No Mark Upon Her: Summary and book reviews of No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie, plus links to an excerpt from No Mark Upon Her and a biography of Deborah Crombie.
No Mark Upon Her A Novel
by Deborah Crombie
Hardcover: Feb 2012,
384 pages.
Paperback: Feb 2013,
384 pages.
When a K9 search and rescue team finds a body tangled up with debris in the Thames, Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid finds himself heading an investigation that could end his career. The victim, Rebecca Meredith, was an Olympic rowing hopeful determined to make a comeback. She was also a detective with the Met - a situation that raises a host of political and ethical issues that complicate the case.
Aided by his wife, Inspector Gemma James, Duncan and his team discover that both Meredith's rowing colleagues and her ex-husband had reason to want her dead. But when someone tries to kill the search-and-rescue team member who found Rebecca's body, the case becomes even more complex and dangerous, involving powerful interests with tentacles that reach deep into the heart of the Met itself.
Surrounded by enemies in friendly faces, pressured to find answers quickly and protect the Yard from rabid media desperate for dirt, his career and reputation on the line, Kincaid must race to catch the killer before more innocent lives are lost - including his own.
Deborah Crombie's fourteenth book in the Kincaid/James British crime series, No Mark Upon Her, is a favorite among BookBrowse readers; 22 out of 23 people rate it 4 or 5 stars! Here's what they have to say:
This is one of the best mysteries I've read in a long time. The writing is scintillating, the complex criminal investigation is mesmerizing - filled with surprising twists and palpable tension - and the three-dimensional characters are captivating. I loved the English setting, the sculling, which connected with the theme of power and control, and the K9 search-and-rescue team. The juxtaposition of the investigation with the family life of the Detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, married with children, made them more relatable (Amy M). 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 through now (Deborah C). (Reviewed by BookBrowse First Impression Reviewers).
New York Journal of Books
[R]eaders who savor excellent writing will find that Ms. Crombie delivers it again.
Kirkus Reviews
To the customary pleasures of the Kincaid/James ménage (Necessary as Blood, 2009, etc.), Crombie adds the interest generated by the history of the Henley Regatta pitting Oxford against Cambridge and the relationship between canine search-and-rescue handlers and their animals.
Library Journal
Three-time Macavity Award winner Crombie is a librarian favorite, and the 100,000-copy first printing speaks volumes.
Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Crombie gives an insightful look into British police procedures as well as a vivid view of the vagaries of London neighborhoods.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by Stefani H. (Richmond, VT) Did not grab me I really wanted to love this book but it just didn't grab me.
Rated of 5
by Wendy R. (Riverside, CA) New Favorite Author! I have read a number of enjoyable mysteries of late, but this one . . . Oh, how I love thee, Deborah Crombie! Where have you been all my life and why haven't I read anything by you before? No Mark Upon Her is the 14th book in the series, I... Read More
Rated of 5
by Amy M. (Brooklyn, NY) Unpleasant Consequences This is one of the best mysteries I’ve read in a long time. The writing is scintillating, the complex criminal investigation is mesmerizing, filled with surprising twists and palpable tension and the three-dimensional characters are captivating.... Read More
Rated of 5
by Joe S. (Port Orange, FL) No Mark upon Her This was the first of this series I had read and it certainly will not be the last. The complex plot, the description of the settings and the well thought out characters make this one of the better mysteries that I have read. The explanation of the... Read More
Rated of 5
by Marion T. (Palatine, IL) No Mark Upon Her This is the first of the a series of 14 books by Deborah Crombie that I have read. Let it be said that if I had read all 14 the characters would have had a lot more history, but the author has written this one that could stand alone. There are... Read More
Rated of 5
by Therese X. (CALERA, AL) High marks for NO MARK UPON HER Deborah Crombie’s fourteenth police procedural featuring Detective Inspector Gemma James and Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid is another triumph. Originally, Gemma and Duncan were partners in their early days in the London police force. Now... Read More
Newcomers to Deborah Crombie's mystery series agree that it is not necessary to have read the previous books to appreciate No Mark Upon Her, but for those who like to read in series order, or who at least would like to know what came before, here's a quick overview:
The Author
Born and raised in and around Dallas, Texas, Deborah Crombie (b. 1952) fell in love with Britain during a post-university trip. Later, having married her first husband, Scotsman Peter Crombie, she spent some years living in Scotland and England before returning to Dallas. She wrote the first Kincaid/James novel in 1993 while working in the family business and raising her daughter. She still lives in Texas with her husband Rick Wilson and travels to England several times a year.
The Characters
Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James. Their professional and personal relationships evolve with...
When Eugenie Davies is killed by a driver on a quiet London street, her death is clearly no accident. Someone struck her with a car and then deliberately ran over her body before driving off, leaving nothing behind but questions.
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BookBrowse
(928 words).
Kirkus Reviews
of 5
by Stefani H. (Richmond, VT)
of 5
by Wendy R. (Riverside, CA)
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The Author
