The Risk of Darkness by Susan Hill

This is number three book in the series about chief Simon Serrailer, his family, colleagues and other persons in the fictious English town Lafferton. The two first books "The Various Haunts of Men" and "The Pure in Heart" has just been mentioned, click here to check it out. I recommend that you read the books as they are written, otherwise you will not get anything out of this one.

The last book ended without all loose ends being tied up, and thus my expectations of this one were great¨. The series is being branded as crime/thrillers, men I found out that that is definitely not the case reading the first one. They are adult chick lit slash slightly romantic. Perhaps not the best label. And I am a bit disappointed over this one. The descriptions are still fine, you feel like you know those persons. I do feel they are dangerously close being stereotypes, but the atmosphere in the book holds water all the way through the book.

When all this is said, there is actually not much more to say! Simon and his team of cops are still looking for the kidnapper who kidnapped the boy David Angus in the previous book. Already in the beginning of the story, the are getting very close, and there is a surprise for all involved. But most of the book is about the persons around Simon Serrailer and about how the society reacts to the kidnapping of a child, murders etc. There is not much policework involved in this story and the whole kidnapping-case seems like an excuse to write about an English town and it's people. No harm done in that, but then do not label those books as crime/thriller/mystery. I had expected more policework and excitement and not so much babble about life as a baby-mother or as female priest in the Church of England. Not too happy about this book, but did finish it without being bothered too much.