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69th out of 309 books
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Necessary as Blood (Kincaid/James #13)
The disappearance of a young mother, the murder of her Pakistani husband, and a child's life in danger lead Scotland Yard detectives Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid into London's legendary East End--a neighborhood where the rich and the poor, the ambitious and the dangerous, collide--to solve one of the most challenging and disturbing cases they've ever faced.
Hardcover, 378 pages
Published
by William Morrow & Company
(first published January 1st 2009)
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Have you read Deborah Crombie? She’s a native Texan, author of a dozen or so novels, and creator of the mystery series featuring Scotland Yard detective duo Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid. [See more at www.deborahcrombie.com:]
Crombie lives in McKinney, a small town north of Dallas, but has resided in both England and Scotland. Like Elizabeth George, she’s an American who has mastered the art of the modern British mystery. She spends much time in the U.K. researching her novels, and ...more
Crombie lives in McKinney, a small town north of Dallas, but has resided in both England and Scotland. Like Elizabeth George, she’s an American who has mastered the art of the modern British mystery. She spends much time in the U.K. researching her novels, and ...more
I have read all the Kincaid/James novels from Crombie and found most of them compelling. Scotland Yard inspectors (i.e. detectives) Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James became a couple several novels back in the series. After that, some of the tension and "kick" of the novels has been lacking. Crombie has spent much of the recent novels, including this one, exploring some of the personal aspects of Kincaid and James's relationship and life together. Their relationships impact their cases and...more
#13 Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James British police procedural. This book's theme is London's East End, specifically the Brick Lane area, notable for its rich Indian/Pakistani/Bengali culture. Gemma is visiting her friend Hazel, newly back in London, when Hazel's soon-to-be-ex-husband Tim calls Gemma and asks her to look into the disappearance of a friend. Nasir, a Bengali lawyer, was supposed to pick up his three-year-old daughter from the sitter several hours previously but hasn't turned up. Since N...more
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I suspect that had this book been written by another author I would have given it five stars, but it's not quite as good as Crombie's Dreaming of the Bones. On the other hand, not many books are. Gemma and Duncan, she in a local precinct and he at Scotland Yard, both become involved in investigating the murder of a young father whose wife disappeared a few months earlier. There are numerous red herrings on the way to the shocking conclusion. The book is set in the East End of London, where yuppi...more
I always enjoy the Gemma Jones/Duncan Kincaid series, and I liked this one too. Tim Cavendish's friend, a Pakistani lawyer is murdered just a few months after his wife disappears. Gemma becomes involved when Tim asks for her help, and she is immediately drawn to Charlotte, the 4 year old daughter left behind. Kincaid is officially asked to investigate the murder in London's East End, but his hands are tied when the prime suspects are targets of big narcotics investigation. The trail eventual...more
Judy, don't read this, as it involves spoilers. When I was younger, the hallmark of a good mystery was that the perpetrator was introduced in the first third or half of the novel. Nowadays, they come in right at the end. Who can deliberate all the characters and figure out the plot, when even the main aspects of the plot and the introduction of the perp don't happen until the end? Trying to figure it out is what makes them fun. All that was missing in this book.
That said, I real...more
That said, I real...more
Catherine Woodman
added it
I love the Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid books--for one thing, there is a nice balance between their home life and their work life, and they are a functional family that is non-traditional, so alot to be loved there. THis one is a good addition to the series. Duncan is involved in a case for professional reasons, whereas Gemma gets interested because she had a personal attachment to one of the victims, so they investigate from two different sides, one from the people he knew and worked with a...more
(Lucky)#13 in the series is another winner! Oh Duncan and Gemma, how I love to drive, walk and travel around London with you - even if we meet at least one murderer per visit. In this edition, Betty foster parents a little girl from the current case, who may be an orphan. At least her mother has been missing for several months and now her father has also disappeared and Tim called Gemma for help.
I so enjoy how you weave the history of the locales and characters from earlier books in the...more
I so enjoy how you weave the history of the locales and characters from earlier books in the...more
I probably wouldn't have bought this book if it hadn't been for a Barnes and Noble gift certificate I had laying around . . . while her books will always hold a place in my heart, especially the first few, the last two or three have been not as good, and I was starting to wonder if she was going to wind this series down. I'm happy, though, that this one turned out to be much better than I had expected - despite some of the cliches that turned up, I still really enjoy how natural the whole book f...more
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I'm not sure when this series went from being the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James mysteries to just the Gemma James mysteries. As the installments in this series keep coming, she seems more and more to be the central character and frankly, I miss Duncan.
Gemma seems to be constantly fretting about something and it's getting a bit tiresome. I would much prefer the happy, blended Kincaid/James families with Duncan and Gemma solving mysteries and not having these constant personal issues. So...more
Gemma seems to be constantly fretting about something and it's getting a bit tiresome. I would much prefer the happy, blended Kincaid/James families with Duncan and Gemma solving mysteries and not having these constant personal issues. So...more
I am a fan of mystery series - having thoroughly enjoyed the books of Sue Grafton and both Kellermans. My sister bought this book for me as a birthday present; she wanted to introduce me to Deborah Crombie, an mystery author whose books take place in London. While not the most gripping mystery novel I've ever read it was an enjoyable enough read; the characters were likable and the author successfully created a sense of place with her streetscape descriptions, colloquial speech and patterns, a...more
I love this series. As a writer, it's been fascinating to follow along since the first book and watch Crombie's style develop. Every book now is deeper and richer than the last, and the cast of characters she's created is perfect world-building for a mystery series.
This case is especially poignant because it involves a three-year-old child orphaned when both parents go missing, separately. Crombie digs into the London neighborhood where they live and really explores its roots as well ...more
This case is especially poignant because it involves a three-year-old child orphaned when both parents go missing, separately. Crombie digs into the London neighborhood where they live and really explores its roots as well ...more
I think this, the 13th book in the Gemma James-Duncan Kincaid police-procedural series, is one of the best. The story, involving a missing woman artist, the murder of her Pakistani lawyer husband, and the fate of their bright 2-year-old daughter, is compelling. The depiction of London's East End is so effective that I felt as though I were there, the characters are vividly portrayed, the prose is excellent, and there's just the right amount of romance. I really enjoyed the family scenes, and tow...more
Necessary as Blood is the last of the Duncan Kinkaid/Jemma Jones mysteries published so far. We must wait (at least in the US) until February 7 for the next book in the series.
Here's what Publisher's Weekly says about Necessary as Blood:
"Romance dominates Crombie's 13th contemporary procedural featuring Scotland Yarders Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid, who are on the verge of getting married. The how, where and when of their wedding proves a considerable source of str...more
Here's what Publisher's Weekly says about Necessary as Blood:
"Romance dominates Crombie's 13th contemporary procedural featuring Scotland Yarders Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid, who are on the verge of getting married. The how, where and when of their wedding proves a considerable source of str...more
This is my favorite Gemma and Duncan book ever, right behind "Dreaming of the bones." The book opens with the disappearance of an artist, leaving behind her beloved husband and child. Next, the husband is murdered. Gemma is roped into the mystery because her friend Hazel's husband knows the murdered man and the daugher, Charlotte. Gemma grows attached to the daughter, seeing her as a substitute for the child she miscarried in a previous book. Scotland Yard is called in when the local p...more
This is one of my favorite series. In this book Scotland Yard detectives (and lovers) Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid investigate the murder of a man. They soon learn that it's a more complicated case than they thought: the man's wife disappeared without a trace shortly before. Fearing that the couple's only child is in danger they must solve the case before the murderer strikes again. This is set in London's East End where the legendary Jack the Ripper murders took place over a century ago.
Although it took me some time for me to get comfy with the many British terms/places, I really did get into this book. OK, I was up past 2am, reading! Very fast paced story, and you have to pay attention to details, which I like, even though sometimes I had to go back a few pages to check. (I'm ashamed to admit)
The characters are likeable and interesting, making you care about what happens to them. There are even heart-warming scenes popping up in various places in the story, even wh...more
The characters are likeable and interesting, making you care about what happens to them. There are even heart-warming scenes popping up in various places in the story, even wh...more
It never ceases to amaze me that these perfect English procedurals are written by a Texan. Perhaps that's why I find them a bit more comfortable than similar English series. Anyway, Crombie has done it again--for the 13th time. It's an intriguing crime with lots of potential killers. It's still fun to watch Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid mix business with pleasure. This one ends up more pleasurable that usual. Do read it--after you've finished the first 12 in the series.
I'm a Deborah Crombie fan, and I think this is one of her best. I really enjoy the "series" mysteries, where you have a new story every time but also keep moving forward with the detective's life story. The mystery in this book was indeed mysterious. The characters (both the victims and the detective's circle of family and acquaintances) were well-drawn and compelling. It addressed social issues without being overbearing. In short, a good read.
I did not want this book to end. I love Crombie's characters--her skill in drawing them, actually. I feel like I know Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid, and they develop as people so credibly through her novels.
I thought at first the human-trafficking would be a stretch, but I should have known better. And I was on the edge of my seat about what might be the fate of both Sandra (but not really) and Charlotte, the poor child.
Crombie's touch in character and in plot grows from...more
I thought at first the human-trafficking would be a stretch, but I should have known better. And I was on the edge of my seat about what might be the fate of both Sandra (but not really) and Charlotte, the poor child.
Crombie's touch in character and in plot grows from...more
I've been reading this series from the start. This one's better than the last book by far. She manages to plot her books without a lot of violence and works in the daily life of the two main characters as they go about solving the crimes. My only criticism of her books is that sometimes there's a bit too much domestic information, if you want to call it that. When it pertains to a decision that affects a plot line, I'm more forgiving on that.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Well, I really wanted to get hooked on this. Not only was the setting London and the genre mystery, but there were deckled edges AND a beautifully illustrated map of East London on the endpapers. So I jumped in.
It was a slow moving narrative, no hint of mystery and nothing to particularly hook me in the first 50 pages. Worse, the dialogue sounded as British as barbecue ribs and the characters were fuzzy and not terribly engaging. There was nothing to care about in those first 50 ...more
It was a slow moving narrative, no hint of mystery and nothing to particularly hook me in the first 50 pages. Worse, the dialogue sounded as British as barbecue ribs and the characters were fuzzy and not terribly engaging. There was nothing to care about in those first 50 ...more
This mystery series featuring Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid of Scotland Yard is one of my favourites and this latest installment did not disappoint. The story begins with a disappearance and is followed by a murder a few months later. Set in London’s East End near Brick Lane, it’s a very good read! I always enjoy the developments in the personal lives of Gemma and Duncan , too.
This was one of the best in her series, I thought. It was very inetersting reading about the racial tensions in this area of London. It also brought up the sexual trafficking in young girls/immigrants, without giving details that you couldn't bear to read. Crombie has not fallen prey to formulaic plots and writing; quite a feat when writing this number of mysteries.
Each time I revisit London and step back into the lives of Scotland Yard Detectives, Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid, I enjoy my visit. This book tackled an issue that unfortunately exists not only in London but here in the United States and that is the use of young foreign girls as slaves and worse by seemingly respectable men. Another worthy effort by Deborah Crombie.
An exciting addition to this series, this book concerns the disappearance of a young mother from a busy London market & the murder of her husband a few months later. Theirs was a mixed race marriage & they left behind a three-year-old daughter who also may be in danger. We also are privy to the personal lives of Kincaid & James as they deal with their blended family.
Crombie is very skillful at interweaving the personal with the professional lives of her characters. In this book, the 13th in the series, the place, London's East End, also becomes a character making the reading even more compelling.
I especially enjoy using the accompanying maps in her books to follow in the steps of her characters and to get a feel for the environment they work in.
I especially enjoy using the accompanying maps in her books to follow in the steps of her characters and to get a feel for the environment they work in.
Is there anything nicer than the next book in a series? Predictable plot. Smug feeling for reader as she knows what's coming next for the characters. The only disappointment is the poorly handled ending. Who the he'll is this bad guy and where did he come from? All the procedural stuff gets pushed aside so Crombie can give us warm fuzzier for Duncan and Gemma (awwwwwwww, bless!)
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Second child of Charlie and Mary Darden. A rather solitary childhood (brother Steve is ten years older) was blessed by her maternal grandmother, Lillian Dozier, a retired teacher who taught her to read very early. After a rather checkered educational career, which included dropping out of high school at sixteen, she graduated from Austin College in Sherman, Texas, with a degree in biology.
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