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The Risk of Darkness [Mass Market Paperback]

Susan Hill
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
List Price: CDN$ 10.99
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Book Description

Jun 26 2007
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.


From the Hardcover edition.

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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)


From the Hardcover edition.

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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Customer Reviews

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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars Risk of Darkness Jun 27 2012
By Ronald E. Dines TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Somewhat heavy on the down side. I really cannot begin to even comprehend Edwina, but one does grasp the horrific spin-off effects. So many other lives are affected, if not ruined. At least Natalie may profit from this and that is one potential winner. One does wonder what might happen to Kyra who appeared obsessed with Ed. Then there is Simon who makes one error after another. Got what he deserved when Jane appeared totally not interested. After his treatment of Diana, this comeuppance was just fine. The death of Meriel was a bit of surprise. What will happen to Simon's father without her to focus on? Perhaps he'll continue with his Masonic ventures, which will never interest Simon. Overall it was just fair. "The Vows of Silence" was so much better.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent series, locale, plot and characters... Nov 19 2010
Format:Mass Market Paperback
One of the most interesting, complex (at times irritating) lead characters in detective fiction... The secondary players, mainly members of his family, are very human and well fleshed out... These seem like very real people.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com: 3.9 out of 5 stars  34 reviews
28 of 30 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Love British mystery? July 12 2008
By J. Bowman - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
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.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Slow & meditative ... Sep 26 2009
By Caitlin Martin - Published on Amazon.com
Format: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.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Rather dark and desolate Mar 29 2011
By MW - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
* Possible spoilers*

I don't believe this book is as good as her previous ones...or perhaps I've read too many consecutively.

Hill included side stories that seemed superfluous and meaningless to the main plot. The Max and terminally ill wife story line could have been omitted without compromising the plot at all. I found that story line depressing, distracting and nothing to do with anything. Many police characters were introduced at the beginning never to be referenced again. After finishing the book, I was quite frustrated with the number of incomplete story lines. Did Kyra get the help she needed (and why wasn't more help offered to this poor child)? Did she and her mother ever move away? Did her mother get paid for the story? The Ed story line did not come to a satisfying completion and was left seeming like she was clueless about the enormity of what she had done.

There are too many deaths that seem purposeless and pointless, but rather thrown in to fill pages (for example, the priest's mother). A couple of times the dialogue was confusing. People began talking without any references as to whom was speaking and I had to reread several times to figure it out (frustrating).

I was disappointed that there was not more police procedure involved....more steps in the solving of the crime. The book is a Simon Serrailler Mystery, but there was no mystery in this book.

Again, perhaps I should have taken a break between her books. While I did for the most part enjoy the book because I care about the main characters (Simon and Cat), I found myself impatient to be finished with it.
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