Wednesday, January 2, 2013

No Mark Upon Her


Hello! And welcome to 2013!  I fell down rather heavily last year on doing book reviews -- but one of my goals for the coming year is to return to blogging more regularly, so I'm trying to get off to a fresh start.  I read incessantly, as well, so the issue isn't not having books to talk about -- it's the taking the time to do the review.  Well, here goes a fresh try.

I finished "No Mark Upon Her" by Deborah Crombie on New Year's Day, sitting on my friend's couch (where I was staying for a few days) and sipping my morning coffee.  So I can't call this the first book read in the new year, as I started it in 2012.  But as a year end book, it was a good one.

I quite like Deborah Crombie's mystery series with British detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James.  This is number 14 in the series, and it finds Duncan and Gemma newly married, balancing family life and a newly adopted child, with a murder case that requires poking some of the Scotland Yard highers-up and threatens their careers.  The murder arises in the elite world of rowing, so there's that angle that is fascinating and novel (at least to me).  And of course, there is the pure delight of Crombie's excellent writing, clever plotting, and strong characterizations.  This book was no exception to her usual skill.

If you've not read any of the series, I'd recommend starting with the first one, A Share in Death.  While the mystery plots each stand alone, the relationship between Duncan and Gemma evolves through the series, and I think understanding the history makes each book more enjoyable.  That's just me, though -- I like to read things in order. 

1 comment:

  1. This was my first book for the new year, I really enjoy this series, this was no exception.

    Thanks for your book reviews, I have picked up some interesting books from your recommendations.

    Con

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