A Killing of Innocents

A Killing of Innocents by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James #19

Mystery

2023 William Morrow & Company

Finished on February 23, 2023

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:
 

New York Times bestseller Deborah Crombie returns with a new novel focusing on Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James as they must solve the stabbing death of a young woman before panic spreads across London.

On a rainy November evening, a young woman hurries through the crowd in London’s historic Russell Square. Out of the darkness, someone jostles her, then brushes past. A moment later, she stumbles, collapsing against a tree. When a young mother finds her body and alerts the police, Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his sergeant, Doug Cullen, are called to the scene. The victim, Sasha Johnson, is a trainee doctor at a nearby hospital, and she’s been stabbed.

Kincaid immediately calls his detective wife, Gemma James, who has recently been assigned to a task force on knife crime. Along with her partner, detective sergeant Melody Talbot, Gemma joins the investigation. But Sasha Johnson doesn’t fit the profile of the typical knife crime victim. Single, successful, daughter of a black professional family, she has no history of abusive relationships or any connection to gangs. She had her secrets, though, and Kincaid uncovers an awkward connection to his Notting Hill friends Wesley and Betty Howard.

As the detectives unravel Sasha’s tangled relationships, another stabbing puts London in a panic, and Kincaid’s team needs all their resources to find the killer stalking the dark streets of Bloomsbury.

I have spent the past two years reading close to one installment a month from Deborah Crombie's Kincaid/James mystery series. Earlier this month I read A Bitter Feast, finishing that book on the publication date of A Killing of Innocents, Crombie's most recent release. I didn't wait long to pick up this final installment, and now, just like that, I'm all caught up! I enjoyed this London-based mystery very much, unable to unravel that final thread until the very end when the detectives made their arrest. While not a thriller as such, A Killing of Innocents is a solid mystery. Crombie continues to develop her characters (and their relationships with one another), and the mysteries are intricate and well-plotted. I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough. 

I'm happy that I've finally made it through the entire series, but sad that I'll have to wait for the next installment. Meanwhile, could somebody please write a screenplay for the books for either PBS, Britbox or Acorn? I'm sure Crombie's fanbase would be happy to support a TV series. I certainly would!

A Bitter Feast

A Bitter Feast by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James #18

Mystery

2019 William Morrow

Finished on February 7, 2023

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his wife, Detective Inspector Gemma James, have been invited for a relaxing weekend in the tranquil Cotswolds, one of Britain’s most beautiful and historic regions, famous for its rolling hills, sheep-strewn green meadows, golden cottages, and timeless villages that retain the spirit of old England.

Duncan, Gemma, and their children are guests at Beck House, the country estate belonging to the family of Melody Talbot, Gemma’s trusted detective sergeant. No ordinary farmers, the Talbots are wealthy and prominent with ties to Britain’s most powerful and influential. A centerpiece of this glorious fall getaway is a posh charity luncheon catered by up-and-coming chef Viv Holland. After more than a decade in London, Viv has returned to her native Glouscestershire, making a name for herself with her innovative, mouthwatering use of the local bounty. Attended by several dozen of the area’s well-to-do, as well as national food bloggers and restaurant critics, the event could make Viv a star.

But a tragic car accident followed by a series of mysterious deaths could ruin her ascent. Each piece of information that surfaces makes it clear that the killer had a connection with Viv’s pub—and perhaps with Beck House itself.

Does the truth lie in the past? Or is it more immediate, woven into the tangled relationships and bitter resentments swirling among the staff at Beck House and at Viv’s pub? Or is it even more personal, entwined with secrets hidden by Viv, her business partner Bea Abbot, and Viv’s eleven-year-old daughter Grace?

Further revelations rock the Talbots’ estate and pull Duncan and Gemma and their colleagues into the investigation. With so much at stake both personally and professionally, especially for Melody Talbot, finding the killer becomes one of the team’s most crucial cases.

Two years ago (almost to the day), I began Deborah Crombie's mystery series, reading one book every month. I had previously read the first two installments in 2013 (the first of which was reviewed here), but too much time had elapsed and in an effort to reacquaint myself with the cast of characters, I started from the beginning in February 2021. Last night I finished the eighteenth installment and am now anxiously awaiting delivery of Crombie's new release, A Killing of Innocents, which should arrive in the mail any day.

It's been such a pleasure catching up on Duncan and Gemma's lives with each new book, and A Bitter Feast does not disappoint. While not the heart-pounding type of thriller I've grown accustomed to with Louise Penny's books, this mystery is well-crafted and kept me guessing up to the denouement in the final pages. Such a satisfying read! I know I've said it at least once, but I do wish PBS or Acorn would option the rights for a TV series. This would be a great show, perhaps in the hands of Anthony Horowitz.

Garden of Lamentations

 

Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #17

2017  William Morrow

Finished on December 16 , 2022

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James are drawn into separate investigations that hold disturbing—and deadly—complications for their own lives in this powerful mystery in the bestselling series.

On a beautiful morning in mid-May, the body of a young woman is found in one of Notting Hill’s private gardens. To passersby, the pretty girl in the white dress looks as if she’s sleeping. But Reagan Keating has been murdered, and the lead detective, DI Kerry Boatman, turns to Gemma James for help. She and Gemma worked together on a previous investigation, and Gemma has a personal connection to the case: Reagan was the nanny of a child who attends the same dance studio as Toby, Gemma and Kincaid’s son.

Gemma soon discovers that Reagan’s death is the second tragedy in this exclusive London park; a few months before, a young boy died in a tragic accident. But when still another of the garden residents meets a violent end, it becomes clear that there are more sinister forces at play. Boatman and Gemma must stop the killer before another innocent life is taken.

While his wife is consumed with her new case, Kincaid finds himself plagued by disturbing questions about several previous—and seemingly unrelated—cases involving members of the force. If his suspicions are correct and the crimes are linked, are his family and friends in mortal danger as well? Kincaid’s hunch turns to certainty when a Metropolitan Police officer close to him is brutally attacked. There’s a traitor in the ranks, and now Kincaid wonders if he can trust anyone.

As Gemma begins to see a solution to her case, she realizes she holds a child’s fate in her hands. Can she do the right thing? And can Kincaid rely on his friends, both inside and outside the Scotland Yard force, to stand beside him as he faces the deadliest challenge of his career?

Garden of Lamentations is another well-plotted mystery by Deborah Crombie. There are two separate mysteries, peopled with numerous characters, but I was able to follow both threads without any trouble. This is most definitely not a stand-alone, although Crombie skillfully fills in the backstory to refresh her readers' memories of previous installments.

I started reading this series almost two years ago and am down to one more installment. If I read A Bitter Feast in January, I only have to wait a month for her new release (A Killing of Innocents) to be published. But then how long will I have to wait for the next installment? Wah!

To Dwell in Darkness

 

To Dwell in Darkness by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #16

2014 William Morrow

Finished on October 28, 2022

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

In the tradition of Elizabeth George, Louise Penny, and P. D. James, "New York Times" bestselling author Deborah Crombie delivers a powerful tale of intrigue, betrayal, and lies that will plunge married London detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James into the unspeakable darkness that lies at the heart of murder.

Recently transferred to the London borough of Camden from Scotland Yard headquarters, Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his new murder investigation team are called to a deadly bombing at historic St. Pancras Station. By fortunate coincidence, Melody Talbot, Gemma s trusted colleague, witnesses the explosion. The victim was taking part in an organized protest, yet the other group members swear the young man only meant to set off a smoke bomb. As Kincaid begins to gather the facts, he finds every piece of the puzzle yields an unexpected pattern, including the disappearance of a mysterious bystander.

The bombing isn't the only mystery troubling Kincaid. He's still questioning the reasons behind his transfer, and when his former boss who's been avoiding him is attacked, those suspicions deepen. With the help of his former sergeant, Doug Cullen, Melody Talbot, and Gemma, Kincaid begins to untangle the truth. But what he discovers will leave him questioning his belief in the job that has shaped his life and his values and remind him just how vulnerable his precious family is.

Deborah Crombie continues to entertain with her well-plotted Kincaid/Duncan mystery series! As with Louise Penny's books, I enjoy reading about the regular cast of characters, and their on-going relationships, almost as much as the mysteries themselves. To Dwell in Darkness kept me guessing and reading long after I should have turned out the light. I had to chuckle when I read the following, as I've always wondered the same:

Ellis nodded and Jasmine went to the kitchen, returning with a glass of tap water. Kincaid wondered, not for the first time, why a glass of water was considered a remedy for shock or grief. But Ellis drank it obediently, like a child told to take medicine, and set the almost empty glass on the end table.

I was left with many questions about Kincaid's new position in Holborn, which I hope will be answered in the next installment. Crombie's cliff-hangers are beginning to feel like those of Louise Penny's. Thankfully, I have the next book ready to read and don't have to wait a year or more for its release!

The Sound of Broken Glass

 

The Sound of Broken Glass by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #15

Mystery

2013 William Morrow

Finished on September 11, 2022

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

In the past . . . On a blisteringly hot August afternoon in Crystal Palace, once home to the tragically destroyed Great Exhibition, a solitary thirteen-year-old boy meets his next door neighbor, a recently widowed young teacher hoping to make a new start in the tight-knit South London community. Drawn together by loneliness, the unlikely pair form a deep connection that ends in a shattering act of betrayal.

In the present . . . On a cold January morning in London, Detective Inspector Gemma James is back on the job now that her husband, Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid, is at home to care for their three-year-old foster daughter. Assigned to lead a Murder Investigation Team in South London, she's assisted by her trusted colleague, newly promoted Detective Sergeant Melody Talbot. Their first case, a crime scene at a seedy hotel in Crystal Palace. The victim, a well-respected barrister, found naked, trussed, and apparently strangled. Is it an unsavory accident or murder? In either case, he was not alone, and Gemma's team must find his companion - a search that leads them into unexpected corners and forces them to contemplate unsettling truths about the weaknesses and passions that lead to murder. Ultimately, they will begin to question everything they think they know about their world and those they trust most.

Another entertaining installment in Deborah Crombie's Kincaid/James series. I enjoyed learning the history of the Crystal Palace, as well as the continuation of Duncan and Gemma's family situation. The developing relationships among the supporting cast of characters is thankfully unpredictable and added to my overall enjoyment of this police procedural. There are several coincidences centered around the murders and the personal lives of the detectives, but I was willing to suspend disbelief. A doozy of a cliff-hanger has me anxious to get to the next book in the series, but we're still on the road (we were in Glacier National Park for a week), so I'll need to be patient!

No Mark Upon Her

 

No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #14

Mystery

2012 William Morrow

Finished on August 11, 2022

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Deborah Crombie makes her mark with this absorbing, finely hued tale of suspense - a deeply atmospheric and twisting mystery full of deadly secrets, salacious lies, and unexpected betrayals involving the mysterious drowning of a Met detective - an accomplished rower - on the Thames.

When a K9 search and rescue team finds a body tangled up with debris in the Thames, Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid finds himself heading an investigation that could end his career. The victim, Rebecca Meredith, was an Olympic rowing hopeful determined to make a comeback. She was also a detective with the Met - a situation that raises a host of political and ethical issues that complicate the case.

Aided by his wife, Inspector Gemma James, Duncan and his team discover that both Meredith's rowing colleagues and her ex-husband had reason to want her dead. But when someone tries to kill the search-and-rescue team member who found Rebecca's body, the case becomes even more complex and dangerous, involving powerful interests with tentacles that reach deep into the heart of the Met itself.

Surrounded by enemies in friendly faces, pressured to find answers quickly and protect the Yard from rabid media desperate for dirt, his career and reputation on the line, Kincaid must race to catch the killer before more innocent lives are lost - including his own.

We've been on a road trip for the past two weeks, so I'm not surprised it took me a while to finish this book, but even three weeks seems excessive. I was quickly drawn into the mystery, but it never called to me when I found some free time to curl up and read. No Mark Upon Her is better than average, but I didn't love it, and am struggling to find anything valuable to share. Bottom line, borrow it from the library. It's not a keeper.

Necessary as Blood

Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #13

Mystery

2009 William Morrow

Finished on June 13, 2022

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:
 

Once the haunt of Jack the Ripper, London's East End is a vibrant mix of history and the avant-garde, where elegant Georgian town houses exist side by side with colorful street markets and the hippest clubs. But here races and cultures still clash, and the trendy galleries and glamorous nightlife of Whitechapel disguise a violent and seedy underside, where unthinkable crimes bring terror to the innocent.

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon in mid May, a young mother, Sandra Gilles, leaves her daughter with a friend at the Columbia Road Flower Market and disappears. Shortly thereafter, her husband, a Pakistani lawyer, is killed. Scotland Yard detective Gemma James happens upon the scene in time to witness the investigator making a mistake.

When Duncan and his trusted sergeant, Doug Cullen, see Gemma’s name in the report, they decide to take the case. Working together again, Gemma, Duncan, Doug, and Melody Talbot must solve it before the murderer can get his hands on the real prize, Naz and Sandra’s daughter.

But just as the case grows more dangerous, a personal issue threatens to throw Gemma and Duncan off the trail. In the end, it is up to them to stop a vicious killer and protect the child whose fate hangs in the balance.

Another winner by Deborah Crombie! I very much enjoyed this installment in the Kincaid/James series, especially the inclusion of significant events involving Duncan and Gemma's personal lives, none of which overshadowed elements of the main mystery. I also liked the clarity of relationships between the supporting characters, never once feeling the need to create a cheat sheet (which is often the case for me with Crombie's mysteries). As always with this series, there are multiple layers (and one very touching scene toward the end, which brought a lump to my throat) and more than one mystery to solve, but it's a solid story and I'm eager to jump right into #14 (No Mark Upon Her).

Where Memories Lie

Where Memories Lie by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #12

Mystery

2008 William Morrow

Finished on May 9, 2022

Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:
 

Erika Rosenthal has always been secretive with her friend and neighbor, Detective Inspector Gemma James, about her past, except for one telling detail: She and her long-dead husband, David, came to London as refugees from Nazi Germany. But now the elderly woman needs Gemma's help. A unique piece of jewelry stolen from her years ago has mysteriously turned up at a prestigious London auction house. Erika believes the theft may be tied to her husband's death, which had always been assumed a suicide.

Gemma has a tough challenge. She must navigate the shadowy and secretive world of London's monied society to discover the jewelry's connection to David's murderer. However, the cold case needs to be put back on the books and possibly into the hands of her partner, Duncan Kincaid. When a second, present-day murder kicks the investigation into high gear, Gemma becomes more determined to exact justice for Erika in a case that will have lasting repercussions.

I had high hopes for this twelfth installment in Deborah Crombie's mystery series, particularly with the World War II theme, but it failed to impress me. I got bogged down with the numerous characters and their relationships to one another, resorting to a cheat sheet for reference. Perhaps that frustration comes with reading in fits and spurts, which doesn't lend itself for one to becoming familiar with the cast of characters. My friend Nan (Letters From a Hill Farm) wrote a glowing review many years ago, which I encourage you to read. I agree with her comment about the chapter headings, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The following heading has piqued my curiosity and I'd love to find a copy of Few Eggs and No Oranges: The Diaries of Vere Hodgson 1940-45

December 1940

Monday, 9th

Last night was very bad indeed. Began soon after 5:30 pm.... I had to run from my place to the Sanctuary as the barrage was working up. It never ceased until 2:30 am. Many bombs came down ... some in our district. On enquiry today I find it was around the Sion Convent, Chepstow Villas and Dawson Place... people buried.

Vere Hodgson, Few Eggs and No Oranges: The Diaries of Vere Hodgson, 1940-1945 by Vere Hodgson.

All in all, a decent read but not one of my favorites in the series. I'm so happy that I still have six installments to read before Crombie's next release in 2023. 

Water Like a Stone

Water Like a Stone by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #11

Mystery
2007 William Morrow

Finished on March 8, 2022

Rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his partner, Sergeant Gemma James, take their sons to picturesque Cheshire for their first family Christmas with Duncan's parents - a holiday both dreaded and anticipated. But not even the charming town of Nantwich and the dreaming canals can mask the tensions in Duncan's family, which are tragically heightened by the discovery of an infant's body hidden in the wall of an old dairy.

As Duncan and Gemma help the police investigate the infant's death, another murder strikes closer to home, revealing that far from being idyllic, Duncan's childhood paradise holds dark and deadly secrets . . . secrets that threaten everything and everyone Duncan and Gemma hold most dear.

One of the things I love about an on-going detective series is getting to know the main characters, seeing how their relationships evolve with friends and neighbors. With Deborah Crombie's books, the mystery usually takes center stage, and the personal relationships are an added bonus. In Water Like a Stone, however, Duncan and Gemma's family is front and center. Spending Christmas with Duncan's parents brings much more than just the typical holiday drama that Gemma was worried about. Extended family members find themselves caught up in the dramatic turn of events of the winter holiday. The climactic finale is very intense and at one point I realized that I had a white-knuckle grip on my book. Great plotting, Crombie!

In addition to the well-crafted mystery involving multiple deaths (I've learned there's never just one in this series), I loved the countryside setting along the Shropshire Union Canal and enjoyed learning about the narrowboats that navigate the canal and locks. 

Mist rose in swirls from the still surface of the canal. It seemed to take on a life of its own, an amorphous creature bred from the dusk. The day, which had been unseasonably warm and bright for late November, had quickly chilled with the setting sun, and Annie Lebow shivered, pulling the old cardigan she wore a bit closer to her thin body.

She stood in the stern of her narrow boat, the Lost Horizon, gazing at the bare trees lining the curve of the Cut, breathing in the dank, fresh scent that was peculiar to water with the coming of evening. The smell brought, as it always did, an aching for something she couldn't articulate, an ever-deepening melancholia. Behind her, the lamps in the boat's cabin glowed welcomingly, but for her they signaled only the attendant terrors of the coming night. The fact that her isolation was self-imposed made it no easier to bear.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

I've never traveled on a narrowboat but reading about them brings back wonderful memories of a river cruise I took with my mom a few years ago. 

I also had no trouble envisioning the little village where Duncan's parents owned and ran a bookshop. The buildings sound like the sort I saw in Germany and Amsterdam while on that river cruise, which traveled up the Main, Rhine, and Danube rivers. 

They passed the church, then a snow-covered expanse Gemma assumed must be the green. Their street intersected another at the green's end, and there Gemma stopped, her mouth open in an "O" of surprise and delight. This was what Duncan had described, what she had imagined. The buildings ran together higgledy-piggledy, black-and-white timbering against Cheshire redbrick, gingerbread gables, and leaded windows winking like friendly eyes. 

This was the High, she saw from a signpost, but she would have known instinctively that she stood in the very heart of the town. The shops were ordinary--a WH Smith, A Holland & Barrett, a newsagent's--but they had been tucked into the lower floors of the original Tudor houses, and so were transformed into something quite magical.

The movement of the buildings over the centuries had caused black-and-white timbering to shift a little, giving the patterns a tilted, slightly rakish air. Snow iced the rooftops, Christmas lights twinkled, bundled pedestrians hurried through the streets, and from somewhere came the faint strains of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." Gemma laughed aloud. "It's perfect. Absolutely. The best sort of Christmas-card perfect."

One of the negative aspects of this mystery's setting is that it takes place away from Duncan and Gemma's home, which means the introduction of new characters does not guarantee their inclusion in the following installments in the series. I especially enjoyed Althea Elsworthy (the medical examiner) and her dog, Danny, and am sorry they aren't part of the regular cast of characters. I shall miss them.

As Babcock squelched across the rutted ice in the hospital car park, he passed Dr. Elsworthy's Morris Minor in the section reserved for doctors' vehicles. From the rear seat, the dog's head rose like a monolithic monster emerging from the deep. The beast gave him a distant and fathomless stare, then looked away, as if it had assessed him and found him wanting, before sinking out of sight once more. No wonder the doctor had no use for anything as modern as a car with an alarm system, Babcock thought as he gave the dog and vehicle a wide berth. She was more likely to be sued by a prospective burglar complaining of heart failure than to have her car violated.

I loved this book and am so happy I have seven more left remaining to read in this series. Now if only Britbox or Acorn would create a TV series for when I'm caught up. That would be perfect!

In a Dark House

In a Dark House by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #10

Mystery

2004 William Morrow

Finished on February 8, 2022

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James return in a chilling and suspenseful tale of murder, kidnapping, madness, and the frightening ordeal of a helpless child, the latest masterwork of crime fiction from New York Times Notable Book of the Year author Deborah Crombie...

An abandoned warehouse burns next door to a women's shelter for victims of spousal abuse, an apparent case of arson. But it is the charred corpse within -- a female body burned beyond all recognition -- combined with the political sensitivity of the case, that entangles Superintendent Duncan Kincaid in its twisted skein.

At the same time, Kincaid's lover and former partner, Gemma James, is coping with twin crises of her own, one personal and the other professional. Gemma must put her private concerns aside to investigate the disappearance of a hospital administrator, a beautiful, emotionally fragile young woman who vanished without a trace. Yet neither Gemma nor Kincaid realizes how closely their cases are connected -- or how important the resolutions will be for a young child who was a victim of parental abduction.

In a Dark House may be my favorite installment in Deborah Crombie's Kincaid/James mystery series. I was pulled in from the opening pages and couldn't read fast enough. In her typical fashion, Crombie introduces a lot of characters, but their connections are made clear early on. There are multiple threads to the mystery, and I enjoyed sorting out the details and trying to solve the case. I was kept guessing until the big reveal, happy that I didn't figure it too quickly. 

Duncan and Gemma continue to grow as a couple and family life remains a challenge for the two detectives and their young sons. While I enjoy this subplot in the books, it would be nice to see some resolution to Kitt's custody issue in the next installment or two; it's becoming somewhat tiresome.

Now May You Weep

Now May You Weep by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #9

Mystery

2003 William Morrow

Finished on January 22, 2022

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

New York Times Notable Book of the Year author Deborah Crombie has garnered tremendous praise -- and has been nominated for virtually every major mystery award -- for her piercing police procedurals featuring Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, who are personally and professionally entwined. Now Gemma takes center stage when a lethal crime of passion turns a recreational trip to Scotland into pure bloody business.

Though her reputation for delving into the heart of murder is matched only by that of her former partner and current lover, Duncan Kincaid, newly appointed Detective Inspector Gemma James has never thought to question her friend Hazel Cavendish about her past. So it is quite a shock when Gemma learns that their holiday retreat to a hotel in the Scottish Highlands is, in fact, a homecoming for native daughter Hazel -- and an event that has provoked strong reactions from the small community. Something is definitely amiss -- and that something is quite possibly Donald Brodie, the charming if intense Scotsman who is a guest as well.

The truth comes out before long: Hazel and Brodie were once lovers, despite a vicious, long-standing feud between their families, rival local distillers of fine whisky. Their affair was fierce and passionate, and its fire might not have burned out completely. Certainly Brodie, now the domineering head of the family business, believes his "Juliet" still belongs to him alone -- and he's prepared to destroy Hazel's English marriage to make it so.

A brutal murder puts Hazel's very life in peril when she's arrested for the crime. Hazel is the logical suspect, but Gemma knows nothing is simple in this place of secrets and long-seething hatreds. As even more damning evidence piles up against the friend Gemma never truly knew, the investigation into Hazel and Brodie's history begins to take darker, more sinister and tumultuous turns. Gemma knows she will need assistance to unravel this bloody knot -- and so she calls the one man she trusts more than any other, Duncan Kincaid, to join her far from home . . . and in harm's way.

Another winner! I read several of Deborah Crombie's books last year, four of which made my Honorable Mentions list, and it's nice to start off 2022 with another fun read by this talented author. I enjoyed the details about whiskey distilleries and the Scottish Highlands, but as always it was the personal relationships between Gemma, Duncan and Kit that held my interest. In spite of numerous red herrings, I wasn't able to solve the mystery before the murderer's identity was revealed, which is fine with me. I don't like a mystery that's too obvious. On to #10 (In a Dark House)!

And Justice There is None

 

And Justice There is None by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #8

Mystery

2003 Bantam (first published in 2002)

Finished on October 26, 2021

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Gemma James is adjusting to professional and personal changes that include her eagerly sought promotion to the rank of inspector--and a future now intricately entwined with Duncan Kincaid. But her new responsibilities are put to the test when she is placed in charge of a particularly brutal homicide: The lovely young wife of a wealthy antiques dealer has been found murdered on fashionable Notting Hill.

Dawn Arrowood was six weeks pregnant. Her lover, Alex Dunn, a porcelain dealer in London’s bustling Portobello Market, appears absolutely devastated by her death, but Gemma’s the main focus of investigation is soon Karl Arrowood, who had the most powerful motive for killing his unfaithful wife. But this case sets off warning bells for Duncan: it’s far too similar to an unsolved murder in which an antiques dealer was killed in precisely the same way and when the escalating violence claims yet another victim, he and Gemma find themselves at increasing odds with each other--as two separate investigations become linked in the most startling of ways. Their hunt for a killer will traverse the teeming stalls of the city’s antiques markets to a decades-in-the-making vendetta of history and hatred that has been honed to a flawless, deadly point. To solve this case, Gemma and Duncan must walk a merciless razor’s edge through a place where true justice will be a long time coming.

After reading a disappointing installment in this series in September, I am so pleased that I didn't choose to stop reading any more books by Crombie as I thoroughly enjoyed And Justice There is None. As with most of her mysteries, Deborah Crombie has a fairly large cast of characters in this book, but I never felt overwhelmed and managed to keep track of everyone quite easily. I was also happy that Gemma and Duncan played front and center in the story and that readers are offered more information about the developments of their relationship. I also enjoyed the setting, which takes place at Portobello Market and Notting Hill. I spent two weeks in London back in the 1990s, wandering all of the city by Tube and on foot, so it was fun to picture the various locations in the narrative. The mysteries were not at all convoluted and yet I was unable to guess the murderer's identity before it was revealed. All in all a very good read. I do hope the next will be just as entertaining!

A Finer End

 

A Finer End by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #7

Mystery

2002 Bantam (first published in 2001)

Finished on September 9, 2021

Rating: 2/5 (Fair)

Publisher's Blurb:

Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his partner Sergeant Gemma James return in another spellbinding novel of mysteries--one contemporary, one ancient--an investigation that will challenge them personally and professionally as no case ever has. 

When Duncan Kincaid's cousin Jack calls from Glastonbury to ask for his help on a rather unusual matter, Duncan welcomes the chance to spend a relaxing weekend outside of London with Gemma--but relaxation isn't on the agenda. Glastonbury is revered as the site of an ancient abbey, the mythical burial place of King Arthur and Guinevere, and a source of a strong druid power. Jack has no more than a passing interest in its history--until he comes across an extraordinary chronicle almost a thousand years old. The record reveals something terrible and bloody shattered the abbey's peace long ago--knowledge that will spark violence that reaches into the present. Soon it is up to Duncan and Gemma to find the truth the local police cannot see. But no one envisions the peril that lies ahead--or that there is more at stake than they ever dreamed possible.

This is my least favorite in the Kincaid/James series. The story starts off slowly with the introduction of numerous characters and Duncan and Gemma don't make much of an appearance until well into the mystery. Even then, it takes well over a hundred pages before they have a murder to solve. I had a difficult time suspending disbelief with the druid storyline and felt the paranormal aspects rather absurd and unrealistic. Overall, A Finer End was a disappointing installment in this series.

Kissed a Sad Goodbye

Kissed a Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #6

Mystery

2001 Bantam Book (first published in 1999)

Finished on July 7, 2021

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Scotland Yard's Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James face their most haunting case yet when the past devastatingly intersects with the present.... 

The call from Scotland Yard couldn't have come at a worse time for Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid. He has promised the weekend to Kit, the eleven-year-old son of his ex-wife. The son he never knew he fathered—who doesn't yet know Kincaid's true identity. But Duncan's best intentions are shattered by an investigation that draws him in and swiftly consumes him. It seems to begin with the discovery of the body of a beautiful young woman in an East London park. But Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James will discover that this case has long roots that reach far back into the past, and that resentments which should have been decades buried still have the power to hurt—and maybe even the capacity to kill.

Another entertaining installment to Deborah Crombie's Kincaid/James series. Even though I spent over a month reading this mystery, (at times only a few pages every few days), I never lost track of the characters and their relationships to one another. That's rare for me with any book that's filled with numerous characters. I enjoyed the alternating time lines especially since the flashbacks were set during WWII. This was a much better mystery than in the previous book (Dreaming of the Bones), which I didn't care for very much at all. 

Dreaming of the Bones

 

Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #5

Mystery

2007 Avon (first published in 1997)

Finished on May 14, 2021

Rating: 2/5 (Fair)

Publisher's Blurb:

It is the call Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid never expected--and one he certainly doesn't want. Victoria, his ex-wife, who walked out without an explanation more than a decade ago, asks him to look into the suicide of local poet, Lydia Brooke--a case that's been officially closed for five years. The troubled young writer's death, Victoria claims, might well have been murder.

No one is more surprised than Kincaid himself when he agrees to investigate--not even his partner and lover, Sergeant Gemma James. But it's a second death that raises the stakes and plunges Kincaid and James into a labyrinth of dark lies and lethal secrets that stretches all the way back through the twentieth century--a death that most assuredly is murder, one that has altered Duncan Kincaid's world forever. 

Ah, well. They can't all be winners, now can they? I loved Crombie's previous installment in her Kincaid/James series (Mourn Not Your Dead), which I read last month, but Dreaming of the Bones fell short of my expectations and I had to force myself to finish. I found it necessary to create a list of the numerous characters in order to keep them straight, even after I'd read more than half of the book. The transitions between Lydia's letters and the current storyline were abrupt and jarring, adding to my confusion. I spent almost two weeks reading this mystery and was happy to be finished, but I'm still looking forward to reading Kissed a Sad Goodbye later next month. 

Mourn Not Your Dead

 

Mourn Not Your Dead by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #4

Mystery

2005 Avon (first published in 1996)

Finished on April 18, 2021

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

An important and powerful policeman has been murdered, bludgeoned to death in his own kitchen. Few in suburban Surrey mourn the violent passing of Division Commander Alastair Gilbert, whose arrogance and cruelty were legendary in his village and in wider police circles -- which only makes the job of Scotland Yard investigators Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James more difficult. And as every discovery reveals another instance of misplaced trust, festering secrets, and murderous rage, they must put aside their own personal feelings for the victim -- and for each other -- in the name of justice and the law.

I liked the first three installments in the Kincaid/James series, but I turned the corner with this fourth book and am now a big fan of Crombie's books. Mourn Not Your Dead is exceptionally good, drawing me in and holding my attention from the opening pages. Duncan and Gemma's roles have solidified and the mystery felt stronger (and less like a "cozy") than the previous books, keeping me guessing until the final chapters. There are 18 books in this series and I can't wait to start in on Dreaming of the Bones. My only complaint is that the mass market editions lack the line drawn maps that are included in the endpapers of each hardcover. I would love to track Duncan and Gemma's movements around England as I read each book, so I may wind up borrowing the hardcover copies from the library.

Leave the Grave Green

 

Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #3

Mystery

1995 Scribner

Finished on March 12, 2021

Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

When Connor Swann, the dissolute son-in-law of renowned and influential Sir Gerald and Dame Caroline Asherton, is found floating in a Thames River lock, the circumstances eerily recall a strangely similar tragedy. Twenty years ago, the Ashertons' young son, Matthew, a musical prodigy, drowned in a swollen stream while in the company of his sister Julia -- Connor Swann's wife. 

Police Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James quickly discover that Connor's death was no accident, and that nothing in the Asherton family is as it seems. Connor, though estranged from Julia for more than a year, still lives in her London apartment, where his exploits with women and gambling suggest plenty of motives. The Ashertons are far more attached to Connor than to their own daughter, and these are only the first of the secrets that haunt the suspects. New lies cover older lies, as Kincaid finds himself dangerously drawn to Julia Swann, and Gemma must confront her own troubling feelings for Kincaid.

Another entertaining installment in Deborah Crombie's Kincaid/James series. I was kept guessing and didn't solve the mystery before Duncan and Gemma. I continue to enjoy the British setting and the slowly evolving relationship between the two detectives.

All Shall Be Well

 

All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #2

Mystery

1994 Scribner Book Company

Finished on February 20, 2021

Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Perhaps it is a blessing when Jasmine Dent dies in her sleep. At last an end has come to the suffering of a body horribly ravaged by disease. It may well have been suicide; she had certainly expressed her willingness to speed the inevitable. But small inconsistencies lead her neighbor, Superintendent Duncan Kincaid, to a startling conclusion: Dent was murdered. But if not for mercy, why would someone destroy a life already doomed? As Kincaid and his appealing assistant Sergeant Gemma James sift through the dead woman's strange history, a troubling puzzle emerges: a bizarre amalgam of charity and crime--and of the blinding passions that can drive the human animal to perform cruel and inhuman acts.

Eager to get heavily immersed in Deborah Crombie's Kincaid/James series, I decided to reread All Shall Be Well shortly after finishing A Share in Death (the first in the series). In this second installment, Crombie teases out more details about the personal lives of Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, while keeping me guessing as to the identity of Jasmine's possible killer. This wasn't as suspenseful as the previous mystery and I was a little impatient for more action, but overall I think it's a good read. Next up, Leave the Grave Green. 

Click here to read my original review for this book. My rating this time around is a little bit lower than when I read it in 2013.

A Share in Death

 

A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie 

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series #1

Mystery
1993 Scribner

Finished on February 2, 2021

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

A week's holiday in a luxurious Yorkshire time-share is just what Scotland Yard's Superintendent Duncan Kincaid needs. But the discovery of a body floating in the whirlpool bath ends Kincaid's vacation before it's begun. One of his new acquaintances at Followdale House is dead; another is a killer. Despite a distinct lack of cooperation from the local constabulary, Kincaid's keen sense of duty won't allow him to ignore the heinous crime, impelling him to send for his enthusiastic young assistant, Sergeant Gemma James. But the stakes are raised dramatically when a second murder occurs, and Kincaid and James find themselves in a determined hunt for a fiendish felon who enjoys homicide a bit too much.

Having recently finished all of the books in Louise Penny's Three Pines series, I decided it was time to pick up another series to read throughout the year. I read A Share in Death almost a decade ago (reviewed here), so I wanted to give it a reread in order to reacquaint myself with the main characters before moving ahead with the series (of which there are 18 books!). While I had a vague recollection of the set up, the specific details of the murders were all forgotten. The book was just as enjoyable as the first time and I'm eager to start All Shall Be Well.