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Thursday, February 7, 2019

The Comforts of Home - Susan Hill

The Comforts of Home by Susan Hill

First Paragraph(s):

For a long time, there had been blackness and the blackness had no form or shape.  But then a soft and cloudy greyness had seeped in around the edges of the black, and soon, the images had come and these had moved forward very fast, like the pages of a child's flip book.  At first he could not catch any, or distinguish between them, but gradually their movement had slowed and he had made out faces, and parts of bodies--a hand, a thumb, the back of a neck.  Hair.  The images had begun to pulse, and balloon in and out, like a beating heart, the faces had swirled together, mingled then separated, and once or twice they had leered at him, or laughed silently out of mouths full of broken teeth.  he had tried to back away from them or lift his arm to shield his eyes, but he was stiff, his arm heavy and cold, like a joint of meat taken out of the freezer.  He did not know how to move it.
     The faces had split into fragments and begun to spin uncontrollably, and he had been looking down into a vortex.
     A flash of light.  Inside the light, millions of glittering, sharp pinpoints.  Another flash.  The pinpoints had dissolved.
     Simon Serrailler opened his eyes.

My Thoughts:

It's been a long time since Susan Hill added to her DCI Simon Serrailler mystery series.  I read the last book, The Soul of Discretion, in mid-2015 and wrote about it here.  I wasn't sure that there would be any more visits with Serrailler, his sister Cat and her family, and crime-solving in Lafferton.  I'm glad that we weren't quite through.

Simon had been asked to go undercover in prison in the previous book and things had gone very wrong.  Most of The Comforts of Home relates his recovery and he spends much of the book on Taransay, an island in the Outer Hebrides.  Those islands are a favorite location of mine to read about.  In actuality, Taransay is uninhabited for the most part since 1974 except for people on holiday.  Simon is asked to help the Scottish Police with an investigation on the island, he's visited by his nephew Sam, and then his new brother-in-law (and boss) Kieran Bright also wants him to look into a cold case.  Cat has changed jobs, is considering a new venture and she is getting used to her new husband.  Their father, Richard, is a big pain, as usual.

I liked this book and it suited my mood very well.  However, it was not particularly suspenseful.  Most of the story was about the Serrailler family and two cases that were not all that complicated to solve.  As I said, it suited me, but it might not others.  I was glad to catch up with the characters.  In previous books, this author spent a lot of time relating her opinions of current medical ethics and care in the story, probably too much.  She included an update on her medical care opinions here, but didn't beat the reader over the head with it quite as much.  I can see where there might be more books, but maybe not.  I'll continue to try them as long as she wants to write them.         

Blurb:

DCI Simon Serrailler's last, devastating case was nearly the death of him and left him confronting a new reality

Recovering on a remote Scottish island, his peace doesn’t last long. He is pulled in to a murder inquiry by the overstretched local police. A newcomer, popular with the islanders, has died in perplexing circumstances. The community's reactions are complicated and fragile.

It’s good to be back on the job. And when Simon returns to Lafferton, an arsonist is on the rampage and a woman whose daughter disappeared some years before is haunting the police station seeking closure. She will not let it rest, and Simon is called in to do a cold-case review.

At home, Simon is starting to get used to having a new brother-in-law – in the form of his Chief Constable Kieron Bright. His sister Cat has embarked on a new way of practising medicine, and his nephew Sam is trying to work out what to do with his life. And then their tricky father, Richard, turns up again like a bad penny.

23 comments:

  1. According to Fantastic Fiction book 10 of this series, The Benefits of Hindsight, is out sometime this year. So she's still writing it. (I wonder if the gap was caused by difficulties in her private life?) I've just started book 3, where they're still looking for the child abductor. Not easy reading but gosh she's a fantastic writer and this is a pageturning series for me, once I start I can't stop. Do you find that? Interesting the mentions of Cat's husband, Richard. He wants to go to Australia in this book and Cat doesn't. I've decided I *really* don't like him...

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    1. Yes, I do find that when I get really invested in a series and there are many to read, I tend to go on a 'binge'. It's fun for me. Glad you are liking it too. And Richard is Cat and Simon's father. Cat's first husband was named Chris. No, I don't like Richard at all.

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    2. Ah yes, got the wrong name, I meant Chris, but Richard is not nice either. And wow, this instalment is a real roller-coaster ride!

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  2. I feel very much the same way you do about the series.

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    1. Good to know. There are several of us around the blogs. ;-)

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  3. I agree with your review, good to continue the story, but not much mystery.

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    1. Yes, especially as one of the blurb I read used very 'dramatic' language for the story. I searched out another blurb that was a little more accurate - in my opinion. ;-)

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    1. Ah, yes. We all have that problem don't we? LOL

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  5. I want to read this series, but I'm still ambivalent. Someone(you?) once told me that even though Simon is the MC that he didn't appear much in the storyline. Now I'm searching my memory to remember if it was only about the first book in the series, or the whole series.

    I've read your past reviews and they are mostly good, some mixed feelings. I see Jenclair reads it also and I trust her judgement too, so now I'll check on getting the first title and giving it a go.

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    1. Rita, you could try it and see what you think. It's got it's own quirks. If you don't like it, there are plenty more, right?

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  6. I couldn't even get through your description. Guess the book is too scary pour moi! hahaha

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    1. No, there are books that are definitely not for you, Nan. :-)

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  7. Love the idea of it being set on a remote Scottish island! :)

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    1. That part was quite interesting. I love book set in the Outer Hebrides.

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  8. What a coincidence! I was just looking at my copy of The Shadows in the Street, wondering if I should keep it since I rarely reread mysteries. I read this one first (out of order, I know!) and then The Various Haunts of Men (the ending just about gutted me), but I haven't returned to the series and I'd really like to. But first to catch up on all the Louise Penny books and then all the Elly Griffith books and then all the Joy Ellis books. :) At that point, I'd love to read this entire series from beginning to end. I may have to designate March for Mysteries!

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    1. March for Mysteries sounds like plan to me, Les. Ha! I've mentioned that this year seems to be one that shaping up as a 'focus on series' year. For the most part.

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  9. An author I've been meaning to try. I like the sound of this one Kay.

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  10. I know I've read a couple of these and I think after #3 I was kind of upset with some of the characters so I put it aside. I do remember loving the setting though. I should give this series another try. I really have enjoyed some of her other standalone books.

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    1. Iliana, I've only read her mystery series, but know many have enjoyed her other books, both fiction and non-fiction.

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  11. I gave up on this series after about 5 books. I did not like the way the books left things hanging sometimes. She does write really well and I loved the first few I read.

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    1. I get that, Tracy. This author does have a rather unique way of telling a story. I know many love her non-fiction, but somehow it doesn't work for me.

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Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy to hear your thoughts and will respond as soon as I can. Happy Reading!