Mystery Monday

Garden of Lamentations (Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James #16) by Deborah Crombie (HarperCollins hardcover, 7 February 2017).

It's been a while since I was so enthralled by a book that I just had to share it.  It's not very surprising that it's part of one of my favorite series of all time:  Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid and Gemma Jones.  

This installment opens with the body of a young woman, found posed under a tree.  Cornwall Gardens is a private garden shared by the houses surrounding it (a handy map of the area is provided as a frontispiece).  

The young woman, Reagan Keating was the nanny for a family who lived in one of those homes, and never made it home after a Friday night out with friends.  Although the incident doesn't occur in Gemma's bailiwick, one of her close friends knew Reagan, and manages to have Gemma co-opted to assist with the investigation.

Meanwhile, Duncan receives a cryptic message from his old boss, Denis Childs, asking him to meet in a quiet pub. Duncan is still somewhat resentful towards Childs for suddenly transferring him without explanation the previous year.  When Kincaid asks for one, he's told that Childs has taken an extended personal leave.  

Duncan keeps the appointment, mostly in hopes of perhaps getting his long-delayed explanation. What he does learn is astounding:  he was transferred in an attempt to distance him from Childs himself, who had uncovered some deep-reaching corruption in the department.  

Duncan takes from this that he may still be in danger.  This is confirmed the next day when he learns that Childs was attacked shortly after leaving the pub.

Gemma and Duncan's cases are both complex, but completely unrelated.  The real story here is the effect of their work on their relationship.  Duncan takes Childs' warnings to heart, and keeps the information about corruption to himself.  Gemma knows that Duncan is hiding something, but they are both so busy with their respective jobs that communication is almost physically impossible. 

Deborah Crombie has again created an excellent close-up of the life of a family with two working parents.  Yes, their jobs are unusual, but the little dramas that happen to every member of such a family are universal.  Only the details are different.


FTC Full Disclosure:  I borrowed this book from my local library.

Death in a Flash

To Dwell inDarkness (Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James #15) by Deborah Crombie (HarperCollins hardcover, 23 September 2014).

As usual there’s a lot going on in the James/Kincaid household.

                                                                 

Duncan’s demotion-disguised-as-promotion is not going well.  His DI, Jasmine Sidana, had wanted the job that went to him, and as a result is resentful and overly polite to her new DCI.

Gemma’s new position, a promotion to DI that Duncan suspects is meant to keep him quiet about his own reassignment, has allowed her to keep working with her DS  Melody Talbot, but they are embroiled in an ugly case involving the murder of a 12-year-old girl, which causes Gemma extra anxiety about her own children.

Meanwhile, Duncan and Gemma’s two boys, Kit and Toby, have rescued a neglected cat with a litter of four kittens that they desperately want to keep.  Foster daughter Charlotte has an ongoing respiratory problem which is keeping Duncan and Gemma awake at night, resulting in bleary-eyed mornings at work and speculation on the part of Sidana about alcohol problems. 

Melody’s boyfriend Andy Monahan and his bandmate Poppy Jones have an afternoon performance at St. Pancras station, which is a huge break for the aspiring musicians.  Melody has promised to be there, but due to problems on the tube, the band is already playing when she arrives.  She sees some protesters nearby, and for a moment is worried that she’ll have to deal with them, but luckily a Transport officer takes over.  Just as the song ends, there is a whoosh and a flash; obviously a bomb of some kind has been set off.

The St. Pancras bombing case goes to DI Kincaid and his team, which does not include Melody.  However, she’s involved as an eyewitness, and finds herself helping Duncan’s investigation on an unofficial basis.

What’s wonderful about this series is the way that the lives of the detective couple are portrayed:  inclusive of  both career and family.  Duncan and Gemma have many of the same problems as any two-career couple, but they are fortunate to have a well-developed support system of friends and relatives.

I read this riveting novel in an afternoon, and felt sad when it ended.  It’s so enjoyable to be a part of this family.

FTC Full Disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the e-galley.

Secrets and Lies

Someone Else's Skin by Sarah Hilary (Penguin trade paperback, 24 June 2014).

When London DI Marnie Rome and her partner DS Noah Jakes arrive at a women's shelter to question one of the residents, and are greeted by the sound of screaming. Once inside, they see a man lying on the floor and a woman standing beside him, holding a blood-covered knife.

Their original purpose, to get the abused sister of a Middle Eastern mobster to turn him in, is forgotten as they deal with the occurrence, getting both victim and assailant to hospital, and interviewing the residents of the shelter.

Marnie has her own experience with domestic violence, but she makes sure few know of it.  Even her sergeant isn't aware that five years earlier, when Rome herself was a DS, both her parents were stabbed by a fourteen-year-old boy they had taken six years earlier.

Though she refuses to think of herself as a Victim, Marnie is still able to identify with the women in the shelter.  Why do abusers behave as they do?

Someone Else's Skin is not just a gripping mystery story, it's also an exploration of the psychology of domestic violence.  Parts of it are disturbing, but Hilary is so gifted that her words draw the reader through to the other side.

This  amazing debut  will appeal to fans of Tana French and Alex Marwood.  I eagerly await the next installment of Marnie Rome's adventures.



FTC Full Disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this book.