by Susan Hill
First published 2006
Detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler confronts his most disturbing case yet when a child disappears from the cathedral town of Lafferton. The investigation leads him into the shattered world of a grieving widower whose loss has twisted into something far more dangerous. What begins as profound mourning transforms into fixation, then escalates to menace and brutality. Serrailler must navigate not only the external threats posed by a man consumed by his own anguish, but also his internal struggles. The reserved detective, whose emotional distance has left a trail of broken relationships, finds his carefully maintained composure challenged by an unexpected attraction. A spirited red-haired priest disrupts his usual detachment, forcing him to confront feelings he has long kept buried. As violence erupts around the abduction case, Serrailler discovers that solving crimes may be easier than solving the puzzle of his own guarded heart.
Genres: mystery, crime, detective, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: emotional-distance, internal-struggle, unexpected-attraction
Setting: Lafferton
320 pages · Paperback · Chatto & Windus
Content warnings: mental-illness