Garden of lamentations

*Starred Review* A new murder and an old conspiracy preoccupy Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid and threaten to drive them apart in this seventeenth entry in Crombie's best-selling series. DI James is pulled from her regular station to investigate the murder of Reagan Keating, a young woman found dead in a private Notting Hill garden, because she has a personal connection to the case: Reagan was the nanny for a boy at the same ballet school as Gemma's son. DS Kincaid, meanwhile, is dealing with the return of his former boss, Denis Childs, who transferred him abruptly before disappearing for months. After a clandestine meeting in a pub, at which Childs warns Kincaid to stay out of things, Childs is struck in the head and left for dead. Kincaid then looks back to disturbing, unresolved cases in which colleagues died, but he keeps Gemma out of the loop to protect her as he works out a resolution. The strength of this series is in its characterizations, particularly those of James and Kincaid, as they balance the demanding work that they love and their family life. Another winner in a series that goes from one high point to another.--Leber, Michele Copyright 2016 Booklist

Det. Supt. Duncan Kincaid is still smarting from an unexplained reassignment and demotion, in bestseller Crombie's absorbing 17th novel featuring Kincaid and his wife, Det. Insp. Gemma James (after 2014's To Dwell in Darkness). He's also troubled by loose ends after a grenade attack and devastating fire at London's St. Pancras station and the cryptic utterances of his former boss, Chief Supt. Denis Childs. When Childs is attacked and sinks into a coma, Kincaid glimpses larger forces at work, sets out to unravel the mystery of Childs's past and the trail of police colleagues who ostensibly died by suicide, and fears for the safety of his family and his investigative teams of past and present. Meanwhile, Gemma looks into the case of a nanny murdered in a Notting Hill garden, which affects the lives of one of Gemma's friends and a ballet classmate of Gemma's son. Through several points of view, this multifaceted novel provides a sobering cautionary tale about the exploitation of idealism and the abuse of power. Seven-city author tour. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary Agency. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Two (married) cops, two murder investigations. Such are the personal and professional stakes in Crombie's intricate latest installment featuring London's DI Gemma James and DS Duncan Kincaid (after To Dwell in Darkness). Duncan, still stung over a recent demotion, is deeply disturbed by the grenade attack at the busy St. Pancras rail station, especially coupled with the odd ramblings of his former boss Denis Childs. When Childs is attacked and left comatose, Duncan makes the connection to the recent suicide of a police officer and starts an investigation that turns nasty quickly. Gemma has her own homicide to probe, the case of a nanny found murdered in a Notting Hill garden. Nannies are so often the glue that joins disparate families and this one is no different, linking one of Gemma's friends with her son's ballet classmate. While the nanny seems perfectly angelic, Gemma suspects that something in her past got her killed and she's determined to unearth the secret. VERDICT An enthralling blend of suspense on the home front and possible scandal in the professional arena, with characters who are made as much for investigating as they are for each other, makes for a particularly strong series outing from an author who rarely disappoints. [See Prepub Alert, 8/15/16.] © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.