The Various Haunts of Men

A town of secrets. A series of disappearances. A killer lurking in plain sight.

In the quiet cathedral town of Lafferton, a lonely woman vanishes during her morning run, followed by a series of other disappearances—a young girl, an old man, and even a dog. The police dismiss them as routine missing person cases, but new Detective Sergeant Freya Graffham can't shake the chilling sense that something far more sinister is at play.

Alongside her enigmatic and aloof superior, Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler, she must unravel the mystery before the town's darkest secrets come to the surface.

A suspenseful British mystery for fans of Ruth Rendell and P.D. James.

This acclaimed debut of the Simon Serrailler series introduces readers to a compelling cast of characters and a case that defies conventional logic.

• The Vanishing Point: A series of seemingly random disappearances rattles the peaceful community of Lafferton, pushing the police force to its limits.
• The New Detective: Freya Graffham, new to the area, finds herself deeply and personally invested in the case, challenging the standard police procedure with her intuition.
• The Enigmatic Chief: The debut novel offers a captivating first look at the complex and artistic Simon Serrailler, a detective who keeps his distance even as he hunts a killer.

Richly atmospheric and psychologically astute, this mystery explores the disturbing connection between the missing and the dark forces that haunt the human mind. The killer's shocking motives and Hill's masterful pacing will keep you captivated until the final, unexpected twist.

“I loved this book . . . Not all great novelists can write crime fiction, but when one like Susan Hill does it, the result is stunning.” —Ruth Rendell