All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie
Mystery
Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #2
1994 Charles Scribner’s Sons
Finished on 3/26/13
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)
Publisher’s Blurb:
Murder strikes where Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid least expects it. Coming home to his Hampstead flat after working all night on a case, Kincaid finds his terminally ill friend and neighbor, Jasmine Dent, has passed peacefully away in her sleep.
Kincaid quickly discovers, however, that Jasmine’s death may not be as straightforward as it seems. Margaret Bellamy, a young friend of Jasmine’s, tells him that Jasmine has asked for her help in committing suicide, but had changed her mind at the last minute. When autopsy results reveal that Jasmine died from a lethal dose of morphine, Kincaid must discover whether Jasmine killed herself, or if someone else ended her life prematurely.
Why, he asks, would someone kill a woman who had only a few months to live? Did Jasmine’s younger brother, Theo, need his inheritance to keep his small antique shop afloat? Did her nurse, Felicity Haworth, indulge in a spot of mercy killing? Or did Margaret Bellamy’s unscrupulous boyfriend, Roger, decide he couldn’t wait for Margaret to come into her share of Jasmine’s money?
With help from Sergeant Gemma James and Jasmine’s own journals, Kincaid explores Jasmine’s life from her childhood in India to the final months of her illness, discovering a hauntingly beautiful young woman, secretive and ambitious. Somewhere in her past may lie the key to her murder….
I read this second installment in the Kincaid/James series in a little over a week. As with some of my favorite current TV shows (House of Cards, Justified, Homeland), I know I enjoyed the mystery, but the specific details have since escaped my memory. Please don’t ask me who killed Jasmine!
Final Thoughts: Entertaining, albeit forgettable? No notes or quotes to share, but I’m ready to dive into #3 (Leave the Grave Green).
I've heard a lot about Crombie's work and want to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a month since I read this one and I'm getting antsy to pick up the next in the series.
DeleteThere are those who say that the fifth book is when Crombie hit the genius button. And it is extraordinary. I think the joy of these books is the continuing characters. From book to book, one comes up, and then another. Just like in real life. You might not see someone for a while, but then you do. And the other exceptional quality for this anglophile is learning about areas of England, mostly London but some others too, in depth. I really love that.
ReplyDeleteThe fifth, eh? I'll keep that in mind. :) I do enjoy the returning characters in a series and that's what makes this so appealing. Kincaid and James are both very likeable.
DeleteFunny how you say 'forgettable' - I recall whole sections of the books. :<)
ReplyDeleteI can recall snippets, but not whole sections. I have a terrible memory!
DeleteEntertaining is always a good thing!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe first two in this series feel like brain candy. I'm used to much more gritty thrillers, but these were still quite enjoyable.
DeleteTo me these are true comfort books... I usually forget all the details of the stories but when I read them they are really entertaining. I think she's got a new one out although I'm still a bit behind on the series. Glad to hear you liked it!
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly how I feel. True comfort reads that entertain me while I'm reading. I can't wait to get to #3! It's in my stacks, but I have a few new books I want to read first.
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