To Dwell in Darkness (Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Series #16)

by Deborah Crombie

Overview

In the tradition of Elizabeth George, Louise Penny, and P. D. James, New York Times bestselling author Deborah Crombie delivers a powerful tale of intrigue, betrayal, and lies that will plunge married London detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James into the unspeakable darkness that lies at the heart of murder.

Recently transferred to the London borough of Camden from Scotland Yard headquarters, Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his new murder investigation team are called to a deadly bombing at historic St. Pancras Station. By fortunate coincidence, Melody Talbot, Gemma's trusted colleague, witnesses the explosion. The victim was taking part in an organized protest, yet the other group members swear the young man only meant to set off a smoke bomb. As Kincaid begins to gather the facts, he finds every piece of the puzzle yields an unexpected pattern, including the disappearance of a mysterious bystander.

The bombing isn't the only mystery troubling Kincaid. He's still questioning the reasons behind his transfer, and when his former boss--who's been avoiding him--is attacked, those suspicions deepen. With the help of his former sergeant, Doug Cullen, Melody Talbot, and Gemma, Kincaid begins to untangle the truth. But what he discovers will leave him questioning his belief in the job that has shaped his life and his values--and remind him just how vulnerable his precious family is.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062271617
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/09/2015
Series:	Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Series , #16
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	124,874
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Deborah Crombie is a native Texan who has lived in both England and Scotland. She now lives in McKinney, Texas, sharing a house that is more than one hundred years old with her husband, two cats, and two German shepherds.

Editorial Reviews

The unmasking of the killer was chilling but Ms. Crombie’s setup for the next book is just as cold… TO DWELL IN DARKNESS is a fitting title to the mystery of murder and for what may be happening next.

Romance Junkies

As always, the characters have rich personal lives, and their interaction makes the story more nuanced and compelling.

Contra Costa Times

09/15/2014
Early in bestseller Crombie's exciting 16th Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James mystery, a white phosphorous grenade—initially mistaken for a harmless smoke bomb—fatally hits a street protester at London's St. Pancras International railway station. Others in the station crowd suffer injury, including some of Duncan and Gemma's police colleagues. The search for the victim's identity leads to the mysterious Ryan Marsh, an ex-cop gone underground for reasons that are never made clear. As usual, Crombie thoroughly immerses the reader in the crime solving, as well as the home lives of those trying to solve the crime, including friends, children, dogs, and a litter of stray kittens. As the protest at St. Pancras was against the destruction of London's architectural heritage, the city's tube and train stations, as well as various other landmarks, figure prominently in the story. Best of all, the eerily open ending sets the stage for the next installment. Author tour. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary Agency. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

enriched by a wealth of detail about St. Pancras’ history and architecture that would do Margaret Truman proud.” — Kirkus Reviews

“The unmasking of the killer was chilling but Ms. Crombie’s setup for the next book is just as cold… TO DWELL IN DARKNESS is a fitting title to the mystery of murder and for what may be happening next.” — Romance Junkies

“As always, the characters have rich personal lives, and their interaction makes the story more nuanced and compelling.” — Contra Costa Times

From the Publisher

In her sixteenth Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James mystery, Deborah Crombie sets up a convoluted puzzle, and Gerard Doyle’s performance keeps listeners riveted. At St. Pancras Station, in the midst of a music concert, a white phosphorus grenade explodes, injuring many and proving fatal for the man holding the grenade. Doyle’s intensity reflects the urgency Scotland Yard Superintendent Kincaid faces as he tries to fit the confusing pieces of the attack together. DI James, meanwhile, is involved with a murder/kidnapping, while at home she deals with the couple’s children, who have rescued a cat and her four starving kittens. Doyle softens his delivery for Gemma and is convincing as the children connive to keep the cats. Crombie’s plotting is credible, fast paced, and smart, and Doyle’s narration is terrific, as always. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2014 - AudioFile

2014-08-28
Sent down from Scotland Yard to Camden CID, Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid (No Mark upon Her, 2012, etc.) must deal with a bombing that disrupts a musical event in London's storied St. Pancras station. Well, not exactly a bombing. Anti-development activist Matthew Quinn and his mates from Save London's History intend only to create a scene by tossing a smoke bomb into the St. Pancras International festivities headlined by DS Melody Talbot's guitarist boyfriend, Andy Monahan, and singer Poppy Jones. Somewhere along the line, the smoke bomb morphs into a white phosphorous grenade—"an incendiary device, not an explosive"—and that's what goes off in the station, spewing flames that seriously injure Tam Moran, Andy's manager, and kill a man too badly burned to be readily identified. The surviving members of Save London's History think the dead man must be Ryan Marsh, the mysterious fellow traveler who'd agreed to throw the smoke bomb. But further evidence dug up by Kincaid's new team, whose members inevitably have their own internal differences, suggests that Marsh is still alive and that the victim must be someone else. As Kincaid presses forward, his wife, DI Gemma James, labors to build a case against electronics shop clerk Dillon Underwood for kidnapping, raping and murdering 12-year-old Mercy Johnson. This second case, however, is less absorbing than the dilemma the Kincaid-James children are having over what to do with the cat and four newborn kittens they've found starving and freezing in a locked shed. The midgrade mystery is enriched by a wealth of detail about St. Pancras' history and architecture that would do Margaret Truman proud.

Kirkus Reviews