A Killing of Innocents by Deborah Crombie

 

First Line: She stood looking down at her daughter, sleeping, damp hair tangled, her duvet kicked half off.

 

When a young doctor is found knifed to death in London's Russell Square, the first person Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid thinks of is his wife, Detective Inspector Gemma James, who's been assigned to a task force on knife crime. 

But Gemma and Detective Sergeant Melody Talbot quickly learn that, although Dr. Sasha Johnson doesn't fit the profile of the typical knife crime victim, she does have secrets. While Kincaid and his team (with the help of Gemma and Melody) untangle those secrets, another similar murder occurs. There's a killer stalking the dark streets of Bloomsbury, and even friendships will be put on the line in order to bring this murderer to justice.

~

It seems like a millennium since the last Kincaid & James mystery, but it was only four very long years. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed sinking back into Deborah Crombie's excellent series. A Killing of Innocents is what I've come to expect from Crombie: a compelling mystery guaranteed to test readers' deductive capabilities combined with one of the best ensemble casts in all of crime fiction.

Untangling all the secrets being kept by the dead woman and her circle of acquaintances is no guarantee that readers will be able to solve the mystery and identify the killer. I know that I'd had a couple of warning lights pop up with one of the characters, but-- I'm sorry to say-- I ignored them. This author does an excellent job of distracting me while making the solution to the mystery so logical. If only I'd paid attention!

Why wasn't I paying attention? Because of that world-class ensemble cast, that's why. Most writers-- no matter how talented they are-- have a limited cast of characters; a bit like my own small family which consisted of two grandparents, my mother, and me. A total of four. And that's fine. But there are some authors with wicked skills who can somehow populate an entire village with nuanced characters, characters who have their own lives, their own personalities, their own agendas. The most important skill is not just in creating this village of characters but in eliminating reader confusion. It's great to have so many wonderful characters just as long as readers don't get headaches trying to keep them all straight. Crombie is a magician when it comes to her characters.

If you're in the mood for a first-class mystery populated by characters who come to feel like family, pick up A Killing of Innocents. If you're a character-driven reader and new to the series, start at the beginning with A Share in Death. You're in for a treat, and I envy you for being able to experience it all for the first time.

 

Here's hoping that it's not another four years before I get to spend time with these characters again.

A Killing of Innocents by Deborah Crombie

eISBN: 9780062993502

William Morrow © 2023

eBook, 368 pages

 

Police Procedural, #19 Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

A Bitter Feast by Deborah Crombie

First Line: She'd never been much of a sleeper.

Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his wife, Detective Inspector Gemma James, are all set for a relaxing weekend in one of the most famed and popular areas of England: the Cotswolds. Duncan, Gemma, and their three children will be staying at Beck House, the family estate of Gemma's detective sergeant, Melody Talbot. It will be Gemma's first time staying in a country house owned by a wealthy, prominent family, and she's a bit nervous about it all. (Are the kids going to behave? Will she behave?)

The centerpiece of the weekend is a charity luncheon catered by Viv Holland, an up-and-coming chef. With this luncheon being attended by the local movers-and-shakers as well as national press food bloggers and restaurant critics, this event could make Viv a star.

But a tragic car accident and a series of mysterious deaths put Duncan and Gemma right at the heart of the investigation. The killer seems to have a connection with Viv's pub and Beck House itself. Will Duncan and Gemma find the truth in the past, or in the tangled relationships between the staff at Beck House and Viv's pub? Or is it even more personal still?

If anyone asked me to name my top five mystery series, Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James books would be on that list. A Bitter Feast is an absorbing mystery with an added bonus or two: one, Kincaid, James, and their three children get to leave London for a while; two, readers get to wander along the narrow lanes of a beautiful area of England; and three, any foodie worth their salt is going to appreciate the mouthwatering menus Crombie serves up.

It is my firm belief that Deborah Crombie has been liberally sprinkled with fairy dust. She has a way of telling a story that quite simply makes it a pleasure to read. The mysteries are always good, and the one in A Bitter Feast is no exception. A fatal car wreck ratchets up the tension, not only concerning the identity of a fatality but also concerning the well-being of one of the main characters.

But I have to admit that a lot of Crombie's fairy dust has been sprinkled on the power of her characterizations. Her ensemble cast is superb, and at the moment, I cannot think of anyone else in crime fiction who does it better. By this eighteenth book in the series, these characters have become personal friends. Readers have seen them grow. They've seen them overcome tragedy and experience extreme happiness. Moreover, readers have watched Duncan and Gemma's three children grow. Each child has his or her own personality and life, and each one is fully capable of adding to the story without taking it over. In A Bitter Feast among other things, they provide quite a contrast to Viv Holland's troubled young daughter.

Crombie fans, rejoice! The wait is over and you have another wonderful mystery to carry you off into your happy place. For those of you who have yet to experience a Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James mystery, there's no time like the present. Since the characters' lives are central to the series, I recommend starting with the very first book, A Share in Death. You have so much wonderful reading ahead of you that I'm a tad envious!

A Bitter Feast by Deborah Crombie

eISBN: 9780062271686

William Morrow © 2019

eBook, 384 pages

Police Procedural, #18 Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James mystery

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley


 

Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie

First Line: She stood at the bus stop, shuffling her feet.

The two investigations that Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James find themselves involved with could easily have disturbing and even deadly consequences in their personal lives. 

Gemma has been called in to help with the investigation into the death of a young woman who was found in one of Notting Hill's private gardens. Reagan Keating was the nanny of a child who attends the same dance class as Gemma and Duncan's son, Toby.

While Gemma tries to solve Reagan's murder, Duncan finds himself with many unsettling questions about cases involving members of Scotland Yard. If he's right and the crimes are all linked, are his family and friends in danger? When an officer close to him is brutally attacked and left for dead, Duncan knows he's right. But is there anyone he can trust who can help him?

It's been a long three years between the publication of To Dwell in Darkness and this latest Kincaid and James mystery, Garden of Lamentations. Crombie's series has been one of my favorites since I read the very first book, so getting this latest installment was a major priority. I'd barely started reading when I found myself sinking into the magic of a good story and one of the best casts of characters in fiction.

There was a very palpable feeling of danger around Duncan, and since he felt as though he couldn't confide in Gemma, this led to some strain and bitterness on Gemma's part. And speaking of Gemma-- I do love the way she treats witnesses during her investigations. There's such a gentleness and compassion to the way she behaves that I think I'd be telling her all my deep dark secrets within five minutes. 

Duncan's plotline held most of the danger while Gemma's gave us an intimate look at the families living in those London homes that share a private garden. In their relationships and behavior, the families sharing one of those gardens are a microcosm of London. Both investigations compliment each other very well, and with an interesting proposal by Kincaid's parents at the end of the book, here I am in a very familiar position: waiting eagerly for Deborah Crombie's next book!
   

Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie

ISBN: 9780062271631

William Morrow © 2017

Hardcover, 432 pages

Police Procedural, #17 Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen.


 

To Dwell in Darkness by Deborah Crombie

First Line: In the first moment of waking, he had no idea who he was.

After a deadly grenade goes off in historic St. Pancras Station, Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his new murder investigation team take charge. Fortunately they have help. Gemma's colleague and friend, Melody Talbot, witnessed both the protest and the subsequent explosion. When interviewed the protesters insist that the young man who was killed was only supposed to set off a smoke bomb. Since the grenade went off in an historic building with loss of life, Duncan and his team are working with an anti-terrorism unit, and it is imperative that the case is solved as quickly as possible.

Long-time fans of Deborah Crombie's wonderful series might find To Dwell in Darkness a bit of a mixed blessing. In the "good" column is no longer having to wait for the next book and to be rejoined with the best married police officers in all of crime fiction. In the "not-so-good" column is a lack of the richness and depth of story that fans have come to expect.

Most of the rushed quality to this book is due to its time frame. This is the most thriller-like of all Crombie's books, with the action taking place in just four days. A lot has to happen in a short period of time, and that means that all those secondary characters who add so much to the series are scarcely seen or even mentioned. I missed them, as I'm sure other readers will. 

Another thing that will drive some readers absolutely wild is that Duncan's situation-- which was a cliffhanger in the last book The Sound of Broken Glass-- is not cleared up by the end of this book. Yes, To Dwell in Darkness ends in yet another-- rather chilling-- cliffhanger, but unlike some readers who prefer that everything be resolved at the end of each book, I do not mind a dangling plot line. I tend to like story arcs that develop over the course of a few books, and I trust Crombie to deliver the goods. (It also doesn't hurt that I was present at an author signing in which Crombie said that she's going to deal with Duncan's situation in the next book.)

While Duncan is dealing with the explosion at St. Pancras, Gemma has her own case to solve, but even though her investigation does provide Duncan with the inspiration to solve his own, there's so little of it that Gemma almost feels like filler, and that didn't set well with me at all. However, her case does prove that it's often the attention to even the smallest of details that can go on to solve murders.

Yes, I've been grumbling just a bit, but there is a lot to like in this book. I enjoyed seeing Duncan out of his comfort zone. He's used to being liked at work, and he's not in his new position. His second-in-command, Detective Inspector Jasmine Sidana, seems to have little use for him at all, and Duncan has to learn how to deal with that. Cat lovers in particular will rejoice when Duncan and Gemma's two sons rescue a mother cat and her kittens and insist on bringing them home. Speaking of those two sons, as the series progresses, I am more and more impressed with the oldest. Kit is growing up and proving that he can think on his feet and take appropriate action when something doesn't feel right. 

Crombie is known for weaving a bit of history into her books, and in her latest she shares her knowledge of London train stations. She had me so fascinated that I was looking up the London station from which our train will be leaving for Inverness next year.

I always look forward to Deborah Crombie's next book, and I'm all for any author trying something different, but I have to be honest and admit that I'm hoping that she's got the thriller out of her system and will return to the richness of her earlier books. To Dwell in Darkness is a good book. It's just not her best.
 

To Dwell in Darkness by Deborah Crombie

ISBN: 9780062271600

William Morrow © 2014

Hardcover, 336 pages

Police Procedural, #16 Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James

Rating: B

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen.
 

The Sound of Broken Glass by Deborah Crombie

First Line: It had been years since she'd been in an English church.

With their youngest child having difficulties adjusting to any sort of daycare, Gemma and Duncan find their plans for the weekend ruined when Gemma is called out to investigate the murder of a lawyer. While Gemma goes through the crime scene, once again Duncan is at home being Mr. Mom-- something that he's adapted to much better than Gemma ever thought he would. But Duncan's leave is almost up, and he is looking forward to being back in the world of adults again.

While interviewing the people who last saw the victim, Gemma's partner, Detective Sergeant Melody Talbot, finds herself drawn to a talented young guitar player. When another lawyer is murdered in much the same way, Gemma and her team have to wonder: is someone following the advise of Shakespeare ("The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."), or is something else going on? Regardless the option, all they can do is to continue digging until they have enough facts to lead them to a killer or killers.

This fifteenth book in Deborah Crombie's marvelous series finds Gemma, Duncan, and their three children learning that life as a family is always a work in progress. We also get to follow along as Gemma works with her team and learns each officer's strengths and weaknesses. The fact that her sergeant seems to be falling in love with a possible suspect could have grave repercussions, but all Gemma can do is give her a few small bits of advice and hope that Melody uses her common sense.

The story has several subplots woven into the narrative, and they all tie into the general area in which the first murder occurs: Crystal Palace. Each chapter begins with a quote about this area. They add depth to the story and to our knowledge of the British music industry. Melody's handsome guitar player, Andy Monahan-- a young man Duncan Kincaid met in a previous investigation-- is a major figure in the book, and his backstory is both heartbreaking and inspiring.

The story is so intriguing that the solution to the murders came as a surprise, but as any fan of Crombie's series knows, the mystery isn't the be-all-and-end-all of the book. The main characters are every bit as important, and The Sound of Broken Glass ends with a bit of a shocker that will make all devotees wonder what's in store in the next book.

If characters are as important to you as a cracking good story, you really need to get your hands on Deborah Crombie's books!

The Sound of Broken Glass by Deborah Crombie

ISBN:  9780061990632

William Morrow © 2013

Hardcover, 368 pages

Police Procedural, #15 Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James mystery

Rating: A

Source: Amazon Vine

No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie

Title: No Mark Upon Her
Author: Deborah Crombie
ISBN: 9780061990618
Publisher: William Morrow
Hardcover, 384 pages
Genre: Police Procedural, #14 Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James mystery
Rating: A+
Source: Amazon Vine

First Line: A glance at the sky made her swear aloud.

The Kincaid and James household is still getting used to the new addition to their family. Gemma's leave is almost over, and when she returns to work, Duncan will be the one staying at home with the children. However, when a search and rescue team discovers a woman's body in debris along the banks of the Thames, their plans may go up in smoke. The dead woman, Rebecca Meredith, not only was a rower training to compete in the Olympics, she was a high-ranking detective with the Metropolitan Police. This is a case which must be solved quickly.

Matters are further complicated when a detective at the Notting Hill station asks Gemma for advice regarding a separate investigation. Gemma welcomes the chance to focus on something besides home and hearth, and she lends a hand. The information she uncovers ties in with Duncan's case, revealing a possibly related series of crimes that widens the field of suspects. Someone has a secret that must remain hidden at all costs;  a secret involving powerful people that could reach right into the heart of the Metropolitan police.

As in other books in this series, Crombie incorporates a slice of English life into No Mark Upon Her-- this time competitive rowing. (In 2010, a quarter of a million people came to the banks of the Thames to watch the races between Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and this is only one of the many regattas held each year.) This information adds texture and atmosphere to a multi-layered story.

As Duncan begins investigating, what seems to be a simple case of murder soon turns into a cover-up, and eventually the cover-up also turns into something more. Secrets have been festering beneath the surface for years, and those secrets have turned into a deadly Hydra that Duncan and Gemma must vanquish before any more people lose their lives.

The search and rescue team members Kiernan and Tavie-- as well as their dogs-- are welcome additions to the cast, and I certainly wouldn't mind seeing them in future books. Speaking of that cast, it's one of the best in fiction. The relationships between Duncan, Gemma, their children, and the other people in their lives grow and change in each book. I feel as though I should be able to walk up to their door in Notting Hill, ring the bell, and be welcomed inside for a cup of tea and a nice long chat. When characters have that much depth, it makes for a series that readers never want to end.

If you've never read a book in this series before, don't be shy about starting with No Mark Upon Her. You can read it and not feel lost among the characters and their history. But if you're looking for a series that has it all-- like this one does-- I suggest you begin at the very beginning (A Share in Death). I almost envy the pleasure that awaits you!

No Mark Upon Her at Amazon.

No Mark Upon Her at The Book Depository.

No Mark Upon Her at Your Favorite Indie Bookseller.

REVIEW: A Finer End

Title: A Finer End
Author: Deborah Crombie
ISBN: 0553579274/Bantam Books
Protagonist(s): Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Detective Inspector Gemma James
Setting: present-day Glastonbury, England
Series: #7
Rating: A

First Line: The shadows crept into Jack Montfort's small office, filling the corners with a comfortable dimness.

Gemma has put a distance between herself and Duncan, so when Duncan receives a call from his cousin Jack in Glastonbury, he persuades Gemma to come along for a long weekend. What they find when they get there is quite interesting. Jack has been experiencing something known as automatic writing involving a monk who lived in Glastonbury Abbey almost a thousand years ago. To make sense of it, he's fallen in with a small group of interested people. Since then, his fiance Winnie has been struck by a car and is in the hospital, and another member of the group has been murdered. Duncan and Gemma are facing a working holiday in order to sort all this lot out.

Crombie has a deft touch with dual plot lines, one present, one past. The setting of Glastonbury is also quite strong--very atmospheric and rather creepy. It seems that everyone in that group has a motive for murder, and it was fun following all the twists and turns to the end. Duncan and Gemma's relationship continues to grow and is as much of a draw as the mystery itself.

I tend to read my favorite series at a leisurely pace, hoping that I won't get to the point where I'm eagerly awaiting the next one to be published. All my careful plotting may be for naught now that my husband has become a fan. I read A Finer End sooner than I wanted because he's already gone through the previous six, one right after the other, and kept asking where the seventh was. All the books I have in the series are right out in plain sight, but as long as he won't look for them perhaps I'm safe! I was interested in his reaction to the books, since he is British and reading a series set in the UK written by an American author. Obviously, Crombie has passed the Denis Test. He's only had two very minor complaints so far: (1) the name of a beer was misspelled, and (2) she mentions someone giving a one-fingered salute to another person, when they use two fingers for that in the UK.

If you like mysteries that draw you in, that have interesting plots and evolving characters that you come to care about, and you haven't tried Deborah Crombie...what are you waiting for?

REVIEW: Kissed a Sad Goodbye

Title: Kissed a Sad Goodbye
Author: Deborah Crombie
ISBN: 9780553579246/Bantam
Protagonist(s): Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James
Setting: the Docklands in London, England, 1999
Series: #6
Rating: A

First Line: He saw each note as it fell from his clarinet.

In this sixth book in the series, Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James are called out to the Docklands in London to investigate the murder of Annabelle Hammond, the director of an old family firm of tea merchants. She was a woman of tremendous beauty, talent and sexual appetite, but also the sort of harsh, abrasive woman who leaves behind plenty of people with motives for murder.

Deborah Crombie has turned out to be one of my favorite writers. She has the knack of combining a complex and interesting mystery with main characters who continue to change and grow. In Kissed a Sad Goodbye, she combines the aforementioned two with a compelling setting: the Isle of Dogs (now known as the Docklands) in the East End of London. I have all the books in this series except the latest, and I find myself trying to ration them very carefully. Normally I have no desire to plough straight through a series with no break. Crombie's books are an exception!

REVIEW: Dreaming of the Bones

Title: Dreaming of the Bones
Author: Deborah Crombie
ISBN: 9780061150401
Protagonist(s): Scotland Yard Inspector Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James
Setting: present-day Grantchester and Cambridge, England
Series: #5
Rating: A+

First Line: The post slid through the letter box, cascading onto the tile floor of the entry hall with a sound like the wind rustling through bamboo.

Duncan Kincaid's wife walked out on him over ten years ago, so it's a total shock when she gets in touch with him. Now a Cambridge University professor, Victoria McClellan has remarried and has a young son, Kit. She's also deeply involved in writing the biography of Lydia Brooke, a poet who committed suicide five years before. The more she researches Brooke's life, the more convinced she is that the poet did not commit suicide, and this is the main reason why she's gotten in touch with Duncan. Is there any way he can check into this and find information to prove that she's right? Her reappearance has long-lasting repercussions that will resonate long after the time frame of this book.

I can see why Dreaming of the Bones was nominated for several awards. Crombie is a master juggler in this fifth book in the series. Not only do the lives of the main characters, Kincaid and James, continue to intertwine and grow, she brings in a completely new cast of characters and brings each of them to life as well: Duncan's ex-wife Victoria; Victoria's young son Kit; Lydia's friends Darcy, Nathan, Daphne and Adam; Lydia's ex-husband Morgan; Darcy's mother Dame Marjory Lester. Not only is the cast of characters large, so are the various threads of the plot. As interesting as each character was, I was also fascinated with how skillfully Crombie wove all those plot threads together into a page-turning tapestry. How is the relationship between Kincaid and James going to weather his ex-wife's request? Is Victoria correct in believing that Brooke was murdered? How do each of Brooke's friends figure into this? Is Brooke's life interesting enough for a full-scale biography? Will this biography further Victoria's career at Cambridge?

All of these characters, all of these plot lines, are delineated and woven together in a mesmerizing book. All I could say when I'd finished the last page was, "Wow...." Never underestimate the power of bookaholics and the Internet. I'd been studiously ignoring this series for years, but after reading a friend's glowing reviews time after time, I finally decided to try one. Thank you for being persistent, friend. Sometimes I'm too stubborn for words!

REVIEW: Mourn Not Your Dead

Title: Mourn Not Your Dead
Author: Deborah Crombie
Protagonist(s): Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James
Setting: a small village south of London, present day
Series: #4
Rating: B+

First Line: His office seemed to shrink as he paced.

Alastair Gilbert, a high-ranking police officer, has been bludgeoned to death in his home in Holmbury St. Mary, and Scotland Yard's James and Kincaid are called in to aid the local authorities. Suspicion immediately falls upon the widow, Claire Gilbert, who along with her daughter Lucy, discovered the body. Interviews with some of the town's citizens show that Claire and Lucy are held in high regard and suggest that more pertinent information might be found in London, where Claire's first husband had been killed in a hit-and-run accident some years earlier-a case in which Alastair had been an investigating officer.

What may astonish anyone who reads this series is that Crombie is a native Texan and lives in a small town outside Dallas. Only those well-versed in mysteries written by British authors would be able to tell that they were written by a non-British person. Crombie is very wise with her
language--using common terms for things in England without going off the deep end and confusing the reader. Not everyone is as lucky as I to have a British husband handy to decipher dodgy bits.

Her characterizations shine in these books--not only the new cast of the usual suspects but the ones of Kincaid and James. It's fascinating to see how their relationship changes and grows in very realistic ways. About the only nitpicking thing I have to say about Mourn Not Your Dead is that it was very easy for me to see whodunit, but this minor detail pales in comparison to reading the series!

REVIEW: Leave the Grave Green

Title: Leave the Grave Green
Author: Deborah Crombie
Protagonist(s): Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James
Setting: present-day area around London, England
Series: #3
Rating: B

First Line: "Watch you don't slip."

The comfortable, predictable lives of well-known conductor Sir Gerald Asherton and his wife, famed operatic soprano Dame Caroline Stowe, are thrown for a loop when the body of their son-in-law is pulled from a nearby lock on the Thames. A year ago, the Asherton's daughter Julia had separated from the incorrigible Lothario, but the deceased had been living in Julia's apartment and having lunch weekly with his in-laws. Scotland Yard's Kincaid and James find more facts than these interesting as they begin to investigate the case.

There are times that the characters' lives take precedence over the plot, but the storyline is involving and the characters well-developed. Normally I would give a book like this an A, but it was a case where I didn't like any of the suspects and wish they all could've been thrown in the slammer. Ah well. I can't win 'em all.