The Risk of Darkness [Import] [Hardcover]

Susan Hill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 27, 2006

Simon Serrailler’s story began in The Various Haunts of Men (about a serial killer) and continued with The Pure in Heart (about a kidnapped schoolboy). Susan Hill is not afraid to tackle difficult issues, nor to face up to the realities of stress in an ordinary English police station. Her third crime novel, The Risk of Darkness, even more compulsive and convincing, follows up the child abduction and explores the crazy grief of a widowed husband, a derangement which turns to obsession and threats, violence and terror.

Meanwhile, handsome, introverted Simon Serrailler, whose cool reserve has broken the hearts of several women, finds his own heart troubled by the newest recruit to the Cathedral staff: a feisty female Anglican priest with red hair…

The Risk of Darkness is packed with action and adventure. Like Various Haunts, it hinges on a terrific twist which comes as a complete surprise to the reader; and like The Pure in Heart, it deals in depth with complex daily problems.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“These books succeed in harnessing all the genre’s addictive power while maintaining a complexity and fascination entirely their own. The Risk of Darkness reminds us that risk-taking, in fiction, as in life, sometimes pays off brilliantly.”
–Independent

“Not all great novelists can write crime fiction, but when one like Susan Hill does, the result is stunning.” Ruth Rendell
“Hill has a genius for tackling controversial issues while paying tribute to the detail of ordinary people’s lives…The Risk of Darkness is an almost flawless novel.”
–Spectator

“For the first time in years P.D. James has serious competition”
–Literary Review

Praise for Susan Hill:
“I loved this book. Masterly and satisfying. The result is stunning.”
–Ruth Rendell

“This book must be judged as a potential successor to the great sequence of detective
writing by P.D. James and Ruth Rendell…excellent.”
–Daily Telegraph (UK)

“Gripping…and subtle.”
–Daily Mail (UK)

About the Author

Susan Hill is an award-winning novelist. She wrote Mrs de Winter, the bestselling sequel to Rebecca, and the ghost story The Woman in Black, which was adapted for the stage and has been running for eighteen years. Her most recent books are a collection of exquisite short stories, The Boy Who Taught the Beekeeper to Read, and the highly successful crime novel, The Various Haunts of Men. She lives in Gloucestershire where she runs her own small publishing company, Longbarn Books.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Canada (June 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0676978649
• ISBN-13: 978-0676978643
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,849,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love British mystery?, July 12, 2008

By 

J. Bowman "reader-beader" (Arkansas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Risk of Darkness (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the third book by Susan Hill that I have bought and read. While Simon may not be everyone's idea of a policeman, he is complicated,deep, and interesting. His family background and interaction with them are interesting and complex. This book finishes the story of the missing child begun in the 2nd book and begins changes in the family lives and relationships of Simon. If you have never read any books in this series, I would recommend you start with Various Haunts of Men and read in order.
I do like all of these books, even though they are a bit different.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Third Serrailler mystery truly satisfies, March 31, 2009

By 

Z Hayes (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Risk of Darkness (Simon Serrailler Crime Novels) (Hardcover)

Fans of Simon Serailler will appreciate this third book in the series, but new readers would appreciate this book better if they first read the two prior books in the series, i.e. "The Various Haunts of Men", and "The Pure in Heart".

In this novel, police inspector Simon Serailler remains a complex character. Not only is he a police inspector, but also a practising artist. Though women are attracted to him, he is ambivalent towards them. He is however drawn in this book to a female Anglican priest, and it's interesting to read about this new story arc.

"The Risk of Darkness" also continues a story arc from the second book, which centers around the disappearance of a schoolboy. Another missing child case sees Simon teaming up with another policeman, and when a young girl is kidnapped, the team goes all out to solve the cases.

There are many things to appreciate in Susan Hill's novels - the quick pacing of the plot and compelling story arcs, the well-developed characters who never suffer from either over-characterization or being portrayed as cardboard cut-outs, and the myriad, complex themes brought forth in each novel. Highly recommended for mystery fans, especially for those who like a good British mystery.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Slow & meditative ..., September 26, 2009

By 

Caitlin Martin "addicted to words" (East Bay, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Risk of Darkness (Simon Serrailler Crime Novels) (Hardcover)

The main character in The Risk of Darkness is Simon Serrailler, a British police detective who is also an artist. He has a quirky family & interpersonal troubles & is likely to remind you of PD James' Adam Dalgleish. This is the third book in the series. I thought I hadn't read any of these, but realized as I was reading that I recognized Simon & found that I had read the first one, The Various Haunts of Men.

This is a slow, almost meditative book that I hesitate to call a mystery because, while there is crime in the book, the book itself isn't really about solving a crime or capturing a criminal or even understanding a criminal. Instead, this is book that weaves together the threads of stories that happen in the aftermath of a crime. It's as if Hill dropped a rock into a pond & rather than talking about the rock or the pond, she decided to talk about the ripples & the things they touch.

This is well-written & contemplative. If you're looking for a fast-paced thrill ride, this is not your book. Read this to peer all around the edges of a crime & to see its impact on many different lives.