A change of circumstance : a Simon Serrailler case / Susan Hill.

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Title:

A change of circumstance : a Simon Serrailler case / Susan Hill.

Author:

Hill, Susan, 1942- author.

ISBN:

9781419759642

Physical Description:

311 pages : map ; 24 cm.

Series:

Simon Serrailler case

Simon Serrailler crime novels.

General Note:

"Originally published in 2021 by Chatto & Windus, an imprint of Vintage, Penguin Random House UK."--Title page verso.

Abstract:

DCS Simon Serrailler has long regarded drugs ops in Lafferton as a waste of time. Small-time dealers are picked up outside the local secondary school, they don't have any information about those higher up the chain, they're given a fine or a suspended and away they go. And rinse and repeat. But when the body of a 22-year-old drug addict is found in neighbouring Starley, the case pulls Simon into a whole new way of running drugs. The foot soldiers? Vulnerable local kids like Brookie and Olivia, who will give Simon a bitter taste of this new landscape. It is a harsh winter at home as well as work. Simon's GP sister Cat and her husband Kieron (also Simon's boss) are struggling with medical dramas big and small. A trip to Bevham General on her rounds sets off alarm bells for Cat, and a visit from her son Sam as he tries to work out if his midwifery course is right for him coincides with a threat to their beloved family dog. Simon is working hard, but he's restless, wondering what's next. There's nothing new going on for him in Lafferton, but sometimes the familiar holds surprises, too...

Personal Subject:

Serrailler, Simon (Fictitious character)-Fiction.

Serrailler, Simon (Fictitious character) (OCoLC)fst01741164

Subject Term:

Police -- England -- Fiction.

Drug addicts -- Fiction.

Drug traffic -- Investigation -- Fiction.

Detective and mystery stories.

Toxicomanes -- Romans, nouvelles, etc.

Drogues -- Trafic -- Enquêtes -- Romans, nouvelles, etc.

Detective and mystery stories. (OCoLC)fst00891461

Drug addicts. (OCoLC)fst01430242

Drug traffic -- Investigation. (OCoLC)fst00898730

Police. (OCoLC)fst01068398

Geographic Term:

England -- Fiction.

Angleterre -- Romans, nouvelles, etc.

England. (OCoLC)fst01219920

Genre:

Mystery fiction.

Detective and mystery fiction. (OCoLC)fst01726581

Fiction. (OCoLC)fst01423787

Detective and mystery fiction.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library	Adult Mystery Fiction Book Hardback	120791002958800	M HIL	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

In award-winning author Susan Hill's electrifying A Change of Circumstance , Simon Serrailler finds himself in devastating new territory as a sophisticated drug network sets its sights on Lafferton.

Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Serrailler has long regarded drug ops in Lafferton as a waste of time. The small-time dealers picked up outside the local high school can't or won't turn in any valuable names, so they're merely given a fine and the trail runs cold.

But when the body of a 22-year-old is found in neighboring Starley, the case pulls DCS Simon Serrailler into the underbelly of an elaborate drug operation that moves narcotics from the cities into the suburbs and right down to villages. The foot soldiers? Vulnerable local kids like Brookie and Olivia, whose involvement gives Simon a bitter taste of this new landscape. It's a harsh winter in Lafferton, and with struggles both at home and on the job, DCS Serrailler soon learns that even the familiar can hold shocking surprises . . .

Dark, page-turning, and rich in mood and character, Susan Hill's A Change of Circumstance lands brilliantly as another gripping entry to the Serrailler canon, sure to enthrall fans and newcomers alike.

"Modern crime writing with a dark, fierce edge." -- Daily Mail

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

The death of a young man from a heroin overdose drives British author Hill's choppy 11th novel featuring Det. Chief Supt. Simon Serrailler of the Lafferton, England, police (after 2020's The Benefit of Hindsight). Serrailler's search for the identity of the victim draws him into a sordid world where lonely children are groomed and used as drug mules. Harrowing scenes focus on the home lives of an 11-year-old and a 14-year-old, both girls. Meanwhile, Cat Deerbon, Serrailler's physician daughter, becomes overly involved in the lives of her patients. Cat is also worried about her son's romantic relationship, the health of her little dog, and the painful leg injury of her husband, a chief constable. Serrailler does his own fair share of pondering whether he's ready to allow a woman to share his life. This is essentially a soap opera with a bit of cop action and social observation, such as that drugs are no longer just a big-city problem. Series fans will enjoy catching up with Serrailler and company, but this isn't the place to start for newcomers. Agent: Vivien Green, Sheil Land Assoc. (U.K.). (Mar.)

Booklist Review

DCS Simon Serrailler returns in a story that's part murder mystery, part police procedural, and part slice-of-life examination of human foibles. Serrailler is called to the scene of a young man's death from a drug overdose. But that's just the beginning. As he tries to determine the victim's identity and how he came to be in a vacant flat above a Chinese herbalist's shop, Serrailler realizes the death is just the tip of the iceberg. The drug problem, which seemed limited to big cities, has spread across Britain, even to small towns and villages. Kids as young as nine are being recruited by drug dealers to act as couriers in exchange for the latest model phone or a shiny new bike. At the same time as Serrailler is dealing with these issues, his sister, Cat, is juggling a hectic job in private medicine, his nephew has broken up with his girlfriend and is having a career crisis, and Simon himself is struggling to balance his personal life with the job. There's lots going on here, but as usual, Hill weaves many disparate themes into one riveting, deeply affecting story awash in suspense and social commentary. Top-notch!