The Pure in Heart is the second of Susan Hill's novels set in the English Cathedral town of Lafferton and featuring the enigmatic policeman, Detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler. A little boy is kidnapped as he stands with his satchel at the gate of his home, waiting for his lift to school. A severely handicapped young woman hovers between life and death. An ex-con finds it impossible to stay straight...Haunting and truthful, gripping and convincing, The Pure in Heart is neither a thriller nor a whodunnit, but a fascinating crime novel arising out of character and circumstance.