Deborah Crombie’s 17th novel featuring Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James is on bookshelves now. Kerry Hammond, who also reviewed book sixteen, To Dwell in Darkness, is here to tell us about the latest in the series.
Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie is book 17 in the great
series featuring Scotland Yard detectives, and married
couple, Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James. It hits bookstores on February 7,
published by William Morrow. I read To Dwell in Darkness when it came out in
2015, and I have been anxiously awaiting this next installment to see what
Gemma and Duncan are up to.
In this book, like
most others, the detectives are working on two very different problems. Gemma
is connected to a case involving the body of a young girl that was found in a private
garden in Notting Hill. The girl is a nanny to one of the children who takes
dance classes at the same studio as Gemma’s son. Since she has indirect knowledge of the people
involved, she inserts herself into the mix and begins talking to those who knew
the nanny. She discovers that there is more to the case that she first thought,
and the nanny isn’t the only victim.
Meanwhile, Kincaid is knee deep in his own troubles. He is
making connections between some cases and suspecting shady dealings by members
of the force. He is contacted by an old boss and is warned away from looking
into matters further, but Kincaid can’t stop what he’s started. He’s too honest
a detective to let the corruption continue, but he’s worried about keeping his
family safe if he becomes a target.
There is a lot of tension for each of the detectives as they investigate their cases and
we see their relationship react to the pressure Kincaid is feeling. He finds
himself fighting with and keeping things from Gemma. This strain that they’re
under adds to the pace of the plot, making it hard to put the book down.
I am a big fan of Crombie’s books, but I came in late to the
game and am still working my way back through the books from the beginning. I
think it’s important to note that if you picked up Garden of Lamentations you
would have no problem getting into the story without having read any of the
other books. As with any series, you will learn some spoilers, but that can’t
be helped. The characters are what really draws you in and the mysteries the
characters are solving keep you reading.
This book was provided to Mystery Playground by the
publisher. The review was fair and completely independent.
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