February 3rd, 2012
We're gearing up for the US launch of NO MARK UPON HER, the 14th Kincaid/James novel, on February 7th! The book is getting fabulous reviews and early reader response, and there's lots of buzz on Facebook and Twitter and blogs. My fellow Jungle Red bloggers have been my very own booster team--our motto is "One for all and all for one!"--and I can't thank them enough.
All the team at William Morrow have been wonderful--a writer couldn't ask for better.
Now the very best part--starting next Tuesday, I get to go out and talk to my favorite people, READERS! Please come see me if I'll be appearing near you in the next few months.
And most of all, enjoy the book!
October, 2011
Another year (oops, make that two) another book! NO MARK UPON HER, the 14th KINCAID/JAMES novel, was published in the UK in August by Pan Macmillan (and in September in Germany). It will be released in the US by William Morrow/Harper Collins on FEBRUARY 7th, 2012. It is now available for pre-order in the US.
This is the first time one of my novels has been published first in the UK, and I know it's caused some consternation among US readers, so I'll do my best to explain. Harper Collins US is still my primary publisher, but they wanted to place the book in what they felt was a good "slot", which means a time period when the book has the best chance to do well. And they wanted what's called in publishing a "long lead", which means lots of time to get galleys out to reviewers and to promote the book in other fun ways. Hence February 2012 (SOON!)
The UK, on the other hand, already had the book in their release schedule for August 2011, so chose to go ahead. There has been some disappointment among US readers who ordered copies from the UK about the lack of first editions, but Pan Mac simply didn't anticipate the volume of sales, and the first edition sold out before the actual release date. (I only have a first myself courtesy of a very kind fan.)
And then there is the issue of the maps!!!! Readers have lamented the absence of Laura Maestro's wonderful maps in the UK edition. Laura's maps, however, are commissioned by Harper Collins US, and will duly appear in the US edition in February. (And I can tell you that I think this is the best one ever!) When the US edition is publilshed, I'll put Laura's map up on my webpage, as I have done with the previous maps, so that everyone can enjoy it (although I'd much prefer that readers who bought the UK edition buy the US edition as well!) The US edition will also contain chapter epigraphs which are not included in the UK edition, and the text will be very slightly different, due to separate copy edits.
Now that the US release of NO MARK is getting closer, there will be fun new things appearing on the webpage and Facebook, including a lovely surprise, so stay tuned! And I will begin posting a tour schedule as soon as events become official. I know I'm signing at Murder by the Book in Houston, and at The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, my two favorite bookstores! I'll be attending Midwinter ALA in Dallas (Yay! My hometown!) on Saturday, January 21st for a day of panels and signings, many with my fellow JUNGLE RED authors.
In mid March, I'll be participating in the 13th annual SOUTHWEST FLORIDA READING FESTIVAL in Fort Myers, Florida, which sounds like a fabulous event.
One of the highlights of this past year has been my inclusion in JUNGLE RED WRITERS. We are "The View, with bodies", eight writers who dish about writing and life and anything else that strikes our fancy. If you haven't dropped in, please do!
Another has been the success of NO MARK UPON HER (Die stillen Wasser des Todes) in Germany, where it has been on the Speigel list for five weeks to date, three of those in the top ten!
And then there is my fantastic new webpage, thanks to the design genius of Enfold Tech (which just happens to be my very talented husband), and my resurrected BLOG. I hope you enjoy both as much as I am.
For those who would like a peek a little farther into the future, I'm hard at work on the 15th Kincaid/James novel, which has a working title but I'm keeping mum as it's not yet official.
Oh, and there will be a short story--my first ever!--available in e-format before the release of NO MARK, so stay tuned for more info on that!
In the meantime, happy reading!
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.
At Bouchercon in Baltimore, Where Memories Lie won the Macavity Award for Best Novel. This is my third Macavity award--along with Best First Novel for A Share in Death and Best Novel for Dreaming of the Bones. Water Like a Stone was nominated for Best Novel as well. Oh, do I love the folks at Mystery Readers International! Many thanks to them for all their support and enthusiasm.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 13th 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.
