The Comforts of Home

September 17, 2018
British author Hill’s uneven ninth mystery to feature Det. Chief Supt. Simon Serrailler (after 2015’s The Soul of Discretion) finds Simon recovering on the windswept island of Taransay after a harrowing case nearly killed him. The sea air and close-knit community has done wonders, but his idyll is shaken when well-regarded newcomer Sandy Murdoch is found dead. The shorthanded local police ask Simon to investigate, and he discovers that Sandy may have been hiding something that led to her death. Meanwhile, back home in Lafferton, Simon’s brother-in-law, Chief Constable Kieron Bright, has his hands full with a series of arsons and asks Simon to look into the case of 24-year-old Kimberley Still, missing for five years and thought to be a victim of jailed murderer Lee Russon, who denies involvement. Kimberley’s mother believes otherwise and demands justice. After returning to Lafferton, Simon digs into Kimberley’s disappearance. Credible characters and plenty of atmosphere make up only in part for short, choppy chapters and an underwhelming finale. Agent: Vivien Green, Sheil Land Assoc. (U.K.).