The body of a drug user is found with a syringe in his arm and DCS Simon Serraillier isn;t sure if it was an accidental overdose or murder. One thing is for sure the drugs problem that he thought he had left behind in the MET is definitely edging closer to home. With young kids being used as runners, how will the police ever get to those at the top of the chain.
Meanwhile his sister Cat has her own problems. As a private GP Cat knows she is lucky but when one of her cases brings her into contact with the local hospital Cat is dismayed at what she finds there. Adding to her problems her son Sam is back home and struggling to find his way in life.
I enjoyed the mix of crime, medical and personal in this book. It worked really well. Simon and Cat are really strong lead characters and I especially liked the way Simon interacted with his team. A mixture of humour, leadership and frustration!

Simon Serrailler is the lead character in this book but he is a detective with unresolved personal issues as he is nervous about personal relationships and uncertain about where he wants to live. That is part of the wide ranging personality issues aired in the book which are not necessarily related to the main theme. They are carefully pursued and familiar to readers as the young people find their way in life. It gives a good context for the main story which is about the use of children in the drugs trade and the dire consequences of that. This is another well written story in the series and ends leaving room for more as some stories are left unresolved. It makes a good read.

I have followed the Simon Serailler series from the beginning and enjoyed them all. SH writes so well and the family details are so real, which makes you want to catch up with their lives. This book is very topical, dealing as it does with County Lines. It is tackled full on with ifs effects on the children and families. There is no way there could be a real conclusion, it is so insidious but this story at least plays out. It can be read as a stand-alone bu Simon can seem irritating without the background of the earlier books, which are well worth reading and I recommend them, starting with The Various Haunts of Men.
Thanks to Random House UK, Vintage and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

I was given the opportunity to review A Change Of Circumstances and to help I was sent the first book in this series - The Various Haunts Of Men, which I absolutely loved, got involved with and felt the ending was totally right for the storyline.
However, move on (at a guess) a dozen further books to reach A Change OF Circumstances and I have to say I did not feel the same way about this book. Firstly I expected the pandemic to be integrated into the story - not necessarily a massive part but the book did mention flu and pneumonia.
Secondly I felt the book ended at what seemed to me to be the end of part one of a three part book. There seemed to be a lot of open ends. Of course I realise drug supply stories can never provide a 100% solution but I presume they will play a part in any further books in this series.
The storylines that did seem to progress (but again not to completion) involve the Serrailler family, but from a police crime perspective I didn't feel there was any real twist in the story.
So , for me, disappointing.

DCI Simon Serrailler #11

DCI Simon Serrailler has long regarded drug ops in the Lafferton area as a waste pf time. Small-time dealers are picked up outside the local secondary school, they.re given a fine or suspended and away they go. But when the body of a young drug addict is found in neighbouring Starly, the case pulls Simon into a whole new way of running drugs. Vulnerable kids like Brookie and Olivia, who will give Simon a bitter taste of this new landscape.

Children are being recruited to transfer drugs and money. DCS Simon Serrailler has been called out to investigate a suspected overdose. It just happens to be above a shop where Chinese herbal medicines are sold. Simon's sister Dr Cat. also faces issues in her medical practice. This is a well written story but we seem to spend a lot of time with Cat and her family. This book can be read as a standalone.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUK #Vintage and the author #SusanHill for my ARC of #AChangeOfCircumstance in exchange for an honest review.

The arrival of a new Simon Serrailler is always a thing of joy, and although this is not the best in the series, it is still a wonderful read. Serrailler's patch of Lafferton and surrounds has recently for the first time become the target of a hardcore gang of drug dealers, who are exploiting vulnerable children to make deliveries for them in "county lines" style. Young Brookie, being raised by his decent but struggling single father, is often hungry and is easy prey for a friendly-seeming man who gives him little treats. Olivia, upset by her parents' marriage break-up and her father's new young girlfriend and twin babies, finds herself drawn into the trade against her will. It is obviously not going to end well. Anyone looking for a crime procedural might be disappointed, as Hill cares less about "whodunnit" and more about the victims, shining a light on the horrific effects of this exploitation and how families are devastated by it. Never sensationalised, but always deeply affecting, her writing has the ring of realism and illustrates how anyone can be hurt by the presence in our lives of these ruthless criminals. We also reaquaint ourselves with Serrailler's family, notably his doctor sister Cat, who herself faces ethical dilemmas in her private role while trying to balance the needs of her new husband and growing children. She is, as always, the heart of the Serrailler family. Hopefully Hill will return to them again soon.

I haven't read any of the Simon Serrailler series before and was pleased to find this could be read as a stand alone book with enough background mentioned to follow the personal lives of the characters without it being too repetitive for fans of the family.
The detective story covered the contemporary issues of county lines drug running in a realistic storyline and didn't shy away from harsh realities.
I will be looking out for the next in the series.
Thank you to netgalley and random house for an advance copy of this book

Drug dealers are recruiting young children with devastating results. Can DCS Simon Serrailler stop the rot before it’s too late? Meanwhile other family members are trying to cope with their own pressures.
Well written characters and I enjoyed this book. Lots to read and wonder if things can be resolved.

As someone who has followed this series from the beginning, I was pleased to be offered a chance to read and review an advance copy of this book.
To class the Simon Serailler series as just crime fiction would be doing it an injustice. Throughout the series, we follow the the fortunes of bachelor Simon's family, especially his sister Cat .
This latest novel continues that story combined with an investigation into the problems that can be caused by the the now infamous county lines drug gangs. As always it is well written and holds the attention of the reader from beginning to end.
Modern crime writing at its very best

Detectives can never really solve suicides

I read this, the latest crime novel in the “Simon Serrailler” series immediately after reading the first. It is good, but didn’t grip me as much as “The Various Haunts of Men.” There is perhaps one plot thread too many, concerned with the central character’s nephew’s love life. Yes, it shows that while one family is being completely destroyed by the “County Lines” drugs trade, others are grappling with less dramatic but “real” problems. But it’s a bit too peripheral.

The meat of the story, though, is well-researched and actually quite realistic, especially as a provincial police force and its chief constable are surprised and wrong-footed by something they actually had plenty of warning of, from the past experience of their own senior officers. The novel draws parallels between the abuse of children by “County Lines” pushers grooming them as drugs mules and the abuse of children being groomed by paedophiles. And this is fair enough. In both cases, the children are generally powerless to expose or resist those hurting them and those responsible for their well-being are frequently unable or unwilling to comprehend what is going on, let alone take effective action. The effect is to isolate the children from all help and all non-destructive solutions. The author does a good job in showing how an alert and streetwise parent can make the difference between hope and despair, but she also shows that the druggies strive to avoid targetting children with that sort of parent still on the scene.

The over-arching message of this novel is that the advent of “County Lines” has completely removed any element of choice and free will from the drugs trade for anyone except those at the very top. (I would suppose, myself, that even those people must live with the constant threat of assassination even if they are immune from arrest!) Anyone who voluntarily interacts with the drugs trade by buying its products is guilty of abusing the children doing the legwork, but those who do this are completely incapable of ever recognising that THEY are the source of such misery. And so it continues.

One of the peripheral plot threads concerns the central character sorting his personal life out. He’s spent the entire series not doing this, so I suspect that author is trying to bring the series to a final conclusion and it probably is about time.

I enjoyed this book whilst also being slightly disappointed. I've read all the Simon Serailler books and enjoyed them tremendously, often for me the detective plot is incidental to the ongoing family issues and relationships of Simon and his sister Cat. This had the same mix of family and sleuthing but I found it less satisfactory.

The detective element focuses on county lines drug gangs and is well done, with some compelling characters we come to care about. The family elements were largely around Simon's internal musings, particularly after he bumps into his old live-in partner Rachel, and slight dissatisfaction with his life - I've always found him an attractive if distant character but here he began to irritate me with his self-obsession and vacillation. Cat's son, his career choices and relationship with his girlfriend are also a key focus as well as a rather strange sidetrack into the search for a missing family dog.

I will read the next installment but perhaps less eagerly.

Another excellent book in this series.Susan Hill writes so well her characters come alive the story line is multi layered with twists and turns that kept me turning the pages.I Wilber recommending the series and the latest book I the series,#netgalley#randomhouseuk

This series goes from strength to strength, and this latest book is the best yet. The characters continue to develop and the storyline is strong. It could be read as a stand alone but to get the most from it I think it would be better to read the complete series. I can’t wait for the next book from Susan Hill.

A Change of Circumstance by Susan Hill

I’ve been reading Hill’s Simon Serrailler novels for many years now. I read the very first one, The Various Haunts of Men, when it first came out and every one since. I’ve still after all these years, not got to grips with Simon as a character. I know him, but don’t necessarily understand him. I find it easier to understand his sister Cat, especially when she lost her husband at a similar time to me. In this 11th outing for the detective he’s investigating a death above a Chinese Medicine shop in the distinctly hippy village of Starly. A strange anomaly in the area, Starly seems to attract shop owners selling incense, tarot cards, and new age paraphernalia. The young man in front of Simon has been dead a few hours and has a needle in the vein of his arm. It seems to be a run of the mill overdose - sadly all too common now that county lines operators had been plying their trade locally for a while. County lines drug dealing bothers Simon and he wants to eradicate it, but catching the person distributing in the village won’t yield any further results. The local man rarely knows the men above him, he just picks up a packet from a given location and gets his on foot distributors to do the next stage. Sadly, those at the bottom of the ladder are children coerced or groomed into helping out, whether or not they even know what’s in the package they’re carrying. However there’s something about this overdose that doesn’t add up and it is going eat away at Simon until he solves the puzzle.

There are always family issues in Hill’s novels because they are as much about the family as they are the case. Here Hill concentrates on Cat’s youngest son Sam, who has unexpectedly turned up at home from university. Cat has suspected there have been some issues in his long relationship with girlfriend Rosie, but hasn’t wanted to interfere. Sam was fairly ambivalent about university anyway, so Cat isn’t too surprised when he says he doesn’t want to carry on. He quickly gets his old job back, portering at the hospital, until he decides on something more permanent. Rosie is training to be a doctor and they’re now likely to pass each other every day, but when he first sees her outside the hospital she’s with another man - was this just a hug after a long shift or was there more to it? Other family threads felt a little odd. Kieron is both Cat’s second husband and Simon’s boss, but there’s a strangely detached feeling to his presence. At the farmhouse he disappears into his study to watch TV without interruption, while Simon and Cat share a drink and talk. He doesn’t interact much with the children, particularly Sam. Any interactions he and Simon have at work, are left at work so they don’t chat over old cases or just the difficulties of policing the area. It’s as if he’s absent in his own life and if he walked away he would leave no impression behind.

The chapters that focus on the family or the police station seem to recede into the background, while the intervening chapters are full of life. A young lad called Brookie is the subject of one thread. One of four boys, brought up by Dad, their house is depicted as chaotic and noisy, but seems to be more demonstrative and affectionate than the Serrailler family. Brookie only has a plastic bag for his school books and is the subject of bullying by other kids. One day, as he’s gathering his stuff after it being emptied into a puddle, a stranger appears and starts to help him. They chat and Brookie never expects to see him again, but he drops by the following week with a new rucksack for him. Is this just a Good Samaritan or is something more sinister going on? With Dad working nights as door security on a nightclub the boys have plenty of time on their own and could be easy prey. We also meet a young girl called Olivia, from a more affluent background but her parents have recently divorced. Her father had an affair with a much younger woman and while Olivia’s mum knows that he’s become a dad again in his fifties, she hasn’t told her daughter. So, when Olivia rings her dad for some help, it is a huge shock to be told she has twin half-brothers screaming in the background. Now is not a good time to ask for help. Once a month, a man called Fats gets her to deposit an envelope to a derelict farm while pretending to be out for a run. She hates what she’s doing and it’s only shame and fear of her family finding out that keeps her going. Scared and emotionally manipulated, Olivia is looking for a way out. If her Dad won’t help she’s running out of options.

You always know you are in the hands of a great storyteller here, as it always feels as if the threads come together effortlessly. Of course that takes skill and hard work, but Hill makes it look easy. This is the first time in a while that I’ve felt a restlessness in Serrailler. Usually his large modern flat soothes him, it has the proximity to the cathedral so he also has the incredible views of its architecture. His job can be all encompassing, barely leaving room for other thoughts, never mind people. For some reason he finds himself viewing a large cottage in need of renovating, deep in the countryside. With this case he can feel his patch changing, the tendrils of drugs creeping into smaller towns with criminals who are willing to kill to keep their line of supply running. His behaviour with women has always kept me from truly liking him; he’s a ‘commitmentphobe’ who either never tells the object of his affections what he feels, or who carries on dating someone he has no future with for far too long. It may be something to do with his father’s lack of emotion or the way he has treated women in the past; his second wife had to ask Cat for help when Richard had physically attacked her. However, as a face from the past crosses his path, I did wonder whether this restlessness might mean he’s ready for change? This had that strangely comforting feeling that comes when you know your characters well and can settle into the story. It’s often the same with crime series, that even if your characters are in the midst of a bloody murder investigation, you feel happy to be amongst friends again.

I always enjoy a Serrailler book so was excited to be able to read this one. As usual, I couldn't put it down, and was thoroughly engrossed in the storyline. The subject of county lines is very topical, and well-handled, if heartbreaking. The slight weakness in my opinion is the character of Simon himself, who just comes across as a bit boring in this book. I don't really care about his love life, which just seemed to interrupt a gripping story. That aside, I loved this book, and am waiting for the next one now!

Another fitting addition to the DCS Serrailler series and again doesn't disappoint. Realistic depiction of both the crime and medical issues raised in the story as well as of the daily and bigger issues faced by each of the characters. Relateable issues are raised that draw in the reader as you, too, feel the despair and enormity of what needs to be faced. This is coupled with the reassurance that you're in safe hands with DCS Serrailler and Dr Deerbon - if anyone is going to even attempt to address the issues, they will.

As someone who hasn't read any of the other books in the DCS Serrailer series, I was slightly concerned that I would find myself lost. Although I missed out on certain nuances and allusions to former love interests etc. I didn't feel that this made a marked difference to my reading experience.

I really enjoyed the focus on 'county lines' drug trafficking and the increasing involvement of children, as this is not something I have seen used as a primary plot point before. Rather than my focus being on Serrailer, I felt much more drawn to Brookie and Olivia's experiences, and only wish that there was more from the perspectives of children impacted by drug trafficking. At times I felt that the focus on Serrailer's family and romantic life were somewhat redundant and distracted from the main plot, and I wished instead to see more of the lives of the children, drug trafficking ring leaders and the victims of drug addiction.

Whilst this book left me frustrated and underwhelmed at points, it was still an enjoyable and interesting read.

Has time gone a little same old, same old for the Serailler/Deerbon family? 3.5 rating

I requested this eagerly from NetGalley/the publisher as a digital ARC, and eagerly began this 11th outing.

Sadly, a lot of the ‘human interest’ sections in Hill’s detective Simon Serailler and his wider family feel as if they are fillers now, not really taking things much forward or different; instead, getting in the way of the crime investigations. For example, there is an ongoing sub – and somewhat sob story around a family pet, which I cynically felt was there to predictably manipulate the reader’s emotions. There’s also an ongoing sub thread about someone’s injured knee, with whatever the reader is learning about the character’s involved, just grinds on rather

The police procedure ‘filling’ for the rather-too-thick-a-slice-of-the-family-bread sandwich, concerns the growing and worrying problem of ‘county lines’ and the cynical recruitment of children and teenagers as initially innocent ‘mules’, for drug trafficking, then to be thoroughly destroyed, terrified and manipulated by their handlers. The story exposes a vast, vast network of little fish, slightly bigger but still little fish, and the challenges involved in getting to find those at the top.

The central section of the book, where there is more concentration on police at work matters, rather than the continuing harking back to Serailler’s difficulties with emotional intimacy with friends, family – and particularly romantic partners, found my involvement and interest engaged again.

The ending of the novel, though, disappointed to some extent (no revelation of spoiler here). There is certainly some unfinished business, and perhaps this particular police case has further to go in Serailler 12

I am a huge Susan Hill fan and love this series, so was great looking forward to reading this novel. It didn't disappoint and I was soon totally engrossed back in the lives of Simon and Cat and their families. My only complaint is that it had to end!

How brilliant it is to be back with Simon Serrailler in Lafferton. I adore this series of books and was thrilled to be approved for an ARC.

In this instalment, the principal theme is county lines. As always, the writing is excellent and the chapters and paragraphs regarding Olivia and her mother were moving and sensitively written. Brookie, a disadvantaged 11 year old, is another of the principal characters and he behaves exactly as you’d imagine a child in his position would.

As always one of the major pleasures of this story is finding out what is happening in the lives of Cat and her family. It’s like catching up with old friends!

The book ends with a bit of a cliffhanger and for once it’s not a crime based one! No spoilers here, but I can’t wait to see how this will pan out….

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.