Customer Reviews

Various Haunts of Men

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

With "The Various Haunts of Men," Susan Hill takes her place beside Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine and P.D. James as a writer of top psychological thrillers. Many of her earlier works were rooted in the supernatural ("Strange Meeting" is one of the most haunting books I've ever read) and while "Haunts" stays mostly on solid ground, be aware that you have entered a world where protagonists may be guilty, or die, or the crime may never be solved or even discovered. The unwritten contract most readers make with mysteries was never signed by Susan Hill, and thank God for it. No one should ever expect to trust certain characters or expect a resolution-not in a mystery and certainly not in one by Susan Hill.

In this novel she introduces DCI Simon Serrailler, a detective from a family where everyone in the family has been doctors for generations; a gifted artist; and a handsome man who attracts women but is strangely repellent. Hill adds a number of characters connected to his twin sister Dr. Cat Deerbon, and through her, to the crime. These characters are so fully developed that each is worthy of their own book and you will become attached to them. You may figure out who the serial killer is, but you will not be able to guess what that person will do next or why he chose this small town to do it in.

I'll let you discover the plot of "The Various Haunts of Men." This is an engrossing read and one that promises a terrific series. It is nice to see rules broken and stakes changed in a genre that has become rather predictable. If you like to know what's what in your mysteries, then this book will drive you crazy. If you like an edge, read on.

Susan Hill is a well regarded British author and several of her books including the ghost story THE WOMAN IN BLACK have become modern classics. Hill's ability to create memorable characters and atmospheric settings are highly evident in her mystery THE VARIOUS HAUNTS OF MEN. The story is set in the small cathedral city of "Lafferton" and the surrounding villages. Police detective Freya Graffham is new to this city after choosing to leave London following a divorce and we see many of the characters through her observations. The mystery centers on several people who have suddenly disappeared in the community and the victims as well as their friends and other witnesses are all well developed characters. Freya becomes involved in the case and also develops an immediate crush on the intriguing Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler and his triplet sister (the other of this sibling trio is offstage in Australia) and parents play supporting parts in the story. The sensitive Serrailler (not the typical policeman as he loves sketching and has some resemblance to P. D. James' poetic detective Adam Dalgliesh)remains a bit of a mystery. However THE VARIOUS HAUNTS OF MEN is subtitled "A Simon Serrailler mystery" and two other books featuring him have been published in Great Britain and will be published in the US so readers can learn more about this attractive policeman soon.

At 438 pages this is not a quick read but a literate and worthy one. The characters' personalities and struggles as well as the portrayal of average British life are of more interest than the actual mystery itself since most will spot the villain long before the book's climax. In fact in short chapters throughout the book we actually hear from the kidnapper/murderer as he addresses someone (apparently his hated mother) via tape recorder and explains his motives and the background that led to the criminal activity. Alternative healers, traditional religion and spiritualists all have a place in this novel's plot and Susan Hill has done her research to convey these elements in such a realistic manner. This is an all around well rendered book and I look forward to reading the rest of the series as the books becomes available.

This novel is the first of a series to be written, featuring DCI Simon Serrailler, and promises to be a success. M/s Hill has introduced her characters well and focused just briefly on DCI Serrailler to show him to be an intriguing character, distant and rather mysterious but with enough warmth to make the reader want to know more about him.

DS Freya Graffham, recently divorced and having transferred from the Met.to Bevham CID, begins a new life in the small town of Lafferton. She joins the cathedral choir and befriends Mereil Serrailler, mother of her DCI and also Dr.Cat Deerbon, local GP and sister to Simon. Several people are reported missing..people highly unlikely to just leave their homes, so the local police are reluctantly forced to consider that a serial killer might be in their quiet neighbourhood. We are informed early in the piece of the fate of these victims, but the events leading up to the crimes being solved are well told and the pace is maintained to the end. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

It's difficult to describe why this book so outraged me without filling this review with spoilers, and that's a sin I'm not willing to commit. All I can do is note that this terribly frustrating novel left me, upon reading its final page, with no desire other than to hurl it across the room.

You don't know me, as I haven't written a review for Amazon before, so I can't really expect you to take any of this on faith. I will offer it anyway, though, because I'm only 30 minutes from having finished the book and am still fuming.

I suppose I must have picked this up because something in the title and cover design suggested that maybe, just maybe, here was an author looking to play in the same arena Tana French is defining with such brilliance.

Maybe you're thinking the same thing. And, if so, welcome to my world of disappointment. You will find major plot points either unresolved or resolved with such muddiness -- in this case, we're talking about the novel's major revelation of motive -- that you are left with as little in the way of answers as when you started. You will find yourself, as the title of this review notes, outraged at the final major plot choice made by the author. And you will find, as well, that what is proudly billed as the first "Simon Serrailler Mystery" absolutely isn't. He's a supporting character defined so enigmatically, with so little appeal, that it's hard to imagine looking forward to the next book.

What makes all of this especially frustrating is that Susan Hill can actually write. This is a difficult novel to put down, with many characters very well drawn -- with the exception of the one the series is supposed to be about! -- and a story line that indeed propels you forward.

It's only when you get to the end that you feel -- and this is the only word that fits -- simply betrayed as a reader. There are many things a writer can do wrong (and as a working writer I've done most of them myself), but the vast majority can be forgiven. Betrayal of your readers, however, is not one of them. (And while on that subject, shame on you, Ruth Rendell. You have now officially entered Stephen King territory as a blurber.)

If I sound angry, I am. But I believe you will be, too. Thanks for listening. (And no, I DON'T feel any better!)

Susan Hill's "The Various Haunts of Men" is a powerful British police procedural in which a serial killer targets victims for twisted reasons of his own. As the novel opens, he is talking to his dead mother, telling her of the demons that torment him and the secrets that he has kept for so long. He will return time and again to continue his confession to his despised parent.

The protagonist of "The Various Haunts of Men" is DCI Simon Serraillier, whose relatives are almost all physicians. Simon has always been "the odd one out"; he is an artist who draws in pencil, pen, and charcoal. Twice a year, he travels abroad to pursue his avocation and his work has been exhibited to great acclaim. Simon's sister, thirty-four year old Dr. Cat Deerborn, is closer to him than anyone. She respects his privacy and understands his need to march to his own drummer. Although he is handsome and can be very charming, Simon has never married and avoids long term romantic commitments.

Hill's mystery focuses on lonely people, including a fifty-three year old woman named Angela Randall who has few friends and "no parents, siblings, aunts or cousins." She works at a care home for the elderly and owns a small house in the cathedral town of Lafferton. For the first time in her life she dares to be optimistic, for she has fallen in love. Angela allows herself to imagine that her isolation will soon give way to a shared and fulfilling life with the man she idolizes. Others whose lives are less than satisfying are seventy-one year old Iris Chater, who is brokenhearted after the death of her beloved husband, Harry; twenty-year old Debbie Parker, an overweight, acne-ridden, and unemployed young woman who suffers from depression and low self-esteem; and forty-four year old Karin McCafferty, who has an aggressive form of breast cancer that has invaded her lymph glands. Hill depicts each of these characters with extraordinary compassion and detail. The reader quickly becomes invested in each woman's destiny.

When Angela Randall suddenly goes missing, her boss files a report with Detective Sergeant Freya Graffham, a bright and attractive police officer who works under Serrallier. Since Randall's body has not been found, there is little that anyone can do. However, when two more women vanish, Freya and the amiable Detective Constable Nathan Coates decide to do a bit of digging, and they begin to suspect foul play. Unfortunately, without eyewitnesses and little forensic evidence, the investigation progresses slowly. Adding to Freya's woes, she finds herself falling in love with the elusive and enigmatic Simon. Although he is attracted to her and respects her ability, Simon is reluctant to reveal his feelings.

A key theme in this novel is the power of alternative medicine to attract desperate men and women. It seems that a large group of "New Age Airheads," as Cat's husbands calls them, have set up shop in a place called Starly Tor. These people make an excellent living preying on their anxious and gullible clients. There is a medium named Sheila Innis, a spiritualist who calls himself Dava (he promotes well-being through meditation, diet, and exercise), and a "psychic healer" who claims that a nineteenth century physician guides, teaches, and even performs operations through him. Iris visits Innis to help her connect with her dead husband and Debbie attends several high-priced sessions with Dava. Is there a connection between the missing women and these off-beat practitioners? As the story proceeds to its shocking climax, the suspense mounts to an excruciating degree. The book's bleak conclusion is both disturbing and unexpected.

"The Various Haunts of Men" is one of those rare mysteries that rises above the conventions of the genre. Susan Hill deserves to be included in the ranks of James, Robinson, and Rendell at their best. Hill's realistic and poignant dialogue, well-constructed and textured plot, skillful use of foreshadowing, and carefully delineated characters all combine to make this a standout in a very crowded field.

I finished this book in one night, it was that absorbing! The characters were well developed and Simon Serrailler is an enigmatic figure. (Can't wait to see how he pans out in the next book). The victims are introduced to us in detail and we know their fate, but it still makes for an interesting read because you wonder how the police will piece the clues together. Twists and turns were many, and I certainly didn't see that ending coming.

Susan Hill has done a fantastic job with this novel.

Rating: 5 stars for providing a very entertaining night!

This book had such potential, but fell flat in my opinion. The description makes the book sound like a mystery/thriller, but it's written more like a drama. It felt like it was extremely drawn out, and at times I was completely bored. I picked the killer out half way through the book, but never really understood why he killed. There wasn't much momentum through the book. The shocker at the end was completely unfulfilling. And why it's called a Simon Serrailler mystery is beyond me. You barely see the man throughout the book and by the end you know next to nothing about him

Even though I did guess who did it early on, the story is still very interesting and the surprise ending definitly caught me off guard. I like that..

This was a Christmas gift from my writer hubby, so I should have known it would be great. Not my normal mystery thriller and the british slang was a tad difficult to follow but overall it was a great read.

I thought this book was fantastic! The characters are so strong and well-developed, while the plot follows its own course and doesn't adhere to typical mystery format - a definite plus. I was engrossed in the story the whole way through and loved all the twists and surprises. I really look forward to more in this series. Another recent release that I just read, Ladykiller by Lawrence Light and Meredith Anthony, is similar in format in that it gives away a lot (including the killer) early on, but still manages to hold the reader's attention and remain a mystery novel. I highly recommend them both!

People are disappearing in the small English town of Lafferton and Detective Freya Graffham, a recent transfer from London, picks up the thread and takes ownership of the case. She sees patterns and intuits a sinister shadow around missing people long before the others in her station, including her watchful, enigmatic Chief Inspector, Simon Serraillier.

This is the first in a series by respected writer Susan Hill, who is better known for her gothic suspense novels ("The Lady in Black"). Not a speck of gothic flavour here. I've read ahead before writing this review and these are rich, imaginative police procedurals in the style of Ruth Rendell or P.D. James at their best. And Serraillier is, of course, a dish.

One of the marvelous elements of this and subsequent Serraillier books is how much his family is woven into the fabric of the story (the small-town setting helps in this regard). He is the only outlier in a multi-generation family of doctors and he is also a triplet, whose sister Cat is a large presence. His other triplet is a doctor in Australia, but I fancy he'll make an appearance in later books. His mother is a force of nature and his father is a gifted but chronic crank who loathes Serraillier's chosen profession and never wastes an opportunity to take a snotty swipe.

The abductor is a voice from the start of the book and contributes a slowly realized rationale for the abductions. And the police are well and truly stumped and must attend to other, more clearly defined problems. Also running through the story is a central thread that addresses the subject of alternative medicine, the people who seek it, and the people who provide it. I found this element of the book to be quite educational, even though much of it is applied common sense.

And so Freya soldiers on and acquaints us with Lafferton as she tries to find her place on the squad and in the social life of this small cathedral town. We get to know Serraillier and family through her fascinated eyes. And while there is a resolution of sorts to the abductions, Hill does a brave thing. Not every element of the book is wrapped up nicely at the end. Life is messy and I appreciate this aspect of her storytelling. There are threads left unsnipped and, while some of them yield storylines for subsequent books, some are left dangling. I've read other reviews where this is a problem for the reader, but I find it to be realistic.

As with many of my reviews, I've done the research on words and phrases that aren't familiar to me and might not be to you as well. So here you go (hardback page numbers):

4 - dreich = miserable, cold, wet weather

6 - eau de nil ("water of the Nile") used in reference to paint = pale green colour

14 - locum = placeholder or temporary replacement

60 - Nissen hut = corrugated steel, semi-circular building; originated in WWI and used widely since; Quonset hut is a variant

103 - aconites = winter flower also known as Wolf's bane; upturned yellow cup-like flowers

110 - reefer jacket = a "pea coat" for officers!

117 - wern stones = ancient structure made of relocated stones for ceremonial purposes; there is a Pen-Y-Wern Stone Circle in Shropshire.

129 - po faced = narrow-minded and judgmental

157 - schtum (I thought I might know this and I was right) = keeping quiet, mum

162 - "it's a hiding to nothing" (love this) = no way to win

178 - ley lines (should have remembered this) = invisible lines that align places of geographic and/or anthropological interest

205 - sarnie = sandwich