Water Like a Stone
Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Series, No. 11

by Deborah Crombie

   Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, with their children, Kit 13 (his) and Toby 5 (hers), leave their busy police careers behind for the English countryside to celebrate a quiet Christmas holiday with Duncan's family.

Their peaceful time is disrupted when Kincaid's sister, Juliet Newcombe, finds the mummified corpse of an infant in the wall of a building she is renovating. The search for the infant's identity reconnects Kincaid with a childhood friend, Ronnie Babcock, who is now a chief inspector in charge of the investigation. Suspicion leads to a narrow boat family with whom narrow boat owner, Annie Lebow, had worked in the past when she was a social worker. Kincaid and Kit meet Annie Lebow, finding her intriguing. When Kit finds Annie murdered outside her narrow boat, Duncan becomes involved.

Meanwhile, Juliet finds evidence that her husband's partner has been embezzling from their investment firm's clients, widening the rift in Juliet's marriage. Duncan has been able to resolve the custody of his teen age son who is to live with them. This is creating a few conflicts before they can come to terms with each other. In the efforts to solve the identity of the infant and Annie's murder, Babcock and Duncan (on the sideline here) must search in the past,

It doesn't seem possible, but Crombie with her high standards of writing, plotting and characterization, gets better with each book. This is the best to date. The characters are well crafted with their intriguing personal relationships. Many of the characters struggle with feelings of loneliness and uncertainty. The descriptions of Nantwick's historic buildings and waterways are vivid, giving a well researched look into the lives of the people who live in the narrow boats.

The focus of this book is more on the development of the relationships of the family than on Kincaid and James detecting. Nevertheless, the story is fast paced, suspenseful, and engrossing. A thoroughly enjoyable read...not to be missed.

Reviews of other titles in this series

Share in Death #1
Leave the Grave Green #3
Mourn Not Your Dead #4
Dreaming of the Bones #5
Now May You Weep #9
In a Dark House #10
Water Like a Stone #11
Where Memories Lie #12
The Sound of Broken Glass #15