Wednesday, January 9, 2013

A Question of Identity - Susan Hill

I first 'discovered' Susan Hill about this time last year when I read The Betraul of Trust - the sixth in her Simon Serrailler Crime novels. (my review). I was really looking forward to her latest - A Question of Identity - and I wasn't disappointed!

A Question of Identity opens with an italicized paragraph that hints at a dark mind and darker things to come....deliciously creepy.

"It's like your brain's bursting. It doesn't happen all at once, it builds up. And then your brain's going to burst until you do something about it. You do it. You have to do it. Then it's all right again for a bit, 'til it starts again."

The book opens with a murder trial from 2002 - three elderly women have been horrifically murdered in their homes, strangled with a piece of electrical cord. The verdict is not what was expected.

Cut to present day and DCI Simon Serrailler, who works in Lafferton, an English town not far from London. And a new murder to investigate - an elderly woman has been killed in her home - strangled with a length of electrical cord........

What makes this series a stand out for me? Hill successfully combines a riveting and clever mystery with characters that I'm genuinely interested in.  Both plot lines are done equally well. Those new to the series may have a wee bit of difficulty getting to know everyone at first, but will quickly become engrossed in their personal stories. Simon, his sister Cat and her family, the elder Serailler and his wife as well as the supporting cast from the station. Hill explores everyday life with a keen and discerning eye - sibling rivalry, depression, domestic abuse and more are all touched upon and examined realistically.

Back to the crime - at the opening of every chapter we are privy to more and more of the killer's thoughts. His violence and madness is escalating.  I was able to suss out who the killer was midway, but it certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment of this book. Instead, it really heightened the tension.

The crime is solved by the end, but the lives of Simon et al are far from settled - I can't wait to see what direction Hill takes in the next book.

I love British procedurals and this author is one of the best. Truly, if you're looking for an intelligent mystery series, pick up Susan Hill. Read an excerpt of A Question of Identity. You can find Susan Hill on Twitter.

9 comments:

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

Thank you for the suggestion!

"Auntie"
Who has 2 posts, today.

Lindsey from Random House of Canada said...

I'm so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed it! Many thanks for reading and reviewing this novel!

-Lindsey

Luanne said...

Auntie - it really is a good series.

Lindsey - YOu're welcome!

Michele@The Lit Asylum said...

I love, love, love British procedural novels! This is the first time I've heard of Susan Hill....should I start at the beginning, I assume, with the first novel?

bermudaonion said...

This sounds excellent! I love British mysteries as well.

Luanne said...

Hey Michelle: I've only read #6 and this latest #7. I find it really hard to go back to the beginning when I know where the characters are today. So ideally I would have started at the beginning and if you haven't read any at all yet, I would. I hope you enjoy them!

Kathy - I think you would enjoy them as well!

Isi said...

I have some ebooks by this author and I'm looking forward to reading any of them! I've seen very positive reviews on the blogs.

PS: I'm here because I found your blog in Leeswammes :)

PS2: I'm Spanish so I have to say sorry for my English (I'm trying to improve my English reading and reviewing books!)

Luanne said...

Hi Isi

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! I'm always happy to meet new bloggers and I'm glad you found your way to A Bookworm's World! And your English is just fine!!

Harriet said...

Read "In the springtime of the year " decades ago. Then, by incidence, discovered one of Susan Hills Simon Serrailer detetctives in a second hand book shop. Got hooked and read the whole series In one summer, starting with book 1.
You escape, get dragged into another world, are rewarded with an intelligent plot and a beautiful, true to live story of the Serrailer family. It is always a joy to discover something unknown. PD James Inspector Dalgliesh, read the books after seeing the series on TV. With DI Linley, it was just the other way around.