Reading order · 11 books · 2004 to 2021 · Set in the fictional Lafferton, England
Simon Serrailler Books in Order
Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Serrailler, handsome, private and a gifted artist, polices the English cathedral town of Lafferton. The books follow his family, above all his sister Cat, a doctor, as closely as his cases, and do not shy from the dark side of life.
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Series facts
- Books
- 11
- Published
- 2004 to 2021
- First book
- The Various Haunts of Men
- Latest
- A Change of Circumstance (2021)
- Setting
- Set in the fictional Lafferton, England
The reading order
Every Simon Serrailler book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
11 books · Set in the fictional Lafferton, England
- 1The Various Haunts of Men2004With Freya GraffhamDetective Sergeant Freya Graffham, new to Lafferton, investigates the disappearances of several people, and the trail leads to the town’s alternative healers.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Pure in Heart2005With Simon SerraillerA nine-year-old boy disappears on his way to school, and his family’s agony grips Lafferton.Buy on Amazon
- 3The Risk of Darkness2006With Simon SerraillerBuy on Amazon
- 4The Vows of Silence2008With Simon SerraillerA sniper is targeting young women in Lafferton.Buy on Amazon
- 5The Shadows in the Street2010With Simon SerraillerWomen working on the streets of Lafferton are being murdered, while the cathedral community is unsettled by its new dean.Buy on Amazon
- 6The Betrayal of Trust2011With Simon SerraillerFloods uncover the remains of a teenage girl who went missing sixteen years ago, and Simon reopens the case.Buy on Amazon
- 7A Question of Identity2012With Simon SerraillerAn elderly woman is murdered in Lafferton, and the case recalls a man who was acquitted of similar crimes years before and given a new identity.Buy on Amazon
- 8The Soul of Discretion2014With Simon SerraillerSimon is asked to go undercover in a dangerous operation, while Cat and the family face a crisis at home.Buy on Amazon
- 9The Comforts of Home2018With Simon SerraillerSimon recovers on a remote Scottish island, where he is drawn into a cold case.Buy on Amazon
- 10The Benefit of Hindsight2019With Simon SerraillerBack at work after a serious injury, Simon Serrailler faces a run of shocking crimes in Lafferton and an error of judgement that tests him.Buy on Amazon
- 11A Change of Circumstance2021With Simon SerraillerSimon takes on a drugs gang that is moving into Lafferton.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with The Various Haunts of Men, as the family story runs through the series.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Simon Serrailler | Freya Graffham | Cat Deerbon | Sam Deerbon | Richard Serrailler | Chris Deerbon | Kieron Bright |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Various Haunts of Men | MMajor | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 2 The Pure in Heart | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 3 The Risk of Darkness | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 4 The Vows of Silence | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 5 The Shadows in the Street | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 6 The Betrayal of Trust | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 7 A Question of Identity | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 8 The Soul of Discretion | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 9 The Comforts of Home | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 10 The Benefit of Hindsight | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 11 A Change of Circumstance | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Simon Serrailler books
7 characters from Susan Hill’s chart, with the number of Simon Serrailler books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Simon SerraillerDetective Chief Superintendent and amateur artist | 11 | The Various Haunts of Men 2004 |
| Freya GraffhamDetective Sergeant | 1 | The Various Haunts of Men 2004 |
| Cat DeerbonSimon’s sister, a GP | 11 | The Various Haunts of Men 2004 |
| Sam DeerbonCat’s son | 11 | The Various Haunts of Men 2004 |
| Richard SerraillerSimon and Cat’s cold, difficult father | 7 | The Various Haunts of Men 2004 |
| Chris DeerbonCat’s husband, a GP | 4 | The Various Haunts of Men 2004 |
| Kieron BrightChief Constable, later Cat’s husband | 4 | The Soul of Discretion 2014 |