In A Dark House (Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Novels (Audio))

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderfully Well-Written British Who-Dunit.
Review: As I have read each of Deborah Crombie's book in her Kincaid and Gemma James series, I find it difficult to believe that she is not English herself. She certainly knows how to write a mystery story in the British tradition. This is an excellent book. In it Ms. Crombie has at least three different crime threads that she weaves in and out throughout. Her stories are believably written and very multi-dimensional, and she can seemlessly weave a plot so that the reader is quite taken in by the time they're less than half the way through the book. In this book Kincaid is brought into an arson case where a body is found. Ms. Crombie's descriptions of fires and how they start show that she has done her research into the area of fires and arson, and into the minds and hearts of those who fight these fires for us. This is a complex book, and I can't begin to get into the entire plot and all it's varied textures. You will have to read it for yourself, and I suggest that you read all the books in this series. Ms. Crombie should not be missed by those of us who love a well-crafted mystery.

Rating:
Summary: A Gem of a Book
Review: Deborah Crombie has done it again! Her descriptions are vivid and intriguing. Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid join up for yet another mystery. Several stories going on here and they blend beautifully. In the end I felt a loss and sorrow at the lives lost and affected.

Duncan resolves his intent to keep his son and wins his son's affection. Lovely. A wonderful book and a wonderful story.

I have read all Ms Crombie's book and they are all worth the read.

Rating:
Summary: Great setting, engaging characters, many mysteries
Review: Deborah Crombie succeeds on at least three levels in the continuation of the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series.

First, she skillfully develops the historic and contemporary meaning of Southwark, where the story is set. Architectural details, anomalies of language, and anecdotes of days gone by provide a rich and believeable backdrop. Yet the setting informs, rather than overwhelms, the story: no risk of drowning in meaningless detail.

Second, the plot nests several mysteries without requiring all the characters to run into each other. Though nuanced, the questions at the story's center differentiate themselves sufficiently to make the reader follow closely the final pages. It would be hard not to care about how each problem resolves and Crombie conscientiously wraps up each of the plots.

The primary reason to care so much about the plots is that the characters, both familiar and those making one-time appearances in the series, show rich diversity in character and within characterizations. About the few characters who lack depth, the reader is likely to think simply that -- well, they lack depth. It is true in life, so why not in fiction? But most of the personalities show the range of how well and how poorly people respond to difficulty. Their interactions are anything but predictable.

When I pick up a book by this author, I always mean to make it last because I savor the tensions between characters, being immersed in the sights and sounds and smells of a foreign place, and the lovely economy of language in dialog and description, alike. And Deborah Crombie does not shirk from putting out a multi-course feast for the mystery reader. The problem, though, is that the stories she creates invariably drive me into turning pages. I tend to finish her books quickly because my curiosity drives me on, even as I want the story to last longer and longer.

A tiny criticism: a personal subplot has strung out over several books. It seems artificial that it remains unresolved. But that's a fly in the neighborhood -- hardly a fly even near the soup of this exciting and interesting book.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner from Deborah Crombie
Review: Deborah Crombie's latest brings back the team of Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James in a multi-textured, suspenseful tale.

Ranging from arson burnings, a missing child and the twin crises within Kincaid's and James' relationship and mixed family, the story moves quickly to a conclusion that leaves much room for the continuation and further development of their ongoing problems/issues for future books. Her characters have the happy knack of growing with each of her tales.

Crombie is a master at creating a moody, multi-layered story that carries one along and leaves the reader somewhat satisfied but also eagerly anticipating the next foray for her attractive, quite human characters.

A great read!


Rating:
Summary: A kaleidoscope of intrigue, arson, and murder.
Review: Deborah Crombie's latest Gemma James/Duncan Kincaid mystery, "In a Dark House," is a blend of three or four plot lines that seem unrelated but eventually converge. Reading this novel is like looking through the lens of a kaleidoscope and wondering when the swirling colors and shapes will settle into a recognizable pattern. Fortunately, Crombie is highly skilled at developing character and an expert at juggling all of her plot elements, and she carries the reader along effortlessly.

Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid have settled into their new house with their children, Kit and Toby. Although they are not married, Gemma and Duncan are a committed couple who have weathered many difficult times together. Their main worry now is an impending court battle against Kit's maternal grandmother, who has filed suit to gain custody of her thirteen-year-old grandson. Kit's grandmother, Eugenia, claims that Duncan and Gemma, who are both Scotland Yard detectives, are too busy with their professional lives to take proper care of a child. Neither Gemma nor Duncan have any intention of surrendering Kit without a fight.

"In a Dark House" is chock full of suspense and criminal mischief. Superintendent Kincaid has been asked by his boss to investigate a suspicious fire and a homicide, which may or may not be connected. As a favor to Winnie Montfort, the wife of Duncan's cousin, Gemma looks into the sudden disappearance of a hospital administrator who had been sharing a house with Winnie's friend. Later, both Duncan and Gemma are on the trail of a child abductor who has kidnapped a young girl but has not made a ransom demand.

In lesser hands, this novel might have degenerated into a confusing and melodramatic jigsaw puzzle with too many pieces. However, Crombie masterfully delineates each character clearly and succinctly, and she weaves the various plot threads together with a sure and deft touch. Gemma and Duncan are wonderful protagonists. They are brilliant and dedicated detectives, but they have learned over the years that it is a mistake to always put your job ahead of your family.

The large cast of vivid characters includes Fanny Liu, a paralyzed woman who is panic-stricken when her flatmate, Elaine disappears, Rose Kearney, a young and ambitious firefighter who has the instincts of a keen fire investigator, and Dr. Tony Novak, whose bitter divorce from his wife, Laura, has put his beloved daughter, Harriet, at risk. The villains are evil and chilling, and there are many twists and turns to keep the reader turning pages at a fast clip.

As always, it is amazing that an American author like Crombie perfectly captures British dialect and atmosphere. Her great success as a novelist, however, stems from her deep understanding of human nature and her ability to tell engrossing stories that combine action, drama, poignancy, and tragedy. She carefully leaves some loose ends untied, and I look forward to her addressing some of them in the next installment of this wonderful series.

Rating:
Summary: Truly "Jamesian"
Review: Many current writers of mystery fiction have been hailed as "the heir to P.D. James." I believe that Deborah Crombie is the only person writing today who can come close to meriting that title. With each book she comes closer to equalling the depth and clarity of style of P.D. James -- while creating characters of her own. Each book in her series is literally better than the last, with In a Dark House stretching beyond genre fiction, just as P.D. James so often does. The fire symbolism, from one character's homemade candles to the burning of the warehouse that begins the story, is rich and powerful. Can't wait for the next one.

Rating:
Summary: She's done it again!
Review: Teriffic story: well dilineated, likeable characters; clever interweaving plots; hard to put down. If this is the first of hers you've read it is a good stand-alone story, but gains depth if you have read the earlier ones. Kincaid and Jamea are very well developed, complex and likeable characters, Keep it up, Ms. Crombie!!

Rating:
Summary: This book is superb -- the best Crombie yet
Review: The literary merit of this mystery is very high -- as good if not better as anything P.D. James or Elizabeth George has written. Several plots intertwine deftly in a rather complex (but not so complex you have trouble following it) plot. I listened to the CD version, read beautifully, and that forced me to hear the story in a measured pace rather than rushing through the book to find out what happened next. The temptation will be to hurry through this book to find out what happens, but it's a book worth savoring.

The plots involve several missing women -- including a child -- and an unidentified body of a woman found in a burned out warehouse. In addition to Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid, who both get involved in this although they are working in separate offices of Scotland Yard, a new "detective" character is added -- a young firefighter named Rose whose interest is in arson investigation. She suspects that this seemingly natural fire is anything but.

My only criticism has to do with my impatience with the subplot involving Kit -- I'm tiring of it and wish the author would resolve this family problem, which apparently interests her more than it does me.

But on the whole, I think this is a book you may want to keep and suspect it will be winning some awards.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: The story starts with a fire in an abandoned warehouse owned by a local MP. There is a charred corpse of a female victim found in the wreckage of the warehouse. Due to the political sensitivity of the case, Superintendent Duncan Kincaid from the Scotland Yard is called to investigate. In a seemingly unrelated case, Duncan's lover, Gemma James is asked by a local minister to investigate the disappearance of a parishioner's flatmate. In another parallel story, a child is missing after a parental abduction is screwed up.

This is one of the best books I have read in quite awhile. There are a lot of storylines, and the author skillfully intertwines them without confusing the reader. Duncan and Gemma are two of the most realistic and engaging characters written in the crime genre. Their story is almost as interesting as the mystery plot and that was compelling enough. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.


Rating:
Summary: Crombie is better than P.D. James
Review: When I read a book, I do not want to be assaulted by unrefined language or subject matter - for these things I can go to the movies or watch television. Deborah Crombie's books combine absorbing plots and interesting/sympathetic protangonists with intelligent language - perfect! Crombie has been compared favorably to P.D. James, but I rate her higher than James because, let's face it, P.D. James injects a great deal of nasty subject matter and immoral plot resolutions in her books (albeit the language is classy). I like Crombie so much that I buy her books in hardcover!