Filled with interesting and vigorously human characters, some of whom are definitely on the dark side; The Various Haunts of Men reveals the secrets of a small town in Great Britain – or a small town anywhere. Nosy neighbors who know more about their fellow residents, possibly, than is healthy, quirky law enforcement officers and professional people with questionable backgrounds all come together to remind the reader of the early Agatha Christie plots.

One only needs the beloved vicar and the inquisitive elderly spinster to complete the illusion. Susan Hill's story, however, quickly shifts into a higher gear and transforms into the intelligent, urbane, and less cozy tradition of P.D. James and Ruth Rendell. Her characters are real, the plot is gripping, and the finale is not the usual "all lived happily ever after".

This is an author worth reading, and this reader will rush to the library for more of her work. I simply cannot imagine anyone disliking this book.
Review by Litera Scripta