For months my boss has been recommending this one, and although I kept meaning to read it, it just never got home with me. Imagine my surprise when, during a cleaning frenzy here at home, I stumbled across an ARC of it. I took this as a sign, and dug in.
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.
I was so blown away that I broke a longstanding rule and immediately brought home the second in the series, "The Pure in Heart." That will be reviewed soon. Hill's third in the series has been out in England for quite some time, and the fourth is due out there this week. A woman with whom I go to church is spending a month there, and before she left I asked her PLEASE to find them in a bookshop and bring them home to me -- exchange rate be damned!
2 comments:
Your review is so compelling!!! I want to read it now. :) However, I'm reading another one of your highly recommended suggestions: The Well and the Mine, so this one has to go on the TBR list. The Well and the Mine is very good so far. Thank you for sharing - again!
Clearly I MUST read this. On the list it goes!
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