The Next Kincaid/James

The 14th (!) Kincaid/James novel, No Mark Upon Her,  is well under way.  While returning from a family visit to Glastonbury, Duncan is summoned to investigate the suspicious death of a female rower.  The victim, a former champion sculler who was attempting a comeback for the next Olympics, was also a senior officer in the Metropolitan Police.  As Duncan and Doug Cullen pursue the case in historic Henley-on-Thames, Gemma and Melody Talbot discover the depths of corruption within the ranks of the Met itself.

In April, after touring in Germany for the release of Necessary as Blood there, I'll be spending several weeks in the UK writing and doing the last little bits of research for No Mark Upon Her.  This means I get to visit Leander Club in Henley, where I've stayed twice before (and had a very special rowing lesson), and also my friends at Berkshire Search and Rescue Dogs.  K-9 Search and Rescue plays an important role in the story, and the folks at Berkshire SAR have been terrifically helpful.

I'm so excited about this trip!  I'll be touring four cities in Germany, including Munich for the Munich Crime Festival, and this will be my first tour in conjunction with the release German book.  And I will, as always, be thrilled to be in London--I badly need a Brit fix!

More About Necessary as Blood and Where Memories Lie--

Necessary as Blood debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List--a first, and a huge thrill!

Necessary as Blood # 3 on the IMBA Bestseller List.

Reviewing the Evidence called Necessary as Blood the Best Mystery of 2009.

Read an interview with Connie Ogle at the Miami Herald--Writer Deborah Crombie is Obsessed with her Characters.

And here are some excerpts from the reviews for Necessary as Blood--

“Crombie’s latest Kincaid and James crime story is as rich in its picture of
cultural and racial flux as it is in its framework of family dynamics… this latest in Crombie’s series tells a subtle and moving character-driven story.” — Booklist

“In this dazzling addition to Deborah Crombie's acclaimed mystery series, a disappearance, a murder, and a child 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.” Fantastic Fiction

“The latest James-Kincaid British police procedural is an interesting entry as the romance for the first time supersedes the investigation. Both Gemma and Duncan consider running off to Gretna Green as nothing seems to go right with their wedding plans and the demands grow. The homicide is a welcome relief until her mom becomes ill. NECESSARY AS BLOOD is a fine fresh entry.” The Mystery Gazette

“This is really a study of what makes relationships work or fail, thoughtfully unfolded by a dependable pro.” Kirkus Reviews 

“As always, Ms. Crombie writes with a smooth, elegant and informative narrative. Her plotting is excellent and realistic and her characters are always interesting. Fans of the traditional crime novel adore this series and all readers will be hooked.” Mystery One

“Fans of the series  will lap this one up.” Library Journal

“Necessary as Blood moves at a brisk pace while Crombie keeps the focus on her well-developed and realistic characters.  The American-born Crombie has a fine eye for the details of London and how its myriad neighborhoods are changing. Necessary as Blood is another solid entry in her superior series.” Miami Herald

“Deborah Crombie has done it again…the 13^th book in her award-winning series of mysteries featuring Scotland Yard detectives Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid, and it’s a winner.” Herald-Banner

“Deborah Crombie has created a superb series around Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his onetime partner - and now wife-to-be - Inspector Gemma James. In addition to complicated characters and a deft hand at interlacing their personal lives with grim investigations, Crombie gives descriptive weight to London's crowded streets and neighborhoods.” The Houston Chronicle 

“Sometimes what makes a good novel is not necessarily the story per se, but the characters. When readers are engaged with the characters in a book, they care about what happens to them. Deborah Crombie takes it a step further. Not only does she have a good novel in NECESSARY AS BLOOD, but she also writes a terrific series.  NECESSARY AS BLOOD provides a good mystery…with every book ending there appears to be a new beginning for the next one…even if you have never met these characters before, you will feel that you have. Crombie is that good.  So whether this is your first time reading this series or not, NECESSARY AS BLOOD is a good place as any to start.. It is a superb book and most definitely a keeper.” Reviewing the Evidence

Reviews--Where Memorie Lie

Excerpted from a Boston Globe article by Hallie Ephron

The full article is here.

Deborah Crombie is an American who writes like a Brit. "Where Memories Lie" is her 12th novel featuring Scotland Yard detectives Gemma Jones and Duncan Kincaid. Clandestine lovers when they were partners, the unmarried pair now live together. The mystery kicks off when Gemma's friend Erika Rosenthal discovers that a brooch, stolen from her when she fled Germany after Hitler's rise to power, has turned up in Harrowby's fine jewelry auction. As a favor to Erika, Gemma offers to investigate. No sooner does she visit the auction house and raise questions about the provenance of the piece than the young woman who brought the brooch to Harrowby's is murdered.

Crombie is a master storyteller who weaves a compelling, richly textured tale. As the investigation into a growing number of murders unfolds, the story of Erika's past is revealed. There's more drama as Gemma's mother is diagnosed with leukemia, and her difficult relationships with her father and sister emerge. The stories are told from a multitude of viewpoints, each voice adding a new perspective until puzzle pieces fall together. Highly recommended, especially for fans of Elizabeth George and Tey.

From the Richmond Times Dispatch by Jay Strafford

Complete text here.

The enormity of the Holocaust is no stranger to the contemporary mystery, but seldom has it been used in such a chilling and humane way as Deborah Crombie does in Where Memories Lie (304 pages, Morrow, $24.95).

The 12th in Crombie's accomplished series featuring Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, the novel begins with Gemma's friend Erika Rosenthal learning some unsettling news. Erika and husband David, both Jewish, fled Germany before World War II broke out. A longtime widow, Erika is told that a brooch stolen during her flight from Germany has turned up in an auction catalogue in London, and she asks Gemma to investigate.

This being a Crombie novel, of course, murder soon follows, and Duncan and Gemma -- life partners as well as colleagues -- must weave themselves into the lives of numerous suspects. But the real joy of Crombie's work is her skillful and subtle hand at characterization -- and not simply the cops, but the heroes and villains as well; Erika is particularly memorable. And in a clever bit of cross-author pollination, Mark Lombardi, a character in the mysteries of Crombie's friend Kate Charles, makes a cameo appearance.

Combine a fine plot with a diverse and diverting cast of characters, and you have another distinguished achievement. Add multiple levels of emotional satisfaction, and you have a deeply moving novel that transcends genre.