Sun 18 Dec 2016
Reviewed by Barry Gardner: DEBORAH CROMBIE – A Share in Death.
Posted by Steve under Reviews[7] Comments
DEBORAH CROMBIE – A Share in Death. Duncan Kincaid #1. Charles Scribner’s Sons, hardcover, 1993. Berkley, paperback, 1994. Avon, paperback, 2003.
This is a first novel set in England, by an ex-resident of Scotland now living in Texas; an intriguing mix. Newly promoted Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid of Scotland Yard is on a well-earned vacation at a cousin’s timeshare in the north of England.
As oft seems to happen to vacationing cops, he has scarcely unpacked his bags when murder is committed — the assistant manager is electrocuted in the spa. The overbearing local head cop wants to call it suicide (for no good reason that I could see) but Duncan knows better. Sure enough it wasn’t, and sure enough there’s another murder, and sure enough Duncan lands right in the middle of it — which the local hates.
This is a good, solid British village mystery. It breaks no new ground, but is well written, and for a first novel, exceptionally so. Kincaid is an engaging protagonist, and his Sergeant, Gemma James, shows promise as well. I found all of the characters believable for the most part, and sharply delineated.
Crombie had Kincaid semi-yearning after every good-looking woman in the story, which I thought was a bit of an unnecessary tease, but that was my only kvetch. The plot was probably the weakest link in the chain, but even that was no worse than average. All told, I read few first novels that show this much promise.
Bibliographic Notes: Barry’s judgment was very much correct. A Share in Death was given Agatha and Macavity nominations for Best First Novel of 1993. With publication of The Garden of Lamentations next year, there will be 17 books in the Duncan Kincaid / Gemma James series.
December 19th, 2016 at 12:20 am
This first one in the series doesn’t sound at all familiar, but I’m sure I read (and enjoyed) at least one of the Kincaid-Gemma James adventures.
Then of course, there have been a lot of male-female Scotland Yard team-ups in recent years, haven’t there? I may be quite confused.
December 19th, 2016 at 9:32 pm
While browsing in the local Barnes & Noble this afternoon, I looked through one of the more recent in the series and discovered that sometime along the way, Kincaid and James have gotten married.
I don’t believe they team up any more, but apparently their cases manage to cross more often than you’d think they should.
December 19th, 2016 at 11:44 pm
I read and enjoyed several without ever getting completely into the series. Well done though.
December 20th, 2016 at 7:16 am
Steve, they do move in together, merge their households and families, and eventually get married. They work separately but, as you’d expect, call each other for help when needed. And yes, sometimes the personal/family stuff is excessive in my view.
I made it through book 12, but may well go back and catch up some day. Or not, as the case may be.
December 20th, 2016 at 1:05 pm
Your last sentence caught my attention. You’re right, or at least I agree with you. Once I stop reading a series, for whatever reason, it’s awfully hard to start up again with it.
There simply too many other books to catch your attention and to read.
December 20th, 2016 at 5:05 pm
There are times when it is nice to go back and “rediscover” a series that you enjoyed and then stopped reading. Makes you wonder why you stopped reading the series in the first place.
December 20th, 2016 at 6:37 pm
I find that sometimes there is one book in a series that I just have trouble with, for one reason or another. I don’t like the premise (the detective is kidnapped and the partner must rescue her/him before the deadline or they will be killed, but since they are the hero/ine of the series you know that death isn’t going to happen; or, the husband drops the wife off at a hotel, parks the car, and when he returns she is gone and everyone insists she was never there in the first place – I hate that plot), or there is just something about the book, perhaps the beginning section, that I just can’t get past. If I’m smart I will just read the next in the series, but as something of a completist I don’t like to skip a book, so sometimes just stop.
There was one Ross Thomas book (non series) I just could not read. I’ve read all the others. Reginald Hill, I couldn’t get into one book and haven’t moved past it, even though I have most of the later ones sitting on the shelf, unread.
It’s just a quirk of mine.
Other times (Sue Grafton, Robert B. Parker, Patricia Cornwell, Janet Evanovich) I’ve just had enough, and have no interest in continuing.