This is my first read of this character and series and surely won't be my last. A short read which delves into the past of Simon Serrailler, starting out his career as a PC in the Met.

It's the 1990s and London is in the midst of IRA bombings and hoaxes and the police need to be on their guard. Simon is asked to go undercover which both excites and confuses him. A enjoyable short read.

You just have to enjoy a Susan Hill story especially when Simon Serrailler is the lead. This was my first time reading one of her short stories and have to say I’m not nearly as big a fan as I am of a full book. This was a flashback story for me too so probably another reason for it not being my favourite. Good story though and left me waiting for the next book.

Five stars because this is the first Simon Serrailler book I have read. It is very short but paints a picture I want to know more about.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

If you have never read the DCI Simon Serrailler series you are in for a treat. I have read all eight full length novels and the three short stories. The prose is beautiful and although it Is a detective story Simon`s family also play a large part in the books.

Old Haunts is set before the life changing injuries Simon sustained in The Soul of Discretion. Simon was at work catching up on his paperwork when he was visited by his ex girl friend Dr Nina Cartwright whom he met at medical school. The visit reminded him of sharing a flat with his sister Cat in a run down housing estate in London. Meeting Nina again caused Simon to remenice about his first undercover job whilst still a lowly PC in the MET.

In the early 90s the Met was experiencing a spate of hoax coded IRA bomb warnings . One day Simon was called "upstairs" and asked if he wanted an undercover role to catch some IRA associates. Simon found himself working undercover n the same in the same housing estate as before, but things do not go to plan.

It was nice to meet Simon Serrailler again after I read the last book two years ago. I enjoyed the story but it was only 39 pages long so the story did not have long enough to develop.

I would suggest you read one of the full length novels to get an idea of Simon`s personalitiy before embarking on this short story.

This is really a gap filler. I like Susan Hills books but this short story does not have enough depth or length to it.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is a fine early-Serrailler story which sets up several threads that will be of importance later in Simon's career: growing up in a family of doctors, but leaving the medical world; imposing himself onto a fast-track place in the CID; showing his mettle in thought and physical action as he goes under cover. The only women in his life here are an old flame and his sister. As at the last episode, this early one has him suffering the consequences of fighting without backup. Just the right kind of story for a journey--and such a long journey. An admirable retrospect.

Old Haunts is a nice short story which fills the gap before the next full length Simon Serrailler novel

Despite a few passages at the start that gave me pause, I ultimately found this story interesting and for someone who has not read any of the Simon Serrailler novels, this was a great introduction to his character. It tells the story of a young Simon as he is attempting to make his way in the police force by agreeing to an undercover assignment. The action of the story is well constructed and the prose is clean and concise, which I think worked very well with the plot. As I mentioned, some of the earlier passages felt a little 'male gaze'-y, which put me off a little and in fact, this section features only as a framing narrative to the main action. Having said that, the rest of the story was very good and I definitely found the character of Simon very interesting. Overall, I would read a full novel featuring Serrailler, and thought this short story was a great way into the world.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a single short story featuring Susan Hill's police officer at Lafferton HQ, Simon Serrailler. The story is too short for me, although the tale is okay, it is just not meaty enough for me. Simon receives a visit from an ex-girlfriend from the years he was a medical student. Dr Nina Cartwright broke off their love affair with compassion when they were considerably younger, and seeing her triggers off memories of a long ago hot summer in the early 1990s, where IRA threats and those from splinter groups were prevalent. As a PC, Simon finds himself experiencing a testing time undercover in the Delville area, crawling with drug dealers, petty criminals and more. If you feel in the mood to fill some time in between reads with a tiny morsel of a story, then you may well enjoy this! Many thanks to Random House Vintage for an ARC.

As much as I love the Serrailler series, this is a disappointing short story that goes nowhere and which features a Simon who just doesn't seem to have the complicated richness that make him such a compelling character in the novels. Even Hill's writing lacks her trademark subtlety. Only really worth getting for the teaser from the next Serrailler novel.