I love this series of books and this instalment was definitely a great addition. I liked the interweaving of storylines, the catch up with favourite characters and the whole book in general.

I've read all of Susan Hill's DC Simon Serrailler crime books and very much enjoyed every one of them. This was the same and it was good to catch up on Simon's progress and that of his family. The continuing story of the close ties between his sister Cat and Simon together with the latest crimes he is investigating make for great reading. I am looking forward to reading more about Simon in the future. Thank you NetGalley for giving me early access to this book and to Susan Hill for another superbly written story.

This is the latest Simon Serrallier book, the tenth in the series. I have enjoyed previous books in this series, but this one felt quite scrappy. Having reached the end of the book, I could see the relevance of the title, but it felt a bit like being on a conveyer belt – we start at Point A, run through a series of events, some of which bear no relation to each other, then we finish the book. The crimes were cleared up to a certain extent, but with a lack of any real involvement or precision. The pregnancy storyline felt out of place, like it belonged in a different book. I felt like this was too much of a patchwork. My copy was from NetGalley so it may be that there were bits out of order. I like Susan Hill’s writing so I’ll give this the benefit of the doubt.

A really well written instalment in this great series. The characters make this an interesting and compelling read and I hope there are more books to come.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

How am I only meeting Simon in installment 10?!
The benefit of hindsight was gripping from the offset with excellently written characters that jump straight off the page into your imagination, be they main players or bit parts the attention to detail brings each and every one to life. I loved that the first impressions were often undermined with just the tiniest bit of detail to reveal the true nature of the characters, particularly the McDermids.
I also enjoyed the way each main character had their own sub-story going on (for Cat the strange couple and their new baby and the problems with her Dad, for Simon his art) that added depth to the character, interest to the story and made everything feel a bit more real world as each person had their own complex life going on outside the investigation.
Overall an absolutely brilliant read- if there were more than 5 stars to give I would give more- I am also off to add books 1-9 to my wish list!

4 - 5 stars

After a temporary blip with the previous novel this series is well and truly back on track. Over the years the storytelling has undoubtedly changed. The focus used to be on the crimes that Simon Serailler was investigating and although the extended family were always important elements, now the focus is family AND crime. Dr Cat Deerbon, Simon’s sister played an equal role in this book which, as the title suggests deals with the benefit of hindsight, something I’m sure we’ve all wished for from time to time.

Simon was still suffering from the effects of his injuries following undercover work which is the theme of book 8. He was probably suffering from some form of PTSD and certainly was having panic attacks. Following a sophisticated burglary at the home of Adrian Holland and Tim Letts Simon took a decision to black out news of the robbery in the hope of enticing them to commit further crimes which might lead to their apprehension. This decision had disastrous consequences and so with the benefit of hindsight he clearly would not have taken that route. Although initially angry at his consequent punishment from Chief Constable Kieron Bright (also his brother in law) Simon realised that Kieron was right. There was a very moving scene in London when Simon tried to save the life of a 15 year old stabbing victim where he wept copious tears which he felt had a therapeutic effect, although it was clearly not enough. This scene was a chilling reminder of the awful knife crime that affects parts of our beautiful capital, so was extremely topical, sadly.

The dual theme of the book centred on Cat. She has always been a wonderful and immensely likeable character throughout this series giving her patients and her family the TLC they needed. The story of Carrie and Colin Pegwell puzzled me but was resolved to some degree at the finale of the book. Cat also realised that hindsight might (although I suspect it was unlikely) she may have taken a different path.

It was also good to see that another lovely character, Cat’s son Sam seemed to have found his niche and made important decisions about his future. The family was always at the centre of Simon’s world and the stories now reflect that even more. The end with the death of the aged cat Mephisto was quite moving, especially Felix singing a verse from Morning has broken. I felt the death of the cat was symbolic and perhaps of what will become clear in book 11.

As always with Susan Hill, the book was beautifully written. There were some glorious descriptions. I particularly love the continuous referral to the gothic cathedral in Lafferton which like many we are so lucky to have, makes an imposing presence on the people and the landscape. The characters were well crafted and easy to picture. A most enjoyable read.

I eagerly await the next episode in this series of books having read all of them. Although I enjoyed it I don’t feel it was as exciting as the previous ones. The main story revolved around 2 burglaries in the area and how Simon Serraillier made a wrong call in his policing. Side issues were about the rest of Simon’s family and a rather strange relationship between a husband, wife, and baby.
The book finished with a hint that there will be another one in the series with romantic complications for Simon.

I was thrilled to be approved for this book through NetGalley as I’m a huge fan of Susan Hill and I’m a devoted fan of the Simon Serrailler series.

Given my opening paragraph I’m certain it will be no surprise to you that I loved this book. I adore the relationship Simon has with his sister Cat and the farmhouse feels like a place I could call home.

This novel is satisfying as it continues the stories of the characters we already know and love (and tolerate- Richard, I’m looking at you) while introducing the crimes and victims with their own arcs. I did feel that the burglary story was left unfinished, but this is not unusual in a Simon Serrailler story and leaves me hopeful that a resolution will be reached in a later book.

Susan Hill is an exceptional and talented author and I look forward to reading more of her beautifully written and interesting books in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

A superficial look would suggest to you that Simon Serrailer has been lucky and - all things considered - his life is as good as it could be. He's back at work after a long break to recuperate from the violent incident which cost him his arm and almost his life. When he's not at work he's spending his time in the cathedral roof drawing the medieval angels which are being restored. There's talk of an exhibition of his drawings. Lafferton seems to be quite settled as far as crime is concerned until one night when two local men open their front door to a couple seeking shelter. It's the usual story of a broken-down car, and a phone which won't make a call. The man are generous and welcoming and have no suspicions that the couple are simply there to plan a robbery. It's a serious error of judgement in the course of this investigation which will throw Simon Serrailler's future into doubt.

Simon's sister, Cat, a GP, has gone over to the dark side and is now working for a private organisation, giving her time to spend with her patients as well as having more of a private life, but it doesn't stop her being worried about the lives of those in her care, no matter how strange their lives may be. Simon and Cat's father has returned to Lafferton to live in a retirement community. The address might have changed but Dr Richard Serrailler hasn't learned from past mistakes. And Simon Serrailler has his own demons to challenge him. Life isn't as simple or as good as it looks on the surface.

Simon's changed in subtle ways. Outwardly he's still the elegant, sophisticated man we've always known, still as attractive to women but now he's just a little less considerate of their feelings, rather more likely to look at the situation purely from his own point of view. He's harsher than he might have been when a subordinate steps out of line and he's still coming to terms with his prosthesis. Despite everything you still want life to work out for him.

The plot is superb. There's not a moment when you think that something is unlikely and wouldn't have happened that way: there are a lot more occasions when something goes wrong and you know that it could so easily have happened to you. It's a book to start when you have time to spare as you're not readily going to put it down until you get to the last page and then you're going to waste time wishing that it had gone on for longer. I read it in just over a day and I'm still thinking about the characters days later.

I'd like to thank the publishers for making a copy of the book available to the Bookbag. If you haven't read any of the earlier books in the series you might get more out of The Benefit of Hindsight if you have one or more under you belt. You could start at the beginning and give yourself a real treat. If you're up to date with all that's happening in Lafferton have a look at anything by Paula Daly, who'll transport you to the Lake District or Stuart MacBride for a taste of Aberdeen.

This is the 10th in the Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Serrailler of Lafferton CID series, which is more family character driven drama in which crime and its repercussions occur as part of everyday life. It is structured to feel like a snapshot of people, their lives, and community with less emphasis on resolutions and conclusion, with the narrative just phasing out at the end. A wealthy professional gay couple, Tim and Ade, are victims of well organised art thefts at their isolated farm. In an effort to make the criminal gang feel complacent so they can be nabbed, Simon makes the strategic operational decision to order a media blackout on the crime. It has been some time since Simon lost his arm and almost his life in a violent previous incident, having spent time in Scotland to recover since, and serving as a police advisor in the Caribbean. He is now back in place in CID, trying to whip his team, into shape.

Simon's sister, Dr Cat Deerbon is married to Kieron, the Chief Constable and Simon's boss. She is now settled into the private sector after making the decision to leave the troubled and pressured environment of the NHS. Carrie is married to hedge fund trader, Colin, a man who has never wanted children. Carrie has become pregnant, facing a husband that is indifferent, she is depressed and utterly convinced that there is something seriously wrong with her baby. Cat has concerns over the mental health of Carrie, and since no problems have been detected in scans, is sure that Carrie is worrying over absolutely nothing. The rich philanthropist, Declan McDermid, has directed some funding towards the police, specifically Bobby vans, aimed at countering some of the cuts in policing budgets. Declan and his wife, Cindy, are at a PR event launching the Bobby vans, with a lonely Cindy connecting with Cat, expressing an interest in becoming a private sector patient of Cat's. In a narrative that explores family dynamics, murders and a Simon reluctant to address his mental health issues, professional policing and medical decisions are made amidst a authentic picture of real life dilemmas, only to come under the spotlight after the benefit of hindsight.

Susan Hill gives us an excellent addition to the series, it is well written, and immerses the reader in the complex lives of the characters she develops. There is a real sense of community, and much of it is set in the middle class milieu of the Serrailler family, Simon drawing the medieval angels in the process of being restored at the cathedral in his spare time, with Richard continuing to be a source of difficulty and frustration for Cat and Simon, and a Sam that is working out what he wants to do in life whilst working as a porter in a hospital. This is an engaging read, with well constructed characters, with various interesting threads that develop in the novel, just do not expect it to be your usual crime read. Many thanks to Random House Vintage for an ARC.

I'd not read any of these books before by Susan Hill but their hype had led to to believe my first foray was to be a good one - and though the writing was very crisp and intelligent in TBofH I found myself floundering somewhat with the storyline. There were 2 or 3 running concurrently and oftentimes I was confused as to who was speaking to whom and in what context. A well set-up burglary at an isolated farmhouse, the fate of an infant, the family of the eponymous police officer etc...all a bit disjointed and lacking any depth. Perhaps I really should have read the previous books in order to have had a fuller understanding and knowledge of the characters? Nope - this one didn't leave me feeling at all satisfied but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt insofar as others seemed to think highly of it and I've missed out on the previous books. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC for my honest review.

DS Simon Serrailler has returned to work with a prosthetic arm after a recuperating from a traumatic incident. He opts to impose a media blackout on a sophisticated burglary...

Very well written with concise prose. It's not a typical police procedural, rather it is highly character driven, based around the Serrailler family.

I really enjoyed this book and read it over the course of a single sitting with breaks. I found myself drawn in and turning page after page, As context, I've read early books in the series but there's a big gap, including the two books leading up to this.

THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT - SUSAN HILL

This novel has been read through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Susan Hill is, for me, one of our greatest living authors and has written some remarkable books, many of which are favourites of mine; one of which, "The Woman in Black" was made into a film and has become the forth longest running play in the West End - ever.

When she first started to write the Serrailler series of detective novels I was surprised for many reasons. The other books I had read were ‘stand-alone’ and this was a series. I also felt, and still do, compared with the depth and quality of writing of her other works, that they are shallower, the writing functional rather than beautiful, as I suppose, befits a detective story. This is not to say I don’t enjoy this series; a lesser work by Susan Hill is still better quality than works by other authors. There just aren’t as many paragraphs or phrases that I highlight compared with say, Strange Meeting.

The Serrailler series still smacks of the ‘other’ Susan Hill though This isn’t so much a thriller, or a who-dunnit, though questions are posed throughout. This is a detective story based more on the characters themselves than the various threads of plots and sub-plots (which are skilfully drawn together at the end). Because each chapter is a short scene, shown from the point of view of a different character, and the writing uncomplicated and easy to read, I found myself having to close the book every so often. It was as though I was rushing downhill on a bike without brakes. Had I let myself, I would have raced to the end without pausing and the story would have been over in one sitting. Which would have been a pity, as I enjoyed it so much.

Unlike so many books which I have appreciated recently, for their wit or their storylines, this has the backbone and gravitas that only someone of Susan Hill’s calibre can write. You feel you are in the confident hands of a master storyteller. You can relax, and let the journey unfold.

I've previously read some, though not all, of the other Simon Serrailler novels, and I've enjoyed them very much, so I was sad to find that this one left me disappointed. It's worth noting that I read an advanced copy through Netgalley, so perhaps when it goes through more edits things will tighten up, but I felt like the story wandered and stumbled, losing my attention, when I know previously I have been gripped by the stories & wanting to know what would happen.
I also felt that in this book, I didn't much like Simon! His attitude towards women wasn't great, though that may well be intentional, but I was generally more interested in what was going on with Cat & other small-part characters, rather than Simon. The crime(s) seemed to lollop along, and I didn't feel particularly gripped.
So, I'm sad because I these books are usually an enjoyable read for me, but this time, this one just didn't work so well.

I love the Simon Serailler series and this was my favourite for a while, it's focus being on Simon and family, his ongoing recovery from previous trauma and his ability or not to settle back into work.

Lafferton, the setting for this is always somewhere I'd quite like to live- Susan Hill gives a beautifully descriptive sense of it. In this instalment it is the target of a group of robbers, who use seemingly gentle methods until disturbed...

The Benefit of Hindsight does exactly as it sounds, telling a story where every decision has consequences that are unclear until the end. Simon is struggling with his mental health, several occurrences threaten to fracture his newly reformed family and meanwhile his father lurks. Serailler senior is both one of the most abhorrent yet fascinating characters I've read - the ongoing family drama is hugely compelling.

Add to that cleverly woven mystery elements and this, for me, puts this series somewhere near the top of my literary crime favourites.

Recommended. Read in order to get the best out of it- I still reel a little when I remember the end of book one...

I have enjoyed every Susan Hill book I have read, and this one doesn't disappoint. I haven't read all the books in this Simon Serrailler series, but that didn't prevent me from getting the most out of it. Unlike most detective/police novels, this one doesn't tie all the ends up neatly at the end, and Simon, the main detective, is not the sole main character. His sister Cat, has her own parallel story, which is equally as gripping. I shall now go back and catch up with the books in this series that I have missed.

Rejoice! Simon Serrailler is back! Susan Hill had hinted that she had brought this series to an end, but Simon is back at work and this novel is a joy. As always, the writing is beautiful, the characters are vivid and likeable and Lafferton provides a lovely backdrop. What is particularly appealing about this series is that Simon's family plays a key part in the storylines, and this applies particularly to this fine novel. Please keep the series going!

The early Simon Seraillier books were superb but the last published boring. This one is muddled and Simon is becoming a really unpleasant character. His attitude to women leaves a lot to be desired. Judging by the ending there will be another one.

This is the latest in the Simon Serrailler crime procedurals. Simon is back at work in Lafferton following his recovery from his arm amputation and heading up a serious crime group. Sister Cat, married to his boss Keiron, is settling to her new job with a private medical practice and her children continue to grow. Her daughter is away; elder son, Sam, is working as a hospital porter while he decides a future career and Felix is building a relationship with his new step dad Keiron (a busy professional) who is also adjusting to juggling life with a new family.
The “serious” crime Simon will have to lead on includes the investigation into an organised scam in which a local rural couple will be stripped of their valuable art and antiques collection while they are out. He decides it is the sign of a wider organised crime programme with more than local implications and orders a press blackout. This is a decision that will be questioned when another local couple are also robbed with much more serious consequences. But there will be steeper prices to pay for more than the initial victims of this incident, as the backdrop story to the crime is unveiled. Hill will also remember that crime and current policing is not restricted to the “serious” or planned ones and can occur seemingly at random and she will seek to explore the impact of stretched police (and other) resources on the overall service and those who rely on it.
Cat, in the parallel storyline of “hindsight” A will question both the implications of her leaving the NHS, but also her response to her most worrying medical case. A heavily pregnant mother is displaying more than usual anxiety about her soon to be born baby – are her premonitions to be taken seriously? Cat is now a “response” doctor, no longer responsible for overall care of a patient on her list. This becomes a particularly acute matter as this tale rolls out to, to form a quiet tragedy for all those involved.
I must confess that I did not think that this was one of Hill’s best in this series. Possibly the balance was awry between the personal and the crime – and the need to include all “the family” led to a certain dragging. Yes police are people too and have a private life; yes everybody juggles more than their working life. Yes, professionals rarely deal with just one working issue at a time and there will undoubtedly be “admin” and managerial constraints that impact on how they do their work. And yes, these are important issues in real life too so merit serious discussion. But overall I came away with the feeling that the underlying “plot line planning” was too obvious and that the book was rushed.
The "this story” characters around the main crime also seemed somewhat contrived and not very real. With another six weeks or so thought and time to mature the novel might have felt more real and less contrived. A disappointing read.

If, like me, you’ve drifted in and out of the Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Serrailler series, don’t worry. It’s easy to pick up ‘The Benefit of Hindsight’, the tenth in the series, and head straight back to Lafferton, populated by the likes of Simon’s sister Dr Cat Deerbon, her children, various police personnel and a smattering of village folk.
The first few chapters of the novel introduce us to two couples lucky enough to live in beautiful homes. However, their dwellings are the targets of an unknown sophisticated thief who has chosen them for their bounty and their secluded positions. The modus operandi of his gang is a quick and thorough in and out when the occupants are away for the evening. Sadly, robbery becomes murder when one couple return home unexpectedly early and Serrailler and his team are intent on tracking them down for the rest of the novel.
Whilst this crime is the central narrative thread, as ever Susan Hill is interested in exploring people’s passions, foibles, motives and fears within the relationships that make up the story. Serrailler’s PTSD is one focus whilst the crippling premonitions that naïve expectant mother, Cassie, has is another. The former depiction is very convincing, both for the ways in which the panic attacks are described and the victim’s reaction to them. The latter portrayal, not so much. In truth, I was not really sure why this sub-plot was included. Is there, for example, more to Colin, Cassie’s husband, than we have been led to believe? If so, the reader will have to wait for revelations in book eleven.
I suspect that loyal Serrailler fans will love this new instalment whilst those less smitten will acknowledge this as a well-written tale, albeit one that ultimately feels unfinished. Perhaps that’s the point – the readership must always be kept wanting!
My thanks to NetGalley and Chatto & Windus London for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.