About
Reviews
Search
Submit
Home

Mystery Books for Sale

[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]


  

TO DWELL IN DARKNESS
by Deborah Crombie
William Morrow, September 2014
326 pages
$25.99
ISBN: 0062271601


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

TO DWELL IN DARKNESS, the latest installment in Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series, has everything Crombie's fans love: plenty of suspense, nice pacing, a good mystery, and above all, great characters.

But you don't have to be a long-time reader of the series to enjoy this book. Newcomers will find plenty to like as well, and Crombie deftly fills in necessary details of the characters' backgrounds and relationships without giving away anything from previous books so new readers are quickly brought up to speed, while those more familiar with the series will recognize several continuing plot lines that give these likable characters room to grow.

While continuing character development is a big draw, equally appealing are the mysteries around which these characters revolve. This novel primarily belongs to Duncan, and he struggles to adapt to a new team while trying to solve an horrific crime which leaves a man burned beyond recognition in the middle of St. Pancras station. Duncan diligently follows the clues that lead to a group of protestors, each of whom is hiding a secret from the group, and that, in turn, leads to plenty of mistrust and uneasy alliances. Meanwhile, Gemma is in the midst of solving the rape and murder of a young girl, Kit and Toby do a little breaking and entering to save a mother cat and her kittens, and Melody and Doug work behind the scenes to assist Duncan. In other words, there is a lot of action - both in the workplace and on the home front - and many of the characters from previous books make an appearance. And while the central mysteries do get wrapped up by the end, several story lines are left open-ended, promising more intrigue in the future.

Crombie has repeatedly been praised for her ability to create strong characters by weaving elements of everyday life into police investigations, and she continues to live up to that justly earned reputation in this novel. But while Crombie's ability to create characters readers want to follow may be her biggest strength, it isn't her only strength. She also builds the tension so necessary to a good mystery and creates a lot of realism by grounding the reader in various London neighborhoods with closely observed details (the endpapers also feature the signature maps Crombie's fans have come to expect) and true-to-life situations. Plus, she even introduces nice touches of London history - all elements her followers have come to look for. Overall, TO DWELL IN DARKNESS is sure to please Crombie's established fans, earn her new ones, and give her series added momentum.

§ Meredith Frazier, a writer with a background in English literature, lives in Dallas, Texas

Reviewed by Meredith Frazier, October 2014

[ Top ]


QUICK SEARCH:

 

Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]