Rated of 5
by Jim S. (Austin, TX) No Mark Upon Her
Another excellent book in the Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid series.
Detective Inspector Gemma James and Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid having lost their baby when Gemma miscarried have adopted 2 children and have Duncan's teenage son living with them. The story is set in the Christmas period and Gemma and Duncan are "off" from their work although Gemma is due to go back to work and Duncan is to care for the children for a short period.
Unfortunately a police inspector dies in an apparent sculling accident. Duncan is assigned by his superior office to work the accident that quickly is recognized as a homicide.
This is a good story of a couple's personal and professional lives and how they maintain respect for each other while under a stressful situation of investigating a homicide. The outcome is unexpected.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to mystery enthusiasts.
Rated of 5
by Carolyn L. (Summerville, SC) No Mark Upon Her
I enjoyed this book very much. British mysteries/suspense novels are among my favorite genres, and this one did not disappoint. It is well-written, with interesting characters and an intriguing plot. It involves championship-caliber rowing, which makes it out of the ordinary, and enabled me to learn something about a subject I knew virtually nothing about, in a most entertaining way.
Rated of 5
by Jenny P. (Cupertino, CA) No Mark Upon Her
This book held my interest from start to finish. I have read all the previous books in this series and as always the character and plot development were riveting. She balances the personal lives of the police officers very well with the demands of their jobs. The plot is centred around a world class rower and Deborah Crombie does an amazing job of conjuring up the rowing world. her descriptions of rowing in the early evening were beautiful. I liked the quotations at the begining of every chapter: they set the scene for each chapter. I thought I had the plot figured out two thirds of the way through, but the twist in the plot kept me guessing until the end. If you are a lover of police procedurals, do not miss this one.
Rated of 5
by Deborah C. (Seattle, WA) Five stars aren't enough!
I am a big fan of Deborah Crombie, and I think this book, the latest in the Gemma James series, is the best yet. The book combines richly-drawn characters with a compelling mystery that takes place in the world of rowing, with the action centered in Henley-on-Thames. Crombie painted such a wonderful picture that I wanted to hop on the next plane to England!
Although you don't have to have read previous books in the series, it is fascinating to watch the evolution of Gemma and her family from the first book until now. I was reminded of Louise Penny, another favorite author, who writes mysteries that do much more than tell "whodunit."
Rated of 5
by Robin F. (Tucson, AZ) No Mark Upon Her
This mystery takes place in England and centers around the world of sculling, how competitive it is and how physically fit the athletes must be. There is, of course, a murder and both Gemma and Duncan who are protagonists of Crombie, become an important part of the investigation. I found the book enjoyable. It held my interest and revisited Gemma and Duncan's history together which I appreciated since I must confess this is a first time I've read a book by Deborah Crombie. I am looking forward to discovering her many books and would highly recommend this book to everyone.
Rated of 5
by Carrol Ann S. (Ventura, CA) No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie
What a great story...I was hooked by the end of page one. Anyone who enjoys mystery and intrigue will love this book. The author is so adept at describing characters and locales that you are instantly transported to the English countryside village and the Thames River.
I was unfamiliar with this author, but am now eager to enjoy more of her delicious stories.
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of 5
by Jim S. (Austin, TX) 
