bru922's review against another edition
5.0
Another excellent installment in the Kincaid/James story! I love these characters and Ms. Crombie's an excellent story teller! I love police procedurals - especially the British ones and Ms. Crombie never disappoints!
house_full_of_books's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
myrdyr's review against another edition
4.0
3.85/5 stars. Not my favourite in the series, but I still enjoyed it.
ellarymt's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
eawsmom's review against another edition
4.0
The newest entry in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series finds Gemma drawn into a murder investigation by a friend. A young woman is found dead in an enclosed garden in London; the garden is only accessible through a locked door or through the houses of those who live around it. Gemma's friend MacKenzie calls her to help at the beginning of the case because the victim is a model for MacKenzie's company; thanks to her husband's connections, Gemma is seconded to the case even though it is in a different jurisdiction.
While Gemma is trying to sort through the details of the case and determine what happened to the young woman, Duncan has his own set of problems to face. By chance, he discovers that his former boss, Denis Childs, has returned to London after a lengthy absence. After a clandestine meeting with Duncan, Childs is set upon and left for dead. Duncan makes connections between this attack and the apparent suicide of an undercover officer and begins to realize that all is far from well within the Met. Duncan's unease over the apparent corruption results in him distancing himself from Gemma in hopes of keeping her and the children safe.
Both cases are brought to a satisfactory conclusion, and Duncan and Gemma look to be on the way to a well-deserved reconciliation. (My hope is that future books will be devoid of conspiracy theories and Gemma and Duncan can simply concentrate on solving murders as they have done in the past.) This book can be read out of order, as the author does a good job of filling in details which a new reader might missed. However, as with most any books featuring ongoing characters, it will be enjoyed the most when taken in order.
While Gemma is trying to sort through the details of the case and determine what happened to the young woman, Duncan has his own set of problems to face. By chance, he discovers that his former boss, Denis Childs, has returned to London after a lengthy absence. After a clandestine meeting with Duncan, Childs is set upon and left for dead. Duncan makes connections between this attack and the apparent suicide of an undercover officer and begins to realize that all is far from well within the Met. Duncan's unease over the apparent corruption results in him distancing himself from Gemma in hopes of keeping her and the children safe.
Both cases are brought to a satisfactory conclusion, and Duncan and Gemma look to be on the way to a well-deserved reconciliation. (My hope is that future books will be devoid of conspiracy theories and Gemma and Duncan can simply concentrate on solving murders as they have done in the past.) This book can be read out of order, as the author does a good job of filling in details which a new reader might missed. However, as with most any books featuring ongoing characters, it will be enjoyed the most when taken in order.
cj_mo_2222's review against another edition
5.0
The death of a young person is always a tragedy, but it’s even worse when it’s murder. Reagan Keating was working as a nanny for a divorced mom and her son when her body is discovered in a private garden in Notting Hill. The lead detective DI Kerry Boatman asks Gemma James for help with the case since she has a slight connection to the family. While Gemma is busy trying to solve the case before a killer strikes again, she doesn’t have time to deal with the fact that her husband, Duncan Kincaid, has been acting very distant. What she doesn’t know is he is trying to protect her. Duncan has become aware of corruption at the top levels of New Scotland Yard and he soon figures out that what he knows could cost him or his family their lives.
The Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series gets better with each book. The plots of each new book remain fresh and unique. Garden of Lamentations is a book that will equally satisfy readers familiar with the series and those who haven’t since it reads like a standalone novel, even though it’s part of a long-running series. The author does a great job of including just the right amount of time focused on Gemma and Duncan’s work as detectives as well as their personal lives. Gemma and Duncan must balance their careers with their responsibilities caring for their three children. Sometimes the couple works on cases in which their investigations overlap, but this time they are working on two completely separate cases.
As Duncan discreetly investigates the possibility of internal corruption, the need for secrecy puts a strain on his relationship with Gemma. However, this gives the reader a chance to see both Duncan and Gemma working independently, which highlights each detective’s strengths as investigators. I love each character and was equally invested in both cases. Duncan’s covert detecting and the danger involved gives the book much of its suspense, while Gemma’s murder investigation gives the reader a close-up look at great detective work. Each case has a few twists that will keep you eager to turn the page to find out what happens next, but sorry to see the book end. Fans of this series as well as readers who enjoy authors Faye Kellerman and Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan series will want to read Crombie’s newest novel.
This review was originally written for Smitten by Books blog and review site. (4.5 stars) The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
The Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series gets better with each book. The plots of each new book remain fresh and unique. Garden of Lamentations is a book that will equally satisfy readers familiar with the series and those who haven’t since it reads like a standalone novel, even though it’s part of a long-running series. The author does a great job of including just the right amount of time focused on Gemma and Duncan’s work as detectives as well as their personal lives. Gemma and Duncan must balance their careers with their responsibilities caring for their three children. Sometimes the couple works on cases in which their investigations overlap, but this time they are working on two completely separate cases.
As Duncan discreetly investigates the possibility of internal corruption, the need for secrecy puts a strain on his relationship with Gemma. However, this gives the reader a chance to see both Duncan and Gemma working independently, which highlights each detective’s strengths as investigators. I love each character and was equally invested in both cases. Duncan’s covert detecting and the danger involved gives the book much of its suspense, while Gemma’s murder investigation gives the reader a close-up look at great detective work. Each case has a few twists that will keep you eager to turn the page to find out what happens next, but sorry to see the book end. Fans of this series as well as readers who enjoy authors Faye Kellerman and Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan series will want to read Crombie’s newest novel.
This review was originally written for Smitten by Books blog and review site. (4.5 stars) The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
suzannedix's review against another edition
4.0
I just love Duncan and Gemma and this series is still one I look forward to.
al27caro's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
love the characters in this series
bgg616's review against another edition
4.0
There were a lot of moving parts in this novel and I was at a slight disadvantage as I hadn't read Kincaid and James #16. Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James are police detectives in London. They have three children ranging in age from toddler to teen. They live in Notting Hill (somehow I missed how they came to live in this very upscale neighborhood on police salaries) which puts them in touch with the more privileged segment of England. A neighbor's nanny is found dead in one of the neighborhood's private gardens, known as London's Squares (Crombie provides a history as an appendix to the book which I greatly appreciated). Gemma gets pulled into the investigation of this death. In the meantime, Kincaid, who is still miffed over his transfer out of Scotland Yard, is asked by his former "boss" to meet. He spends the book investigating a colleagues death and is pulled into uncovering a vast conspiracy within Scotland Yard as he investigates the death of a fellow officer, and goes on to investigate other unexplained deaths judged suicides in the police force.
This is another great installment in the series. I gave it 4 stars because I sometimes found it difficult to keep track of so many moving parts.
Crombie is a Texan, but nonetheless she does a great job in this series. Brits may immediately recognize that she is not a "native". I generally avoid novels written by outsiders that depend on creating the feel and sense of a place, country and culture that they do not know deeply. Crombie's series is exception for my rule.
This is another great installment in the series. I gave it 4 stars because I sometimes found it difficult to keep track of so many moving parts.
Crombie is a Texan, but nonetheless she does a great job in this series. Brits may immediately recognize that she is not a "native". I generally avoid novels written by outsiders that depend on creating the feel and sense of a place, country and culture that they do not know deeply. Crombie's series is exception for my rule.