I might be the only reviewer who feels like this series has gone on too long. I really used to like these books, but the last few are a real slog. I feel like Simon is at a point where he needs to grow up for lack of a better term. I have enjoyed the complicated backstories of his entire family and, really, enjoyed those characters much more than Simon himself. It no longer feels like Simon is good at what he does, and of course his personal life is a disaster, as ever. I just can't be invested in these characters any more. Hill needs to wind up the series.

Had some access issues with this, as a Kindle version was not available, which led to my late review.

I have to say that I loved this book! I do agree with the other reviewers that you should read the books in order or else you might be confused at references to previous events in the series. Susan Hill is one of my favorite authors and I was not disappointed with this one. She is certainly the queen of suspense and mystery. The Woman in Black is one of my all time favorite books so I had high hopes.

Thank you (so much!) to Netgalley and The Overlook Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.

After a slightly off read with Hill's last entry in the Simon Serrailler saga, Book #10 comes back with the kind of story I look forward to in this exemplary series. In this one--like most of the entries in the series--we have a couple things happening. We have robberies that escalate to murder, we have the story of a peripheral character in the robbery ring and what she's facing as part of this cabal, we have a pregnant woman and her husband who both don't want the child she is carrying, and then we have the ongoing personal stories of the main characters. Simon is getting back into the swing of his work when he starts to experience panic attacks and mental strain that impact his decision making on the job.

Overall, I enjoyed seeing this side of Simon. Don't get me wrong--there's still lots of the arrogant Simon that often drives me nuts, but we also start to see him experiencing moments of connection that shake him to his core. By the end, we might start to wonder if policing is going to be the place best suited to him--though of course, I'm guessing he'll get over his issues so we can continue to be involved in his cases.

In this book--again, like usual--Hill doesn't answer all our questions. I love this about her novels. I was left thinking a lot about the story of the mother, father, and newborn baby. There are many parallels here between life and death, how people are loved (or not) when they're alive, and how those people we trust really care about us at the end. We see not one but two dead newborns, an almost-dead Richard, a dead girl, a dead (beloved) wife, a dead teen, and even a dead cat. Hill makes you think about how we treat those around us and how we might hope we impact those we love.

Because of the intricate personal development of the characters, I recommend starting at the beginning of this series and enjoying the whole thing straight through. However, I believe this would stand rather well on its own, so don't be afraid to jump in right here as well. This is a great series!

"Serrailler must confront his demons as Lafferton experiences a series of shocking crimes in this 10th book in Susan Hill’s shattering crime series.

Susan Hill stuns readers once again in The Benefit of Hindsight, the 10th book in her celebrated mystery series. Now recuperated after the violent incident that cost him his arm - and nearly his life - DCS Serrailler has returned to work, though he prefers to spend his spare time sketching the medieval angels being restored on the cathedral roof. With crime rates down, Lafferton has been quiet, until one night when two men open their front door to a distressing scene. Serrailler makes a serious error of judgment when handling the incident, and the stress of this, combined with the ongoing trauma of losing his arm, takes its toll. In the tradition of the fabulous mysteries of Ruth Rendell and P. D. James, The Benefit of Hindsight is Susan Hill’s best work yet - a chilling new addition to a highly acclaimed series."

I just recently acquired the rest of Hill's Serrailler series and can't wait to dive in!

I am so annoyed at myself. So I like most of Susan Hill books so I saw this on NetGalley and went gimme without realizing this is part of a series. I really wish that NetGalley would let you send books back. Totally my fault, and for now on I am going to cross-reference books on Goodreads to just check for things like that. That all said, I can't really help here at all. Since this is book # 10 I was totally confused about past events and who was what and why things were important. I loved the cover though! Seriously though this dragged for me at times and I found myself rushing through it.

"The Benefit of Hindsight" follows DCS Serrailler after he has has returned to work after losing one of his arms. With crime rates down, Lafferton has been quiet, until one night when two men open their front door to a distressing scene. Serrailler makes a serious error of judgment when handling the incident, and the stress of this, combined with the ongoing trauma of losing his arm, takes its toll.

So Serrailler seems like an okay character. I don't know what to say here since this is the first book starring him I have read. All of the characters seem fine and have past and current connections. I did like that Serrailler messes up and the book follows through on the theme on in hindsight what could he have done better.

I did like the writing and thought the flow was fine. I just was not engaged since I came into this series at book #10 and did not care about the characters in the same way I would have if I started off with book #1. Because of this, I am going to go back and read this series and will update this review after I finish books #1-9.

It is advisable to read Susan Hill's Simon Serrailler series in order, since each of the recurring characters has a complicated backstory. The latest novel, "The Benefit of Hindsight," is a haunting work of fiction in which Simon and his sister, Dr. Cat Deerbon, a partner in a private practice, make decisions that could have tragic consequences. DCS Serrailler, of Lafferton CID in England, orders a news blackout after professional thieves break into an unoccupied home and steal the residents' valuables. Subsequent events suggest that Simon's order to conceal information about this crime from the media had negative consequences that he did not foresee. Meanwhile, Simon is struggling with panic attacks and post-traumatic stress disorder. He has refused to consult a therapist to obtain the psychological help that he needs. In addition, Dr. Cat Deerbon's pregnant patient, Carrie Pegwell, admits that she dreads motherhood. Carrie believes, without any evidence, that there is something seriously wrong with her unborn baby. Making matters worse, her aloof husband, Colin, provides his wife with very little comfort and support. What should Cat do, if anything, to help this troubled couple?

Hill adeptly juggles a variety of intriguing subplots. Among them: a naïve waitress, Shenda Neill, allows her devious boyfriend to involve her in criminal activities; Cat and Simon continue to hold a grudge against their egotistical and selfish father; Simon derives solace from his passion for drawing (he is an accomplished artist); and Cat's son, Sam, now a hospital porter, is in the process of deciding what profession he would like to pursue. The author shows how Simon and Cat have been affected by the tragedies that they have endured in the past. Although the siblings frequently argue, Simon and Cat remain devoted to one another.

"The Benefit of Hindsight" moves along briskly, its dialogue is involving, and Hill explores the ways in which Simon's personal flaws have affected his ability to form and maintain healthful relationships. Hill offers no pat resolutions to the issues that she raises. On the contrary, she shows that life can be messy, unpredictable, and unbearably painful. What gets us through tough times are such qualities as strength of character, the kindness of our loved ones, and our willingness to learn from our mistakes.

Susan Hill always crafts a multi-layered suspense novel peopled by wonderfully rich characters--and THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT is no exception. Sparked by an intriguing premise, this novel is perhaps a trifle too easily resolved...but the read is--as always--involving and beautifully woven.

Susan Hill is an author who always draws me into her latest thriller.Well written multi layered a book that kept me engaged racing through the pages .well written tense highly recommend.#netgalley#abrams books

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read and review this book.

I have read several of Susan Hill’s books in the past, but cannot remember if I was this disappointed in an ending. The characters were all engaging, and the story lines were well thought out, but the main story(burglary, murder, and investigation) were not finished.

Susan Hill is very good at keeping the reader involved. I didn't necessarily like what was happening in the book, but I was totally engrossed and had trouble putting the book down.

There are several side plots in this book and a lot of bad things happening. The short chapters jump around from one story to another. Serrailer has some psychological problems after his accident. A young woman who is one of Cat's patients becomes pregnant and is sure that her baby will be damaged and her husband doesn't really want a baby. When the baby is finally born, she is beautiful, and shows no signs of being damaged. In spite of this, the mother is still sure she is not right, and both parents have trouble warming up to their daughter.

A gay couple, Tim the doctor and Ade, a photographer, have a lot of valuable art. One rainy night a young couple ring the doorbell asking to use a phone to call AAA. Their car has broken down. After the woman calls and uses the rest room, Tim drives them back to their car. Later Tim and Ade receive a thank you note with tickets to the opera. While at the opera, their house is robbed. Simon wants to catch the robbers rather than have them move on, so he doesn't tell tell the papers about it.

Later, Agnela finds 5000 pounds in her friend Shenda's purse. Shenda and Jake, her boyfriend were the ones who had staked out the home of Tim and Ade. When Jake hears about Agnela, he beats up Shenda. She is dumped in a ditch by the road and is found and sent to the hospital. Unfortunately, Jake finds her before she can get away. Shenda continues to try to help Shenda, but then she is abducted.

The very wealthy Cindy and Declan McDermitt donate a van to the police department and host a big reception. Cindy asks Cat to visit the next morning. When Cat gets to their house, the gate is open and no one answers the door. She finally goes in and hears moaning. She goes upstairs to find Cindy lying on the floor dead and Declan tied to a chair and bleeding. Declan is taken to the hospital, but he is devastated by Cindy's death. The robbers did more than rob.

There is a lot about family dynamics in the telling of this story, and I found it somewhat depressing.