A tour de force ... The Comforts of Home makes it clear that home is about far more than where you hang your hat, be it an official uniform cap or a disguise ... Readers of the earlier eight books of the series will appreciate how the demands of the cases tug him back toward characters they’ve come to trust and admire, because Simon trusts them, and now he actually needs them, to find his strength again and to manage the challenges of pursuing those who commit murder ... Although Hill’s books are well known as award-winning crime fiction, The Comforts of Home can’t be read as a page-turner: It’s too dense, too probing, too layered with pain and loss and the kind of love that family and good friends provide in the middle of life’s major messes ... As the best mysteries do, this one probes the mysteries within ... A fine read, memorable and satisfying in its dark tangles and solutions.
Susan Hill’s The Comforts of Home opens with a shock for fans ... Hill’s cool observation of her characters doesn’t imply any lack of sympathy, and Serrailler’s struggle to come to terms with the recent past is thoughtfully done.
Somber ... Everywhere the bonds of civilization seem to be weakening. All the more reason for would-be protectors like Superintendent Serrailler and his extended family to work harder than ever to maintain the fleeting comforts of home.
Hill’s writing prowess is on full view here; both newcomers and the series’ many established fans will find it difficult to leave the Serraillers’ world at the close of this long-awaited entry. A good choice for Louise Penny fans
...a surprising and dark series turn ... Hill continues to split her focus between exploring procedural conventions and showing her hero as he builds a family, emphasizing his development over his caseload.
