Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collections
Publication
Blackstone Audio (2004), Edition: Unabridged Audiobook, Downloadable WMA/MP3 Audiofile, 7 hrs 7 mins
Description
Fiction. Mystery. HTML: A week's holiday in a luxurious hotel is just what Scotland Yard's Superintendent Duncan Kincaid needs. But his vacation ends dramatically with the discovery of a dead body in the whirlpool bath. Despite a suspicious 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 significantly when a second murder occurs, and Kincaid and James find themselves locked in a determined hunt for a fiendish felon looking for fresh blood....
User reviews
LibraryThing member cameling
Superintendent Duncan Kincaid is all geared up to spend a week at a beautiful timeshare for a much needed holiday. With only a day into his holiday, the assistant manager of the timeshare is found floating in the jacuzzi, a plugged in electric heater found in the water with his body. Suicide seems
With no obvious motive and all timeshare residents with weak alibis, Kincaid is hard pressed to put together even a list of suspects. When another resident is found murdered at the tennis court, Kincaid pulls rank on the local constabulary and gets the backing of his superiors at Scotland Yard to allow him to have access to the investigation. With some of the residents harboring secrets, Kincaid pulls in Gemma's assistance with some background research, and tries to make some sense of the puzzle before someone else is murdered.
As secrets and hidden agendas start to unravel, some residents raise Kincaid's suspicions, but it isn't until someone else is injured that he realizes there were red herrings in the case and has to race against time to prevent another murder taking place.
This is a very promising first in series and I can't wait to see if the others are as captivating.
Show More
too easy a verdict for his death, and Kincaid is certain the man was murdered. But he's on holiday and will need to surreptitiously poke around, if only because the local Inspector Nash clearly dislikes him.With no obvious motive and all timeshare residents with weak alibis, Kincaid is hard pressed to put together even a list of suspects. When another resident is found murdered at the tennis court, Kincaid pulls rank on the local constabulary and gets the backing of his superiors at Scotland Yard to allow him to have access to the investigation. With some of the residents harboring secrets, Kincaid pulls in Gemma's assistance with some background research, and tries to make some sense of the puzzle before someone else is murdered.
As secrets and hidden agendas start to unravel, some residents raise Kincaid's suspicions, but it isn't until someone else is injured that he realizes there were red herrings in the case and has to race against time to prevent another murder taking place.
This is a very promising first in series and I can't wait to see if the others are as captivating.
Show Less
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie is the first in her series featuring Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and DS Gemma James. A smartly written, fast paced, traditional mystery that made me think of Agatha Christie crossed with Elizabeth George. More modern than Christie, and without the
Having been offered a week at a luxurious time-share in Yorkshire, Duncan Kincaid is taking a well earned break but when fellow guests start being murdered, he can’t help but get involved. Pulling some strings to ease the feelings of the local police, and bringing his assistant into the case, Duncan begins to investigate both guests and staff.
The interesting, slightly mismatched team of Duncan Kincaid and Gemma Jones sparks my interest. This relationship looks to be developed as the series continues and I am interested to find out where it is going.
I thought this was a good start to this series. If you like your cozy mysteries with a slight edge, I would recommend you give this series a try.
Show More
angst of George.Having been offered a week at a luxurious time-share in Yorkshire, Duncan Kincaid is taking a well earned break but when fellow guests start being murdered, he can’t help but get involved. Pulling some strings to ease the feelings of the local police, and bringing his assistant into the case, Duncan begins to investigate both guests and staff.
The interesting, slightly mismatched team of Duncan Kincaid and Gemma Jones sparks my interest. This relationship looks to be developed as the series continues and I am interested to find out where it is going.
I thought this was a good start to this series. If you like your cozy mysteries with a slight edge, I would recommend you give this series a try.
Show Less
LibraryThing member booklovers2
My 1st Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James of this series. Good Agatha Christi type murder mystery. Not too complicated with great cast of characters and well developed. A "who dunnit" easy listening/read. Will definitely recommend and I am interested enough to try another in the series.
LibraryThing member FicusFan
This is the first book of the series and the first book of Crombie's that I have read. This series was the choice of my RL Mystery Book Group, or I would never have picked it up.
Overall it got better as it went along. Once the first murder happened the story took off. Prior to that it was very
Many of the characters were shallow and forgettable. In fact it was one of those books that you can't keep them all straight, who is who, which are related, and what their claim to fame was. You also didn't really care about the loss of the murder victims from the story. Just not anyone for the reader to develop any emotional connections. The memorable characters were more likely to be cliches than to have any depth.
The detecting was good, as was the interaction of Kincaid with the local police, and the remaining guests at the time share. Keeping James at a distance basically doing scut work was a disappointment. The whole idea of the series is that they are a team that works together.
The mystery was very low key and not something I saw coming. The clues were there, but very subtle.
I have one more of her books, that was recommended as the best of the series (Dreaming the Bones). I will read it, but after that I am probably done with Crombie. Just too many other really good books to read.
Overall it got better as it went along. Once the first murder happened the story took off. Prior to that it was very
Show More
shallow, with standard little shots of set-up. Lets lay out character, place, and victims and try to guess who is going to be murdered, and who is the killer. There was no actual story with any depth, independent of waiting for murder and mayhem. The idea that these characters were actual people with any life off the page was non-existent. Many of the characters were shallow and forgettable. In fact it was one of those books that you can't keep them all straight, who is who, which are related, and what their claim to fame was. You also didn't really care about the loss of the murder victims from the story. Just not anyone for the reader to develop any emotional connections. The memorable characters were more likely to be cliches than to have any depth.
The detecting was good, as was the interaction of Kincaid with the local police, and the remaining guests at the time share. Keeping James at a distance basically doing scut work was a disappointment. The whole idea of the series is that they are a team that works together.
The mystery was very low key and not something I saw coming. The clues were there, but very subtle.
I have one more of her books, that was recommended as the best of the series (Dreaming the Bones). I will read it, but after that I am probably done with Crombie. Just too many other really good books to read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ccayne
Another in my self-education of mystery writers. This is the first in the Kincaid/James series and mimics a classic locked room mystery. I did not figure out who the culprit was but I enjoyed the ride. The characters were great and the pacing was good. This is a good choice for those who don't like
Show More
gritty mysteries but might want something a bit above a typical cozy. Show Less
LibraryThing member bknrd
I fell in love with Deborah Crombie many years ago when I was living in Texas. Gemma and Duncan are a fantastic crime fighting duo. The characters have developed well over the series and I just love coming back each time a new titles comes out. Crombie really has a feel for London. I began reading
Show More
the series after a trip to London and it too me right back. . Then come to find out, Crombie lives in North Texas. Check this series out! You will love it. Show Less
LibraryThing member tututhefirst
This is a series I'm going to want to read every one of. A great british police procedural. In this first episode we meet Duncan Kincaid, of New Scotland yard, recently promoted to Superintendent detective. Kincaid is vacationing in Yorkshire when he becomes embroiled in a series of murders and
We also meet, very slightly, Gemma James, Kincaid's detective sergeant who is still back in London holding down the fort while Kincaid tries to avoid the wrath of the local police force who resent NSY's nosing in.
It's a great beginning story, and promises lots more. I've read another so I know they get even better. I can't wait to have another helping.
Show More
attempted murders. Crombie gives us many suspects, good motivation, a well developed plot, a great sense of place, and doesn't give us enough to solve the mystery until quite near the end.We also meet, very slightly, Gemma James, Kincaid's detective sergeant who is still back in London holding down the fort while Kincaid tries to avoid the wrath of the local police force who resent NSY's nosing in.
It's a great beginning story, and promises lots more. I've read another so I know they get even better. I can't wait to have another helping.
Show Less
LibraryThing member lsh63
Sometimes when I receive a book through Bookmooch it looks so good that I start reading it immediately and before I know it, I've finished it. This book was one of those instances.
This is my first time reading this author and this book is the first in the Gemma and Duncan series. Superintendent
This book has a well written plot with good character development, although at one point it was a little difficult for me to keep track of all of them. I have to admit that for me, the ending came out of nowhere.
I look forward to continuing with this series.
This is my first time reading this author and this book is the first in the Gemma and Duncan series. Superintendent
Show More
Duncan Kincaid is spending a week's vacation in a Yorkshire time share when two people are killed and another is in danger. He tries to help the local police solve the crime before anyone else is hurt, but is met with resistance at just about every turn.This book has a well written plot with good character development, although at one point it was a little difficult for me to keep track of all of them. I have to admit that for me, the ending came out of nowhere.
I look forward to continuing with this series.
Show Less
LibraryThing member grundlecat
I recently upgraded to a hardcover version of this series because I have enjoyed it so much. Re-reading it after many years absence was a lot of fun. Tightly plotted mystery, well-done characters, excellent dialogue.
LibraryThing member pharrm
On vacation in the Yorkshire Moors, Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid finds dead bodies.
LibraryThing member katiekrug
There was nothing very surprising or groundbreaking here, just a solid, enjoyable mystery introducing Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid, and his Sergeant, Gemma Jones. I believe the series now numbers around 13, and I look forward to reading more. One note: this was the first book I read on
Show More
my new Kindle and was a perfect page-turner (button-pusher?) for the format. Show Less
LibraryThing member drbubbles
I chose it from the library because of the cover illustration, and because the shelf it was on was at eye-level; I only finished it because it suited the dullness of mind I felt that evening which demotivated me from doing anything interesting. A complete yawner. Two stars because it only passively
Saving the first victim there are no characters, just types completely lacking in individuality. The setting is even more stock than that. The fact that it's in England has absolutely no bearing on anything.
It's quite loosely written, with a fair number of wholly irrelevant scenes (ones that had contributed nothing whatsoever to the story, that had nothing to do with anything, not even a red herring).
Show More
sucks. Banal is a perfect descriptor for it.Saving the first victim there are no characters, just types completely lacking in individuality. The setting is even more stock than that. The fact that it's in England has absolutely no bearing on anything.
It's quite loosely written, with a fair number of wholly irrelevant scenes (ones that had contributed nothing whatsoever to the story, that had nothing to do with anything, not even a red herring).
Show Less
LibraryThing member Zumbanista
Capably Written Start to a Long Series
I went back to Book 1 in the Duncan Kincaid series after reading and enjoying Book 11. A Share in Death makes for pleasant reading with good writing, character development and a nod to Agatha Christie with all the suspects under one roof. I confess I didn't
I went back to Book 1 in the Duncan Kincaid series after reading and enjoying Book 11. A Share in Death makes for pleasant reading with good writing, character development and a nod to Agatha Christie with all the suspects under one roof. I confess I didn't
Show More
have a clue who the perpetrator was right up until the reveal, which was plausible though a bit far fetched. Much more character driven than a true police procedural and swinging a bit into cozy-ness and away from being gritty. I liked it. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookswoman
I'm very late in coming to the fan club for Deborah Crombie and her Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James series.
As a first in the series this was a very good introduction. Duncan has needed a vacation and his cousin has a time-share that he can't use this year. He
Murder, of course, ensues. The assistant manager of the place is found dead but no one seems to have any idea why. Duncan had intended to remain an ordinary citizen, not a high-level policeman but that falls apart almost at once.
There is a host of suspects, the manager a sly and hard woman who loves to flit with all men but hated her assistant; one of the MacKenzie sisters Emma or Penny; Graham Frazer or his daughter Angela? Some other guest?
Duncan is hampered by the animosity of the local officer in charge but calls back to London to get some outside help from Gemma James.
With plenty of suspects and some roadblocks to his access to information Duncan is hard-pressed to solve this one before he strikes again.
As a first in the series this was a very good introduction. Duncan has needed a vacation and his cousin has a time-share that he can't use this year. He
Show More
offers to let Duncan take his place in the Yorkshire moors at Followdale House.Murder, of course, ensues. The assistant manager of the place is found dead but no one seems to have any idea why. Duncan had intended to remain an ordinary citizen, not a high-level policeman but that falls apart almost at once.
There is a host of suspects, the manager a sly and hard woman who loves to flit with all men but hated her assistant; one of the MacKenzie sisters Emma or Penny; Graham Frazer or his daughter Angela? Some other guest?
Duncan is hampered by the animosity of the local officer in charge but calls back to London to get some outside help from Gemma James.
With plenty of suspects and some roadblocks to his access to information Duncan is hard-pressed to solve this one before he strikes again.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TheLibraryhag
I really enjoyed this first book in the series. Duncan Fitzgerald and Gemma James are a great pair. Fitzgerald is quiet and observant. Gemma is more gregarious but just as observant in her own way. This one is hard to class. It really isn't a cozy but it has some of the characteristics of one.
Show More
Whatever type of mystery it is I have to admit that I was totally stumped by the mystery and that almost never happens to me. But all the clues were there, I just did not put it together. I am definitely reading the next one. Show Less
LibraryThing member bell7
Superintendent Duncan Kincaid of Scotland Yard is on holiday, taking his cousin's timeshare for a week and leaving work behind. Or so he thinks, until one of the people he meets is found murdered. The bumbling local Chief Inspector thinks it's suicide, but Duncan knows it's not, and he's rather
I was a little surprised by this police procedural in that it reads a lot like a cozy: small town setting, cast of characters and potential subject in the almost claustrophobic space of the timeshare, and not a lot of gory details. Barring a few details about police work and jurisdiction, I felt like there was more similarity between A Share in Death and, say, an Agatha Christie novel than Louise Penny. The story suffered a bit from being drawn out over a busy week and my having to start and stop every 10-20 pages in the beginning, but I was mostly interested. There were so many characters I had to write them down to keep them apart, and I was annoyed by the fact that just about every female gets charmed to some degree by Duncan. I did find the mystery itself solid, finding the solution both surprising and inevitable (I'd definitely pegged someone else as whodunit), so it's one I would recommend to the right reader.
Show More
reluctantly drawn in to this mystery. Which of the guests or employees could have killed the man, and why?I was a little surprised by this police procedural in that it reads a lot like a cozy: small town setting, cast of characters and potential subject in the almost claustrophobic space of the timeshare, and not a lot of gory details. Barring a few details about police work and jurisdiction, I felt like there was more similarity between A Share in Death and, say, an Agatha Christie novel than Louise Penny. The story suffered a bit from being drawn out over a busy week and my having to start and stop every 10-20 pages in the beginning, but I was mostly interested. There were so many characters I had to write them down to keep them apart, and I was annoyed by the fact that just about every female gets charmed to some degree by Duncan. I did find the mystery itself solid, finding the solution both surprising and inevitable (I'd definitely pegged someone else as whodunit), so it's one I would recommend to the right reader.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Meredy
Six-word review: Bland whodunit misses Golden Age target.
Extended review:
Appearing to aspire to the formula of the great detective stories of an earlier age, the Kincaid-James series starter never gets very much beyond the humdrum.
The writing is competent enough, and the puzzle and the red herrings
I can't say I'll never try the rest of the series, which does seem to have been well enough received to have a long run, but I'll probably read a lot of other things first.
Extended review:
Appearing to aspire to the formula of the great detective stories of an earlier age, the Kincaid-James series starter never gets very much beyond the humdrum.
The writing is competent enough, and the puzzle and the red herrings
Show More
are adequate. But it takes a very long time to get going, with way too much background on too many characters and way too much amicable hobnobbing among them without anybody saying "Holy cats, that means one of us is a murderer!"I can't say I'll never try the rest of the series, which does seem to have been well enough received to have a long run, but I'll probably read a lot of other things first.
Show Less
LibraryThing member cygnet81
I had heard good things about this series but I found this book to be pretty pedestrian.
LibraryThing member EmpressReece
I enjoyed the characters and I think the series has promise. It was a little slow for me but Im going to try the 2nd book and see if its improved any.
LibraryThing member FMRox
Duncan Kincaid, Scotland yard investigator, goes on holiday and runs into murder.
This is a very interesting way to start a series, away from the usual location what I assume will be London. I like the central character of Kincaid, but I like his partner Gemma James even better. I think she'll be
This is a very interesting way to start a series, away from the usual location what I assume will be London. I like the central character of Kincaid, but I like his partner Gemma James even better. I think she'll be
Show More
fun to watch. This story line had so many characters, it was hard to keep up. The plot was intricate, very much like an Agatha Christie novel, I'm thinking Murder on the Orient Express. Plot was okay to kep me entertained, but I liked the characters a little better. Show Less
LibraryThing member Matke
A good first entry in the Dican Kincaid/Gemma Jones mystery series. Lightly amusing cozy with engaging characters.
DS Kincaid takes a Well-earned vacation at a time share, courtesy of a cousin. When a suspicious death occurs, he’s reluctantly drawn into the investigation, much to the distaste of
Worth reading for genre fans.
DS Kincaid takes a Well-earned vacation at a time share, courtesy of a cousin. When a suspicious death occurs, he’s reluctantly drawn into the investigation, much to the distaste of
Show More
the local copper in charge. An intriguing mix of suspects, a second murder, and the chase is on. Worth reading for genre fans.
Show Less
LibraryThing member BrianEWilliams
Newly promoted Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid books a short vacation at a Yorkshire luxury timeshare, hoping for some quiet time and solitude. Unfortunately for him, on his second day at Followdale House a body is discovered in the whirlpool. At first it appears it to be a suicide, but
One of the other guests at the timeshare is the probably the killer, but which one? Of course nobody is who they appear and most have an undisclosed backstory (with shades of an Agatha Christie story). It all comes to an exciting conclusion and most of the loose ends are tied up. (Although the bull headed and inept DCI Nash gets off scotfree from his bad behaviour).
This is an above average police procedural mystery story, that has elements of a cozy. It's got an interesting plot and good timing. Kincaid is an engaging protagonist which probably accounts for the subsequent success of this series. Gemma James does not play a big role in this story -- her face-time is limited -- but likely that changes in later books.
The book was written in 1993 and it is therefore missing such 21st Century communication as cellphones and texting. There is mention of DNA testing. Other than that the story does not show its age. I think I've found another good series to follow.
Highly recommended reading!
Show More
Kincaid thinks otherwise. The local CID headed by DCI Nash is called to the scene. Nash is a nasty piece of work who resents Kincaid's presence. Of course Kincaid needs to investigate the death because Nash is screwing it up due to his resentment, and then there's a second suspicious death. One of the other guests at the timeshare is the probably the killer, but which one? Of course nobody is who they appear and most have an undisclosed backstory (with shades of an Agatha Christie story). It all comes to an exciting conclusion and most of the loose ends are tied up. (Although the bull headed and inept DCI Nash gets off scotfree from his bad behaviour).
This is an above average police procedural mystery story, that has elements of a cozy. It's got an interesting plot and good timing. Kincaid is an engaging protagonist which probably accounts for the subsequent success of this series. Gemma James does not play a big role in this story -- her face-time is limited -- but likely that changes in later books.
The book was written in 1993 and it is therefore missing such 21st Century communication as cellphones and texting. There is mention of DNA testing. Other than that the story does not show its age. I think I've found another good series to follow.
Highly recommended reading!
Show Less
LibraryThing member SamSattler
Deborah Crombie’s 1993 A Share in Death is the author’s introductory novel in what is now her 18-book “Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James” series. I was particularly late in discovering the series for myself, and only started reading it when the cover of No Mark Upon Her managed to catch my eye
Most of you know that Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James work for Scotland Yard. When this first book begins, Kincaid is a Superintendent there and Sergeant James reports directly to him. Most of you know, too, that the two will ultimately get together and raise a remarkable family of their own. Just be aware that they are nowhere near that point in their lives — and that they don’t make much progress in that direction — in A Share in Death.
As the novel begins, Duncan is about to begin a vacation at a small luxury timeshare hotel courtesy of a cousin of his who could not be there himself for his scheduled week. Duncan prefers to keep as low a profile as possible among his fellow guests, so he does not introduce himself to anyone as a policeman. Thanks to a chatty staff member, though, he still learns the backgrounds of most of the other guests before actually meeting them because the others are well-known regulars to hotel staff. Duncan’s anonymity comes to a quick halt the next morning, however, when a dead body is discovered by two children in the hotel’s whirlpool bath. Local authorities are ready to write off the death as a suicide, but Duncan doesn’t believe that is what happened. Soon, he is butting heads with local investigators while using Gemma to run down leads that he develops while digging into the backgrounds of his fellow guests.
Bottom Line: A Share in Death is a good, solid introduction to the Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James characters. It establishes that Duncan is an attractive young investigator whose career is still on the rise, and that although he is still single, his head is relatively easily turned by the women he encounters. Gemma, on the other hand, has already been through a relationship that resulted in the toddler son she is now raising on her own. The two do not see each other face-to-face here until perhaps the last ten percent of the book, so readers are given no real reason to suspect their eventual union other than the fact they each seems to much admire the investigatory skills of the other. The mystery at the core of the book is the classic “closed door” kind of tale in which a murder is committed by one of a very limited number of potential suspects. Crombie handles it all competently enough, but I doubt I would have gone looking for other books in the series if I had started with this one. And…that is why I’m happy that I started out with book number 14 rather than book number 1.
Show More
in a bookstore toward the end of 2011. I’ve now read almost all of the novels that followed that one, but I’m just now going back to pick up the series from the beginning. As it turns out, though, I’m happy it worked out that way — for a reason I’ll explain a little later.Most of you know that Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James work for Scotland Yard. When this first book begins, Kincaid is a Superintendent there and Sergeant James reports directly to him. Most of you know, too, that the two will ultimately get together and raise a remarkable family of their own. Just be aware that they are nowhere near that point in their lives — and that they don’t make much progress in that direction — in A Share in Death.
As the novel begins, Duncan is about to begin a vacation at a small luxury timeshare hotel courtesy of a cousin of his who could not be there himself for his scheduled week. Duncan prefers to keep as low a profile as possible among his fellow guests, so he does not introduce himself to anyone as a policeman. Thanks to a chatty staff member, though, he still learns the backgrounds of most of the other guests before actually meeting them because the others are well-known regulars to hotel staff. Duncan’s anonymity comes to a quick halt the next morning, however, when a dead body is discovered by two children in the hotel’s whirlpool bath. Local authorities are ready to write off the death as a suicide, but Duncan doesn’t believe that is what happened. Soon, he is butting heads with local investigators while using Gemma to run down leads that he develops while digging into the backgrounds of his fellow guests.
Bottom Line: A Share in Death is a good, solid introduction to the Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James characters. It establishes that Duncan is an attractive young investigator whose career is still on the rise, and that although he is still single, his head is relatively easily turned by the women he encounters. Gemma, on the other hand, has already been through a relationship that resulted in the toddler son she is now raising on her own. The two do not see each other face-to-face here until perhaps the last ten percent of the book, so readers are given no real reason to suspect their eventual union other than the fact they each seems to much admire the investigatory skills of the other. The mystery at the core of the book is the classic “closed door” kind of tale in which a murder is committed by one of a very limited number of potential suspects. Crombie handles it all competently enough, but I doubt I would have gone looking for other books in the series if I had started with this one. And…that is why I’m happy that I started out with book number 14 rather than book number 1.
Show Less
LibraryThing member clue
This is the first book in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James mystery series, originally published in 1993. It's an average beginning to a new series which now numbers 18.
A murder takes place in an upscale country inn where Kincaid has gone for a break from his stressful life as a Detective
A murder takes place in an upscale country inn where Kincaid has gone for a break from his stressful life as a Detective
Show More
Superintendent at Scotland Yard. Although he shouldn't get involved he does of course though the local law enforcement doesn't welcome his "interference". Well enough plotted but not an exciting read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Bookish59
Good but not great mystery. This one about murder at a vacation resort.
I do like Detective Superintendent Duncan and Sergeant Gemma because they care about and communicate well with people. So I will try another book or two in the series.
I do like Detective Superintendent Duncan and Sergeant Gemma because they care about and communicate well with people. So I will try another book or two in the series.
Subjects
Awards
Macavity Award (Nominee — First Novel — 1993)
Agatha Award (Nominee — First Novel — 1993)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1993-02-17
ISBN
0792732650 / 9780792732655