Most Popular Books by Susan Hill

A suspenseful ghost story set in Yorkshire with a chilling ghost, an old house in the marshes and sinister fogs. Suitable for adult literacy and ESL.

When an elderly woman in a housing project is brutally murdered by a culprit who leaves a distinctive sign that is found at subsequent crime scenes, Simon Serrailler investigates links to a suspect who disappeared after being acquitted of previous killings.

As the story begins, a lonely woman vanishes while out on her morning run. Then a 22-year-old girl never returns from a walk. An old man disappears too. When fresh-faced policewoman Freya Graffham is assigned to the case, she runs the risk of getting too invested--too involved--in the action. Alongside the enigmatic detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrallier, she must unravel the mystery before events turn too gruesome. Written with intelligence, compassion, and a knowing eye--in the tradition of the fabulous mysteries of Ruth Rendell and P.D. James--The Various Haunts of Men is an enthralling journey into the heart of a wonderfully developed town, and into the very mind of a killer.

Simon Serrailler is back in the fifth installment of this extremely popular series. Simon Serrailler has just wrapped up a particularly exhausting and difficult case for SIFT — Special Incident Flying Task force and is on a sabbatical couple of months on a far-flung Scottish island, Tallansay, walking, drawing, relaxing, and having a pleasant no-ties fling with the hotel barmaid, Kirsty. He is called back just before his leave is due to end by Paula Devenish the Chief Constable, when two local prostitutes go missing and are subsequently found strangled. By the time he gets back, another girl has disappeared. So, a vendetta against prostitutes by someone with a warped mind? A series of killings by an angry punter? But then the wife of the new Dean of St Michael''s Cathedral goes missing, followed by another respectable young married woman, on her way to the early shift at the print works. Is this all the work of one serial killer? The murders all take place in and around the canal area, near the footbridge.

This is a poetry book but with modern and traditional feel to it.This book reaches deep within the soul and spirit. Very human feelings and yearnings. Based on the "Holy Bible" but with a modern twist.EXCERPTS from this book have been broadcast on "Premier Radio" London. This book will stir you. The poems can be very gentle for the hurting and powerful for the seeking soul.Ideal for Christian and atheist, new ager or from any religious tradition.Attitudes to greed,envy,pain and emotional turmoil all pictured in words. Healing and challenging.They will change you forever.Illustrated with glorious colour illustrations of original artworks and also has a study guide for use in meditation,prayer,healing and counselling,worship and devotion,and much more.CONTACT author for Special Prices e mail [email protected]

Award-winning author Susan Hill’s The Risk of Darkness is a pulse-pounding mystery featuring investigator Simon Serrailler. “A master storyteller. Hill’s crime novels are engaging and . . . gripping reads.” —Strand magazine A grief-stricken widower becomes deranged with obsession, spreading threats, violence, and terror. Meanwhile, handsome, introverted Simon Serrailler, whose cool reserve has broken the hearts of several women, finds his own heart troubled by the newest recruit to the Cathedral staff: a feisty female Anglican priest with red hair.

"Not all great novelists can write crime fiction but when one like Susan Hill does the result is stunning." —Ruth Rendell A cold case comes back to life in this sixth book in the highly successful Simon Serrailler detective series "eagerly awaited by all aficionados" (P.D. James). Freak weather and flash floods all over southern England. Lafferton is under water and a landslide on the Moor has closed the bypass. As the rain slowly drains away, a shallow grave--and a skeleton--are exposed; 20 years on, the remains of missing teenager Joanne Lowther have finally been uncovered. The case is re-opened and Simon Serrailler is called in as senior investigating officer. Joanne, an only child, had been on her way home from a friend''s house that night. She was the daughter of a prominent local businessman, Sir John Lowther. Joanne''s mother, unable to cope, killed herself 2 years after Joanne disappeared. Cold cases are always tough, and in this latest in the acclaimed series from Susan Hill, Serrailler is forced to confront a frustrating, distressing and complex situation.

Susan Hill—the Man Booker Prize nominee and winner of the Whitbread, Somerset Maugham, and John Llewellyn Rhys awards—returns with a hair-raising new novel, the ninth book in one of the most acclaimed mystery series of our time. Featuring the enigmatic and brooding chief police inspector Simon Serrailler, this intricate and pulse-pounding series follows a collection of grisly crimes plaguing the city of Lafferton—and The Comforts of Home is the most chilling and unputdownable installment yet.In this gripping new thriller, Simon, eager to be back at work after recovering from a near-fatal injury, takes on a cold-case review for the Lafferton police about a girl who disappeared some years before. Meanwhile, his family adjusts to changes of its own; namely his sister’s marriage to Chief Constable Kieron Bright. But when events take an unfavorable turn for the Chief Constable and an arsonist goes on a deadly rampage in Lafferton, Simon’s personal and professional lives intertwine in more complex and devastating ways than ever before.In the tradition of the fabulous mysteries of Ruth Rendell and P.D. James, The Comforts of Home is Susan Hill’s best work yet—a heart-pounding new addition to a highly-applauded and “elegant†? (The New York Times) series.

When I was young, I knew God loved me. I followed Him. Being His child was natural and easy. Then I hit puberty, and my world changed. There were things I saw that I wanted, things that I thought He might not want me to have. I started to wander. Still, I was not stupid. I knew I still needed Him as Savior; it was His Lordship that gave me pause. Eventually I stripped Him of His Lordship and went to live in the fallen world. I kept Him as my Savior, but I made no effort to follow Him. I loved my life in the fallen world. Still, it had its challenges. There were times I would find myself in the dreaded Valley of the Shadow of Death. I knew somehow He was responsible. It was in the Valley that I would find myself needing Him. Eventually I would have to call on Him. And rescue me He would, but I refused anything but temporary rescue. I would be thankful for a few days, but the desire for my old life in the fallen world would soon reclaim me, and I would put Him back on the shelf. There was so much out there to grab for, and the fallen world did push and encourage me to go for happy. There was a problem with that: I was created to be filled with joy, His joy. Happy was just a temporary, dim simulation. I finally had to face the questions. Does He really love me? Is He really to be trusted? Is He really the God of the Bible? If the answer to these questions was yes, could I really have enough confidence in Him to make Him my center and follow Him?

Let''s have fun! Stuart Little and his brother, George, can''t wait to go to the amusement park. But if you''re Stuart''s size, how do you keep up with your big brother? By visiting the fun house, of course!

A young boy and his mother work very hard at helping him overcome his bad dreams--one night at a time.

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. He tries to stay on step ahead of the killer to prevent each new outrage. And he tries to think himself into the gunman’s head. Meanwhile, his sister, Cat, has returned with her family from Australia, and Simon is once again sucked into family life at her welcoming farmhouse. But tragedy strikes, and the warmth and security of home are cruelly tested... Vows of Silence is a sequel to The Various Haunts of Men, The Pure in Heart and The Risk of Darkness.

Tom''s mother helps him get rid of his bad dreams one night at a time.

I''m the King of the Castle is Susan Hill''s spellbinding novel of childhood cruelty. With an introduction by Esther Freud. Susan Hill''s I''m King of the Castle was first published in 1970. Telling the story of two boys forced to live together by their widowed parents, it is a chilling portrayal of childhood cruelty and persecution, of parental blindness and of our own ambivalence to what are supposed to be the happiest days of our lives. ''Hill''s exploration of a juvenile ghoul and his natural prey is a brilliant tour de force''Guardian ''Equalled for poignancy and horror only in Lord of the Flies''Sunday Telegraph

Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor, is summoned to attend the funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow, the sole inhabitant of Eel Marsh House. The house stands at the end of a causeway, wreathed in fog and mystery, but it is not until he glimpses a wasted young woman, dressed all in black, at the funeral, that a creeping sense of unease begins to take hold, a feeling deepened by the reluctance of the locals to talk of the woman in black – and her terrible purpose.

The author of The Woman in Black returns to the realm of supernatural hauntings in a tale that “chills the blood gently like fine wine” (The Guardian, UK). When Oliver returns to Cambridge, he makes sure to pay a visit to his former professor, now retired and living in a small college apartment. Oliver can’t help but notice a peculiar painting on the wall; a mysterious depiction of masked revelers at the Venice carnival. Yet in the foreground, there is an anachronistically modern figure. On this cold winter’s night, the old professor has decided to reveal the painting’s eerie secret. The dark art of the Venetian scene, instead of imitating life, has the power to entrap it. To stare into the painting is to play dangerously with the unseen demons it hides, and become the victim of its macabre beauty.

“Entertaining and emotionally resonant.” —Kirkus Reviews “Long nails the voice of a kid trying as hard as she can to tackle adult problems on her own when the well-meaning adults in her life fall short.” —Publishers Weekly Josie Bloom is put to the test when she’s confronted by mysterious wads of money, a washed-up baseball player, and a whole lot of squirrels in this hilarious and heartwarming novel in the spirit of Kate DiCamillo’s Raymie Nightingale. Josie Bloom discovers the first wad of money stuffed inside a packet of bologna, and the second hidden between the trash can and the bin liner. That money comes in handy when she finds the PAST DUE notice from the heating company. Seems like Grandpa has been spending more time feeding squirrels than paying the bills. But when a bill arrives that’s too big to handle, Josie’s going to need a plan to get more money—while keeping Grandpa’s odd behavior a secret. Hilarious and heartwarming, Josie Bloom and the Emergency of Life celebrates the lengths family and friends will go to when it looks like the squirrels are winning.

A lesson in being content. Ruby''s plans for a perfect day with friends ends up more special than she could have imagined!

John Hilliard, a subaltern returning to the Western Front after a period of sick leave back in an England blind to the horrors of the trenches, finds his battalion tragically altered. His commanding officer finds escape in alcohol, there is a new adjutant and even Hilliard''s batman has been killed.

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler investigates the kidnapping of a young boy, a case that is influenced by a critically ill disabled woman and an ex-con who is struggling to stay honest.

"When Ben starts nursery school, there seem to be lots of reasons for "not wantingto go there again". However, when he has to stay home one day, he realises that perhaps school is not as bad after all..."--Back cover.

Suzy likes doing lots of things but most of all she likes taking her shoes off. Then one day Suzy gets some beautiful new shoes to go and meet the queen - and she proves just how right she is.

The sequel to Daphne DuMaurier''s Rebecca.

For fans of Kate DiCamillo and Sharon Creech comes this “both raw and warm in its compassionate telling” (Publishers Weekly) middle grade novel about a young girl, her pet bearded dragon, and the friends who make her summer one to remember. Georgia Weathers’s worry machine has been on full blast since her mom, Blythe, took off in Lyle Lenczycki’s blue sedan. Earlier that same day, Blythe gave Georgia a bearded dragon named Freddy. Georgia is convinced that if she loves Freddy enough, Blythe will come home. Georgia isn’t the only one with family predicaments. Her friend Maria Garcia’s parents have merrily moved out of the house and into a camper in the yard. Roland Park is the new boy in town. As a kid in the foster care system staying with the Farley family, he’s sure his stay is temporary. When the three friends discover an abandoned glass house in the forest, it becomes their secret hideout: a place all their own, free of parents and problems. But glass can be broken. When everything around them feels out of their control, the question becomes what can they hold on to? And what do they have to let go? It turns out, there are some things—and lizards—they can count on.

In this 10th book in Susan Hill’s shattering series, Serrailler must confront his demons as Lafferton experiences a sequence of shocking crimes Susan Hill stuns readers once again in The Benefit of Hindsight, the 10th book in her celebrated mystery series. Featuring the enigmatic and brooding chief police inspector Simon Serrailler, this sophisticated and heart-pounding series follows a collection of grisly crimes in the town of Lafferton—and The Benefit of Hindsight is the most disturbing installment yet. Now recuperated after the violent incident that cost him his arm—and nearly his life—DCS Serrailler has returned to work, though he prefers to spend his spare time sketching the medieval angels being restored on the cathedral roof. With crime rates down, Lafferton has been quiet, until one night when a couple opens their front door to a distressing scene. Serrailler makes a serious error of judgment when handling the incident, and the stress of this, combined with the ongoing trauma of losing his arm, takes its toll, throwing his very future into doubt. In the tradition of the fabulous mysteries of Ruth Rendell and P. D. James, The Benefit of Hindsight is Susan Hill’s best work yet—a superbly plotted, chilling new addition to a highly acclaimed series.

The night on which Sir James Monmouth returns to England from Penang is not auspicious. The Cross Keys Inn provides shelter from the chill wind and rain, but it offers few comforts. The pale boy, the old woman and the mist in the mirror - do they have any reality beyond Monmouth''s imagination?

A HAUNTING PAIR OF GHOST STORIES FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE WOMAN IN BLACK The Small Hand Antiquarian bookseller Adam Snow is returning from a client visit when he takes a wrong turn and stumbles upon a derelict Edwardian house with a lush, overgrown garden. As he approaches the door, he is startled to feel the unmistakable sensation of a small, cold hand creeping into his own, almost as though a child has taken hold of it. Shaken, he returns home to find himself plagued by nightmares. But when he decides to investigate the house’s mysteries, he is troubled by increasingly sinister visitations. Dolly After being orphaned at a young age, Edward Cayley is sent to spend the summer with his forbidding Aunt Kestrel at Iyot house, her decaying estate on the damp, lonely fens in the west of England. With him is his spoiled, spiteful cousin Leonora. And when Leonora’s birthday wish for a beautiful doll is denied, she unleashes a furious rage which will haunt Edward through the years to come.

Inside the pages of this journal, you will find inspiration and guidance from our galactic neighbors, the Ancient Pleidians. A collective of 9th dimensional non-physical beings from the Pleiades star system and constellation. . These transmissions were sent directly to Susan Hill, a direct messenger and open channel to intelligent life found throughout our solar system and beyond. Susan is in contact with neighboring civilizations found inter-dimensionally as well as extra dimensional both physical and non-physical beings. She found herself able to contact and connect to them in a fluid way and considers herself a conscious channel. Susan began keeping journals of all of their messages three years ago. These beautiful messages are meant to be shared with everyone. Because journaling has been a huge part of her journey, she decided to publish a set of journals that contains these beautiful messages and hopefully encourage you to start keeping a journal of your own experiences and awakening process.

From the foggy streets of Victorian London to the eerie perfection of 1950s suburbia, the everyday is invaded by the otherworldly in this unforgettable collection of new ghost stories from the bestselling author of The Woman in Black. In the title story, on a murky evening in a club off St James, a paranormal detective recounts his most memorable case, one whose horrifying denouement took place in that very building. A lonely boy makes a friend in ''Boy Number 21'', but years later is forced to question the very nature of that friendship. ''Alice Baker'' tells the story of a mysterious new office worker who is accompanied by a lingering smell of decay. And in ''The Front Room'', a devoutly Christian mother tries to protect her children from the evil influence of their grandmother, both when she is alive and afterwards. This paperback edition includes the chilling ''Printer''s Devil Court'' in which three medical students make an unholy pact whose consequences will pursue one of them to the grave - and perhaps beyond.This is Susan Hill at her best, telling characteristically creepy and surprising tales of thwarted ambition, terrifying revenge and supernatural stirrings that will leave you wide-awake long into the night.

And at a house party in the 1920s, Harvey meets Francis, a disturbed genius and the greatest poet of his time, and they start an unlikely friendship that is to devastate Harvey''s life as he watches and protects Francis until his suicide. Winner of the Whitebread Literary Award.