Finished Susan Hill' s Serailler series..what now?

[absolutelynotfabulous]

I love Susan Hill, Rendell/Vine, and the Lynley books but I seem to have run out. What next for a lover of psychological/crime fiction? Ideas please?

[DuchessofMalfi]

I was bereft after finishing the Serailler series too. Have you tried Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie novels? I read the first one, quite liked it, but haven't read the others yet. Or P D James? Just trying to think back to what was recommended to me when I asked about similar novels a while ago.

There's a trilogy set on the island of Lewis - I've got those on my list. Can't think of the author's name, but The Black House, The Lewis Man and Chessmen I think are the titles. There's another series set on Shetland. I'm hopeless with remembering authors' names, though .

Eeny Meeny by M J Arlidge starts a series set in Southampton, and a female police officer. That was good. I think there's four or five of them now. I've got those on my to read list.

If you like police procedural with a twist of fantasy added, then I'd recommend Ben Aaronovitch's novel Rivers of London and the rest of the series. Great fun, lots of humour. Very readable.

Nicci French is another author (actually a writing team of two under one name) who produce good novels. You might like to give one them a go?

Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series is good. Or at least the earlier novels are, the later ones have become rather formulaic and bit tired. But I like them still. She's a bounty hunter, the novels are set in Trenton, New Jersey. Lots of humour as well.

[magimedi]

Another fan of the Serallier series here.

I love Donna Leon - Brunetti is the detective, all set in Venice. There are about 20 of them, but the first 12 or so are the best.

[absolutelynotfabulous]

Thanks all. Great suggestions. For now, I've downloaded an Elizabeth George (Lynley) I don't think I've read and eagerly awaiting a hard copy of Dark Corners in my Xmas stocking!

(A bit off-piste, but I couldn't believe that my local Waterstones hadn't heard of Ruth Rendell..wtf).

[BestIsWest]

I loved the Serraileur books too. Try Anne Cleeves, either the Vera or Shetland series.

Also the Lewis series referred to by Duchess is very good. Author us Peter May.

[waycat]

Was going to suggest Anne Cleeves, but BestIsWest beat me to it!

She has a new book out now in the Vera series called The Moth Catchers. I love all her Shetland and Vera books.

[BestIsWest]

A new Vera! Thanks waycat. I didn't know.

[BrendaandEddie]

I love them but they're so naff in some ways. Her obvious hero worship of the Doctor. The middle class ness of it. The weird sbusive father thing.

I love reading them and giggling at her cliche

[BrendaandEddie]

Loved girl in the red coat. Her by Harriet lane

[confusedandemployed]

The Lewis trio is by Peter May and I thoroughly recommend.

I'd also try:

Elly Griffith's Dr RuthcGalloway series

A book called the Woodcutter by Reginald Hill (who did Dalziel and Pascoe). It's a one-off but completely engrossing. I loved it.

[mollyonthemove]

MJ Arlidge definitely! Nicci French's Frieda series too?

[absolutelynotfabulous]

Brilliant! I was wondering about Girl in the Red Coat.

brenda I agree with you about the naffness, but I still can't put a Serailler down. I suppose that's testament to Hill's writing style. The sister is nauseatingly perfect and really boils my pee, and Simon himself is only half filled-in. The father is a more interesting character, even though the rape story stretched the credibility a bit. I find the incidental characters more real, somehow.

I was disappointed to have guessed the identity of the old-lady killer as soon as Hill introduced the character. It was so bloody obvious.

I'm quite glad to have finished the series, in a way. I don't think I could take any more of that sister, or that stupid non-relationship between violet-eyed Rachel and floppy-haired Simon. Still sad though....

[efeslight]

So has Susan Hill stopped writing This series? Have not bought the most recent book yet and will be heartbroken if thats it. I find the books a really good read, although i am irritated by simon and his perfect but stressed sister who is filled with middle class angst. His fathers new wife Judith seems to be fairly nice and sensible, and the father is obviously a bully. But i find the level of dislike that i have for some of the characters in her books quite refreshing, as my normal crime/thriller reads are normally plot driven and the actual characters dont matter so much.
As pp said,
i have also enjoyed P D James
barbara Vine/ruth rendell
Anne Cleeves, bith the vera series and the det, think its jimmy perez?
Elly Griffiths
belinda bauer

[BrendaandEddie]

Oh in so glad to see other people found the book compulsive yet irritating. Of course saintly sister works at a hospice etc

[absolutelynotfabulous]

Afaik the final one is about the child abuse. It was truly harrowing (but not, Imo, particularly believable). There's room for more, but not sure if author has any more planned.

brenda terminal illness seems to be a particular obsession of the author, doesn't it, what with the hospice, saintly sister's husband, the motor neurone character, the friend, the dodgy doc..

I wish saintly sister would just occasionally crack and feed her kids KFC or something rather than something home-cooked and delicious.

[BrendaandEddie]

and when the sisters husband died
wah wah
and the perfect nanny she is so kind to.

AND THE WINE

[BestIsWest]

But I still love them. Why make them triplets and never write about the flying doctor one?

[absolutelynotfabulous]

O God...the wine..copious amounts of it. And I bet it's never Chateau Plonkot either-only a naice Merlot, dahling, to be taken in front of a roaring farmhouse fire, naturally. And the cat-Mephisto-why can't it just be Puss, or Moggy, or something? Pretentious crap..arggh.

And as for relaxation, of course Saintly Sister cannot be expected to slob out at the end if the day in front of Corrie-oh no-she has to sing in a choir. A bloody Cathedral choir, mind you..not your common old community acapella one that meets in the workmen's hall. Perish the thought!

I get the impression, best, that the other triplet is the black sheep and best forgotten. He's obviously escaped the fold of the (rather weirdly oppressive Imo) family. What with the busybodying perfection that is/was the Mother, the irascible tyrant that is the Father, the downtrodden new and much younger Stepmum, flop-haired, painterly, emotionless Simon and his vapid, violet-eyed girlfriend, and finally the bereaved Saintly Sister, Black Sheep Brother is the lucky one. And we mustn't forget the dying friend, the traumatised lodger and the tortured Rev, and the dying husband.

Ooh I love a Serrailer book

[BrendaandEddie]

triplets??

[BrendaandEddie]

www.susanhill.org.uk/brand-new-simon-serrailler-short-story

[mollyonthemove]

I tweeted Susan hill about simn and she confirmed he was finished ??

[BrendaandEddie]

i asked her who would play him - she said Penry Jones

[BestIsWest]

No, he can't be finished! Mm Penry-Jones.

[BestIsWest]

Too good looking for my vision of him. He's not very attractive.

[absolutelynotfabulous]

That book's not new! I've read it already. I think.

brenda is that Rupert Penry Jones?

[DuchessofMalfi]

Hope they're never brought to tv with RPJ. Don't like him. Would rather they stayed just as books, that way I can't be disappointed :)