A Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Novel - Water Like a Stone

This is the 11th in the DUNCAN KINCAID/GEMMA JAMES series of cozy/police procedural mysteries.

It is once again Christmas and the combined household of Duncan and Gemma has coalesced into a family, Duncan and Gemma have come to terms with the miscarriage of their child nearly a year ago, the question of Duncan's son Kit's custody has been settled and now the family, complete with dogs has traveled to Duncan's family home for a family Christmas. For both Gemma and Kit it will be the first time meeting much of Duncan's family, causing each some anxiety. All thoughts of having a cozy family get together are shattered when Duncan's sister Juliet discovers the entombed body of an infant encased in the wall of a building she is renovating. Juliet calls upon her big brother Duncan to investigate the matter, drawing both he and Gemma away from their own family and leaving Kit to deal with some other mysteries on his own. Gradually the various plot threads merge leading to an exciting and satisfying conclusion that will surely hold a few surprises along the way.

This series is a masterful blend of the cozy and police procedural genres. The ongoing story line of Gemma and Duncan's personal lives is done in the best cozy traditions. With each novel we learn a bit more about each of the main characters and see them grow both as individuals and as a family. The mystery aspect is written in the best police procedural style, the crimes described are anything but 'cozy' but are instead realistically described with the clues cleverly laid out to challenge the reader. The author also often supplies a separate storyline that parallels the main one. Often this separate thread is of past actions but in this one we are given insight into an unnamed character's thoughts, very unpleasant, dangerous thoughts. It is left to the reader to speculate just who this character could be - husband, business partner or some one else - and to find a connection between the discovery of the infant and the other later crimes.

The overall story arc of this series is quite pronounced and although the author does a fine job of recapping the relevant backstories for each novel the series would best be enjoyed by reading each novel in order.

First Line: Mist rose in swirls from the still surface of the canal.

Duncan, Gemma, the boys and the dog are all spending the Christmas holiday in Cheshire with Duncan's parents. Duncan has always spoken of growing up outside the town of Nantwich as though it were heaven on earth. London born and bred, Gemma's not so sure of this, and she's a bit nervous at meeting Duncan's parents and sister. However, they're barely have time to walk in the door and take off their coats before everything starts going pear-shaped.

Duncan's sister, Juliet, has begun her own business as a builder. Staying late one evening to finish up some tasks in an old barn she's renovating, Juliet discovers the mummified remains of an infant. The investigation calls to Duncan like the Pied Piper of Hamlin, and whenever "his whiskers start twitching", he can't resist leaving his family just to see how things are going. This soon wears thin with Gemma:

"Don't you even think about leaving me home like the little woman," she spat out. "I'm going with you, and you'd better not say one bloody word about it."

Duncan takes the hint... and then a woman living on a narrow boat in a nearby canal is murdered, and Duncan's family is in danger.

This is another wonderful entry in the series. It's almost impossible for me to leave these books alone. I want to read one right after the other as quickly as I can, but if I do that, I'll be caught up and waiting impatiently for the next to be published.

Crombie's plots are always layered and intricate. Once she hit her stride at about book #4, I just can't puzzle out whodunit ahead of time. But this series is much more than a collection of complicated plots. It's peopled by one of the absolute best cast of characters to be found anywhere in fiction. Duncan and Gemma's relationship feels like the real deal. Their son, Kit, could be a living, breathing teenager beset with all sorts of problems that are (eventually) dealt with in the best possible way. When I sit down to read one of these books, I'm smiling because I'm amongst friends who change, who make mistakes, who grow, and who don't live in a bell jar. These characters are just as apt to come to harm as any of us. Their creator doesn't shield them, just as we are not shielded.

Crombie spends a few months each year in the UK to research her books. For Water Like a Stone she researched life on the narrow boats and canals that crisscross the island. If you're anything like me, as you read this book, you're going to find yourself checking for the books she mentions, and firing up your search engines because it's a fascinating subject to weave into her story.

Only two books left before I'm completely caught up. I don't know whether to be happy or sad because it will be torture to wait for each book to be published!

Crombie is just getting better and better. With a minor exception or two, I've found every Kinkaid and James novel to be utterly captivating and engaging and Water Like a Stone doesn't disappoint.

Duncan, Gemma and their family go back to Duncan's birthplace where his family still lives to celebrate Christmas. It's particularly unnerving for Gemma because she'd never met most of Kinkaid's family. She meets Duncan's mother and father as well as his somewhat estranged sister, her stand offish husband and their two children, one of which is a haunted teenager named Lally who just happens to be around same age as Kit. Cousin or not, Kit is absolutely captivated, although it seems that she's quite troubled.

Duncan's sister Juliet has set out on her own after working for a time as her verbally abusive husband's secretary restoring old buildings. It's on her current job site that she encounters what turns this from a holiday amongst family into a working vacation. Juliet finds the remains of a dead baby walled up in the mortar of the building site's foundation.

Enter Annie Lebow. Former social services worker, she's taken to a rather isolated live on the rivers in what's known as a long boat. Where In a Dark House dealt with fires and the people that fight them, the central theme of Water Like a Stone is water, namely the boat people of the local geography that somewhat set apart from normal society, mostly keeping to themselves. Annie comes from money, so why isolate herself? Being in social services left its mark on her and she needed to get out. Her story begins when she runs into some of the boat people who's case she was in charge of before she retired. In fact, it was the LAST case she worked before she retired and she saw the system failed Rowan and Gabriel Wain. Their destinies however are fatefully tied into one another.

Life in Duncan's quaint place of birth is hardly as civilized as he remembers as the discovery of the baby's body, a mysterious murder and evidence of the haunted pasts of people's lives that are closest to him come to light.

Just another fantastic addition to the series with great characters and as always, a great sense of place. Crombie excells at making a living breathing character out of the local scenery and geography to the point where you can almost feel as if you're there. Another hallmark are the branching storylines that will have you guessing even though you THINK you may have it already figured out. In a Crombie mystery, you may sometimes know whodunnit but you rarely know the who AND why. Simply wonderful reading.

Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Inspector Gemma Jones return in the eleventh installment of Deborah Crombie's award winning police procedural series. The two detectives, who are also lovers, are visiting Duncan's family in Cheshire for the Christmas holiday. They've brought along Duncan's teenage son, Kit, and Gemma's young son, Toby, so that they can spend some time with Duncan's parents, his sister, Juliet, and his teenage niece, Lally.

Soon after Duncan and Gemma arrive, Juliet calls from a site where she's renovating an old house. She wants Duncan to go there right away and says to her father, "Just tell him I've found a body." The body turns out to be a mummified infant who had been interred in an old wall. Duncan immediately calls the police and realizes that he and Gemma are not going to have the quiet holiday that they had planned.

This book, like all of the others in the series, goes beyond the police procedural. Besides the complex relationships within Duncan's family, the solution involves Annie Constantine, a wealthy young woman living on a canal boat, Caspar Newcombe, Juliet's estranged husband, and Piers Dutton, Caspar's sleazy partner who hates Juliet. Piers also has a teenage son, Leo, who's out to make trouble for both Kit and Lally. Finally, there's another family of canal boat dwellers who had a bad experience many years ago with Annie. As Duncan and Gemma try to put all the pieces together, there's another murder and the suspense keeps building.

Deborah Crombie's "Water Like a Stone" is set during Christmas season in Nantwich, England. Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his partner, Detective Inspector Gemma James of the Metropolitan Police, along with their children, thirteen-year-old Kit and five-year-old Toby, are visiting Duncan's parents for the holidays. Duncan's sister, Juliet Newcombe, is having serious marital problems and her unhappy adolescent daughter, Lally, is going through a rebellious phase. When Juliet finds the mummified body of a baby in an old barn that she is renovating, she calls Duncan. Although he is far out of his jurisdiction, Duncan lends a hand to his old friend, Chief Inspector Ronnie Babcock, and Gemma also makes a vital contribution to the case. Later, Duncan's son finds the body of a murder victim, and the police attempt to track down the killer before he strikes again.

"Water Like a Stone" is a satisfying balance of family drama, murder mystery, and atmospheric fiction. Although she was born and educated in Texas, Crombie's vivid description of Nantwich's historic buildings and waterways and her skillful use of British vernacular will convince uninitiated readers that the author is a native of the British Isles. There is an intriguing subplot about a group of people who live on narrowboats: Annie Lebow, a disenchanted former social worker, has chosen an isolated life on her expensive and beautifully outfitted craft, while Gabriel Wain, a poor working man, struggles to make ends meet while he cares for his terminally ill wife. Wain is bitter because of the many unpleasant encounters he has had with insensitive bureaucrats and medical professionals. Annie and Gabriel have met in the past, and fate once again brings them together.

Crombie explores the nuances of interpersonal relationships brilliantly. Duncan and Gemma love one another but they still must deal with some unresolved issues. Duncan's son, Kit, is behaving oddly and his school performance has suddenly declined, much to his father's consternation. Juliet Newcombe despises her arrogant husband, Caspar; he treats her with contempt and is turning their children against her. In contrast, Duncan's loving parents, Hugh and Rosemary Kincaid, can practically finish one another's sentences after being happily married for many years. Caspar's slimy partner, Piers Dutton, indulges his troubled fourteen-year-old son, Leo, who is a born troublemaker. Most of the people in this novel, whatever their age and marital status, struggle with feelings of loneliness, fear, and uncertainty. The author skillfully digs into each individual's psyche; she shows how villainy and virtue take root as a result of genetics, upbringing, and one's unique personal history. The book's sole flaw is an ending that is a bit too neat and predictable. Still, "Water Like a Stone" is another fast-paced, engrossing, and suspenseful installment in the superior Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series.

I've read all the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James mysteries since I found the first, A SHARE IN DEATH, and Deborah Crombie has grown into her series, along with her characters. WATER LIKE A STONE is a compelling read, using her trademark flashbacks for the villain and her use of the past as motivation for the present crime. Crombie has a knack for creating vivid and 3-D characters for all of her speaking roles, not just her leads. Her sense of place is brought to life by her precise and knowing descriptions, and the flyleaf maps created by her illustrator are both charming and useful.
Over the course of the series, Duncan and Gemma have included their friends and family, but this is the first time we are introduced to Kincaid's parents, sister and hometown. And it's Christmas as well, always a source of conflict. Plus, now Kincaid's son and his niece are teenagers. Crombie always gives the reader a sense of history wherever she sets her stories, and this one features the canal system of Britain. The history is integral to the story and the milieu, and it is woven in so seamlessly that we never notice our minds have been expanded.
This book is a lush and lovely Christmas present from Cheshire, even if it does have a murder both past and present.

Detectives Duncan Kincaid of Scotland Yard and Gemma James of the Notting Hill Metropolitan Police are back in this eleventh outstanding entry in the series. Duncan and his live-in lover Gemma, and their respective sons take Christmas holiday with Duncan's family in Cheshire. It's a pretty little village with canals, cottage, and tragedy. On the eve of their arrival, Duncan's sister Juliet, who is a builder, finds a mummified body of an infant interred in the wall of the old diary barn that she is renovating. The story revolves around retired social worker, Annie Lebow, who after being burned out on one too many child service cases left her marriage to become one of the boat people that roam the waterways of England. Annie's past life as a social worker intersects with her new life with a dose of bad karma for Annie. In a parallel storyline, Duncan's sister's marriage is not only falling apart, but she has to deal with her trouble teenage daughter, and her husband's crooked business partner.

Duncan and Gemma take a bit of a back seat investigating the crime, but they are very much in the forefront on domestic issues in the story. This book has continued to flesh out their characters beyond their professional lives. Duncan's son Kit was very much a main character, as is his niece Lally. We got to see more of a father/son dynamic between Duncan and Kit. The book was richly atmospheric set in the bleak midwinter which suited the boat people/canal storyline. There were also flashback scenes narrated by the psychotic personality. I figured out who was narrating those scenes almost right away, but it didn't detract from the story in the least. I really did have trouble putting this book down which is always the sign of a good book. It might be helpful if some of the previous books have been read since each book builds upon the other in bringing the characters forward, but it is not absolutely necessary. This book stands as a fine stand-alone novel. Highly Recommended.

In the latest installment of her Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James mystery series, Deborah Crombie continues to maintain the high standards of writing, plotting and characterization that I have come to expect from her. I recently went back and read a couple of the earliest books in the series, and while they're good, the more recent ones have only gotten better. In this one Duncan, Gemma and their children from previous marriages, still feeling their way in their relatively new family relationship, travel to spend the Christmas holiday with Duncan's parents. On Christmas Eve, however, Duncan's sister Juliet discovers the mummified body of a baby in the mortarwork of an old barn she is renovating. Simmering family tensions and a present-day murder add to the mix.

The mystery is interesting and intriguing, if a big complicated, but what I liked best about this book was its portrayal of relationships of several kinds. Duncan's educated but down-to-earth parents seem like wonderful people and I don't feel that I got to know them well enough; I hope that they will make appearances in future installments. His troubled son, Kit, who is still dealing with the death of his mother in an earlier book, is a believable teenager, as is his rather less likable cousin Lally and her creepy friend Leo. Characters outside the family, like Duncan's old school friend Ronnie Babcock, now a local police inspector; former social worker Annie Lebow, who has taken refuge in a life on the canals after a painful case; and the Wains, a poor family who also live on a narrowboat and are portrayed with respect and dignity, come alive in Ms. Crombie's skillful writing.

Superintendent Duncan Kincaid takes his partnet, Gemma and their respective two children, Kit and Toby, on a Xmas visit to his parent's home in Cheshire where Gemma is entranced by the pretty buildings and the proximity to the canal and to the canal boats. Duncan's sister, Juliet, who lives nearby, is beginning renovations to an old, local barn when she breaks through some mortar to find the mummified body of an infant, lovingly wrapped and sealed in the wall. The local police, headed by an old friend of Duncan's, are called in and the usual proceedings begin, even though it's obviously an old crime and it happens to be a freezingly cold Xmas Eve. Duncan's newly restored son, Kit, is fascinated by his cousin Lally, the strange and tormented daughter of Juliet, suspected of drinking and drug taking and, altogether, a surly, uncooperative teenager with a huge chip on her shoulder. When the body of former social worker, Annie Lebow, who lives on one of the canal boats is found on the tow path with her head bashed in, suspicion falls on another canal boat owner with whom she had been publicly arguing on the previous day. It's a very good murder mystery with very interesting characters, set in a completely different location..that of the canal boats and their inhabitants.

Home for the holidays is never a relaxing vacation when combing members of a collective family. Gemma James dreads visiting Duncan Kincaid's traditional parents. She has no trite answers as to why they have decided not to assume a formal union. All of her personal worries become insignaficant when Duncan's sister Julie discovers the mummified body of an infant child and a retired social worker is murder.

The boat people of the canals of Cheshire, bring their stoicism and suffering to the heart of a story where families unite and disintegrate. The complex relationship of Duncan with his son and his pride in Kit's growing maturity is contrasted by the rebellion of his niece and the agony of his sister. Deborah Crombie uses the landscape to tell an nontraditional Christmas holiday in "Water Like a Stone." Yet, in the end there is a moment of peace, or a slice of life that isn't sugar-coated. A must read for anyone who loves a complex mystery written with razor-sharp style.

Together Gemma and Duncan find their way to a surprising solution to a complex case where they are bystanders in the investigation.

Nash Black, author of "Qualifying Laps" and "Taxes, Stumbling Blocks & Pitfalls for Authors 2007."

I found this, the most recent of Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James novels, more satisfying than the usual series fare. (Even though this novel is a series entry, Ms. Crombie provides enough background information to make a reader new to the series comfortable. It is not an easy task to accomplish this without providing too much or too little back story, and she does this rather well.) Kincaid returns, with his partner Gemma and their children, to his parents' home in Cheshire where he grew up, intending to spend the Christmas holidays and expecting only the disturbances of family tension. When his sister, a builder, finds the mummified body of an infant in an old barn she is rehabbing, everything changes. When the examination of this death becomes involved with another investigation, the complications multiply as Kincaid and his family are more and more directly involved.

Although the complexity of the plot strains believability, most of the characters are compelling and realistic. (In fact, I was surprisingly moved by the fate of one character.) The local police are so completely fleshed out that it wouldn't surprise me if Ms Crombie started a DCI Babcock series. Ms. Crombie seems to know her Cheshire very well--she evokes its canals and towns beautifully, and with apparent affection. Altogher, an enjoyable read.

Deborah Crombie is stepping into the realm of the psychlogical thriller genre with this book. And she can stand up against some of the masters such as Barbara Vine or Elizabeth George. I am a huge fan of this series, and I found this book a little different than the previous ones in the series. For one we have excerpts in the book where Ms. Crombie steps into the mind of a psycopath. In this book Gemma and Duncan are on a Christmas holiday at Duncan's home. The festivities are soon marred by many dark and dangerous happenings. It starts when Duncan's sister finds the mummefied body of a baby in the wall of an old barn. Before the mystery is unravelled there is a murder. What Ms. Crombie does so well is the characters and the family relationships, and this book is full of these. I truly enjoyed this story. I understand why we had to wait another year before we could read it. This book was to come out last year. It is a complex and rich tale, that shows Gemma and Duncan in a different light. In this book they aren't "on the job" so to speak, so lose some of their official clout.

Crombie just keeps getting better and better. In this outing, Scotland Yard Superintendant Duncan Kincaid and his son Kit, and Duncan's partner, Gemma James of the Notting Metropolitan Police and her son, Toby, bundle up the family's two dogs and head to Cheshire and Kincaid's boyhood home for the Christmas Holiday with his family. Once there, the group is only just warmly welcomed by Kincaid's parents when his sister, Juliet, calls to say she thinks she may have found a body in an old barn that she is renovating...

Crombie uses a third person point of view better than anyone, allowing you to see inside the heads of the participants and understand why they're doing what they are doing in a way that makes perfect sense... only you know that if each knew what the others did, they'd realize much sooner what evil is among them. Even the childrens' and teenagers' actions are portrayed with empathy -- yes, sometimes, they behave like perfect idiots, but Crombie helps you remember what it was like to be so unsure but so desperately needful of seeming to know everything.

The book paints a fascinating picture of the narrow boats on the English canals, and I realized then how many of her books had managed to bring to life a part of the English countryside that isn't usually talked about in guide books or glossy brochures.

Crombie has a rare gift for blending dialoge, action and scenery so seamlessly that you feel you were there. Can't wait for the next one!

It's Christmas Eve and a stone cold winter season besides. Kincaid and Gemma are taking the children to a visit his parents' home for holiday.

Kincaid's sister Juliet, waiting for his arrival, and beginning a contracting career, finds the mummy of an infant in the masonry of the building she is renovating.

The story takes off from there, involving family members. Kincaid's son Kit is featured strongly in this issue of Deborah Crombie's competent mystery. Her description of England's cold weather is great. We finally get to know Kincaid's family better. It is indeed a eye-opening experience for all.

Kincaid and Gemma take a relucant backseat in this investigation but are prominently featured. It's nice to see Kincaid having to bite the bullet where control is concerned. The book alludes to the last book and you can somewhat keep up with the past events.

I have enjoyed all Ms. Crombie's mysteries. She is not British but you would never know it if you didnt read the backcover. Well worth the read.

Crombie has taken her two erstwhile London coppers (Kincaid and James) and sent them out to the Cheshire (near the Welsh Border) where Duncan grew up. They have gone out to Duncan's parents farm for a real 'English Country' Christmas. It will also give Gemma and Kit (Duncan's newfound son) a chance to meet the 'family'. We are introduced to Duncan's parents (Hugh and Rosemary) his sister, husband and children (Juliet, Caspar, Lally and Sam) and assorted old friends (such as Chief Inspector Ronnie Babcock).

Of course there has to be a murder(s) or there wouldn't be any reason for the book. But blending into the standard Police Procedural is a fine discussion of the 'narrowboats' and the people who have made a living on them for more than the last hundred years. In the nineteenth century they plied the canal system, delivering goods like long haul truckers; except that they lived on the boats. They were only seven feet wide so that they could pass each other on the canals. Few of the boats are used this way anymore and a way of life is dying off. Crombie writes a great peaen to these people.

Though out of their jurisdiction, Kincaid and James are able to get involved peripherally with the conivence of DCI Babcock. More than seeing the investigation unfold, we see a newfound respect for each others professionalism between Kincaid and James. The strengthening of their bond as they both still deal with the loss of Gemma's baby (in the last book) is both thoughtful and realistic. Crombie also does a marvellous job of pursuing that age old antagonism that builds between and mother and daughter, as the child comes into womanhood. A fine novel.

Police officers Duncan Kincaid, his live-in lover Gemma James, her five year old son, Toby, his thirteen year old son Kit and their two dogs are spending the Christmas holidays with his parents. Their vacation gets off to a bad start when Duncan's sister Juliet, a builder, finds the remains of an infant in a walled-up part of the building that she is remodeling. Kit is trying to befriend Juliet's daughter Lilly who is still mourning the drowning death of her friend Peter.

Juliet's husband Casper has turned against his wife thanks to the machinations of his business partner Piers because she knows he is embezzling funds in their investment business. A social worker trying to help a former client who is mortally ill is murdered and Duncan finds himself helping the local authorities on that case. What nobody realizes is the drowned teen, the social worker and the infant are connected and finding the killer of one of the victims will lead to the murderer(s) of the other two.

Deborah Crombie is one of this reviewer's favorite authors of police procedurals using an England style tone although the author is American. There is lots of action but this is a character driven mystery as readers get a personal glimpse into the lives of all the characters especially Duncan and Gemma. He cannot help but get involved in a case in which his friend heads the investigation and leads to a loved one almost getting killed.

Harriet Klausner

It's Christmas Eve and a stone cold winter season besides. Kincaid and Gemma are taking the children to a visit his parents' home for holiday.

Kincaid's sister Juliet, waiting for his arrival, and beginning a contracting career, finds the mummy of an infant in the masonry of the building she is renovating.

The story takes off from there, involving family members. Kincaid's son Kit is featured strongly in this issue of Deborah Crombie's competent mystery. Her description of England's cold weather is great. We finally get to know Kincaid's family better. It is indeed a eye-opening experience for all.

Kincaid and Gemma take a relucant backseat in this investigation but are prominently featured. It's nice to see Kincaid having to bite the bullet where control is concerned. The book alludes to the last book and you can somewhat keep up with the past events.

I have enjoyed all Ms. Crombie's mysteries. She is not British but you would never know it if you didnt read the backcover. Well worth the read.

Crombie has taken her two erstwhile London coppers (Kincaid and James) and sent them out to the Cheshire (near the Welsh Border) where Duncan grew up. They have gone out to Duncan's parents farm for a real 'English Country' Christmas. It will also give Gemma and Kit (Duncan's newfound son) a chance to meet the 'family'. We are introduced to Duncan's parents (Hugh and Rosemary) his sister, husband and children (Juliet, Caspar, Lally and Sam) and assorted old friends (such as Chief Inspector Ronnie Babcock).

Of course there has to be a murder(s) or there wouldn't be any reason for the book. But blending into the standard Police Procedural is a fine discussion of the 'narrowboats' and the people who have made a living on them for more than the last hundred years. In the nineteenth century they plied the canal system, delivering goods like long haul truckers; except that they lived on the boats. They were only seven feet wide so that they could pass each other on the canals. Few of the boats are used this way anymore and a way of life is dying off. Crombie writes a great peaen to these people.

Though out of their jurisdiction, Kincaid and James are able to get involved peripherally with the conivence of DCI Babcock. More than seeing the investigation unfold, we see a newfound respect for each others professionalism between Kincaid and James. The strengthening of their bond as they both still deal with the loss of Gemma's baby (in the last book) is both thoughtful and realistic. Crombie also does a marvellous job of pursuing that age old antagonism that builds between and mother and daughter, as the child comes into womanhood. A fine novel.

Police officers Duncan Kincaid, his live-in lover Gemma James, her five year old son, Toby, his thirteen year old son Kit and their two dogs are spending the Christmas holidays with his parents. Their vacation gets off to a bad start when Duncan's sister Juliet, a builder, finds the remains of an infant in a walled-up part of the building that she is remodeling. Kit is trying to befriend Juliet's daughter Lilly who is still mourning the drowning death of her friend Peter.

Juliet's husband Casper has turned against his wife thanks to the machinations of his business partner Piers because she knows he is embezzling funds in their investment business. A social worker trying to help a former client who is mortally ill is murdered and Duncan finds himself helping the local authorities on that case. What nobody realizes is the drowned teen, the social worker and the infant are connected and finding the killer of one of the victims will lead to the murderer(s) of the other two.

Deborah Crombie is one of this reviewer's favorite authors of police procedurals using an England style tone although the author is American. There is lots of action but this is a character driven mystery as readers get a personal glimpse into the lives of all the characters especially Duncan and Gemma. He cannot help but get involved in a case in which his friend heads the investigation and leads to a loved one almost getting killed.

Harriet Klausner

The previous Duncan Kincaid/ Gemma James installment, IN A DARK HOUSE, masterfully knitted together four plot skeins and kept readers on the edge of their seats. Just released WATER LIKE A STONE, # 11 in the series, reverts to a construction more like that of NOW MAY YOU WEEP, the ninth book which revolved around friends and family rather than around cases assigned to the copper couple. As a result, WATER LIKE A STONE is a less complex procedural -- although it is by no means simple -- as it concentrates on the more personal lives of the family.

This time, the blended Kincaid/James family motors to the Barbury home of Duncan's parents to spend the Christmas holidays. As they arrive on Christmas Eve, Duncan's sister, whose troubled, splintering family lives in neighboring Nantwich discovers an infant's desiccated remains in a barn she and her construction crew are renovating. So, in the midst of family introductions and familiarization, Duncan reconnects with a childhood friend who is now the chief inspector in charge of this investigation and watches a bit enviously from the sidelines as the local police work the case.

Duncan and his son, Kit, also meet a narrowboat owner named Annie, whom they both find intriguing. She, a retired social worker, offers to take them for a boat ride if they return while she is moored nearby. We get to know her fairly intimately, just as we do others in the story. Annie is the "elum" (helm), if you will, of the book: all the branches of the story steer through her.

The younger set plays a significant role in WATER LIKE A STONE. Kit's teenage cousin, Lally, is a wild girl whose destructive behavior worsens due to the turmoil between her parents. Kit's desire to help her lands him in mortal peril at the tale's climax. Of all the plot threads in the novel, this one appeals to this reader the least. Too many mysteries in books, movies, and television, resort to plots about out-of-control young people these days. But, thankfully, Crombie does not portray all the teenagers as witless or without conscience.

WATER LIKE A STONE shines more for its human relationship building -- especially within the sensitive Kincaid clan -- than for crime suspense. Reading about the Christmas traditions of the family, about the tentative and careful ways most of them pick to acquaint themselves for the first time, or again, is a joy. After all, in a series like this, getting a deeper intuition into the make-up of the lead characters and those they love and cherish fuels most readers. The reality that the identity of the primary perp can be guessed fairly early in the game doesn't notably cripple the novel's enjoyment factor; and happily *all* the secrets of the book can't be teased out with any certainty before they are revealed by the author.

One oddity in the text could be changed in the paperback edition: the investigating chief inspector refers to himself as "Detective Superintendent" on page 224. Nothing in the plot supports this statement: he hasn't been promoted mid-book. It could be considered a wishful slip of the tongue because Duncan is a superintendent, but it is most likely merely a minor error that wasn't caught by editing.

Sincere thanks to Laura Hartman Maestro, the artist who furnished the beautiful and often referenced illustrated maps on the book's end papers. This finely rendered touch truly enhances the experience of reading WATER LIKE A STONE.

The structural greatness of IN A DARK HOUSE really couldn't be topped, so Crombie's wise shift to a more personal tale in WATER LIKE A STONE convincingly satisfies and pleases!

Highly recommended, with the caveat that, were there the choice, I would actually rate this book four and a half enthusiastic stars rather than a full five.

I had to ration my reading to keep from finishing this book too quickly, since I know it will be at least a year till the next one arrives. Ms. Crombie has the unique ability to balance plot and characterization so that they support each other and keep the reader totally involved. The plot is complex, but so are the characters, and they combine to make it difficult to put the book down. I wish I could give this 5+ stars--and hop a plane for Cheshire to cruise the canals in a narrowboat!

Crombie's Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series continues to improve with each book, increasing in depth and in the character motivations. Unfortunately, the ending of Water Like a Stone was much too improbable, leaving a bad aftertaste to what was a very good mystery.

To echo others, this is a solid, well-written entry in this very well-done series. Unlike a couple of other series that have become tired over time (Martha Grimes' Richard Jury series comes to mind), Crombie has managed to keep this alive and well without gimmicks or over-writing.

But the characters that Crombie has taken so much time to build up are secondary to the story; this may or may not be to your taste. And, troublesome for me because of the sheer number of English mysteries I read, if the last book or two in this series isn't fresh in your mind, it will take a chapter or two to reorient yourself to the plotlines and developements. This quibbles lead to the 4-star rating, but this is still a book well worth your time.

After a few years of reading mostly American authors, I "discovered" again the joy of reading English ones. Even though Ms. Crombie lives in Texas, she manages to create this authentic English country side which appeals to me. I like the Kincaid/Gemma characters. A very well crafted story, I didn't want to see the book ending...

I always enjoy Crombie because, though she's writing about murder, she doesn't depend on graphic violence. I found this to be a satisfactory blend of mood and descriptive settings. The pub scenes put me right there, as did the scenes along the canals. A good read that was over too soon.

I have read all of Deborah Crombies series of Kincaid and Gemma. Again, I like the British Mystery's and although Crobie is an American, her writing is excellent and her grasp of the English style is great. Look forward to each book.