The Risk of Darkness

By: Susan Hill

Narrated by: Steven Pacey

Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

A kidnapper is at large; a schoolboy has disappeared. There are no leads, and no closure. The police have failed, and morale at Lafferton Station has collapsed. Then DCI Simon Serrailler receives a call: a child has been snatched in Yorkshire. Has the abductor struck again? The Risk of Darkness picks up where The Pure in Heart left off. It is set in a world in which a widowed husband's crazy grief turns to obsession and violence, and women - both old and young - feel threatened. Meanwhile handsome, reserved Simon Serrailler, who has broken so many hearts, gets a taste of his own medicine....

©2006 Susan Hill. All rights reserved. (P)2011 AudioGO

An Excellent Series

I’m listening to this series this series for the second time which I never do. It’s very good and holds one’s interest through every book. Love it!

Love this Series

I love this series with its many interesting characters. This may not be the best book in the series on its own, but it carries the story of Simon forward in new and interesting directions. I highly recommend that you start with the first in the series and continue. Delightful hours of listening.

One and a half mysteries

The book has a major plot line that is solved half way thru the book, so it felt either odd or like a bonus that it kept going. There are a number of ongoing issues with several characters, then all of a sudden, the book ends, not really with a cliff hanger, just an abrupt stop with many unresolved questions. Time to read then next one. I would have been pissed if it weren't available.

Huh? What happened?

I really enjoyed this book, but it just ended leaving so many storylines unresolved!
Susan Hill is brilliant at fleshing out characters, but I’m left asking why we are even introduced to some, and what happened to others?
We really didn’t need to be introduced to the obnoxious police officer, he served zero purpose! The female priest’s mother has a very detailed storyline which was probably meant to bring Simon and the priest together- but we didn’t need her because the priest had enough useful trauma in her storyline to spend time with Simon. Eileen (the mother of the killer)and husband Dougie have a storyline I was really invested in, but it literally disappears! I was shocked when the book ended, I literally thought there was something wrong! Very disappointed.

Now I'm hooked

I too started this audio and stopped to check the start of the previous one, The Pure In Heart. I'm not used to a mystery series having a case continue so prominently into the next book. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. It's the best one so far in the series. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Picked up right where Book One left off

This book continued the story that began in the Pure in Heart, and most of the loose ends were neatly tied up. There are still many threads that could be pulled to bring about another book, and I hope that that is the case. Although this story is gut wrenching at times, it is very realistic and incredibly well performed. I will have to move Susan Hill and Steven Pacey up on my personal list of favorite writer/narrators. Extremely well done, enjoyed it a lot.

Issues....

The writing was good. And I can usually pass over political agendas but really? The only character identified as Black is a racist jerk? There were other issues but why bother?

Loss

Multiple challenges plague Simon. A widower who goes on a rampage to bring his dead wife back to life. The mother of a child kidnapper and murderer goes on a campaign to prove the impossible.

The Story of a Family

This series focuses on people more than procedure. I enjoy police procedurals. I also find myself captivated by the Serrailler family.

I strongly recommend reading this series in order. My first reading of these books was done out of order. I have now re-read the first three in order and enjoyed them more. The characters are fascinating if not always likable.

This is a unique series of stories unlike anything I have read before.

Disturbing

I found this to be very disturbing. Such an emotional and evil story line. Perhaps too many plots taking place in it. The author must have been in a very dark place when she wrote this. Not sure if I will continue with the series.