The Pure in Heart

September 10, 2007
In Hill’s fine second Simon Serrailler crime novel (after The Various Haunts of Men
), Inspector Serrailler, who’s still brooding over the unsolved murder of a fellow officer a year earlier, has sought solace amid Italian ruins with his sketchbook, much to the disapproval of his father back in England. Summoned home to the cathedral town of Lafferton, Serrailler finds that murder, family breakups and the abduction of a schoolboy have occurred in his absence. Other worries include the impending death of his handicapped sister, Martha, and a mob attack on the home of the pedophile suspected of kidnapping nine-year-old David Angus. Meanwhile, down-and-out ex-con Andy Gunton finds dubious employment shipping cars for sleazy Lee Carter. The patient reader must wait until these subplots come together, but Hill’s smooth and engrossing style creates riveting suspense as Serrailler and sidekick Nathan Coates pursue David’s abductors through Lafferton’s seediest areas to an astonishing conclusion.

Starred review from September 1, 2007
A little boy is kidnapped while waiting for a ride to school in Hill's second mystery featuring Detective Inspector Simon Serailler (after "The Various Haunts of Men") and his bucolic English cathedral town of Lafferton. Few leads exist. Crime reconstruction and interviews with local pedophiles, ex-cons, transients, and the boy's family turn up no clues. The community is gripped by fear, and the boy's family unravels. Simon's personal life is also turbulenthis institutionalized sister has suddenly died, his other sibling is about to give birth to her third child and her medical practice is suffering, and his sometime girlfriend is in desperate need of attention and stalking him. Simon is clearly not functioning at his best in the face of this truly baffling and tragic case. Thanks to Hill's deft prose, his character gains both depth and humanity. This novel showcases the author's exceptional skill at complex plot development and the creation of a community of thoroughly engaging and believable characters. Fans of English mysteries will be delighted. Strongly recommended.Susan Clifford Braun, Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, CA

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2007
In the second instalment of Hills Simon Serrailler crime series, following The Various Haunts of Men (2006), a nine-year-old boy is kidnapped in broad daylight while waiting for his school ride outside his home in the British cathedral town of Lafferton, and the case falls squarely in the lap of Detective Chief Inspector Serrailler.Its a coppers worst nightmarebroken and grieving parents, intense media interest, and extreme pressure from the top police brass to solve the case yesterday. But there are few leads and no apparent motive, and as the days go by and the child isnt found, hope drains away. Although the case hits Simon and his team exceptionally hard, he has other problems to deal with: he is still trying to come to terms with the murder of a former colleague, his severely disabled sisters health is worsening daily, his ex-girlfriend is stalking him, he and his twin sister are quarrellingover Simons fear of commitment, and an ex-con whos just been released from prison is causing Simon major headaches. This is realistic, gritty, and gut-wrenching crime fiction, but its also a poignant and thoughtful character study. Add to that Hills mesmerizing storytelling ability and her gift for making characters and situations come alive, and the result is an outstanding read that will stay with readers long afterward.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)