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Leave the Grave Green (Duncan Kincaid / Gemma James, Bk 3)
Leave the Grave Green - Duncan Kincaid / Gemma James, Bk 3 Author:Deborah Crombie When a body is discovered floating in a Thames river lock one damp and dreary morning, Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James are summoned from Scotland Yard to the Chiltern Hills outside of London. A drowning in the countryside doesn't ordinarily merit Scotland Yard's attention, but the dead man is Connor Swann, son-in-law of Si... more »r Gerald Asherton, a renowned operatic conductor, and Dame Caroline Stowe, a celebrated and beloved soprano. And prints on the corpse's neck suggest that Connor Swann didn't just fall in the river after two many pints; in fact, he may have been strangled.
Kincaid and Gemma soon discover that his is not the first tragedy to strike the Ashertons -- twenty years earlier their twelve-year-old son, Matthew, a musical prodigy, drowned in a swollen stream on a cold November afternoon while walking home from school with his sister, Julia. The memory of the talented and charming Matthew lingers, haunting the Ashertons' elegant estate. His sister Julia's life has been shaped by the incident. Now, estranged from her husband, she remains the black sheep of the family, a painter rather than a musician. At first it seems that Julia had good reason to leave Conner Swann -- he was a bit too fond of the ladies and the horses for his own good. But Kincaid and Gemma suspect that Connor may not have been such a scoundrel after all, and that none of the family's relationships are as simple as they appear on the surface.
As the threads of the case become more tangled, Kincaid and Gemma explore the quiet beech woods above the Thames as well as the glamorous world of London opera in search of answers. And when Kincaid finds himself dangerously drawn to one of the suspects, he and Gemma must sort out their complicated feelings for each other.« less
A nice series of modern-day British who-done-it mysteries and this installment is no exception. The characters are likeable and the books are pretty well written. A quick and satisfying read.
Like the Anne Perry Monk series, I am enjoying following the development of the relationship between Gemma and Duncan. Great
detective/mystery books by Crombie.
When Connor Swann, the dissolute son-in-law of renowned and influential Sir Gerald and Dame Caroline Asherton, is found floating in a Thames River lock, the circumstances eerily recall a strangely similar tragedy. Twenty years ago, the Ashertons' young son, Matthew, a musical prodigy, drowned in a swollen stream while in the company of his sister Julia -- Connor Swann's wife. Police Superintendant Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James quickly discover that Connor's death was no accident, and that nothing in the Asherton family is as it seems. Connor, though estranged from Julia for more than a year, still lives in her London apartment, where his exploits with women and gambling suggest plenty of motives. The Ashertons are far more attached to Connor than to their own daughter, and these are only the first of the secrets that haunt the suspects. New lies cover older lies, as Kincaid finds himself dangerously drawn to Julia Swann, and Gemma must confront her own troubling feelings for Kincaid.
This is the 3rd book in the series and it was very good. I find the character of Superentendent Duncan Kincaid kind, considerate and yet complicated. Each book has new characters and different plots that maintain it suspense and mystery. In this book, the dissolute son-in-law of influential Sir Gerald Asherton, is found floating in a Thames River lock. Kincaid suspects it was not suicide but murder...and so begins his investigation. VG
I just finished this book - my Mom is a big mystery person and gave it to me- I enjoyed the ride to the end! I thought, several times that I had the person figured out. But I was wrong. As this is my first book I missed the lead up romance of Duncan/Gemma but enjoyed their give and take in this one.
This is one of the authors that I keep forgetting about. I finish one of series and can't figure out why it has been on my shelf gathering dust! Usually, I have the "bad guy" figured out waaaay before the revealing but this one just caught me. Maybe I just wsn't paying attention but I was pleasantly amused. Great read, great writing.
#3 in the Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James series. Another enjoyable, very difficult to put down entry in the series--if I'd had the next one here I probably would have just kept on reading! I like that both Kincaid and his Sergeant, Gemma James, are featured with regard to their investigations as well as their personal lives and both are becoming more and more 'real' to me with each reading. The mysteries are also well-plotted, and I especially enjoy that I don't spot the killer the moment they are introduced into the book. Sometimes I'm able to figure it out by stumbling over a well-placed clue or two, but not usually too far in advance. This has become one of my favorite series and I can't wait to read more.
