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MYST CRO
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Publication
William Morrow (2023), 368 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. HTML: New York Times bestseller Deborah Crombie returns with a new novel featuring Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James as they race to solve the shocking murder of a young woman before panic spreads across London. On a rainy November evening, trainee doctor Sasha Johnson hurries through the evening crowd in London's historic Russell Square. Out of the darkness, someone jostles her as they brush past. A moment later, Sasha stumbles, then collapses. When Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his sergeant, Doug Cullen, are called to the scene, they discover that she's been stabbed. Kincaid immediately calls in his detective wife, Gemma James, who has recently been assigned to a task force on knife crimes which are on the rise. Along with her partner, detective sergeant Melody Talbot, Gemma aids the investigation. But Sasha Johnson doesn't fit the profile of the task force's typical knife crime victim. Single, successful, career-driven, she has no history of abusive relationships or any connection to gangs. Sasha had her secrets, though, and some of them lead the detectives uncomfortably close to home. As the team unravels the victim's tangled connections, another murder raises the stakes. Kincaid, Gemma, and their colleagues must put even friendships on the line to find the killer stalking the dark streets of Bloomsbury..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member thornton37814
A female doctor in training is stabbed in a square on the route from the hospital to where she resided. The murder takes place on Duncan's beat. He and Doug had just seen the woman at a pub where she'd seemed like she was awaiting someone who perhaps never showed up. Gemma and Melody are working
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desk jobs now, and both miss their roles as detectives. Duncan involves Emma by asking her to do some undercover bar hopping with his less-than-reliable DI. I'm getting tired of the continuing soap opera drama with Melody, Andy, Poppy, and Doug. (I liked things better before Andy and Poppy came into the picture to complicate the relationship between Doug and Melody.) I've waited for this installment's release for years, and I was disappointed. While the mystery itself was quite good, the rest of the story didn't keep me wanting to read it. Show Less
LibraryThing member gpangel
A Killing of Innocents by Deborah Crombie is a 2022 William Morrow publication.
In this nineteenth installment of the 'Kincaid and James' series, a bright, young medical professional is stabbed to death. But why? The plot thickens when another person in the medical profession is murdered, possibly
This is one of my favorite British police procedural dramas. As such, it has been far too long since we touched base with Duncan and Gemma- two full years! With all that has happened since then, and the quality of mystery/thrillers, having slid to an all time low, I was so excited to finally get my hands on the latest installment in this stellar series.
Crombie sticks to the tried and true, offering a peek into the private lives of the recurring characters while giving readers a puzzling and compelling mystery to solve. I always like seeing the mystery come together as the detectives do the grunt work required to solve the crimes. This means interviews, research, undercover work, and good old-fashioned legwork. This is exactly what we’ve come to expect with this series and in many ways, it is a relief to pick up a series that delivers, is reliable, and maybe even comforting, despite the dark nature of crime fiction and the occasional heaviness of balancing one’s personal life with a stressful, demanding occupation.
I love that Gemma and Duncan’s children sew, cook, and dance- and even write letters- with a pen and paper- and I like that the detectives do not rely too much on technology- getting out into the field and rolling up their sleeves.
While I do appreciate all these things, and even find them refreshing, if I’m being honest, there were also a few times I thought actions or elements in this book were a little too old-school.
This caused me to have a flicker of concern, worrying that reliability could easily become predictability- and as much as it pains me to say this, there was a faint whiff of staleness in this installment. Gemma is in a rut- and her only significant role in the investigation had a rusty quality to it. Her boredom jumps off the page so I was happy to see her realize some changes are in order, giving me hope that the next chapter will have a little more of that old spark.
That said, despite seeing a few signs of wear- the series hasn’t faltered just yet- and this is still a very solid effort by Crombie. I always love touching base with these characters, and the book delivered in every way I needed it to. The mystery was interesting, as was the story that developed on the side. As always, I am looking forward to the next chapter in the series- which I hope will come sooner this time- rather than later.
3.5 stars
In this nineteenth installment of the 'Kincaid and James' series, a bright, young medical professional is stabbed to death. But why? The plot thickens when another person in the medical profession is murdered, possibly
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linking the two cases together. But, what is the connection? This is one of my favorite British police procedural dramas. As such, it has been far too long since we touched base with Duncan and Gemma- two full years! With all that has happened since then, and the quality of mystery/thrillers, having slid to an all time low, I was so excited to finally get my hands on the latest installment in this stellar series.
Crombie sticks to the tried and true, offering a peek into the private lives of the recurring characters while giving readers a puzzling and compelling mystery to solve. I always like seeing the mystery come together as the detectives do the grunt work required to solve the crimes. This means interviews, research, undercover work, and good old-fashioned legwork. This is exactly what we’ve come to expect with this series and in many ways, it is a relief to pick up a series that delivers, is reliable, and maybe even comforting, despite the dark nature of crime fiction and the occasional heaviness of balancing one’s personal life with a stressful, demanding occupation.
I love that Gemma and Duncan’s children sew, cook, and dance- and even write letters- with a pen and paper- and I like that the detectives do not rely too much on technology- getting out into the field and rolling up their sleeves.
While I do appreciate all these things, and even find them refreshing, if I’m being honest, there were also a few times I thought actions or elements in this book were a little too old-school.
This caused me to have a flicker of concern, worrying that reliability could easily become predictability- and as much as it pains me to say this, there was a faint whiff of staleness in this installment. Gemma is in a rut- and her only significant role in the investigation had a rusty quality to it. Her boredom jumps off the page so I was happy to see her realize some changes are in order, giving me hope that the next chapter will have a little more of that old spark.
That said, despite seeing a few signs of wear- the series hasn’t faltered just yet- and this is still a very solid effort by Crombie. I always love touching base with these characters, and the book delivered in every way I needed it to. The mystery was interesting, as was the story that developed on the side. As always, I am looking forward to the next chapter in the series- which I hope will come sooner this time- rather than later.
3.5 stars
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LibraryThing member nbmars
This is the 19th in the crime series featuring London detectives and spouses Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James.
Kincaid is now working out of the Holborn Police Station with Detective Sergeant Doug Cullen, his former partner at Scotland Yard. Gemma has a new job tracking and identifying knife crime in
As it happens, Kincaid’s latest case is a knife crime. Sasha Johnson, a 28-year-old trainee doctor at a nearby hospital, was killed in the park on her way home, in a stabbing that was clearly purposeful and targeted, rather than random. There are a number of possible suspects, although the foremost of them is eliminated after he is killed also.
Once again Duncan and Gemma juggle the responsibilities of their jobs with raising two young children (each had a son from a previous relationship) along with a third child they are fostering. Duncan figures out ways to get Gemma involved so she can have a break from her routine. He sends Gemma with his new detective inspector, Jasmine Sidana, undercover to a bar, which actually ends up helping Kincaid’s relationship with Sidana, but also highlights for Gemma the shortcomings of her current desk job.
There are a number of seemingly unrelated threads and red herrings, which keeps us turning the pages, and a surprising ending.
Evaluation: One of my favorite things about the Duncan Kincaid detective series is the juxtaposition of warped evil people and the crimes they commit, with Duncan’s diverse, messy, warm, loving network of family and friends. So many detectives have personal lives that are dark in some way, featuring struggles with painful pasts, relationships gone bad, and/or addiction. Detective Superintendent Kincaid and his wife Detective Inspector Gemma James are not without worries, but they are more of the sort shared by everyone - the security of your job, the safety of your kids, or whether or not the kids should be allowed to keep stray kittens.
This newest book is quite engaging and can be read as a standalone.
Kincaid is now working out of the Holborn Police Station with Detective Sergeant Doug Cullen, his former partner at Scotland Yard. Gemma has a new job tracking and identifying knife crime in
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Greater London, a job that has turned out to be one of, in Gemma’s words, “mind-numbingly dull days spent at a computer terminal at the new Met headquarters, poring over reports.” Gemma missed boots-on-the-ground investigating.As it happens, Kincaid’s latest case is a knife crime. Sasha Johnson, a 28-year-old trainee doctor at a nearby hospital, was killed in the park on her way home, in a stabbing that was clearly purposeful and targeted, rather than random. There are a number of possible suspects, although the foremost of them is eliminated after he is killed also.
Once again Duncan and Gemma juggle the responsibilities of their jobs with raising two young children (each had a son from a previous relationship) along with a third child they are fostering. Duncan figures out ways to get Gemma involved so she can have a break from her routine. He sends Gemma with his new detective inspector, Jasmine Sidana, undercover to a bar, which actually ends up helping Kincaid’s relationship with Sidana, but also highlights for Gemma the shortcomings of her current desk job.
There are a number of seemingly unrelated threads and red herrings, which keeps us turning the pages, and a surprising ending.
Evaluation: One of my favorite things about the Duncan Kincaid detective series is the juxtaposition of warped evil people and the crimes they commit, with Duncan’s diverse, messy, warm, loving network of family and friends. So many detectives have personal lives that are dark in some way, featuring struggles with painful pasts, relationships gone bad, and/or addiction. Detective Superintendent Kincaid and his wife Detective Inspector Gemma James are not without worries, but they are more of the sort shared by everyone - the security of your job, the safety of your kids, or whether or not the kids should be allowed to keep stray kittens.
This newest book is quite engaging and can be read as a standalone.
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LibraryThing member Jim53
This is a wonderful addition to this excellent series of police-procedural mysteries. We see many of Crombie's usual strengths: well drawn characters, tempting red herrings, churn and changes in relationships among an attractive set of recurring characters, and a clever solution, which is a bit of
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a surprise but for which the clues were there. Her style flows well and reads very nicely, and changes in POV are well timed. My favorite mystery of 2022. Show Less
LibraryThing member Twink
Deborah Crombie writes one of my absolute favorite police procedural series - the Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James novels. The nineteenth entry - A Killing of Innocents has just released.
Kincaid and James are both Scotland Yard detectives, albeit in different departments. Sasha, a young trainee
Crombie always writes an intriguing, multi layered plot that isn't easy to figure out. It's great fun to try and solve the crimes along with the detectives. I truly appreciate how those crimes are solved in Crombie's books - with a team that uses modern day methods as well as the ' old fashioned' ways. Interviews, intuition, experience etc. Adding to the mystery are some enigmatic missives that appear as italicized chapters. How will they figure into the plot?
But the biggest draw for me are the characters. From one of my previous reviews of this series. "... the most captivating of all, is the large group of characters that appear in each book, their lives changing and growing with every new entry. They're so well drawn, they've become almost real, especially Duncan, Gemma and their children. I feel like I know them. Although others may complain that the domestic details of the characters detracts from a good mystery, I find it gives the story much more depth. I've become invested in their lives and want to see where Crombie takes them from here. Sitting down with the latest feels like catching up with old friends." This is what has me always eagerly awaiting the next book from Crombie.
And no surprise - I loved this latest! The crime is solved, but the door is open for the next book. Can't wait!
Kincaid and James are both Scotland Yard detectives, albeit in different departments. Sasha, a young trainee
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doctor is stabbed as she walks across a square to meet a friend. As it's a knife crime, both of their teams are on the case. But as the case progresses, they realize there's much more to this case than a random stabbing...Crombie always writes an intriguing, multi layered plot that isn't easy to figure out. It's great fun to try and solve the crimes along with the detectives. I truly appreciate how those crimes are solved in Crombie's books - with a team that uses modern day methods as well as the ' old fashioned' ways. Interviews, intuition, experience etc. Adding to the mystery are some enigmatic missives that appear as italicized chapters. How will they figure into the plot?
But the biggest draw for me are the characters. From one of my previous reviews of this series. "... the most captivating of all, is the large group of characters that appear in each book, their lives changing and growing with every new entry. They're so well drawn, they've become almost real, especially Duncan, Gemma and their children. I feel like I know them. Although others may complain that the domestic details of the characters detracts from a good mystery, I find it gives the story much more depth. I've become invested in their lives and want to see where Crombie takes them from here. Sitting down with the latest feels like catching up with old friends." This is what has me always eagerly awaiting the next book from Crombie.
And no surprise - I loved this latest! The crime is solved, but the door is open for the next book. Can't wait!
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LibraryThing member diana.hauser
A Killing of Innocents is written by Deborah Crombie and is Book #19 in Ms. Crombie’s Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series.
I like this series very, very much and eagerly await each new title.
The books are police procedurals, detective & mystery stories, usually with an urban
London setting.
The
I love the map in this particular title. Maps give me a very intimate ‘sense of place’.
The books feature Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, including both
their professional and personal relationship.
Because of the number of titles (A Killing of Innocents is Book #19), I feel very well-acquainted with the characters and would advise reading the series in order. One gets a better understanding of their character development.
In A Killing of Innocents, the Police scramble to solve the shocking murder/stabbing of a young woman in London’s historic Russell Square.
A very brilliant title and series. *****
I like this series very, very much and eagerly await each new title.
The books are police procedurals, detective & mystery stories, usually with an urban
London setting.
The
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books are very character-driven with intricate plotting.I love the map in this particular title. Maps give me a very intimate ‘sense of place’.
The books feature Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, including both
their professional and personal relationship.
Because of the number of titles (A Killing of Innocents is Book #19), I feel very well-acquainted with the characters and would advise reading the series in order. One gets a better understanding of their character development.
In A Killing of Innocents, the Police scramble to solve the shocking murder/stabbing of a young woman in London’s historic Russell Square.
A very brilliant title and series. *****
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LibraryThing member Bookish59
Crombie is a master at developing compelling characters with depth and complexity. And excellent with dialogue and timing.
Exciting, satisfying read.
Exciting, satisfying read.
LibraryThing member GrandmaCootie
Good mystery, glad to be back with Duncan, Gemma and the rest.
LibraryThing member Romonko
This Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series just keeps getting better and bette. This is book 19 in one of my best loved, series. I always love the mystery in each book, and love the many clues and red herrings that are sprinkled throughout, but I love the characters more. Deborah Crombie's
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characterizations are realistic and believable. In this book, Duncan is in a local pub waiting for Dog Cullen when he sees a young woman leaving. He notices that she seems distracted and worried and realizes that she is wearing hospital scrubs. Then, when he and Doug do leave, they are drawn to a distraught woman and child in the park across the street, and when Duncan goes to take look, he realizes that the very same woman that he saw leaving the pub is lying on the grass in the park, and she is dead. He feels a special responsibility to try to track down this killer because he feels he should have known the woman was in trouble. The victim, Sasha Johnson, is a junior doctor at a nearby hospital. Duncan and his team, with the help of Gemma, his wife, try to track down a killer. The motive is not immediately apparent, and before they can formulate a motive, another body is found stabbed in the same way, but at a different location. Are these two murders connected? What connects them? This kind of spooky story is set around the late November timeframe. It's cold and damp and gets dark early. I can't wait to read the next book, as I love to know what will happen with Duncan, Jemma and their family. This book was another winner for Deborah Crombie and her wonderful sleuthing team. I listened to this one on audible, and really enjoyed the narrator. Show Less
LibraryThing member wdwilson3
Deborah Crombie specializes in a niche that I think of as police procedural, English, domestic. There are few other contenders, and after the previous 18 installments of the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma Jones saga, I don't think any are left standing. Blending a mystery with a full domestic drama (OK, a
The other aspect is the mystery, and in this case I wasn't happy. I don't do spoilers, so I'll just say that the killer's motive was telegraphed not too subtly, and the killer did multiple dumb things that let to his downfall – things that didn't make sense. If Ms. Crombie would like a list, I'd be happy to provide it.
I loved reuniting with this cast and crew, even though the mystery wasn't the best. To those that haven't read any of the previous installments, I suggest you begin at the beginning and enjoy your way here.
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soap opera if you like) is hard work, and I've read other authors' series that fall to pieces under the weight of the “backstory.” Crombie accumulates characters – co-workers, family, friends, previous associates, etc. in the dozens. Her skill is the way each of those characters is fully developed and is brought into the story in a logical (not superfluous) way. It's as if you've gotten a postcard from a friend you met in a previous book, that in someway advances the plot. She doesn't bat 100% in this volume, some previous acquaintances are here just to show what they're up to now, but for the most part, it's seamless.The other aspect is the mystery, and in this case I wasn't happy. I don't do spoilers, so I'll just say that the killer's motive was telegraphed not too subtly, and the killer did multiple dumb things that let to his downfall – things that didn't make sense. If Ms. Crombie would like a list, I'd be happy to provide it.
I loved reuniting with this cast and crew, even though the mystery wasn't the best. To those that haven't read any of the previous installments, I suggest you begin at the beginning and enjoy your way here.
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LibraryThing member cathyskye
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
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.
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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.
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LibraryThing member pennykaplan
An enjoyable 19th visit to Gemma and Duncan as they solve a series of ice pick murders. Engaging characters, good plot development and the continuing family time with Gemma and Duncan.
LibraryThing member ritaer
Kincaid and Gemma juggle family responsibilities. A junior doctor and a nurse from same hospital are knifed in separate attacks. Are they related? Many red herrings before final solution.
Pages
368
ISBN
0062993399 / 9780062993397