'The Vows of Silence' by Susan Hill. Five of us enjoyed a cake and a cuppa whilst we shared our thoughts on Susan Hill’s book ‘The Vows of Silence’. Sadly, it turned out not to be our cup of tea at all.

Billed as a detective story, it felt like a single episode in a long-running series where the crimes to be solved are almost incidental to the angst in the life of the copper, his family and those about him. This enabled the writer to introduce several themes – death and dying, medical and pastoral care, vocation, religion, fundamentalism, second marriages, jealousy, love – too many to explore in any depth, which left us feeling disappointed. The style was very choppy jumping confusingly from scene to scene.

We felt it would be best enjoyed as a light book, a quick, undemanding holiday read, or more of an interest to someone following the fortunes of the detective through the series.

No meeting in August.

Next meeting 3rd September 2010.  ‘Wolf Hall’ by Hilary Mantel - and anything you enjoyed over the summer.

Suggested future reading – anything by Libby Purves.