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Book Cover for: The Risk of Darkness: A Gripping Psychological Thriller of Abduction, Deception, and Shattered Innocence, Susan Hill

The Risk of Darkness: A Gripping Psychological Thriller of Abduction, Deception, and Shattered Innocence

Susan Hill

What terrors can be born from a heart broken by grief?

After the horror of a child's kidnapping, the cathedral town of Lafferton is still reeling. But for a grieving widower, Max Jameson, his wife's slow, agonizing death has ignited a terrifying madness.

As his obsessive rage turns violent, Detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler is drawn into a desperate standoff. At the same time, a new case--the abduction of another child--forces Serrailler to confront the possibility that the first kidnapper is still at large.

A pulse-pounding psychological thriller for fans of Ruth Rendell and P.D. James.

In the third installment of Susan Hill's celebrated British series, the darkness runs deeper than ever:

  • The descent into obsession: Witness the terrifying psychological unraveling of a man driven mad by loss.
  • A tangled web of crime: As Serrailler's team investigates a new child abduction, he's faced with the harrowing possibility that the first kidnapper was never caught.
  • A detective's troubled heart: A new priest at the cathedral challenges Serrailler's emotional detachment, forcing him to confront his own vulnerabilities.


Atmospheric, suspenseful, and profoundly disturbing.The Risk of Darkness masterfully blends a domestic nightmare with a relentless police investigation, showcasing the fine line between sanity and madness.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Overlook Press
  • Publish Date: Mar 2nd, 2010
  • Pages: 384
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 7.94in - 5.36in - 0.81in - 0.64lb
  • EAN: 9781590202906
  • Recommended age: 18-UP
  • Categories: Mystery & Detective - Police ProceduralCrimeThrillers - Psychological

About the Author

Hill, Susan: - Susan Hill's Simon Serrailler series has sold more than one million copies worldwide. Her novels and short stories have won the Whitbread Book, Somerset Maugham, and John Llewellyn Rhys awards, the Yorkshire Post Book of the Year, and have been shortlisted for the Booker Prize. The play adapted from her famous ghost novel, The Woman in Black, has been running in the West End since 1989. The titles in the Simon Serrailler series are all available from The Overlook Press.

Praise for this book

" These books succeed in harnessing all the genre's addictive power while maintaining a complexity and fascination entirely their own. The Risk of Darkness" "reminds us that risk-taking, in fiction, as in life, sometimes pays off brilliantly." "
- Independent
"" Not all great novelists can write crime fiction, but when one like Susan Hill does, the result is stunning." Ruth Rendell
" Hill has a genius for tackling controversial issues while paying tribute to the detail of ordinary people's lives... The Risk of Darkness" "is an almost flawless novel." "
- Spectator"
" For the first time in years P.D. James has serious competition"
"- Literary Review"
Praise for Susan Hill:
" I loved this book. Masterly and satisfying. The result is stunning."
- Ruth Rendell
" This book must be judged as a potential successor to the great sequence of detective
writing by P.D. James and Ruth Rendell... excellent."
- "Daily Telegraph "(UK)
" Gripping... and subtle."
- "Daily Mail "(UK)

"From the Hardcover edition."

"These books succeed in harnessing all the genre's addictive power while maintaining a complexity and fascination entirely their own. The Risk of Darkness" "reminds us that risk-taking, in fiction, as in life, sometimes pays off brilliantly." "
-Independent
""Not all great novelists can write crime fiction, but when one like Susan Hill does, the result is stunning." Ruth Rendell
"Hill has a genius for tackling controversial issues while paying tribute to the detail of ordinary people's lives...The Risk of Darkness" "is an almost flawless novel." "
-Spectator"
"For the first time in years P.D. James has serious competition"
"-Literary Review"
Praise for Susan Hill:
"I loved this book. Masterly and satisfying. The result is stunning."
-Ruth Rendell
"This book must be judged as a potential successor to the great sequence of detective
writing by P.D. James and Ruth Rendell...excellent."
-"Daily Telegraph "(UK)
"Gripping...and subtle."
-"Daily Mail "(UK)

"From the Hardcover edition."

Praise from the U.K. for "The Risk of Darkness"
"Crime fans on the look out for intelligent examples of the genre will enjoy "The Risk of Darkness,""-"Time Out"
"Of its sort "The Risk of Darkness"is an almost flawless novel." -"Spectator"
"This is a crime series that specialises in sidestepping conventions, always to exhilarating effect."-"The Independent"
"A page-turner. Watch out for the twist in the tail, it'll take you by surprise." -"Choice"
"A compulsive and compelling story...packed with action and adventure." -"At Home"
Praise for "The Risk of Darkness"
"An outstanding crime thriller from one of Britain's best writers. Taut, inventive, tragic, intriguing, and full of unexpected twists, it's a must-have for all mystery collections."-"Booklist" (starred review)
"Hill blends just the right measures of darkness, tension, and human interest...Well-crafted plot and believable characters make this a welcome addition to the series."-"Library Journal" (starred review)
"An almost flawless novel." -"Spectator"