alysona's review
I love Duncan and Emma and I want to spend the rest of quarantine listening to their stories.
nmthonet's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
house_full_of_books's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
aleitch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
theorysloth's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
carebear102106's review
5.0
Couldn't put it down! There were multiple story lines, investigative and personal, and I just HAD to know how each of them ended! Best yet!
libbyfhenderson's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nonna7's review
4.0
The title of this book fits the theme perfectly, and, yes, it is really dark. The book opens with a fire in a Victorian era warehouse. It's owned by a politicia/businessman who has been trying to turn it into condos/apartments (or flats as they would say in Great Britain.) We know that it's arson because an unnamed person starts the fire and revels in the fact that a body was found in it, seeing it as an unexpected bonus. One of the firefighters is a young, ambitious woman who has had to deal with discrimination in the force. She sees a pattern, but her observations and grasp of history aren't welcome by her boss.
Douglas Kincaide has been called in to oversee the investigation because it is a high profile case which angers Maura Bell, Southwark CID, who doesn't care for the fact that Scotland Yard is in charge of the investigation instead of her.
There was a witness to the fire, a young woman living in a shelter for abused women with her children.
Meanwhile a doctor at a nearby hospital has taken his daughter away because he is afraid his ex wife is about to do the same. He has given her to a woman whose name he only knows as Beth. She disappears with his daughter. The ex wife is also involved with the shelter.
Gemma no longer works with Duncan, but they are living together and trying to deal with a custody dispute involving Duncan's son, Kit, by his first marriage. There has always been a question of whether Kit is his natural son despite the fact that he thinks of him as his son. Gemma recently had a miscarriage, and they are both still walking on eggshells. Gemma feels guilty as most women would. She isn't quite ready to accept the commitment of marriage.
Gemma has been asked to speak with one of her friend Winnie's parishioners. Winnie is married to Duncan's brother, Jack. She has temporarily traded places with another priest who has not been well. She calls Gemma because Fanny, one of her parishioners, is concerned that a woman who was renting a room from her has disappeared.
Little by little the pieces fit together. Some are obvious. Some are not. Crombie writes so well. Even though she is an American writer, she lived in England and Scotland, and writes like a Brit. This is one of her older ones as I continue to "catch up" with several different series.
Douglas Kincaide has been called in to oversee the investigation because it is a high profile case which angers Maura Bell, Southwark CID, who doesn't care for the fact that Scotland Yard is in charge of the investigation instead of her.
There was a witness to the fire, a young woman living in a shelter for abused women with her children.
Meanwhile a doctor at a nearby hospital has taken his daughter away because he is afraid his ex wife is about to do the same. He has given her to a woman whose name he only knows as Beth. She disappears with his daughter. The ex wife is also involved with the shelter.
Gemma no longer works with Duncan, but they are living together and trying to deal with a custody dispute involving Duncan's son, Kit, by his first marriage. There has always been a question of whether Kit is his natural son despite the fact that he thinks of him as his son. Gemma recently had a miscarriage, and they are both still walking on eggshells. Gemma feels guilty as most women would. She isn't quite ready to accept the commitment of marriage.
Gemma has been asked to speak with one of her friend Winnie's parishioners. Winnie is married to Duncan's brother, Jack. She has temporarily traded places with another priest who has not been well. She calls Gemma because Fanny, one of her parishioners, is concerned that a woman who was renting a room from her has disappeared.
Little by little the pieces fit together. Some are obvious. Some are not. Crombie writes so well. Even though she is an American writer, she lived in England and Scotland, and writes like a Brit. This is one of her older ones as I continue to "catch up" with several different series.