Saturday, March 07, 2015

The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill

In 2009, I read The Risk of Darkness, a Simon Serrailler mystery by Hill.  I intended to read more in this series, but somehow never did.  Recently on Kay's blog, I was reminded that I wanted to read more about DCI Serrailler, so on the next library visit, I checked to see what was available.  The first in the series (The Various Haunts of Men) wasn't on the shelf, but The Pure in Heart, the second in the series was.     So I'm reading the first three books in the series backward and will get to the first one soon.  Then I can proceed to the rest.
The Various Haunts of Men(2004)
The Pure in Heart(2005)
The Risk of Darkness(2006)
The Vows of Silence(2008)
The Shadows in the Street(2010)
The Betrayal of Trust(2011)
A Question of Identity(2012)
A Breach of Security(2014)
The Soul of Discretion(2015)
Detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrailer is a sympathetic, but flawed protagonist.  The novel is as much about relationships (especially those in Serrailer's family and among their friends) as about the plot.  I enjoy this kind of novel that doesn't give secondary characters short-shrift, but allows them to develop personally so that they become much more than place-holders or plot-pawns.  

Some plots and sub-plots:

 A nine-year-old boy is abducted; a family grieves in different ways; and Simon and his force are hopelessly devoid of clues.  

 A young prisoner is released, but finds fitting back into civilian life difficult, and after failing to find a decent job, is tempted to take an offer that he knows he should refuse.  (Now I want to re-read The Risk of Darkness to see if Andy was in that novel.  That was 6 years and hundreds of books ago--I don't remember if he was included or not.)

 A severely disabled young woman, whose mental defects are so severe that she is unable to even feed herself, and who must be cared for like a newborn.  Makes me think of Tennyson's line, "As though to breathe were life!"

 Simon also struggles with the death of a colleague that he cared for and with a relationship that he no longer has an interest in.

 This novel doesn't follow the typical dictates of detective fiction, but I find the characters keep me interested.

 Read in February.

 Library copy.

 Mystery/Crime.  2005.  370 pages.
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12 comments:

  1. KayMarch 07, 2015 9:23 AM

    I'm about 3/4 through listening to THE RISK OF DARKNESS and just went and found your review of it to read. I agree with some of your thoughts there, but won't elaborate until I get ready to write my review. And by then I may have changed my mind.

    Good to know that this books worked for you. I think that you will like the first book when you get to it. Or I suspect so. For me, this is an excellent series. At least so far. I really love the secondary characters. I think Cat and I could definitely be friends. Simon - I want to smack him a bit.

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    1. jenclairMarch 07, 2015 9:48 AM

      It is difficult at times to refrain from saying too much, but Simon is definitely in need of a smack. I'm really curious about how D.'s story line is going to develop, but Simon had better be prepared for some unpleasantness. There are so many threads to ponder!

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    2. jenclairMarch 07, 2015 9:48 AM

      Oh, and Kay, thanks for reminding me about this series!

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  2. Mac n' JanetMarch 07, 2015 9:25 AM

    I've read this whole series and am anxiously waiting for the release of the new one. Some are better than others, but I enjoyed them all.

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    1. jenclairMarch 07, 2015 9:50 AM

      I have some catching up to do, but that is a good thing. I need The Various Haunts of Men, though, before continuing!

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  3. UnknownMarch 08, 2015 8:02 PM

    This does seem like an interesting character-driven mystery. I often appreciate a detective story that doesn't follow the expected formula.

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    1. jenclairMarch 09, 2015 11:11 AM

      I've enjoyed the ones I've read and look forward to more!

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  4. MelodyMarch 09, 2015 2:35 AM

    You and Kay are one of the best people to go to should I need recommendations on mystery series. This sounds like another I should look into. :)

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    1. jenclairMarch 09, 2015 11:13 AM

      Thanks! It is easy to get entangled with certain characters, and Hill does a good job keeping you interested in the dynamics of the Serrailer family and friends. :)

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  5. NanMarch 09, 2015 11:00 AM

    Such a good review, and I so love the Tennyson quote.

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    1. jenclairMarch 09, 2015 11:16 AM

      Thanks, Nan. I love Ulysses--so many wonderful, quotable lines. I memorized the entire thing years ago, but now, only remember specific lines.

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  6. Literary FelineMarch 10, 2015 1:54 PM

    One of the things I enjoy about series books is when the author does take time to spend on secondary characters. I haven't read this series, but it is one I hope to read eventually.

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