Rating: 
Summary: Superb novel about a series of mysterious deaths.
Review: "And Justice There is None," by Deborah Crombie, is an excellent addition to her mystery series featuring Scotland Yard Detective Duncan Kincaid and Inspector Gemma James. Duncan and Gemma were once partners, but some time ago, their relationship moved beyond the professional. Gemma is now expecting Duncan's child, and they have decided to move into a home together.
Meanwhile, James is investigating the brutal homicide of a lovely young woman named Dawn Arrowood. Dawn had a much older husband and a young lover, and either one might have killed her in a fit of anger or jealousy. The case becomes more complicated when Duncan ties it to a similar unsolved murder. Soon, a third murder occurs, and the pressure is on for James and Kincaid to find the perpetrator quickly. Crombie brings a whole array of characters to vivid life in this novel. There is Dawn's husband, Karl, an antiques dealer who has tried to forget his humble beginnings, and who now behaves with ruthless arrogance. Dawn's lover, Alex, is also an antiques dealer, but, unlike Karl, he is extremely sensitive and emotional. Also figuring in the complicated plot is Angel, a mysterious woman who descends into poverty and hopelessness when her parents die. Suddenly, a handsome man who pretends to be her savior rescues her, but Angel finds out that her rescuer is not the man that he appears to be. All of these people are inextricably bound together, and only by understanding how these and other lives have interconnected in the past, can Duncan and Gemma get to the bottom of the murders. In addition, Duncan's and Gemma's relationship is strained not only by the challenging homicide investigation, but also by the impending changes in their domestic arrangements. "And Justice There is None," is a deeply felt psychological novel that deals with the nature of true love and commitment, as opposed to relationships based on infatuation and manipulation. Crombie also explores one of the favorite themes of mystery writers, namely how the secrets of the past come back to haunt people many years later. This is a well-written and intricate mystery that will enthrall Crombie's fans and leave them eager for the next novel in the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Seeds of Ruin
Review: AJTIN is a meditative mystery which serves as a vehicle for Crombie to muse on how tragedy is often determined by choices in the distant past. She deftly weaves together the experiences of the hero and the murdered in a way that makes a tapestry of shared experience. Written with solid skill and admirably crafted characters, if AJTIN has a flaw, it's in the predictability of the ending and the feeling that the plot is twisted to make a point. But it's really a minor flaw-- recommended for fans of British procedurals and of mystery in general.
Rating:
Summary: richly imagined
Review: Deborah Crombie is a masterful suspense novelist. Her densely plotted "And Justice There is None" is concerned with mothers and babies of several generations. Policewoman Gemma James, whom we have met in earlier Crombie novels, is pregnant with the child of her lover, Duncan Kincaid. He finds a lovely place in Notting Hill to become home to their blended families, including the coming child. The first murder victim, Notting Hill resident Dawn Arrowsmith, is also pregnant with her lover's baby; her husband, wealthy antique dealer Karl, had a vasectomy years ago.(Those readers who saw the Julia Roberts/Hugh Grant film, "Notting Hill", can easily visualize the gentrified neighborhood.) As usual with Crombie's work, the plot quickly thickens and the reader's interest will intensify accordingly. Several mother/child relationships are uncovered as Gemma pursues the killer. (I wonder if Crombie herself was pregnant while writing this book. One would think so.) "And Justice There is None" is a mystery done up to perfection, including authentic British-English (Car Park for parking lot, Inland Revenue for IRS, mobile for cell phone, and so on) despite the fact that Crombie lives in Texas. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: richly imagined
Review: Deborah Crombie is a masterful suspense novelist. Her densely plotted "And Justice There is None" is concerned with mothers and babies of several generations. Policewoman Gemma James, whom we have met in earlier Crombie novels, is pregnant with the child of her lover, Duncan Kincaid. He finds a lovely place in Notting Hill to become home to their blended families, including the coming child. The first murder victim, Notting Hill resident Dawn Arrowsmith, is also pregnant with her lover's baby; her husband, wealthy antique dealer Karl, had a vasectomy years ago.(Those readers who saw the Julia Roberts/Hugh Grant film, "Notting Hill", can easily visualize the gentrified neighborhood.) As usual with Crombie's work, the plot quickly thickens and the reader's interest will intensify accordingly. Several mother/child relationships are uncovered as Gemma pursues the killer. (I wonder if Crombie herself was pregnant while writing this book. One would think so.) "And Justice There is None" is a mystery done up to perfection, including authentic British-English (Car Park for parking lot, Inland Revenue for IRS, mobile for cell phone, and so on) despite the fact that Crombie lives in Texas. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely superb, her best novel yet
Review: Deborah Crombie is one of my favorite authors, and I pounce upon her books (or order them through Amazon) the instant they become available. This book is her best yet. It is gripping, well written, and all too plausible. Ms Crombie handles the difficult literary device of the flashback with immense skill, integrating them beautifully into the current story and giving the reader sufficient hints so that he or she can figure out who the characters in the flashbacks are. Her two main characters are superbly drawn, and I continue to be riveted by the developing relationship between the two detectives. She cleverly figured out a credible way for them to work together in this novel, even though they are no longer in the same district. (This will pose a challenge in future novels.) The London setting of this novel works to perfection, and the minor characters are both beautifully described and appealing. Everyone acts in character in this novel, a truly remarkable achievement. This consistency is probably what gives this book its completely absorbing nature. The suspense was so great, and the need to find out what became of everyone so strong, that I was incapable of doing anything else until I had finished the book! Ms Crombie is an unusual author: each of her books is better than the one before. Usually, particularly with a series, the books have an unfortunate tendency to become weaker. That is not true of this author. She goes from strength to strength.
Rating:
Summary: clever police procedural
Review: Deputy Inspector Gemma James and Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid are finally getting their act together. With a baby on the way, Gemma agrees to buy a house with Duncan so that his son and her son from previous marriages, and their son to be born baby from can live together as a family. In her professional life, Gemma is assigned a high profile murder case to solve as quickly as possible. Dawn Arrowood, a trophy wife married to a rich antiques dealer twice her age, is brutally killed near her home, her throat slit. An autopsy shows that she was six weeks pregnant and since her husband had a vasectomy the probability is it was her lover's child. As Gemma burns the midnight out, Duncan joins the inquiry because there are similarities between this case and one he was investigating a few months ago. The romantic relationship between the two protagonists is developing naturally and creates a sense of continuity throughout the whole series. Deborah Crombie has written a delicious mystery with so many viable suspects that readers really won't have a clue as the identity of the killer is until the stunning climax. AND JUSTICE THERE IS NONE is a clever police procedural as well as an exciting relationship drama. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: clever police procedural
Review: Deputy Inspector Gemma James and Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid are finally getting their act together. With a baby on the way, Gemma agrees to buy a house with Duncan so that his son and her son from previous marriages, and their son to be born baby from can live together as a family. In her professional life, Gemma is assigned a high profile murder case to solve as quickly as possible. Dawn Arrowood, a trophy wife married to a rich antiques dealer twice her age, is brutally killed near her home, her throat slit. An autopsy shows that she was six weeks pregnant and since her husband had a vasectomy the probability is it was her lover's child. As Gemma burns the midnight out, Duncan joins the inquiry because there are similarities between this case and one he was investigating a few months ago. The romantic relationship between the two protagonists is developing naturally and creates a sense of continuity throughout the whole series. Deborah Crombie has written a delicious mystery with so many viable suspects that readers really won't have a clue as the identity of the killer is until the stunning climax. AND JUSTICE THERE IS NONE is a clever police procedural as well as an exciting relationship drama. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: A gripping and superbly written novel
Review: I am a fan of Deborah Crombie, and I pounce on her books the moment they become available. To my astonishment, because her books are so good, this book is even better, something I did not believe was possible. In this novel, Ms Crombie combines terrific characterizations with suspenseful plot. She handles the difficult literary device of the flashback with immense skill, giving out enough hints to allow the reader eventually to figure out who the characters in the flashback are but making the flashbacks, and deciphering them, work with the plot to perfection. The overall plot was so suspenseful that could do nothing else until I had finished the book. Her characters are absorbing and always act true to character, giving the book an integrity that few novels of today succeed in achieving. The relationship between her two detectives continues to deepen, and provides a fascinating framework for the book. Series novels about the same characters have a tendency to become weaker as the series continues. Ms Crombie is a notable exception to this: each of her books, excellent in itself, is still better than its predecessor. (In this respect she is similar to Elizabeth George.) Read this book IMMEDIATELY! If I could give it more than five stars, I would do so without hesitation.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I have read all Ms. Crombie's books and this one retains her excellent standards. Gemma James shines in this book and one has to admire her! The cast is excellent and well drawn. Flashbacks finally, finally become clear and everything falls into place like an enormous puzzle. Kincaid and Gemma move the boys into a house and their relationship slowly progresses. Their first Christmas as a family is marred but they rise above it. It amazes how Deborah Crombie manages to write with such British authority (I smiled at the cheese and pickle sandwich; nice touch. Her books are a comfortable read and she makes everything gel at the end leaving one to anxiously await the next installment. Wonderful reading....
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I have read all Ms. Crombie's books and this one retains her excellent standards. Gemma James shines in this book and one has to admire her! The cast is excellent and well drawn. Flashbacks finally, finally become clear and everything falls into place like an enormous puzzle. Kincaid and Gemma move the boys into a house and their relationship slowly progresses. Their first Christmas as a family is marred but they rise above it. It amazes how Deborah Crombie manages to write with such British authority (I smiled at the cheese and pickle sandwich; nice touch. Her books are a comfortable read and she makes everything gel at the end leaving one to anxiously await the next installment. Wonderful reading....
| 
