• The Pure in Heart

  • Simon Serrailler 2
  • By: Susan Hill
  • Narrated by: Steven Pacey
  • Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (654 ratings)

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The Pure in Heart  By  cover art

The Pure in Heart

By: Susan Hill
Narrated by: Steven Pacey
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Publisher's summary

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler, first introduced in The Various Haunts of Men, is on a painting holiday in Venice when he is summoned home by a telephone call. He has family problems to face, and the stress and grind of running a busy police station. When a little boy is snatched as he stands with his satchel at the gate of his home, waiting for his lift to school, an ordinary community realises that terror and evil are in their very midst.
©2006 Susan Hill (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The Pure in Heart

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
    89
  • 2 Stars
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Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

I typically like British mysteries/thrillers because the plot evolves slowly and logically and the action is suspenseful without car chases and blazing guns. But this was a huge disappointment. The author introduces plot lines and then forgets about them. What happened to the Americans? Why were they introduced? What happens to Diana? And Karen? And Gunten? Did he get the job? Plot resolution is non-existent, and the characters are generally unbelievable. While many characters at first glance appear to be complex, the author manages to make them incredibly unlikeable and flat. Don't waste your credits on this one - try "Gentlemen and Players" instead!

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

I have become addicted to this series...

..and Steven Pacey is certainly one of the best narrators I have ever encountered. The complex interactions between Simon Serrailler, his family, his colleagues at work and family members of crime victims show him to be a fascinating and flawed protagonist. This is a heartbreaking story and is, I think, realistic rather than adhering to the type of formulae we have come to expect in mystery novels. The "dropped" story lines referred to by another reviewer are most likely resolved in ensuing books, and some patience is needed. Fortunately, I discovered this series when five books had already been written, so I could consume them in order, and follow the characters' development.

This is not a conventional mystery novel and Susan Hill is much more than a conventional mystery writer. Read them all. Read them in order. Enjoy!

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A New - and unusual - Favorite Series

After reading the first book in this series, I had a few reservations. This second entry pretty much resolved all that.

The main character, Simon Serrailler, is much more in evidence here. He turns out to be a complex and interesting personality - frustratingly reserved, uncommunicative and distant; but, at the same time, a caring boss, brother, uncle and son. He and the other characters keep you interested, and the plot is an involving one.

Some reviewers have noted that the resolutions of Susan Hill's plot lines are not very satisfying for many mystery fans. I'd say that her characters and the police actions in the books may rather reflect much of the true nature of police investigations and human motives.

Steven Pacey, like all the best narrators, isn't a distracting performer. Instead, he just quietly personifies all the characters and delivers a natural and comfortable reading. Hard to beat that!

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Love This Series!

I love the Serraillier series; i have read all of them (even the new one that is only published in the UK) the plot lines are picked up, characters are not forgotten, and the richness of the stories, the length of time and depth spent with them is wonderful! Do Not Miss! Read them all! The narrator is great too!

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Happy to find this author

Every once in a while I read or listen to a book I like very much and then find that the author has written several others. It's like finding gold - well silver or tin - something good. This was one of those books for me.

It was not "great" (5) which for an audiobook means it's so good that I can listen to it while doing nother else. If I could give this a B+ (or a 4+) I would, but it's not a 5 so 4 is good enough.

I hope I'll be able to report the same about the rest of Susan Hill's books.


[I have a friend named "Susan Hill" and she's the most competent person I've ever known. I wouldn't be surprised if she dashed off a few good books in her spare time without anyone knowing about it and that these are the books she wrote. If it is she I applaud and congradulate her and work on the envy it arouses in me before I see her again. (Aren't people who 'can do everything' annoying?]

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

I'm going to try one more

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

With a caveat...I found the ending very frustrating. I get what the author intends, but it defeats the purpose of written mysteries to me. And the first one was irritating in a different, but in some ways similar, way. I'm going to try one more in the series, but if I don't get more of a positive vibe, I'll leave it there. If you like modern, depressing-equals-real, mysteries/procedurals, these are well written and interesting. I look to written mysteries to in the end give me a sense of hope and order, so far these don't. Side note--if you want proof that the British system of socialized medicine solves the problems of modern medicine--don't look in theses books. Simon's sister and brother-in-law constantly complain about paperwork and government oversight and how no one else is willing to be a GP...

Would you be willing to try another book from Susan Hill? Why or why not?

I'm going to try one more.

Have you listened to any of Steven Pacey’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Just this series, as far as I know--he is great.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not what I was looking for

I like to read police procedurals. that is not what this is. The story is very light on what is done to actually solve the case. The author tells us that this is a great detective but she doesn't do much to convince us.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Now a fan of Susan Hill

really enjoyed this audio. So many interesting characters and Steven Pacey is amazing as the narrator.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love Susan Hill's Serrailler books!

Would you listen to The Pure in Heart again? Why?

Probably not; I don't reread books (or listen to them twice).

What other book might you compare The Pure in Heart to and why?

Anything by Ruth Rendell. They are just a cut above most of the quickly hammered out books.

What does Steven Pacey bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He reads beautifully and the subtle difference in voices of characters is masterful.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Can't say without ruining the story for others.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Where's the Rest?

I picked this series because I'm a huge fan of Steven Pacey. He's easily my favorite narrator and he doesn't disappoint here. I think Susan Hill's writing is very good but this book left me feeling like the last 1/3 of the book was missing. I'm fine with the main plot line ending as it did but none of the other 3 or 4 other sub-plots were resolved either. I literally went back checking to see if I had accidentally skipped a few chapters. But nope, that was everything.

The story kept me captivated throughout though and I'll probably give the next book a try especially since I enjoyed the first book so much. I have a small problem with the way Ms. Hill writes her male and female characters. The female characters are, almost without fail, sympathetic people who are put upon by their male counterparts. Even Simon Serrailler is somewhat of a cad.

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2 people found this helpful