I think it's clear that you can count on Crombie to come through with a fine, serviceable and well-crafted mystery. She is not going to win the Nobel for Literature since mysteries are only appreciated by those who "get it", but Crombie is a first-rate practicioner of good mysteries.

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.

"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.

After and inauspicious beginning, Crombie's Kincaid/James series improves with every book. 'Mourn Not Your Dead', 4th in the series, is as good a police procedural you're likely to find.

Crombie uses her characters and plot in some unexpected and interesting ways. This installment's victim is a senior police officer. Crombie uses this instance to shed light on the inner workings of the Met. The case is set in an English country village and Crombie uses the setting to give us a new look into English country life. The intersecting lives and loss of life in this village are presented in fresh, never predictable and, one senses, quite accurate ways.

Sometimes, mystery/crime series can be a bit like watching 'Touched by an Angel'. The formula never varies, the pace never varies, characters are predictable and two-dimensional at best. You will feel mad, glad, sad and afraid at all the usual points. This is NOT SO with Crombie's Kincaid/James series, especially installments 3 and 4.

I'm on to #5 in the series "Dreaming of the Bones" which was a NY Times Notable Book of the year when it was published -- a rare acheivement by a crime series novel. If Crombie stays on track -- and the Times's opinion indicates she has -- this should be a winner.

This is a fine series. It took quite a while to get the clues which are there, but they aren't! Gemma begins to come around too. Reading these fine mysteries in order is helpful especially waiting on long lines at the airport. The British feeling is so there! The characters are interesting. Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James are very human and its fun to watch their progress.

If you like well-plotted, well-written police procedurals served up with a healthy dollop of character-driven writing, pick up this and all the other books is this engaging series. You'll find yourself equally interested in the solving the crime and in the personal relationship between crime-fighting partners Gemma James and Duncan Kinkaid.

Deborah Crombie's first book A Share in Death in her series about Scotland Yard detective Duncan Kincaid and his Sergeant Gemma James shows great promise for the series. Duncan is taking advantage of a vacation at a timeshare in Yorkshire which his cousin has offered him. He looks forward to the week away from his professional responsibilities. Unfortunately, it soon becomes apparent that it will not be as relaxing as planned when Duncan discovers a body in the jacuzzi. Duncan realizes that he will have to participate in some capacity with the investigation for it to be resolve successfully.

It is a classic plot for a mystery with all of the suspects in one spot and forced to examine each others motives. People's mistakes lead them in to further danger. They begin to suspect each other and emotions heighten . To aid in the investigation, Duncan sends his capable sergeant Gemma on a fact-finding tour about the resident guests of the time share.

Characters are done with interest and the reader is caught up hoping that some are not involved in the felony and that others will not perish. Crombie skillfully uncovers a bit of information at a time until it is clear who the culprit is and there is the right amount of tension in hoping for apprehension.

At the conclusion of the book the reader is ready to read the next of the series.

A delightful, intelligent first novel. Duncan Kincaid is a likeable Scotland Yard detective and Gemma James is promising. I think I've hit on a whole new detective series. Martha Grimes, move over and Deb Crombie is a Texan! I was fooled and delighted! Read the publisher's review and enjoy the book. On to the next one! Air travel made so much easier now!

This is the first Deborah Crombie mystery that I have read. It won't be the last! Duncan Kincaid is a very likeable Scotland Yard Superintendant. I get the feeling that he likes women for their own sake, and not simply because of physical attraction. The mystery itself is well plotted and provides an opportunity for the reader to deduce the murderer. I did not, but the clues were all there as the story unfolded about Kincaid's holiday at a time-share property in Yorkshire. This book has the authentic quality of an English mystery, but the author is an American. I recommend it as an excellent read.

Except for Martha Grimes, I don't usually go in for English mystery series, the sort of thing with continuing characters and starring a Scotland Yard investigator, nor have I read any others in this series. But I can see why this novel was voted a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and why it was nominated for both the Edgar and the Agatha.

Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid has been divorced for twelve years, his life is ticking right along, and he has a nicely developing romance with his sergeant, Gemma James. And then he hears from his ex-wife, Victoria, now a professor of modern English poetry at Cambridge, who has been researching a biography of Lydia Brooke, who died in what Victoria has come to believe are suspicious circumstances a few years before. She wants Duncan's help, and he agrees, to Gemma's consternation. Sounds like a pretty routine plot, doesn't it? It's not, believe me. Where most writers in this genre concentrate on the plot, with characters who are less than three-dimensional, or (again, like Martha Grimes) develop wonderful characters but tend to stint the mystery itself, Crombie succeeds very well at both. Duncan and Gemma and Victoria all come alive, as do the supporting players, and you won't guess at the solution to the mystery until the denouement, either. By the end of the book, Duncan's life has become permanently more complicated, and I want to know what happens next! (Obviously, I'm going to have to go back and read the first four books in this series before tackling the sixth one.)

Deborah Crombie gives a nice comfortable mystery story with several detours for one to ponder. Characters are very interesting people. This story was strange but well written. It kept my interest. Kincaid and Gemma's relationship is moving along nicely. On to the next.

So how can an author keep the readers interested in the two main characters after they become romantically involved with each other? For Deborah Crombie, it is easy. Bring in Duncan's ex-wife with a several-year-old murder masquerading as a suicide, her 11 year-old son, another murder, and still tie in Duncan and Gemma's explorations of their new relationship. This is a book about shattered dreams, new expectations, surprise revelations, and distorted relationships.

DREAMING OF THE BONES is, at times, funny, extremely sad, touching, and infuriating. It is Crombie's most emotionally complex book yet. I couldn't put it down and read it cover-to-cover in one sitting. Enjoy!

I was very disappointed in this book! I have loved the others in the series, and I re-read them in the two weeks preceding my purchase of this book. I found myself much more interested in Duncan and Gemma's personal problems than in the murder. They both are so likable, I want things to work out for them. Why was Gemma being so cold to Duncan? Why wasn't she helping him out a little with Kit? "Welcome to single-parenthood" seems a little unworthy of a young woman who has been struggling so hard to stay afloat herself. Duncan always tried to be supportive of her when she was having problems. And why is she looking around at other men? Neither of the characters seemed to be themselves in this book, and I think their strong personalities and their normality are what sets this series apart. Even Duncan's boss seemed to be edgy and not his reasonable self! The mystery of Annabelle's murder was much too convoluted, and the solution was totally unbelievable. Way too many characters!

I am reading this series in succession and very much enjoying it.
You've read the synopsis of the book. The story weaves back and forth, somewhat convoluted. Gemma almost strays with Gordon. Some may be disappointed in this but really, should Kincaid have all the delicious temptations before he realizes Gemma is the ONE! The solution was surprising, but DC had to find a murderer and it was different. I thought the ending(s)tightened up nicely. I always like to know what happens to everyone. A quick read!

I guess I'm lucky because this was my first Deborah Crombie novel, so I couldn't compare it to earlier "better" works as I read it. I enjoyed it so much, however, I checked out all the other Crombie novels from the library and read them. I can see a definite progession in her writing (not the story line between the two detectives but actual improvement in her ability to develop her characters.) She seems to write more and more satisfying novels as she goes along.

While I read "Kissed a Sad Goodbye" I pulled out one of my maps of London, and followed the trail. This may have helped me enjoy it. I like to follow maps while I read if the author is naming and describing places. I also may have enjoyed the book more because I was in the Docklands in last fall, and walked the tunnel under the Thames to Greenwich and through the little village itself. I had wanted to see the tunnel since I read P.D. James novel "Original Sin". Mudchute was also featured in "Playing for the Ashes" written by Elizabeth George, and I think the area was captured in the film "Career Girls" too.

Also, I am an inveterate tea drinker and fan, so I loved the description of the tea business.

Because of this board I found Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James mystery series by Deborah Crombie. This author is from Texas but writes like a British author. This is my second in the series and am I glad to have found it. I am adding her to my collection of P. D. James, Minette Walters, Ngaio Marsh and Elizabeth George and Dick Francis. Excellent story - you can feel the British landscape, smell the aroma of hot, brewing tea. A comfortable read. On to the next installment..

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and was very impressed with the author's ability to develop her characters in such a way that the reader is almost distracted from the "mystery" and becomes involved entirely with the characters. She also is very descriptive and insightful in even the smallest details of the story. I will definitely seek out her other books.

I have been reading Crombie's series for some time now, and "A Finer End" is one of her best efforts. In this new mystery, Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid is summoned by his cousin, Jack Montfort, to provide help with a sensitive matter. Winnie Catesby, an Anglican priest and Jack's lover, has been hit by a car and left for dead. Was this an accident or a deliberate attempt at murder? Jack wants Duncan to look into the case and give his professional opinion. Gemma James, Duncan's lover and former partner, has been promoted to Inspector, a move that has caused a rift between Gemma and Duncan. Gemma comes with Duncan to Glastonbury, where Jack lives, to get away from the pressures of her new job for a few days. Glastonbury is a town that features the ruins of an ancient abbey. It is also a tourist attraction for New Agers who come to get in touch with the powerful spiritual forces that are reputed to be centered there. Crombie's book features a fascinating cast of characters, including Simon Fitzstephen, a Church scholar with dark secrets and Garnet Todd, an eccentric woman who is terrified of the forces of darkness that she believes are present in Glastonbury. Soon after Winnie's "accident," another resident of the town is murdered. Kincaid and James get embroiled in the passions of a place where feelings of fear and anger have been festering for many years. "A Finer End" is a psychological mystery that is also rich in history, spirituality and romance. The mystery is intriguing and satisfying, with enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing until the end. I recommend "A Finer End" for fans of atmospheric British police procedurals.

While not strictly a historical mystery, this seventh outing for Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James has historical elements.

When Kincaid, a Scotland Yard Detective Superintendant, is called by his cousin, Jack Montifort, to help discover who ran down Anglican priest Winifred Catesby and nearly killed her. Kincaid reluctantly agrees to talk to a few people and asks his former partner, the newly promoted Inspector James, to accompany him to Glastonbury. Once there, Montifort tells them that he has been in contact with an 800-year-old priest who wants him to do something, but he's not yet sure what. When another woman is killed, Kincaid moves into high gear.

Crombie has once again written a beautifully rendered mystery. The plot is intricate, but not so intricate as to be incomprehensible. She is able to move the story along at a sprightly pace despite several characters, including the long-dead priest. This is a fascinating read both from a historical perspective, Crombie is adept at giving you history without making it the focal point, and from a mystery perspective, why would anyone want to run down an Anglican priest and kill a ceramicist?

This book has it all - character development (once again Kincaid and James' relationship is changing), plot, mystery, procedural, and good old-fashioned great writing. Do not pass this series and this entry into the series

This is the seventh Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James outing in a series that is one of the best being written today.

When Kincaid, a Scotland Yard Detective Superintendant, is called by his cousin, Jack Montifort, to help discover who ran down Anglican priest Winifred Catesby and nearly killed her. Kincaid reluctantly agrees to talk to a few people and asks his former partner, the newly promoted Inspector James, to accompany him to Glastonbury. Once there, Montifort tells them that he has been in contact with an 800-year-old priest who wants him to do something, but he's not yet sure what. When another woman is killed, Kincaid moves into high gear.

Crombie has once again written a beautifully rendered mystery. The plot is intricate, but not so intricate as to be incomprehensible. She is able to move the story along at a sprightly pace despite several characters, including the long-dead priest. This is a fascinating read both from a historical perspective, Crombie is adept at giving you history without making it the focal point, and from a mystery perspective, why would anyone want to run down an Anglican priest and kill a ceramicist?

This book has it all - character development (once again Kincaid and James' relationship is changing), plot, mystery, procedural, and good old-fashioned great writing. Do not pass this series and this entry into the series by.

While this story began with an interesting murder, the middle 3/5 of the book dragged on and on. No clues to where Kincaid was heading, just endless discussions of clothes, tea sets, pub food....I really thought it would never end. Not my favorite of hers...the third I have read.

She had me hooked before the end of the first chapter. Great style and character development. That is for the first 3/4 of the book. The last 1/4 must have been written by a 13 year old without very much talent.

Deborah Crombie's work is not up to the level of Ruth Rendell's or Elizabeth George's, but she is a talented writer in the British tradition of police procedurals. In Crombie's novel, "Leave the Grave Green," Inspector Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James investigate the murder of a young man named Connor Swann, who drowned under mysterious circumstances. Both Kincaid and James are divorced and afraid of relationships, and Crombie explores the tentative nature of their mutual attraction very nicely. The murder investigation is engrossing; it plays out interestingly and realistically. Crombie depicts her characters with a sharp understanding of human nature and, in her own quiet way, she delivers a murder mystery that satisfies. I love Inspector Kincaid and Sergeant James. They are marvelous characters who are vulnerable working people struggling to make a place for themselves both professionally and personally. I am looking forward to more books featuring Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James.