Friday, November 13, 2009

Independent Booksellers Pick Susan Hill's THE VOWS OF SILENCE for November 2009 Indie Next List


The fourth book in Susan Hill's popular series of mystery novels featuring D.I. Simon Serrailler and the English cathedral town of Lafferton has been chosen by America's independent booksellers as an "Indie Next" pick for November 2009. The Vows of Silence is already drawn widespread critical attention from booksellers and critics:

"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 and her husband -- both doctors -- struggle with a diagnosis that will change all their lives. A great read!” -- Carol Schneck, Schuler Books & Music, Okemos, MI

"Susan Hill’s crime novels are getting better and better. Though her series format is of course familiar, she brings to it qualities that make it her own. The main plot is straightforward enough — who is the killer and will he be caught? — but the narrative is so streamlined and effective that it races beautifully along until it smacks against the buffers of an unexpected but entirely convincing ending. The technicalities of police investigation seem plausible, as does the interaction between the officers. The novel gains depth, not distraction, from the wealth of other stories that cluster around the private lives of its characters. Much of it unfolds in dialogue or short, crisp sentences. . . On one level, this is a book about sudden and premature death and its effect not only on those who die but also on those who remain. Here, whether death comes with a bullet or a tumour, it is a blunt instrument that destroys peace and forces a brutal reassessment of life’s priorities. Perhaps this is the central question that Hill poses in this gripping and thought-provoking novel: how on earth do we cope?" - Andrew Taylor, The Spectator

" The police procedural subplot is well written, filled with suspense and has a red herring suspect, but the emotional intensity happens more to people in Simon’s personal circle as he is the “watcher” even with Jane Fitzroy, a woman he is attracted to. The story line is fast-paced except with the relationship dance between Simon and Jane. Susan Hill effortlessly moves back and forth between the case (to include the killer’s perspective) and Simon’s personal life. British police procedural fans will enjoy Simon’s not simple investigation and look for his previous caseload." - Harriet Klausner

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