October 2003

It`s been a busy writing summer. The first book of my crime novel trilogy THE VARIOUS HAUNTS OF MEN is finished and has been sold already to publishers in Germany, France and Holland, and for BBC Audio Book, apart from to my usual UK Publisher Chatto and Windus. The cover has been designed and looks terrific…it will be published next June.

I am half way through the second, called THE PURE IN HEART. They all feature the same Detective Chief Inspector, Simon Serrailler, and are set in an English Cathedral town, about the size of Exeter – though NOT Exeter !- called Lafferton.
They are crime novels rather than detective stories because they are not simple puzzles and whodunits, which don`t much interest me. I want to dissect what makes people commit evil deeds, what is the difference between madness and badness, how good versus evil, the old battle, plays itself out both in one person, in a community, and in modern policing and law.
The first book is also about alternative medical therapies… some of which are good and valid, others of which are just a con…but more and more people are turning both to the genuine, such as acupuncture and osteopathy, and to the weirder New Age theories. The question is why.. so some of the novel is abut that.

I am loving writing these.. I write them fast. Negotiations are on-going with television companies for the rights to film all three.
My book of short stories, THE BOY WHO TAUGHT THE BEEKEEPER to read, which came out in July this year, has been selling quietly and steadily… books of short stories do not set the world on fire sales-wise but it received a lot of good reviews which was pleasing., Those are the books which grow very slowly.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK (the play adapted from my ghost story) has received more nominations than any other show for the awards in Los Angeles known as the OVATIONS – a bit like Tonys on Broadway or the Olivier Awards here… which is great for the very small company which produced it in a tiny tiny theatre, seating 45 people. It has re-opened seating about 90.. and has been the hot ticket in LA…

Meanwhile, more and more students are writing to me about I`M THE KING OF THE CASTLE and STRANGE MEETING, which seem to be studied very widely now. Don`t forget there is a workshop on the first every Friday evening up on the messageboard on this website. If you are studying the book for GCSE you might find it helpful. You will also find the book just published, SUSAN HILL. THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE by Margaret Reynolds and Jonathan Noakes very useful.

SEE my daughter`s company LONG BARN BOOKS for details of how to buy copies at very good discounts.. and indeed, for how to buy any English books at all at up to 25 % OFF.. I don`t get anything out of this by the way, it is entirely her business !

On the home front, our two Border Terriers are having training with an invisible electric fence round the grounds to stop them escaping, our cat Lucozade has had a dramatic operation to remove one of his thyroid glands which seems to have cost more than a heart-lung transplant for a human being, and our mare, Dempsey is in foal again. She already has a beautiful chestnut filly foal, born in May this year.

And we have never had such a spectacular autumn here… the cherry orchard has been a sheet of bright scarlet for about 3 weeks and every other tree is golden and red and orange. Amazing. But last night we had 3 degrees of frost and this morning 3 Christmas catalogues came in the post, so that looks like the real end of a long, hot, beautiful summer and a golden autumn.
Back to Chapter Eleven.

SUSAN HILL