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A Novel
by Deborah Crombie
Book Reviewed by:New York Times bestselling author Deborah Crombie makes her mark with this absorbing, finely hued tale of suspense - a deeply atmospheric and twisting mystery full of deadly secrets, salacious lies, and unexpected betrayals involving the mysterious drowning of a Met detective - an accomplished rower - on the Thames.
When a K9 search and rescue team finds a body tangled up with debris in the Thames, Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid finds himself heading an investigation that could end his career. The victim, Rebecca Meredith, was an Olympic rowing hopeful determined to make a comeback. She was also a detective with the Met - a situation that raises a host of political and ethical issues that complicate the case.
Aided by his wife, Inspector Gemma James, Duncan and his team discover that both Meredith's rowing colleagues and her ex-husband had reason to want her dead. But when someone tries to kill the search-and-rescue team member who found Rebecca's body, the case becomes even more complex and dangerous, involving powerful interests with tentacles that reach deep into the heart of the Met itself.
Surrounded by enemies in friendly faces, pressured to find answers quickly and protect the Yard from rabid media desperate for dirt, his career and reputation on the line, Kincaid must race to catch the killer before more innocent lives are lost - including his own.
CHAPTER ONE
The art of sculling is like any other art. It is perfected only with constant practice so that each movement is graceful and is done correctly without thinking about it.
- George Pocock
Notes on the Sculling Stroke as Performed by
Professional Scullers on the Thames River, England
A glance at the sky made her swear aloud. It was later than she'd
thought, darker than she'd realized. Since the clocks had moved
back, night seemed to fall like a bludgeon, and there was a heavy
wall of cloud moving in from the west, presaging a storm.
Heart thumping, she moved across the cottage's shadowy garden
and through the gate that led out onto the Thames Path. Tendrils of
mist were beginning to rise from the water. The river had a particular
smell in the evenings, damp and alive and somehow primeval.
The gunmetal surface of the water looked placid as a pond, but she
knew that for an illusion. The current, swift here as the river made
its way towards the roar of the weir...
Deborah Crombie's fourteenth book in the Kincaid/James British crime series, No Mark Upon Her, is a favorite among BookBrowse readers; 22 out of 23 people rate it 4 or 5 stars! Here's what they have to say:
This is one of the best mysteries I've read in a long time. The writing is scintillating, the complex criminal investigation is mesmerizing - filled with surprising twists and palpable tension - and the three-dimensional characters are captivating. I loved the English setting, the sculling, which connected with the theme of power and control, and the K9 search-and-rescue team. The juxtaposition of the investigation with the family life of the Detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, married with children, made them more relatable (Amy M). Although you don't have to have read previous books in the series, it is fascinating to watch the evolution of Gemma and her family from the first book through now (Deborah C)...continued
Full Review
(878 words)
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(Reviewed by First Impressions Reviewers).
The Kincaid/James Series
Newcomers to Deborah Crombie's mystery series agree that it is not necessary to have read the previous books to appreciate No Mark Upon Her, but for those who like to read in series order, or who at least would like to know what came before, here's a quick overview:
The Author
Born and raised in and around Dallas, Texas, Deborah Crombie (b. 1952) fell in love with Britain during a post-university trip. Later, having married her first husband, Scotsman Peter Crombie, she spent some years living in Scotland and England before returning to Dallas. She wrote the first Kincaid/James novel in 1993 while working in the family business and raising her daughter. She still lives in Texas with her husband Rick Wilson...
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