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  • The Vows of Silence

  • Simon Serrailler 4
  • By: Susan Hill
  • Narrated by: Steven Pacey
  • Length: 10 hrs
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,011 ratings)
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The Vows of Silence cover art

The Vows of Silence

By: Susan Hill
Narrated by: Steven Pacey
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Summary

Gunmen are terrorising young women in the Cathedral town of Lafferton. What - if anything - links the apparently random murders? Is the marksman with a rifle the same person as the killer with a handgun?

Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Serrailler falls back on well tried police methods such as questioning neighbours and house-to-house searches. Simon has been promoted and is now with the Serious Incident Flying Taskforce, but he is still at heart a loner and these chilly murders are on his home territory.

©2008 Long Barn Books Ltd (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The Vows of Silence

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

More than just a detective story

I've enjoyed several of the books in this series featuring DCI Simon Serrailer and thought this one especially good. Serrailer is a more unusual sort of policeman than that commonly depicted in detection fiction: much more interesting and sensitive and not exhibiting the clichés of being a cynical hard-drinking, smoking, junk-food-eating cop. In other detective series I get bored by the side stories of the detective's sad lives and emotional baggage, whereas, in this book, Serrailer's relationships with his sister and father add to the basic story and make the book a much more satisfying listen. It's a good detective story, too. The reader is excellent, which makes such a difference to an audio book.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Really Excellent

This series just gets better and better. Although I am not usually interested in "family drama" novels, these books are so well written that I have become really involved with the characters and the ongoing story of the interwoven families in the book kept me engrossed.
Although it could be read on its own, I would say that the book is best read after the first three. I hope that there will be more, as I am looking forward to finding out what happens next.
My only criticism is that there is one important loose end not tied up (I can't say what it is without revealing the end) but perhaps it will be dealt with in the next story.
Steven Pacey is excellent as the reader - not only fluent and good at accents, but a superb reminder of my favourite childhood television series!

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • KW
  • 16-06-10

Great Narrator, Shame about the plot

The narrator did a great job. If you're already a fan of Susan Hill then I recommend this audiobook.

I understand Susan Hill has received quite a few awards for her writing. The Whitbread, Somerset Maugham and John Llewelyn Rhys awards, as well as having been shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Perhaps her other books would be more to my taste, but I'll not be putting that theory to the test any time soon.

'Vows of Silence' features her MC detective, Simon Serrailler. I expected some excitement as a serial killer stalks through the town of Lafferton. However, instead of a thrilling story I got a psychological profile of the detective: how he feels about his family and in particular his father's new girlfriend. With all the time he spends at his sister's house I wondered how he managed to hold down his job. The killings aren't really solved by his skills as a detective...which to me is disappointing in a crime novel.

Much of the start is what I think of as backstory. The book isn't poorly written; there are some beautifully descriptive scenes: e.g. when she describes a distraught child in such a way that I could feel it's distress.

The other two scenes that I found memorable were about a teenage boy caught up in religious fanaticism and a moving scene which involves the death of someone whose been ill throughout the book.

Oh, on the theme of death, there's a serial killer who kills a lot of people - as he should (being a serial killer and all). Then there's the hospice and all the deaths from terminal diseases (cancer features heavily in this book); then there's death and injury by accident, a couple of at home deaths; there's suicide...I wonder if there was a tick box of how many ways one can die? The body count practically puts the whole series of 'Midsomer Murders' to shame.

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7 people found this helpful

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

Depressing and disappointiing

Have listened to or read previous 3 books in this series but did not enjoy this one. Odd tangled story. Very depressing. Could not see why emphasis was placed on some minor characters who only have a very tenious link with main plot. Red herrings not good enough. Far too much info about Simon's family, especially about his smug toffee nosed sister Cat, due to events in this book I feel she is going to become even more unbearably smug in later books. Much of the story is actually padding, the real plot could have been written in about twenty pages.

Don't think I will bother with rest of series.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Mr
  • 21-11-12

Entertaining but disappointing

I have read / listened to all the Simon Serrailler books in order. I've thoroughly enjoyed all to date but found this one a little predictable. As usual there are family problems for Simon to deal with and (without wishing to give anything away) this was expertly dealt with by Susan Hill's usual delicate touch. The main story around a gunman on the loose, however, started well but failed to deliver in that - a number of lines of enquiry - to a laymen - were obviously missed which I found frustrating and I had guessed the killer very early on. I'd still recommend it as an easy read / listen but it's not her best of this series.

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5 people found this helpful

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

Not my favourite of the series.

Found some characters quiet annoying unfortunately.
Don't like the religious overtones and find Serraillers growing relationship with Jane unconvincing.
However the villain was interesting and kept me guessing until the end.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

not up to standard

Susan Hill is an excellent writer, her stories are usually entertaining with good story lines and detailed characters. She paints a vivid picture. Not so with this book. It was disjointed and incredibly depressing. Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Serrailler played a small part in the weary tale. Much time was spent describing the terminal illness of his brother in law.I would not recommend this book at all. One star for the narrator.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping ....again

You either love the Simon Serallier books or not....i do...because im happy to take on Simons baggage, his family are as much a part of the story as is the detecting side and I love that. The narrator is EXCELLENT(caps so must be good😊😊) Great storytelling.Cant wait for next.

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2 people found this helpful

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

does it again

susan hill fantastic writer . didn't want it to end . stephen pacey is off the scale in narration . i could listen to him read he telephone directory. magic book magic story teller .

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2 people found this helpful

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

Brilliant as always!

I have read these books in sequence from the beginning, and am totally hooked.
Can’t wait to get started on the next one!

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1 person found this helpful