make you forget the mystery at the heart of the novel.
People have gone missing from "The Hill," once considered a place of tranquil walks and spiritual renewal. They share nothing in common, so when recent transfer to the department Freya Graffham tries to make a case that they are connected, CI Serrailler isn't convinced. She plugs away at proving her theory even as she finds herself hopelessly drawn to Serrailler.
Subplots include alternative healing (crucial not only to the story line, but emotionally engaging since it is an avenue pursued by what we can only hope is a recurring character); the estrangement between Simon and his father; and budding romances and enduring relationships tested to their limits.
"The Various Haunts of Men" opens and is interspersed with sections of "The Tape," composed by an obviously deranged character -- they offer no real clues for the longest time, but they contribute mightily to the growing sense of dread and cast a delicious pall.
Fans of Ruth Rendell and Elizabeth George should flock to this one, and they will not be disappointed.
This is a classic contemporary British mystery, complete with a cathedral town (Lafferton), a tantalizingly aloof Chief Inspector (Simon Serrailler), and a cast of wonderfully drawn supporting players whose side stories are interesting enough to make you forget the mystery at the heart of the novel.
People have gone missing from "The Hill," once considered a place of tranquil walks and spiritual renewal. They share nothing in common, so when recent transfer to the department Freya Graffham tries to make a case that they are connected, CI Serrailler isn't convinced. She plugs away at proving her theory even as she finds herself hopelessly drawn to Serrailler.
Subplots include alternative healing (crucial not only to the story line, but emotionally engaging since it is an avenue pursued by what we can only hope is a recurring character); the estrangement between Simon and his father; and budding romances and enduring relationships tested to their limits.
"The Various Haunts of Men" opens and is interspersed with sections of "The Tape," composed by an obviously deranged character -- they offer no real clues for the longest time, but they contribute mightily to the growing sense of dread and cast a delicious pall.
Fans of Ruth Rendell and Elizabeth George should flock to this one, and they will not be disappointed.
July 8, 2012
This book forever changed the way I read - and not in a good way. Prior to reading "The Various Haunts of Men", I didn't want to know "what was gonna happen". I wanted to read the book front to back, and not know the ending. The natural progression - enjoy the surprise at the book's climax, and feel complete at the end.
Not any more. I was so angry with the horrible ending of "Various Haunts", it destroyed my enjoyment of the author's gifted writing. I will never again read anything by Susan Hill. Yes, she's talented, but when I invest my time (and money) in a book, I want some reward at the end. Either gain more knowledge, or be entertained....something. I don't want to be left feeling bad. I can get depressed by reading the news - for free. Now, I want to know how a book ends before I read it. I read all the "spoilers" I can find before I commit to a book.
The story revolves around a policewoman, Freya Graffham, in a small city in England. I considered her to be the main character in the novel....the heroine. Her boss, Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler remained much in the background, even though the author meant for him to be the main character since the series is based on Serrailler.
Serrailler was depicted as handsome and women supposedly desired him, but this was implied, not actually shown in a scene. He remained an enigma throughout, as if the author hadn't yet decided on who/what Serrailler would be. What little was written about Serrailler caused me to perceive him as thinking he was "too good" for Freya - only interested in more beautiful, higher-class type women. He was reserved and stand-offish.
Although there was minimal contact between Freya and Serrailler, she became romantically attracted to him, but loved him silently from afar, almost sophomoric hero worship. This is a mystery novel, not a romance, so if you're not going to develop the romance, why even introduce it in the first place? This is where the author missed out with me. She could have developed this series into a great one with mystery and romance both. Not bludgeoned me with a devastating ending.
Freya was a good detective, and became convinced there was a serial killer in the community. The search for clues, and facts about the investigation keep you intrigued throughout. But, sadly and shockingly, the ending obliterates any pleasure you may have had reading this "could-have-been-great" novel.
I was left feeling angry, betrayed, empty. Not a good way for an author to gain fans. I rated this book with one star, but if there were -negative stars available - I'd have given it a minus-4 stars.
Not any more. I was so angry with the horrible ending of "Various Haunts", it destroyed my enjoyment of the author's gifted writing. I will never again read anything by Susan Hill. Yes, she's talented, but when I invest my time (and money) in a book, I want some reward at the end. Either gain more knowledge, or be entertained....something. I don't want to be left feeling bad. I can get depressed by reading the news - for free. Now, I want to know how a book ends before I read it. I read all the "spoilers" I can find before I commit to a book.
The story revolves around a policewoman, Freya Graffham, in a small city in England. I considered her to be the main character in the novel....the heroine. Her boss, Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler remained much in the background, even though the author meant for him to be the main character since the series is based on Serrailler.
Serrailler was depicted as handsome and women supposedly desired him, but this was implied, not actually shown in a scene. He remained an enigma throughout, as if the author hadn't yet decided on who/what Serrailler would be. What little was written about Serrailler caused me to perceive him as thinking he was "too good" for Freya - only interested in more beautiful, higher-class type women. He was reserved and stand-offish.
Although there was minimal contact between Freya and Serrailler, she became romantically attracted to him, but loved him silently from afar, almost sophomoric hero worship. This is a mystery novel, not a romance, so if you're not going to develop the romance, why even introduce it in the first place? This is where the author missed out with me. She could have developed this series into a great one with mystery and romance both. Not bludgeoned me with a devastating ending.
Freya was a good detective, and became convinced there was a serial killer in the community. The search for clues, and facts about the investigation keep you intrigued throughout. But, sadly and shockingly, the ending obliterates any pleasure you may have had reading this "could-have-been-great" novel.
I was left feeling angry, betrayed, empty. Not a good way for an author to gain fans. I rated this book with one star, but if there were -negative stars available - I'd have given it a minus-4 stars.
August 21, 2012
I always love finding a new (to me) mystery series and now I have this to follow. This first of series book involves the titled DCI and the men and women who work with him in the cathedral town of Lafferton. The story is complex, going in multiple directions as, I assume, any police department would do at any one time. All resources aren't focused on one apparent crime. Resources must be respected, as is pointed out from time to time.
There is the case of a missing middle aged woman. Just up and disappeared. There is the influx New Age/alternative therapists who may be more con men then healers, there is the missing 22 year old young woman. Then of course there are drug raids, etc. Gradually the missing and the hint of strangeness among the "new wave" healers take the forefront. Key to the investigation is Freya Graffham, new to the Lafferton police, having moved from London, starting a new happier life.
The plot is busy, filled with characters, conversations, investigations. At times we know more than the police. I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading more in the series which I think numbers about 7.
Rating 4*
There is the case of a missing middle aged woman. Just up and disappeared. There is the influx New Age/alternative therapists who may be more con men then healers, there is the missing 22 year old young woman. Then of course there are drug raids, etc. Gradually the missing and the hint of strangeness among the "new wave" healers take the forefront. Key to the investigation is Freya Graffham, new to the Lafferton police, having moved from London, starting a new happier life.
The plot is busy, filled with characters, conversations, investigations. At times we know more than the police. I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading more in the series which I think numbers about 7.
Rating 4*
February 5, 2015
Loved this book early 2014......it inspired me to read the series. Have just finished #2, The Pure in Heart which was every bit as good, and now waiting for #3 in the series from my local library.
8:D
8:D
April 15, 2017
Oh this book made me so, so sad. I couldn't sleep last night after I finished it. I was so bewildered and heartbroken by the tragedy and loneliness that pours in torrents out of this book like Noah's flood.
Susan Hill, the author of the single scariest book I've ever read (The Woman in Black) is a wonderful writer who can get you delightfully lost in her worlds. The Various Haunts of Men which introduces her detective, the magnetic but elusive Simon Serrailler, is no exception to that rule. She sets her stage in the idyllic cathedral village of Lafferton where the gentle thrum of daily life is slowly being disrupted by a serial killer. But this is a clever killer, so clever in fact that no one has even noticed the murders are happening.
It takes Freya Graffam, a newly minted detective and recent transfer to Lafferton, seeing the pattern in a series of seemingly unrelated disappearances to convince Serrailler something is even going on. Slowly they begin to surmise that the answers may lie the local new age community who are gaining a foothold with naive locals seeking "psychic surgery" treatments and chakra healing and driving the local health community, lead by Serrailler's sister, to distraction. As they draw closer and carefully laid plans begin to come apart the killer becomes increasingly desperate, and with that desperation comes considerable danger to the very people trying to find them.
Susan Hill has created a truly remarkable place in Lafferton and she populates it with people she wants you to know as intimately as you know a lifelong friend. An entire chapter might be devoted to the morning routine of a single character. Others introduce the reader to incidental characters or characters who would be incidental in another kind of book, but oftentimes they're the key to really understanding why what is happening in Lafferton is so horrible. As we spend more and more time with the citizens of Lafferton and see it through their eyes we come to love it just as much as they do and the barbarity of someone trying to destroy such a simple and lovely world is that much more powerfully felt.
That's what makes this book so outstandingly sad and why, with genuine regret, I must confess that it is the only book in this series I think I'll read. Her characters and this world became so real I actually fond myself feeling real grief by the books end, as if a living, breathing person I loved had died.
The people who die in this world matter. Where in a more generic murder mystery you might be meeting the victim just as the police sent to investigate do here we've just spent three chapters learning all the tiny details of their sad childhoods or their lonely lives seeking an undefinable fulfillment they'll never have the chance to find. When the police arrive at the first victim's home they are startled by the sterility, the lack of personal objects, the oppressive quiet. They wonder aloud how anyone could live in such a chilly place. But we know how hard the victim worked to find her home, how much she loved it and why, how it was here that she was truly happy for the first time in her life. We're the ones, as the readers, who feel the loss the police simply can't. Because they didn't know her.
I just couldn't take the senselessness of what happens to these people and I know that was probably Hill's entire point. She peppers the book with the transcripts of tape recordings done by the murderer as a kind of confession but she's not interested in presenting her readers with a complex, deeply psychologically damaged murderer. The murderer doesn't matter, Hill is saying, why they're doing it doesn't and shouldn't matter. What matters are the lives they destroys and the grief of those who are left behind to bury the dead.
Hill's style is almost hypnotically rapturous. You can feel the heat in a room she's describing and you salivate over the pudding someone is making in their kitchen. Her writing is like that wonderful moment at bed time when you find yourself drifting away to sleep, heavy and soft and comforting. I wanted to be in Lafferton the entire time I was reading this talking to these people and just seeing exactly what they were seeing.
But I felt so horribly lonely and almost anguished when I finally closed the book. Because its also about loneliness and isolation and how we spend our lives labeling people we don't know because they don't fit in with what we think "happiness" should look like. Its about horrible things happening for absolutely no reason to people who do not deserve them, bright futures being extinguished not for some grand plan but just because someone felt like doing it.
That senselessness just destroyed me, just as I think it was meant to. I was left lying in bed just saying "Why?" over and over in my head and knowing there would never be a satisfactory answer because that's the whole point, there never is.
This is a beautiful, poignant to the point of tears story of a beautiful place irreparably scarred by something dark and disgusting that serves no purpose in the grand scheme. I loved it and I hated it and I'm not sorry I read it but it left such an abiding ache in me I simply can't bring myself to visit there again. Like going into the bedroom of a dead loved one and seeing everything left just as if they'll be back any moment, the pain is just too biting and deep for me.
Susan Hill, the author of the single scariest book I've ever read (The Woman in Black) is a wonderful writer who can get you delightfully lost in her worlds. The Various Haunts of Men which introduces her detective, the magnetic but elusive Simon Serrailler, is no exception to that rule. She sets her stage in the idyllic cathedral village of Lafferton where the gentle thrum of daily life is slowly being disrupted by a serial killer. But this is a clever killer, so clever in fact that no one has even noticed the murders are happening.
It takes Freya Graffam, a newly minted detective and recent transfer to Lafferton, seeing the pattern in a series of seemingly unrelated disappearances to convince Serrailler something is even going on. Slowly they begin to surmise that the answers may lie the local new age community who are gaining a foothold with naive locals seeking "psychic surgery" treatments and chakra healing and driving the local health community, lead by Serrailler's sister, to distraction. As they draw closer and carefully laid plans begin to come apart the killer becomes increasingly desperate, and with that desperation comes considerable danger to the very people trying to find them.
Susan Hill has created a truly remarkable place in Lafferton and she populates it with people she wants you to know as intimately as you know a lifelong friend. An entire chapter might be devoted to the morning routine of a single character. Others introduce the reader to incidental characters or characters who would be incidental in another kind of book, but oftentimes they're the key to really understanding why what is happening in Lafferton is so horrible. As we spend more and more time with the citizens of Lafferton and see it through their eyes we come to love it just as much as they do and the barbarity of someone trying to destroy such a simple and lovely world is that much more powerfully felt.
That's what makes this book so outstandingly sad and why, with genuine regret, I must confess that it is the only book in this series I think I'll read. Her characters and this world became so real I actually fond myself feeling real grief by the books end, as if a living, breathing person I loved had died.
The people who die in this world matter. Where in a more generic murder mystery you might be meeting the victim just as the police sent to investigate do here we've just spent three chapters learning all the tiny details of their sad childhoods or their lonely lives seeking an undefinable fulfillment they'll never have the chance to find. When the police arrive at the first victim's home they are startled by the sterility, the lack of personal objects, the oppressive quiet. They wonder aloud how anyone could live in such a chilly place. But we know how hard the victim worked to find her home, how much she loved it and why, how it was here that she was truly happy for the first time in her life. We're the ones, as the readers, who feel the loss the police simply can't. Because they didn't know her.
I just couldn't take the senselessness of what happens to these people and I know that was probably Hill's entire point. She peppers the book with the transcripts of tape recordings done by the murderer as a kind of confession but she's not interested in presenting her readers with a complex, deeply psychologically damaged murderer. The murderer doesn't matter, Hill is saying, why they're doing it doesn't and shouldn't matter. What matters are the lives they destroys and the grief of those who are left behind to bury the dead.
Hill's style is almost hypnotically rapturous. You can feel the heat in a room she's describing and you salivate over the pudding someone is making in their kitchen. Her writing is like that wonderful moment at bed time when you find yourself drifting away to sleep, heavy and soft and comforting. I wanted to be in Lafferton the entire time I was reading this talking to these people and just seeing exactly what they were seeing.
But I felt so horribly lonely and almost anguished when I finally closed the book. Because its also about loneliness and isolation and how we spend our lives labeling people we don't know because they don't fit in with what we think "happiness" should look like. Its about horrible things happening for absolutely no reason to people who do not deserve them, bright futures being extinguished not for some grand plan but just because someone felt like doing it.
That senselessness just destroyed me, just as I think it was meant to. I was left lying in bed just saying "Why?" over and over in my head and knowing there would never be a satisfactory answer because that's the whole point, there never is.
This is a beautiful, poignant to the point of tears story of a beautiful place irreparably scarred by something dark and disgusting that serves no purpose in the grand scheme. I loved it and I hated it and I'm not sorry I read it but it left such an abiding ache in me I simply can't bring myself to visit there again. Like going into the bedroom of a dead loved one and seeing everything left just as if they'll be back any moment, the pain is just too biting and deep for me.
June 5, 2012
I tend to gobble down mystery novels like peanut M&M's, sometimes without even noticing the colors, if you know what I mean. But The Various Haunts of Men stopped me in my tracks. This is one of those rare finds: a tense, atmospheric novel that reads like the psychotic aunt of your typical British cozy. Yep, there's the erudite, handsome detective Chief Inspector with an artistic side and a troubled aristocratic family. And, oh yes, there's the gutsy policewoman who has a teeny crush on him, and her boyish partner as well. Lots of fascinating secondary characters who all come to life on the page add to the novel's texture. But there is something so twisted and dark about the setting and narrative that the novel grasps you in its claws and won't let you go. Not a comfortable read but often a thrilling one, with sentences that you have to savor because they're so laden with foreboding. Take a look at these two, picked hastily and at random: “A heron, long legs dangling, flew down into a field beside a stream, and stood, erect, elegant, uncannily still. A hare raced suddenly up a slope and out of sight.” Something evil is lurking on the Hill, and every scrap of leaf and fallen twig conveys that. Some readers were disappointed by the ending, I know, but I thought it was a courageous twist on the usual outcome of this sort of book. Hill is definitely on my list as one of today's top mystery novelists.
February 24, 2025
Sadly, this English police procedural just didn’t grab me. The series is much loved on GR, so this situation puts me on Berengaria’s “Outlier Island”.
A few random thoughts…
The tone is quite reminiscent of Ruth Rendell’s psychological thrillers, where she gets into the head of a deranged killer and the reader is taken along for the ride. I’m guessing the entire series isn’t like this (a smallish cathedral town in England can only produce so many serial killers).
The texture is incredibly dense. Hill introduces a LOT of characters in substantial depth, only a few of whom are material to the plot. The rest are there to provide background, but that could be done in far fewer pages. For instance, we are treated at the end of the book to the musings of the roommate of a victim about her future plans. Unless she becomes a character in the next book in the series, there is no reason we should care about this.
But I won’t know about that because I have no plans to read further. The book isn’t badly written, it’s just cluttered with irrelevant characters and their personal stories.
A few random thoughts…
The tone is quite reminiscent of Ruth Rendell’s psychological thrillers, where she gets into the head of a deranged killer and the reader is taken along for the ride. I’m guessing the entire series isn’t like this (a smallish cathedral town in England can only produce so many serial killers).
The texture is incredibly dense. Hill introduces a LOT of characters in substantial depth, only a few of whom are material to the plot. The rest are there to provide background, but that could be done in far fewer pages. For instance, we are treated at the end of the book to the musings of the roommate of a victim about her future plans. Unless she becomes a character in the next book in the series, there is no reason we should care about this.
But I won’t know about that because I have no plans to read further. The book isn’t badly written, it’s just cluttered with irrelevant characters and their personal stories.
December 3, 2015
I love mysteries. They're my favorite genre. British mysteries in particular are the best kind of comfort read for me. I love the atmosphere of a British mystery, the creepiness, the character sketches. It's like slipping into a warm bath every time I pick up a book like this. This one is different, but in a way that makes it even better.
I can't remember the last time that a book in this genre really surprised me. This one is unusual in that the man for whom the series is named sits offstage for the better part of the novel. Instead, we're introduced to people who are connected to him peripherally. I enjoyed getting to know every single person here, major and minor characters both. From the beginning, we become attached to the character introduced, and we're immediately drawn into the story. Interspersed among the action are short chapters from the killer's point of view, allowing the reader glimpses into his twisted, creepy head. There are storylines off to the side, all of them interesting, and I was moved more than I thought I would be by the ending. I wanted to know what would happen, but I didn't want this book to end.
I think Susan Hill is a talented writer. This is my first of hers, but this is going on my favorite authors shelf, and I'm so glad to have found this series and finally given it a try. The narrator of the audiobook, Steven Pacey, did the audio for another thriller I really enjoyed, Gentlemen and Players. His voice is so well-suited to books of this type that I went to Audible.com and searched for other books read by him, which is how I found this one. Let me just say that this series found its ideal narrator in Pacey, and I couldn't have asked from anything more from either the author or the narrator.
I can't remember the last time that a book in this genre really surprised me. This one is unusual in that the man for whom the series is named sits offstage for the better part of the novel. Instead, we're introduced to people who are connected to him peripherally. I enjoyed getting to know every single person here, major and minor characters both. From the beginning, we become attached to the character introduced, and we're immediately drawn into the story. Interspersed among the action are short chapters from the killer's point of view, allowing the reader glimpses into his twisted, creepy head. There are storylines off to the side, all of them interesting, and I was moved more than I thought I would be by the ending. I wanted to know what would happen, but I didn't want this book to end.
I think Susan Hill is a talented writer. This is my first of hers, but this is going on my favorite authors shelf, and I'm so glad to have found this series and finally given it a try. The narrator of the audiobook, Steven Pacey, did the audio for another thriller I really enjoyed, Gentlemen and Players. His voice is so well-suited to books of this type that I went to Audible.com and searched for other books read by him, which is how I found this one. Let me just say that this series found its ideal narrator in Pacey, and I couldn't have asked from anything more from either the author or the narrator.
June 22, 2016
DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK YET: SPOILERS GALORE!!!
I have never written a "spoiler" review before and I never thought I would, but this book breaks the pattern, big time! I have so many questions and thoughts after reading this book! For one thing, this is called "A Simon Serrailler mystery", but Simon is a supporting character at best. We barely get to know him in this book. Who we do get to know, and come to love, is Freya Gaffham, who in the last twenty pages of the book, gets murdered by the serial killer she has sought to capture! WHAT??? I wanted to read 30 more books about Freya, but it looks like she's gone long before her time. But Susan Hill has an amazing knack of creating endearing and interesting characters, so I figure the next book will be filled with more of them. This is a big book filled with intriguing story lines, caulk full off delicious details about each flawed individual. I wanted to read a whole book about Debbie Parker and spiritual journey with Dava, then I wanted to read a whole book about Dava and find out what his deal was. But of course all that is cut very short when Debbie becomes victim number three on The Hill. Also, I couldn't get enough of victim number four's story line, Iris Chater, who seeks communication with her recently deceased husband of 42 years through a very interesting medium. All these great stories come to an abrupt and unsettling end when these ladies are ceremoniously killed in the name of twisted science. I guess that was the point, but so unsatisfying for a character-lover like myself!
So many questions after reading this book! What happened to Dava? Why the abrupt end to the interrogation? I wanted more of that character. Also, it never is clear who the TAPES were intended for, I assume the mother, but that is just left to question. And why were they sent to Cat? Why so much talk about the interesting and morbid "psychic surgeon" and no resolution on that front? Did he in fact sexually assault the female patient at the end of the book? Was Karen cured of cancer by him? What is to happen to her? Will these things be brought up in the next book? Will our main character be Simon, perhaps Nathan? There is so much rich detail on each character, but the story lines stop so abruptly when the characters are murdered. This must be the point, but it was such a disappointment to lose each new sympathetic friend, even though it becomes clear it's inevitable.
I've read some reviews of this book that complain of the minutiae of detail over each character and their lives, and questions what the point of all that was. To me, I loved it, I loved the intimate look into the lives of these women. To me, the details made the book so rich and deep. I wanted to go on following Iris and Freya and Debbie about their days and see if they succeed in achieving each of their hearts' desires. I loved them all and was routing for them. Damn that acupuncturist. And we don't even get a good capture at the end, because the bastard hangs himself from a tree! It seemed that Susan Hill burned so many bridges with this novel. Wouldn't she want to use Freya as a returning character? Why kill off Aidan at the end? But after all I do think that maybe Susan Hill has many more tricks up her sleeve, and killing off characters is just all in a day's work, there's bound to be many more where they come from is my guess. I'll be checking out the next book, but after that I need a bit of a break! I think it's back to the gentler Three Pines, Quebec for me for now. I need to recuperate in Myrna's bookshop and read some of Ruth's poetry and decompress!
I have never written a "spoiler" review before and I never thought I would, but this book breaks the pattern, big time! I have so many questions and thoughts after reading this book! For one thing, this is called "A Simon Serrailler mystery", but Simon is a supporting character at best. We barely get to know him in this book. Who we do get to know, and come to love, is Freya Gaffham, who in the last twenty pages of the book, gets murdered by the serial killer she has sought to capture! WHAT??? I wanted to read 30 more books about Freya, but it looks like she's gone long before her time. But Susan Hill has an amazing knack of creating endearing and interesting characters, so I figure the next book will be filled with more of them. This is a big book filled with intriguing story lines, caulk full off delicious details about each flawed individual. I wanted to read a whole book about Debbie Parker and spiritual journey with Dava, then I wanted to read a whole book about Dava and find out what his deal was. But of course all that is cut very short when Debbie becomes victim number three on The Hill. Also, I couldn't get enough of victim number four's story line, Iris Chater, who seeks communication with her recently deceased husband of 42 years through a very interesting medium. All these great stories come to an abrupt and unsettling end when these ladies are ceremoniously killed in the name of twisted science. I guess that was the point, but so unsatisfying for a character-lover like myself!
So many questions after reading this book! What happened to Dava? Why the abrupt end to the interrogation? I wanted more of that character. Also, it never is clear who the TAPES were intended for, I assume the mother, but that is just left to question. And why were they sent to Cat? Why so much talk about the interesting and morbid "psychic surgeon" and no resolution on that front? Did he in fact sexually assault the female patient at the end of the book? Was Karen cured of cancer by him? What is to happen to her? Will these things be brought up in the next book? Will our main character be Simon, perhaps Nathan? There is so much rich detail on each character, but the story lines stop so abruptly when the characters are murdered. This must be the point, but it was such a disappointment to lose each new sympathetic friend, even though it becomes clear it's inevitable.
I've read some reviews of this book that complain of the minutiae of detail over each character and their lives, and questions what the point of all that was. To me, I loved it, I loved the intimate look into the lives of these women. To me, the details made the book so rich and deep. I wanted to go on following Iris and Freya and Debbie about their days and see if they succeed in achieving each of their hearts' desires. I loved them all and was routing for them. Damn that acupuncturist. And we don't even get a good capture at the end, because the bastard hangs himself from a tree! It seemed that Susan Hill burned so many bridges with this novel. Wouldn't she want to use Freya as a returning character? Why kill off Aidan at the end? But after all I do think that maybe Susan Hill has many more tricks up her sleeve, and killing off characters is just all in a day's work, there's bound to be many more where they come from is my guess. I'll be checking out the next book, but after that I need a bit of a break! I think it's back to the gentler Three Pines, Quebec for me for now. I need to recuperate in Myrna's bookshop and read some of Ruth's poetry and decompress!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2023
Brilliant, brilliant book. I loved every word of it. The story unfolded bit by bit, at just the right pace. The characters were flesh and bone and all heart, just really well-developed characters, in a wonderful small town in England, in which I would love to live. This is a detective series with heart and soul. If this is your genre, jump to it!
July 13, 2023
I approached this book with interest and initially was drawn into it and enjoying it - expected it would turn out to be at least a 4 star read. There was rather too much rambling discourse about medical matters and alternative medicine - usually the negative aspects of the latter - which didn't really go anywhere but I was prepared to put up with that for a well written book about the various characters whose lives are impinged upon - sometimes fatally - by a deranged killer who is able to cleverly cover his tracks.
The trouble came in two forms: firstly, the main protagonist, a female detective called Freya, was seriously undermined by the author. We learn that she has relocated to this cathedral city to get over a marriage that was very controlling if not outright abusive. She is rebuilding her life, joins the cathedral choir, is baking puddings for the choir get-togethers, and fitting in well in her new role in the local CID. Her colleagues are nice, especially her Detective Constable (she is a sergeant) and there is even a coasting older Detective Inspector who may be retiring soon and whose job will be coming up vacant. And then - wham, she suddenly falls in love with her boss Simon Serrallier on a social occasion while meeting his mother who organises the choir catering etc. It isn't the first time she has met him, but suddenly she reacts like an adolescent in first love and continues to act that way, mooning around, dawdling outside his door, even going to his flat to hang around outside. It is just totally pathetic and not in keeping or consistent with a woman in her - late twenties I think - who has been through a failed marriage and might if anything be expected to be rather cautious in becoming involved with another man. Especially since the man in question is rather a blank page: other than being told by his sister and a family friend that he has commitment issues and has broken lots of women's hearts, he just comes across as a bland, efficient and remote boss - who then acts in a rather dodgy way given their professional relationship by inviting her out to dinner. None of that part of the book works for me at all.
The second problem is the horrendous ending where we suddenly learn who the murderer is quite a bit in advance and various people fail to prevent his murderous career from continuing. The character with cancer who faints in his 'surgery' and is lulled by her friend the doctor (who is also Simon's sister), can't be blamed given her state of health, but the doctor fails to bring up with anyone what the killer had said to her about the number of times he supposedly treated one of the victims - totally contradicting what he later tells Freya - so I can only assume that was a continuity error rather than a discrepancy which would have raised a flag with Freya. Given the doctor's negligence, she doesn't appear to have any sense of guilt by the end. And the denouement where is just ridiculous. I hadn't actually added this book to my Goodreads shelf until I had finished it so didn't know this was book 1 of a series or that the series 'character' is Simon - ironic since he doesn't actually have one - rather than the detective who has been the focus, so wasn't clued to the fact that . I'm so annoyed at the way Hill has broken faith with the readers like that - one rule that shouldn't be broken - I won't be bothering with any more of her work. So 1 star for the quality of the prose itself, but that is all.
********************* UPDATE July 2023 ***********************************
Having completely forgotten about this book, I bought it and two others in the series recently, plus the author's famous 'The Woman in Black', as they were cheap in a charity shop. It was only when I was well into this volume and encountered a scene featuring a 'shopping list' of ages/genders the antagonist wanted to murder that I had the sense of having read or seen on TV something like it before, but I still didn't think it applied to this book as nothing else was familiar. I was astounded when I received notification from Goodreads the next day that someone had liked this review - as far as I was concerned, I hadn't even finished the book yet, let alone reviewed it. When I checked Goodreads, I was even more surprised to find I'd read it over three years ago! I always knew I had a bad memory for some of the books I'd read but this proved it. Anyway, I haven't changed my opinion about this: the protagonist's lovelorn crush is pathetic and her fate is truly egregious - why doesn't she attempt, for example, to bash the murderer over the head with the bottle of whisky? Therefore the original 1 star stands.
The trouble came in two forms: firstly, the main protagonist, a female detective called Freya, was seriously undermined by the author. We learn that she has relocated to this cathedral city to get over a marriage that was very controlling if not outright abusive. She is rebuilding her life, joins the cathedral choir, is baking puddings for the choir get-togethers, and fitting in well in her new role in the local CID. Her colleagues are nice, especially her Detective Constable (she is a sergeant) and there is even a coasting older Detective Inspector who may be retiring soon and whose job will be coming up vacant. And then - wham, she suddenly falls in love with her boss Simon Serrallier on a social occasion while meeting his mother who organises the choir catering etc. It isn't the first time she has met him, but suddenly she reacts like an adolescent in first love and continues to act that way, mooning around, dawdling outside his door, even going to his flat to hang around outside. It is just totally pathetic and not in keeping or consistent with a woman in her - late twenties I think - who has been through a failed marriage and might if anything be expected to be rather cautious in becoming involved with another man. Especially since the man in question is rather a blank page: other than being told by his sister and a family friend that he has commitment issues and has broken lots of women's hearts, he just comes across as a bland, efficient and remote boss - who then acts in a rather dodgy way given their professional relationship by inviting her out to dinner. None of that part of the book works for me at all.
The second problem is the horrendous ending where we suddenly learn who the murderer is quite a bit in advance and various people fail to prevent his murderous career from continuing. The character with cancer who faints in his 'surgery' and is lulled by her friend the doctor (who is also Simon's sister), can't be blamed given her state of health, but the doctor fails to bring up with anyone what the killer had said to her about the number of times he supposedly treated one of the victims - totally contradicting what he later tells Freya - so I can only assume that was a continuity error rather than a discrepancy which would have raised a flag with Freya. Given the doctor's negligence, she doesn't appear to have any sense of guilt by the end. And the denouement where is just ridiculous. I hadn't actually added this book to my Goodreads shelf until I had finished it so didn't know this was book 1 of a series or that the series 'character' is Simon - ironic since he doesn't actually have one - rather than the detective who has been the focus, so wasn't clued to the fact that . I'm so annoyed at the way Hill has broken faith with the readers like that - one rule that shouldn't be broken - I won't be bothering with any more of her work. So 1 star for the quality of the prose itself, but that is all.
********************* UPDATE July 2023 ***********************************
Having completely forgotten about this book, I bought it and two others in the series recently, plus the author's famous 'The Woman in Black', as they were cheap in a charity shop. It was only when I was well into this volume and encountered a scene featuring a 'shopping list' of ages/genders the antagonist wanted to murder that I had the sense of having read or seen on TV something like it before, but I still didn't think it applied to this book as nothing else was familiar. I was astounded when I received notification from Goodreads the next day that someone had liked this review - as far as I was concerned, I hadn't even finished the book yet, let alone reviewed it. When I checked Goodreads, I was even more surprised to find I'd read it over three years ago! I always knew I had a bad memory for some of the books I'd read but this proved it. Anyway, I haven't changed my opinion about this: the protagonist's lovelorn crush is pathetic and her fate is truly egregious - why doesn't she attempt, for example, to bash the murderer over the head with the bottle of whisky? Therefore the original 1 star stands.
January 13, 2014
Susan Hill, best known for her chilling The Woman in Black, launched her Detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler mystery series with this novel in which first one resident of the cathedral town of Lafferton and then another disappears. The account of the crimes and the police investigation alternates with a taped “confession” by the unidentified killer, a sociopath taping his own version of events, ostensibly for his stern, hypercritical mother. The novel offers a window into the mind of a serial killer, quite disturbing.
Simon Serrailler’s family is a bit too clever by half: He’s one of triplets, for heavens’ sake, from a family of physicians. Rather than a mere black sheep of the family turned cop, Simon instead is a gifted artist whose second career provides a lucrative income and frequent trips to Italy. Naturally, since Hill employs nearly every cliché, Simon’s a loner who excels at police work and who draws women in the same way that honey draws flies.
Despite the cliché, Hill’s expert writing, her suspenseful ending chapters, the novel’s shocking ending, and its format rescue The Various Haunts of Men from mediocrity. The novel’s format reminds me of Peter Ackroyd’s The Trial of Elizabeth Cree, or Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem or some of Deborah Crombie’s novels. While, obviously, nowhere in the same league as Hill’s horror novels, The Various Haunts of Men transforms into a real page-turner as aghast readers realize who the killer is and what that means for the characters they’ve come to love.
And there are many characters to enjoy. Unlike Serrailler, the novel’s other characters — particularly Serrailler’s clever, daring Detective Sergeant Freya Graffham — are wonderfully quirky and interesting. Indeed, Freya just about steals the show from Serrailler, as she’s so much more likeable and because she’s determined to see justice done by poor lonely Angela Randall, the first victim. Too bad that Hill didn’t select the wonderful Detective Sergeant Graffham as her protagonist rather than the cold and elusive DCI Serrailler. Thanks especially to the good sergeant, readers won’t be sorry they picked up The Various Haunts of Men.
Simon Serrailler’s family is a bit too clever by half: He’s one of triplets, for heavens’ sake, from a family of physicians. Rather than a mere black sheep of the family turned cop, Simon instead is a gifted artist whose second career provides a lucrative income and frequent trips to Italy. Naturally, since Hill employs nearly every cliché, Simon’s a loner who excels at police work and who draws women in the same way that honey draws flies.
Despite the cliché, Hill’s expert writing, her suspenseful ending chapters, the novel’s shocking ending, and its format rescue The Various Haunts of Men from mediocrity. The novel’s format reminds me of Peter Ackroyd’s The Trial of Elizabeth Cree, or Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem or some of Deborah Crombie’s novels. While, obviously, nowhere in the same league as Hill’s horror novels, The Various Haunts of Men transforms into a real page-turner as aghast readers realize who the killer is and what that means for the characters they’ve come to love.
And there are many characters to enjoy. Unlike Serrailler, the novel’s other characters — particularly Serrailler’s clever, daring Detective Sergeant Freya Graffham — are wonderfully quirky and interesting. Indeed, Freya just about steals the show from Serrailler, as she’s so much more likeable and because she’s determined to see justice done by poor lonely Angela Randall, the first victim. Too bad that Hill didn’t select the wonderful Detective Sergeant Graffham as her protagonist rather than the cold and elusive DCI Serrailler. Thanks especially to the good sergeant, readers won’t be sorry they picked up The Various Haunts of Men.
November 25, 2017
Hill's novel is deceptive and dark. Lafferton, England, idyllic and dangerous hosts many secrets and a subversive cast of characters. Suspense slowly mounts as women disappear without any likely assailants; however, via multiple, third-person narratives and one anonymous first-person point of view, the reader is led on a sinister journey: deadly and frightening.
Hill lets us view the world of alternative medicine, its victims and charlatans, and we also note the dedication of the police investigative team. The ending is not satisfying but extremely atmospheric and heavy, and Hill pitches us a curved ball as a cliff hanger.
Hill lets us view the world of alternative medicine, its victims and charlatans, and we also note the dedication of the police investigative team. The ending is not satisfying but extremely atmospheric and heavy, and Hill pitches us a curved ball as a cliff hanger.
March 6, 2014
Oh, I do enjoy the conceit of the English country novel. It’s second only to the Agatha Christie country house detective. In these stories, it’s not the policework or even the mystery that matters so much as the effect of the crimes on the collective psyche of the town in which they take place. Lafferton, the setting of The Various Haunts of Men is a cathedral town. Simon Serrailler describes it as "a jumped up market town", just big enough that not everyone knows everyone else, but the degrees of separation must be pretty close. It’s the kind of community that would be shocked by a murder. Except a murder isn’t what they get here: instead, three women (and a man, though his disappearance apparently isn’t noticed) go missing over the span of several weeks. The police aren’t even certain foul play is involved until very far into the book—but thanks to our privileged position, we know we’re dealing with a serial killer obsessed with conducting post mortems.
Susan Hill balances the relationships of Lafferton’s inhabitants with monologues and meditations by the serial killer. As a result, we get to know the antagonist well. She exposes the various traumas and events that triggered his latent urges. Gradually, she connects the dots until his identity is obvious. Whether one guesses the killer’s identity before its revelation or not, the actual identity is a betrayal of sorts. But it’s nothing next to the final twist in the plot.
One question I ponder whenever I’m reading a mystery novel is whether a good mystery must leave enough clues for the reader to solve it, if they are able. I would say no; although no longer my favourites, Sherlock Holmes has always held a special place in my heart—and, let’s face it, the stories are still popular and captivating—despite the fact that in almost every story, Holmes’ deductions rely on obscure clues that only he has noticed and connected. Yet I do enjoy books where it is at least theoretically possible for the reader to solve the murder, even if I don’t usually manage to do so. I happened to uncover the killer in this book before Hill revealed it, and I don’t consider that a flaw in the book’s design, though I am rather surprised by myself.
As for the big twist, which involves the protagonist, Freya Graffham, I saw that coming as well (albeit not as early as I saw the killer’s identity). I hoped I was wrong, and briefly following the events, I thought Hill might have faked me out. In the end, though, she indeed carried through. It’s a decision that no doubt alienates just as many readers as it captivates. Good. Don’t do anything by halves.
These are all just party tricks, though. The substance of The Various Haunts of Men is Hill’s rich portrayal of the relationships between the main and minor characters. She builds up a network of friends and acquaintances of each of the victims. Everyone seems to know Cat Deerbon, even if she isn’t their GP, and her budding concern over the rise of unregulated "complementary therapists" proves to be a major plot point. Hence, while someone like Karin McCafferty isn’t directly related to the mystery part of the novel, her involvement is an opportunity for Hill to demonstrate how Cat navigates the difficult waters of doctor-patient counsel. I found this part of the book very interesting, and it’s one of the reasons I got hooked.
Freya’s unrequited love for Simon was less interesting. I felt very sorry for Freya, because she is head-over-heels, and I couldn’t help but think that, inevitably, Simon was going to end up hurting her. However, this aspect of the book is very one-sided. For a novel that is apparently the first in Simon’s series, he is just barely a main character, and the narrator certainly keeps Simon’s cards close to his chest. Most of what we know about Simon comes instead from what others, particularly his sister, divulge about him to Freya.
This penchant for telling rather than showing is perhaps the flaw to The Various Haunts of Men that haunts me. Hill proves herself skilled in crafting intricate webs of characters and circumstance, creating a potent mystery that sticks with the reader. Her descriptions leave something to be desired, sometimes, and she can go overboard with the exposition when her narrator gets on a roll. Fortunately, it’s easy enough to overlook this because of the style of the book, in which such lengthy depictions only contribute further to the unhurried, small town atmosphere that Hill is trying to create.
This is not a thriller, and while it involves murders, it is barely even a murder mystery to the characters within the story. For them it is simply a case of missing persons, with the reality that there is a serial killer among them only revealed very close to the end. From the reader’s better-informed perspective, though, this only heightens the tension. As the investigation becomes more complex, the killer starts to panic, to forget his rules that were supposed to set him apart from killers past. It’s interesting watching the killer unravel. Meanwhile, the other characters show themselves committed to their causes—whether it’s finding the killer or protecting innocents from being exploited by "psychic surgeons" and other quacks.
The Various Haunts of Men is an entertaining and enthralling book. Hill captures the charm of the stereotypical small English town and then plunges it into the dark abyss of the tortured human psyche. It’s reassuring and disturbing at the same time, with warm and sympathetic characters. In short, it’s exactly what I want in a nice and juicy mystery.
Susan Hill balances the relationships of Lafferton’s inhabitants with monologues and meditations by the serial killer. As a result, we get to know the antagonist well. She exposes the various traumas and events that triggered his latent urges. Gradually, she connects the dots until his identity is obvious. Whether one guesses the killer’s identity before its revelation or not, the actual identity is a betrayal of sorts. But it’s nothing next to the final twist in the plot.
One question I ponder whenever I’m reading a mystery novel is whether a good mystery must leave enough clues for the reader to solve it, if they are able. I would say no; although no longer my favourites, Sherlock Holmes has always held a special place in my heart—and, let’s face it, the stories are still popular and captivating—despite the fact that in almost every story, Holmes’ deductions rely on obscure clues that only he has noticed and connected. Yet I do enjoy books where it is at least theoretically possible for the reader to solve the murder, even if I don’t usually manage to do so. I happened to uncover the killer in this book before Hill revealed it, and I don’t consider that a flaw in the book’s design, though I am rather surprised by myself.
As for the big twist, which involves the protagonist, Freya Graffham, I saw that coming as well (albeit not as early as I saw the killer’s identity). I hoped I was wrong, and briefly following the events, I thought Hill might have faked me out. In the end, though, she indeed carried through. It’s a decision that no doubt alienates just as many readers as it captivates. Good. Don’t do anything by halves.
These are all just party tricks, though. The substance of The Various Haunts of Men is Hill’s rich portrayal of the relationships between the main and minor characters. She builds up a network of friends and acquaintances of each of the victims. Everyone seems to know Cat Deerbon, even if she isn’t their GP, and her budding concern over the rise of unregulated "complementary therapists" proves to be a major plot point. Hence, while someone like Karin McCafferty isn’t directly related to the mystery part of the novel, her involvement is an opportunity for Hill to demonstrate how Cat navigates the difficult waters of doctor-patient counsel. I found this part of the book very interesting, and it’s one of the reasons I got hooked.
Freya’s unrequited love for Simon was less interesting. I felt very sorry for Freya, because she is head-over-heels, and I couldn’t help but think that, inevitably, Simon was going to end up hurting her. However, this aspect of the book is very one-sided. For a novel that is apparently the first in Simon’s series, he is just barely a main character, and the narrator certainly keeps Simon’s cards close to his chest. Most of what we know about Simon comes instead from what others, particularly his sister, divulge about him to Freya.
This penchant for telling rather than showing is perhaps the flaw to The Various Haunts of Men that haunts me. Hill proves herself skilled in crafting intricate webs of characters and circumstance, creating a potent mystery that sticks with the reader. Her descriptions leave something to be desired, sometimes, and she can go overboard with the exposition when her narrator gets on a roll. Fortunately, it’s easy enough to overlook this because of the style of the book, in which such lengthy depictions only contribute further to the unhurried, small town atmosphere that Hill is trying to create.
This is not a thriller, and while it involves murders, it is barely even a murder mystery to the characters within the story. For them it is simply a case of missing persons, with the reality that there is a serial killer among them only revealed very close to the end. From the reader’s better-informed perspective, though, this only heightens the tension. As the investigation becomes more complex, the killer starts to panic, to forget his rules that were supposed to set him apart from killers past. It’s interesting watching the killer unravel. Meanwhile, the other characters show themselves committed to their causes—whether it’s finding the killer or protecting innocents from being exploited by "psychic surgeons" and other quacks.
The Various Haunts of Men is an entertaining and enthralling book. Hill captures the charm of the stereotypical small English town and then plunges it into the dark abyss of the tortured human psyche. It’s reassuring and disturbing at the same time, with warm and sympathetic characters. In short, it’s exactly what I want in a nice and juicy mystery.
August 18, 2025
DNF @19%
Found this one on Libby and expected to love it, as I do The Woman in Black. But I just couldn't connect. The combination of such proper syntax and diction didn't play well with the mystery tropes for me.
Might try this one again.
Found this one on Libby and expected to love it, as I do The Woman in Black. But I just couldn't connect. The combination of such proper syntax and diction didn't play well with the mystery tropes for me.
Might try this one again.
November 26, 2013
Whilst The Various Haunts of Men figures is the first of Susan Hill’s DCI Simon Serrailler series of mystery stories, the principal character is Freya Graffham, a young woman DS, who solves the series of murders that have been committed in the small cathedral city of Lafferton. Freya has been seeking a quiet place to recover from the stresses of a bad marriage and working for the Met. In Lafferton she finds a place in in the cathedral choir, a number of new friends, as well as finding herself in love with Simon. She also finds death as the final victim of the villain,
The death of Freya is entirely gratuitous on the part of Susan Hill. The plot does not require it, the identity of the serial killer has already been revealed and help on the way but unfortunately it’s a little delayed. Killing Freya does not let the murderer to escape – in fact he proceeds to hang himself at the scene of his crimes.
Freya, however, receives a perfectly wonderful C of E funeral with all the right hymns - particularly Lord of All Hopefulness and He Who Would Valiant Be, both of which always make me tear up.
As there is no artistic reason for Freya’s fate, I can assess only its literary consequences. Simon is now without any rival for principal character of the Lafferton series, which makes this a Simon Serrailler story despite his subordinate role. Susan Hill is also spared having to relate a love affair between Freya and Simon, where Simon would probably behave as his usual selfish boor who regards women as only amusements and would give Freya the el dumpo and go off to Venice to sketch some canals. I read a couple more books in the series a few years ago when I first read this one and that’s just the kind of thing he does. So I dumped Simon though I still love Susan Hill’s ghost stories.
Ratings: Freya gets four stars. (Not quite on the Cassie Maddox or Lacy Flint five-star level, about even with Maeve Kerrigan or with Fiona Griffiths on one of her better days.) Villain’s a three star. (Kinky as all get out wannabe pathologist but inadequately motivated.) Four stars for the setting – made me think of Wells. Simon – two stars. (Good DCI but complete cad.) Simon’s father is a totally odious snob who thinks a country pill pusher is too good to have a son who’s a DCI. I’d love to see him married to Maeve Kerrigan’s ‘mam’.) Final score is three stars. Not, as I discovered, worth reading again.
The death of Freya is entirely gratuitous on the part of Susan Hill. The plot does not require it, the identity of the serial killer has already been revealed and help on the way but unfortunately it’s a little delayed. Killing Freya does not let the murderer to escape – in fact he proceeds to hang himself at the scene of his crimes.
Freya, however, receives a perfectly wonderful C of E funeral with all the right hymns - particularly Lord of All Hopefulness and He Who Would Valiant Be, both of which always make me tear up.
As there is no artistic reason for Freya’s fate, I can assess only its literary consequences. Simon is now without any rival for principal character of the Lafferton series, which makes this a Simon Serrailler story despite his subordinate role. Susan Hill is also spared having to relate a love affair between Freya and Simon, where Simon would probably behave as his usual selfish boor who regards women as only amusements and would give Freya the el dumpo and go off to Venice to sketch some canals. I read a couple more books in the series a few years ago when I first read this one and that’s just the kind of thing he does. So I dumped Simon though I still love Susan Hill’s ghost stories.
Ratings: Freya gets four stars. (Not quite on the Cassie Maddox or Lacy Flint five-star level, about even with Maeve Kerrigan or with Fiona Griffiths on one of her better days.) Villain’s a three star. (Kinky as all get out wannabe pathologist but inadequately motivated.) Four stars for the setting – made me think of Wells. Simon – two stars. (Good DCI but complete cad.) Simon’s father is a totally odious snob who thinks a country pill pusher is too good to have a son who’s a DCI. I’d love to see him married to Maeve Kerrigan’s ‘mam’.) Final score is three stars. Not, as I discovered, worth reading again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2021
I really have no idea what this book was supposed to be, not least because it didn't hold my attention long enough for me to finish it. It purports to be a kind of murder mystery, which it really isn't, and contains a vast throng of characters most of whom appear to have little or nothing to do with the core of the plot, such as it is. It is very slow, and very long, and for most of what I read of it, almost nothing of any note appears to happen. The only bright spot is that it is well written, but I got fed up with the endless descriptions of fields and hills and what the various characters were thinking and why, and I came to the conclusion that I really didn't care what happened to any of them. The book would have benefited from a decent editor who could cut out most of the dross, slimmed it down and turned into something halfway readable. Needless to say, I will not be venturing into the pages of another book by the same author.
January 3, 2025
Loved it! What a great series opener. This is another one of those books that's been in my TBR for a long time, and I don't remember why I added it. The initial novel in the Simon Serrailler series employs a plot development I don't usually see until much later in a series, if it's done at all.
Sergeant Freya Graffham is the newest constable in Lafferton, having recently moved from London looking for a slower pace. Her new hometown has seen a spate of vanishings around The Hill, a somewhat remote spot on the local nature trail. As Graffham and her partner Nathan Coates look into the most recent missing woman, Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler announces their resources are better directed onto other cases.
Hmm... do you think that could be an error in judgement?
Lafferton is a pro-New Age community, and much of the story involves alternative medicine, spirituality, vegan shops, etc. Susan Hill goes more in depth than I expected into acupuncture, psychic surgery, etc. There's a pretty wide cast of characters, and they reflect different levels of acceptance - which I liked better than simply bucketing the whole alternative community as oddballs.
The next book is going to seem like ! Let's see where things go next, in The Pure in Heart.
Sergeant Freya Graffham is the newest constable in Lafferton, having recently moved from London looking for a slower pace. Her new hometown has seen a spate of vanishings around The Hill, a somewhat remote spot on the local nature trail. As Graffham and her partner Nathan Coates look into the most recent missing woman, Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler announces their resources are better directed onto other cases.
Hmm... do you think that could be an error in judgement?
Lafferton is a pro-New Age community, and much of the story involves alternative medicine, spirituality, vegan shops, etc. Susan Hill goes more in depth than I expected into acupuncture, psychic surgery, etc. There's a pretty wide cast of characters, and they reflect different levels of acceptance - which I liked better than simply bucketing the whole alternative community as oddballs.
The next book is going to seem like ! Let's see where things go next, in The Pure in Heart.
December 12, 2019
What a sad feeling this book just left me with! Didn't expect that. As a mystery fan, I'm more interested in the fast paced kind, but something about the slow build intrigued me and the detailed description of every character life and mind and their contribution with the emotive rollercoaster that is the ending, left me almost crying at the end. It takes a while, but for me, it payed off. A subtle mystery, with a fierced heart.
Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge 2019: A book by an author who is new to you
Normalmente leo misterio cuando ando algo estresada, y para mí un buen misterio rápido de leer es la mejor medicina. Tal vez no era mi mejor momento para entrar en Las distintas guaridas de los hombres, pero no hizo que lo disfrutara menos.
Admiro a los autores que son capaces de generar tantos hilos y unirlos todos al final sin dejar nada suelto. Y esa es la situación en esta novela. No solo conoces a las personas a fondo antes de que desaparezcan, sino a todos a su alrededor y lo mucho que sus vidas cambian. Todos los personajes están tan claramente descritos que es imposible no conectar con algunos.
Esta tan lleno en detalles que al inicio pueden parecer solo de relleno pero que al acercarte al final, cobran significado. Y eso fue lo que más me gusto de la novela, lo bien que coloca todas las piezas y el sentimiento tan grande de melancolía que tiene en las últimas páginas.
Lo que al inicio parecía un crimen imposible de resolver, se convierte en un caso perfectamente cerrado y las secuelas que deja en los personajes sobrevivientes muy reales, conectando contigo a un nivel muy personal.
Definitivamente tengo que continuar leyendo a Susan Hill.
Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge 2019: A book by an author who is new to you
Normalmente leo misterio cuando ando algo estresada, y para mí un buen misterio rápido de leer es la mejor medicina. Tal vez no era mi mejor momento para entrar en Las distintas guaridas de los hombres, pero no hizo que lo disfrutara menos.
Admiro a los autores que son capaces de generar tantos hilos y unirlos todos al final sin dejar nada suelto. Y esa es la situación en esta novela. No solo conoces a las personas a fondo antes de que desaparezcan, sino a todos a su alrededor y lo mucho que sus vidas cambian. Todos los personajes están tan claramente descritos que es imposible no conectar con algunos.
Esta tan lleno en detalles que al inicio pueden parecer solo de relleno pero que al acercarte al final, cobran significado. Y eso fue lo que más me gusto de la novela, lo bien que coloca todas las piezas y el sentimiento tan grande de melancolía que tiene en las últimas páginas.
Lo que al inicio parecía un crimen imposible de resolver, se convierte en un caso perfectamente cerrado y las secuelas que deja en los personajes sobrevivientes muy reales, conectando contigo a un nivel muy personal.
Definitivamente tengo que continuar leyendo a Susan Hill.
June 19, 2011
This book reminds me of those written by Elizabeth George whose characters annoy me to distraction. With that said, I still enjoyed it somewhat. It had a very slow start but did pick up about four chapters into the narrative which is the only reason I gave it three stars instead of two.
Women start disappearing in a small cathedral town although no bodies are found. Simon Serrailler, the local DCI, who is supposed to be the main character, barely makes an appearance. Instead the investigation is led by his staff and the majority of the story revolves around them. The theme of the story concerns alternative medicine....some of which is fraudulent......but much of the investigation into the frauds is left dangling as if the author lost interest in it halfway through the book.
There are too many incidental characters, too many threads that lead nowhere and I felt that the story was somehow unfinished.
Women start disappearing in a small cathedral town although no bodies are found. Simon Serrailler, the local DCI, who is supposed to be the main character, barely makes an appearance. Instead the investigation is led by his staff and the majority of the story revolves around them. The theme of the story concerns alternative medicine....some of which is fraudulent......but much of the investigation into the frauds is left dangling as if the author lost interest in it halfway through the book.
There are too many incidental characters, too many threads that lead nowhere and I felt that the story was somehow unfinished.
February 22, 2017
The publishers of this book have done themselves no favours by calling this a `crime' novel on the front cover and I suspect this is the source of the negative reviews this and its sequels have sometimes garnered. In fact, while there is a crime, a serial killer and even a police investigation, these are all just a part of the overall shape of the book, rather than its heart.
Hill seems to me to be interested in portraying a town and its characters, one of whom happens to be a killer, rather than writing a conventional crime story. So readers expecting this to be a mystery will be disappointed by what appears to be padding irrelevant to the crime. If, however, you approach this as a contemporary novel, perhaps your experience will be different.
I enjoyed this novel a lot: Simon Serrailler is enigmatic and enticing and we learn much more about him in the later books in what turns into a very fine series.
Hill seems to me to be interested in portraying a town and its characters, one of whom happens to be a killer, rather than writing a conventional crime story. So readers expecting this to be a mystery will be disappointed by what appears to be padding irrelevant to the crime. If, however, you approach this as a contemporary novel, perhaps your experience will be different.
I enjoyed this novel a lot: Simon Serrailler is enigmatic and enticing and we learn much more about him in the later books in what turns into a very fine series.
January 7, 2012
Okay..SO wanted to give this book the five star rating it deserved as I tore through this book in days and was thoroughly entertained..however I felt the ending was flat..Back it up to the story, it begins in a sleepy, comfortable town of Lafferton, I believe it is in England but let me also preface this retelling by again stating no one does mystery better and more detailed than our English/British author friends, what rich enveloping stories they tell..Okay back to the plot in Lafferton there are several seemingly unrelated odd occurrences when a quiet, somber elderly woman, an agile mountain biker and a depressed, overweight girl disappear without a trace. The story is told in fragmented viewpoints switching (rather rudely) without warning from the victims, the detectives, outside characters and the sinister villain through a series of confession type letters to his despised mother. Okay so we have a possible great novel here and I love the back stories, the character profiles and the subplots. Like I stated earlier I hated that they switched characters and you had to reread and remain lost for a few sentences until you figured out who was speaking/thinking but it worked somehow and kept my interest..however I did not like the surprise, the climax, the "ah ha--it was him/her all along"..I thought it was weak and unsupported..also and again I realize how morbid I really can be, there were no descriptions of really what was done with the bodies..I mean they were abducted and blah blah dont want to tell too much but honestly there could have been more in depth chapters on the murdererer so that when its revealed its not so much of a let down..overall though I loved the writing, some characters (the deeply mysterious and impossible impenetrable and sexy Simon Serrailer) were totally overdrawn and a little farfetched but I will rock with it if the endings have more zip..will look into more in the series maybe...
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