The Various Haunts of Men is the first in a series by Susan Hill and plays out like a classic crime-show. While it was nothing like the books I usually read(young adult), it’s a lot like the TV Shows I watch and love. This book was very Criminal Minds. It was creepy and the mystery is mind-boggling.
However, it does not start out that way. The plot develops slowly while Susan Hill spent a lot of time on character development and in detailing out the town of Lafferton , a peaceful English cathedral city. The protagonist is a young policewoman Freya Graffham and the book also chronicles her relationship with DCI Simon Serrailler, providing us with some romance. The town itself is described beautifully and a sub-plot of shady new-age practitioners is thrown in.
The Various Haunts of Men opens and is interspersed with sections of "The Tape," which sound like confessions and thoughts of a deranged person. This part is cryptic and while it provides no real clues to the mystery it adds suspense.
I finished this book in one-sitting. I was on a constant guessing game. I just could not put it down. It was addicting and thrilling and had lost of twists and turns.
Recommended to lovers of crime-drama like Twin Peaks, Criminal Minds, Dexter etc.
Also fans of Sidney Sheldon books.

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