108. The Vows of Silence

The Vows of Silence by Susan Hill
Fourth Simon Serrailler Crime Novel

Pages: 328
Finished: June 16, 2008
First Published: June 17, 2008
Genre: Crime/Mystery
Rating: 4.5/5

Reason for Reading: Received a Review Copy from Random House Canada.

First sentence:

They had climbed for two hours.

Comments: Simon Serrailler is a Detective Chief Superintendent in a small town in England and a gunman is on the loose. He appears to be randomly shooting young women all over town and Serrailler is stumped. Simon's personal life is also in upheaval. A past flame has come to town, his father has a girlfriend and his sister's life is falling apart.

This is the first book in this series that I have read and wow! am I impressed. This is a detailed plot with many threads and a large cast of fabulously developed characters. As a first time reader of the series I was able to jump in easily and I really found Simon a fascinating character. The narrative expertly switches back and forth between characters and plot threads making this a fast-paced and exciting read. I love the way Hill made several characters appear to be possible suspects to the reader and my mind was in a whir trying to figure out who it really was before the final reveal. I really enjoyed this book, the side plots make it much more than just a murder mystery and it won't be long till I get myself the first three books in this series so I can catch up with Simon Serrailler.