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The Vows of Silence: A Simon Serrailler Mystery (Simon Serrailler #4)
by
Susan Hill
Another wrenching Simon Serrailler novel of love, loss, dreadful crimes, and terror.
We met the enigmatic and brooding Simon Serrailler in "The Various Haunts of Men" and got to know him better in "The Pure in Heart" and "The Risk of Darkness." "The Vows of Silence," the fourth crime novel featuring Chief Inspector Serrailler, is pe...more
We met the enigmatic and brooding Simon Serrailler in "The Various Haunts of Men" and got to know him better in "The Pure in Heart" and "The Risk of Darkness." "The Vows of Silence," the fourth crime novel featuring Chief Inspector Serrailler, is pe...more
Hardcover, 328 pages
Published
October 29th 2009
by Overlook Press
(first published January 1st 2007)
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A serial killer is shooting and killing young women, most of them newly married. We know the why -- chapters from the killer’s point of view show us he was spurned once by his fiancee for another man -- but not the who. In the meantime, Lafferton plans for a big fair and a bigger wedding (the royals Charles and Camilla are supposed to show). Will the serial killer strike then? In previous books (and this series must be read in order), Hill has been light on the crime aspect. But in Vows, she de...more
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Susan Hill's Simon Serailler novels are shelved as mysteries in libraries and bookstores, and here on my virtual shelves as well. Having read the first (The Various Haunts of Men) and the fourth (this one), and some reviews, I think they are actually domestic fiction about a family, one of whose members happens to be a policeman.
I enjoyed both books, and will probably seek out the middle two and any sequels. But I enjoyed them as domestic fiction more than for the mystery. I learned fr...more
I enjoyed both books, and will probably seek out the middle two and any sequels. But I enjoyed them as domestic fiction more than for the mystery. I learned fr...more
Another of the Simon Serrallier series and again, a great book. A serial killer is shooting young women in Lafferton and it seems they all have one thing in common, Weddings. They are either newly wed, about to be wed, or in one case, a girl who makes wedding dresses. One thing I did find odd was that the police never made this connection! These stories are not all about the crimes either, there is a very firmly based thread about the people and characters. We are following the story of the Serr...more
OK, I understand that when a sort of formula is working you may not want to mess with it, but four books, four serial killers, only one little English cathedral town? Beloved characters: you ought to move. Hill is obviously much more than a competent writer, so I'm confused by the repeat plot. Also, the personal events that befall the main Serailler family are SO SAD, and not in a useful way. I honestly don't understand why some of the hard things that happen to them do in this book--it just see...more
The is the fourth book in a series, and the fourth that i have read. I am quite impressed by them. Hill not only writes a decent mystery, but, more particularly, does an amazing job of creating characters with depth, flaws, and heroism. The study of the personalities is fascinating, and, i think, well done. I also appreciate that these books both manage to be completely modern, and capture some of that 'cozy' feel of English mysteries on which i was raised. One caveat - the realism of the p...more
I love Susan' Hill's books, though there is a sameness about them (serial killer terrorizes Lafferton). She's an excellent writer, reminding me of Elizabeth George only less wordy. She employs multiple points of view - including the victims and the killer - but it works very well; you always know who is speaking/thinking/experiencing the story. Her characters are appealing, especially the sleuth (Simon Serrailler) and his sister Cat. She weaves in and out of their family problems, his struggl...more
I've now read the first four of the series. I like it a lot, but it is strange in some ways. The first book, for instance, hardly featured the protagonist at all; it was mainly about a new employee who was attracted to him. The next three, we have the protagonist, but I don't much like him. He's a cold fish who treats women badly. However, the mysteries are good, and I really like the guy's sister, a doctor. This is a really good series, and I don't have to like the protagonist, as evidenc...more
Having enjoyed the other books in the Simon Serailler series, I was disappointed in this mystery. For one thing there were far too many deaths, some linked to the detective story, but others in the back story and involving established characters, and I felt that there were too many story lines and none got the attention they deserved. I also didn't like the frequent use of short staccato sentences of one or two words. This can be an effective dramatic device but was overdone here and seemed m...more
The Vows of Silence returns Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler to the scene of a crime; in this case, a person or persons unknown is acting as a sniper and shooting people who have recently been married or who have a connection to weddings or the wedding industry. This book read more quickly than Susan Hill's last effort (The Risk of Darkness) and was vastly more gripping (for this reader.) I am on a roll with this offbeat British crime series this summer. I have connected with the extended Se...more
Finished this book yesterday. Hill does a solid job of keeping the reader guessing. The ending was somewhat surprising (although I have to admit that the identity of the actual culprit did cross my mind for a fleeting minute before getting to the end of the book). As usual, Hill is so very adept at character development. You know you're fully invested in the story when you laugh out loud or cry at something you've read, the latter of which was true in my case. A solid mystery, sad in parts, but ...more
An okay thriller covering a serial killer out to kill women after being rebuffed. The author spends more time on the family lives of a set of characters then she does on the crimes themselves. While Kate Atkins on does the same it does not seem as random and contrived as it does here. In this book it seems like there are three to four all rather incomplete stories being rolled out at once. This effect could be because I have only read the fourth of the series. Overall it was a meh.
Like the rest of the Susan Hill mysteries, this very well written and keeps you turning the pages. However, most of the book is about DCS Serailler's family, and the mystery in this case feels like an after-thought. Not much mystery to this mystery, and while the family stuff is OK, that's really not why I read these. I like a puzzle, and this was not much of one. This series is getting weaker for me as she spends more time on his personal life and less on police procedure with each book.
The Vows of Silence
Susan Hill
Overlook
Fans of character-driven suspense writers like Elizabeth George, Reginald Hill and Ruth Rendell will love Susan Hill's Simon Serrailler series. While Serrailler and his team attempt to solve a series of apparently random shootings, his sister Cat and her husband - both doctors - struggle with a diagnosis that will change all their lives.
Susan Hill
Overlook
Fans of character-driven suspense writers like Elizabeth George, Reginald Hill and Ruth Rendell will love Susan Hill's Simon Serrailler series. While Serrailler and his team attempt to solve a series of apparently random shootings, his sister Cat and her husband - both doctors - struggle with a diagnosis that will change all their lives.
I wanted to love this because I love Susan Hill's literary fiction, and I also loved Family and The Magic Apple Tree, but this I skimmed and just about endured to the end. It was like reading a toff's view of life among the proles, clunky and superficial. I was neither engaged by the mystery murders or surprised at the deoument. Oh dear. I wish I had enjoyed it....
An entertaining and well written murder mystery. Also a book worth reading for the plot and the writing as much as for the mystery (though no surprise there, this being a Susan Hill).
I was a bit frustrated that the police took so long to make the connection between the murders, given that it had been blindingly obvious to readers since the second one, but this is only a minor quibble in an otherwise highly enjoyable book.
I was a bit frustrated that the police took so long to make the connection between the murders, given that it had been blindingly obvious to readers since the second one, but this is only a minor quibble in an otherwise highly enjoyable book.
Soooo depressing. A mystery, right; but brides are murdered, children are murdered, a friend dies of cancer, a beloved dad/husband/brother-in-law dies of cancer, a student commits suicide, a son commits suicide, nine people are killed when a jug fair fun ride collapses (injuring many others) ...
Well written, some very likable characters.
Well written, some very likable characters.
a great detective story, set in the english villages and countryside -- complex, interesting characters that are in the process of developing through the book, a murder mystery plot that keeps me turning pages, thoughtful writing that makes me want to study this book and everything else that susan hill has written -- a pleasure and an inspiration!
This was such a superb addition to Hill's excellent Simon Serrailler series.
This one dealt with themes of aloneness and loneliness and responses to those issues.
As with all of this series (which should be read in order) the crime aspect is only one part of the overall story. It is so rich in characterisations and insights into the human condition.
If you love British police procedurals that don't stint on character development, then you must read Susan Hill's Simon Serrailler mysteries. This one is quite grim, as just about every single character who finds love is visited by death. I'm hoping the next one (already on my shelf) is just a tad more upbeat.
Very, very disappointing. The previous Simon Serrailler books have been quite readable but this one is a disaster. Family tragedy after family tragedy - the poorly written chapters about the serial killer were almost a welcome relief. At this point I don't know if I will bother with the next book in this series.
I enjoyed the first three books in the Simon Serrailer series, and I did this one too, but not as much. However, this did keep me gripped, and the family side of the story was very sad - i did have a tear!! But, the ending was a little far fetched for my liking. Will still want to read the next one though.
Susan Hill just keeps getting better and better. She has a real gift for articulating the effect of terminal illness on the person and family. This is the fourth Serailler mystery, but the stage is almost equally divided between Simon and his sister Cat. You find yourself really caring about her characters: this is truly a moving book, which is unusual for a mystery, and I can't wait for Hill's next book.
So far this is the first book in the series where the murders are resolved and I was able to figure out who was responsible. Somewhat sad series of events for his family but I'm definitely hooked by this set of characters and have picked up the next one to start reading today!
Like the others in this series, this is really well written, but it's not exactly enjoyable. It has a very bleak tone to the whole thing that make that difficult. I will say that I am very grateful for the last two pages because otherwise...As I said, bleak.
Continue to be really hooked on this Simon Serrailler series. The ability to create both a great mystery and great real-life characters with such insight to normal daily life. Will be sorry to finish the final one in the series.
The Serailler family is undergoing some really hard times. Meanwhile, Simon Serailler is investigating a series of apparently random murders of young women. I really like this series & the characters, but this entry was a real downer.
Since I really liked her "Howard's End..." I came back to this series, but I still don't like Simon. oh well, the mystery's good, and there are plenty of other characters. I guess I'll keep reading them to see if he changes.
Susan Hill has fast become one of favorite authors. Her stories are more than just a mystery, it is a story of a family and place. The characters are very real. Always look forward to the next story.
Oooooo, my new Simon Serrailler from the library!
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I love this series, and this one is up to the standard of the first. Actually, the only criticism I have is that the titles don't seem to bear any relation to the stories.
Small quibble; great series!
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I love this series, and this one is up to the standard of the first. Actually, the only criticism I have is that the titles don't seem to bear any relation to the stories.
Small quibble; great series!
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Susan Hill was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire in 1942. Her hometown was later referred to in her novel A Change for the Better (1969) and some short stories especially "Cockles and Mussels".
She attended Scarborough Convent School, where she became interested in theatre and literature. Her family left Scarborough in 1958 and moved to Coventry where her father worked in c...more
More about Susan Hill...
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 c...more
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