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In the past . . .
On a blisteringly hot August afternoon in Crystal Palace, once home to the tragically destroyed Great Exhibition, a solitary thirteen-year-old boy meets his next-door neighbor, a recently widowed young teacher hoping to make a new start in the tight-knit South London community. Drawn together by loneliness, the unlikely pair forms a deep connection that ends in a shattering act of betrayal.
In the present . . .
On a cold January morning in London, Detective Inspector Gemma James is back on the job now that her husband, Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid, is at home to care for their three-year-old foster daughter. Assigned to lead a Murder Investigation Team in South London, she's assisted by her trusted colleague, newly promoted Detective Sergeant Melody Talbot. Their first case: a crime scene at a seedy hotel in Crystal Palace. The victim: a well-respected barrister, found naked, trussed, and apparently strangled. Is it an unsavory accident or murder? In either case, he was not alone, and Gemma's team must find his companion—a search that takes them into unexpected corners and forces them to contemplate unsettling truths about the weaknesses and passions that lead to murder. Ultimately, they will begin to question everything they think they know about their world and those they trust most.
In their latest case, Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James must delve into the death of a prominent barrister in a seedy London hotel. Did he die in a sordid misadventure or was he murdered? To uncover the truth, the pair must search into the past as well as into the near present. Another stellar addition to a series that already includes Where Memories Lie and As Necessary As Blood.
A native Texan who has lived in both England and Scotland, Deborah Crombie is a three-time Macavity Award winner, an Edgar Award nominee, and a New York Times Notable author. She is the author of more than a dozen novels, including the recent Necessary as Blood and Dreaming of the Bones, which was selected as one of the 100 Best Crime Novels of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. She lives in McKinney, Texas, sharing a house that is more than one hundred years old with her husband, three cats, and two German shepherds.
Anonymous
Posted Tue Feb 19 00:00:00 EST 2013
I only 'discovered' Deborah Crombie last year when I read No Mark Upon Her. (my review - I loved it) I have been eagerly awaiting the next entry in her Duncan Kincaid/ Gemma James series. The Sound of Broken Glass (#15) releases today.
Kincaid and James are husband and wife and both work for Scotland Yard. Duncan is staying at home right now with their three year old daughter and Gemma is heading up her first big murder case.
Who has been killed? A prominent lawyer - found in a rundown hotel in Crystal Palace, naked and tied up. Is it a sex game gone wrong? Or a sadistic killer? But then a second lawyer is found killed the same way - and there's evidence to link the two cases. As Gemma digs deeps deeper, she finds unexpected connections to her life. In flashback chapters, we also slowly learn of a young man's past and his upbringing in the Crystal Palace neighbourhood. What connection does he have to the present day?
Crombie is a master of plotting. There was no dearth of suspects and I was kept guessing until the end. The investigation is solid police work and I enjoyed solving the crime along with Gemma and her team. But woven through this main storyline is a running secondary storyline - that of Duncan and Gemma's personal life. And it is this 'personal' touch that has cemented Crombie on my must read list. Although others may complain that domestic details of characters may detract from a good mystery, I find quite the opposite. I feel they gave the story much more depth and make the characters 'real' and all the more believable. This same attention to detail is given to the secondary players as well. The result is a well rounded cast, all with their own tale to tell. I've become invested in each of their lives and want to see where Crombie takes everyone from here.
There's a third thread also wound about the story - that of The Crystal Palace itself. Although the name now denotes an area of South London, the history behind this plate-glass building originally erected to house the Great Exhibition of 1851 is truly fascinating. Every chapter starts out with a quote or a paragraph chronicling the history of the building. And again, Crombie is very clever with her choices. Read carefully, they mirror what is happening in the book.
The Sound of Broken Glass was a satisfying read on so many levels - one I would definitely recommend. Crombie ends the book with a cliff hanger - I will be again eagerly awaiting the next in this wonderful series.
9 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.shayrp76
Posted Tue Feb 19 00:00:00 EST 2013
The Sound of Broken Glass
Deborah Crombie
ISBN: 978-0-06-199063
Feb 2013
*This is an ARC I won via a goodreads giveaway* 5 Stars!
Detective Inspector Gemma James and her partner Detective Sergeant Melody Talbot are investigating the murder of a barrister whose body was found in a very compromising position. No matter if his death was accidental or more sinister they must find out who he spent the evening with. Their investigation will lead them into lies and a circle of secrets kept for years that are still being protected. It’s inevitable to become personally involved in the case, meaning that relationships and careers could depend on them resolving the investigation.
This is the 15th book in this series but this is only the second that I have read. The other was No Mark Upon Her which I also really enjoyed. That being said, this would usually drive me a little nutty to not have read all of the previous novels but I don’t feel like I am missing out on anything. Obviously I will read all of the previous books but I will honestly say that it wouldn’t make me feel differently. I really like this series and Ms. Crombie has a new fan.
The characters are amazing! They make me laugh and cry and I want to have a cup of coffee or tea with them. I cannot wait for the next book to see what is going to happen to them now. The plot is fantastic as well. I tend to figure things out quickly but these books seem to keep me on my toes even if I have decided “who done it”. I question my theory, which is a big deal for me when it comes to mysteries.
I don’t have any complaints at all with this one except that now I have to wait for the next. By now you know that I am going to recommend this one until I am blue in the face or until my fingertips are bleeding.
5 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sun Feb 24 00:00:00 EST 2013
Another possible good book ruined by excessive plot spoilers. Bn, just lost another sale to these plot spoilers. Are you ever going to put a stop to them???
2 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.lovestotravel
Posted Fri Mar 08 00:00:00 EST 2013
I have read all of these books and enjoy Ms Crombie's style of writing and the continuing characters. This particular book took a bit of getting into before I found it interesting. The intro to all the characters and crime part of the story seemed to take awhile. I have liked some of her others a bit better. That said, i will continue to be her fan.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Tue Feb 19 00:00:00 EST 2013
?.....
1 out of 17 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sat Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Thanks!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sat Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Hello.. i am Purplehaze. He bows respectfully. I am a very active tom and has allways wanted to have kits. I am on everyday and would enjoy your company emensly. Please take me into consideration when you make your choise.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sun Apr 28 00:00:00 EDT 2013
waits.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sun Apr 21 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Not Crombie's best effort. I enjoy the many characters who have been added to Gemma and Duncan's world as this series has developed, but the storylines among them have begun to overwhelm the detective work. This book reached a pretty sloppy and late resolution, leaving many things unexplained.
I was also disappointed that Crombie's research into London history seemed a bit shallow in this volume. Typically, Crombie provides an entertaining and informative history of a different London neighborhood and develops a lively sense of community in each book. This time, most of the background material provided at the beginning of each chapter was a dry accounting culled from web sites. Crystal Palace itself never came to life as an interesting place to imagine or visit.
I look forward to each of Crombie's new books, and this was the first one to leave me plainly disappointed.
Anonymous
Posted Fri Apr 05 00:00:00 EDT 2013
The Sound of Broken Glass is Deborah Crombie in her usual fine form, and if you already know her work, this one won't disappoint. Like her previous books in the series, this one is well written and had me guessing right up to the very last few pages. And she continues to update the lives of characters we've come to know in other books of this series. I hope she'll favor us with another one soon.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.robbie65
Posted Fri Mar 22 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I have read each one of this series and eagerly await the next. Sound of Broken Glass does not disappoint. Crombie is right up there with Christie. I always think I have the killer figured out and never do, as an addicted mystery reader, I always get what I need from Crombie.
Can't wait til the next one.
Anonymous
Posted Wed Mar 20 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Enjoyable relationship between the husband/wife detectives. Easy read, likeable characters along with a sympathetic concern for their well being. Good story when you just want to kick back and escape the humdrum for a bit.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.An_Arkansas_Reader
Posted Tue Mar 19 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I eagerly awaited the release of this installment, as I am a longtime Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James and have been for years. Set in London and filled with atmosphere, this literary mystery should appeal to fans of Elizabeth George, Donna Leon, and Louise Penny. The books in this series are not filled with violence or sex, nor are the protagonists imbued with superhuman powers. They are real world police procedurals with a solid storyline that unfolds quite plausibly. Because the characters and their relationships develop so much throughout the series, it is best read in order. In a pinch, though, this would work as a stand alone too.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Tue Mar 19 00:00:00 EDT 2013
As high quality as we've come to expect
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Posted Tue Mar 19 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Excellent as we have come to expect with the series
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Posted Wed Feb 27 00:00:00 EST 2013
The mystery is good, and a little raunchy by Crombie standards, but it's the development of the series' cast of characters that drives this book. Kincaid is on leave, a stay-at-home dad, and Melody has a surprising relationship development.
MarAnnabelle
Posted Sun Feb 24 00:00:00 EST 2013
The Sound Of Broken Glass, by Deborah Crombie, a NY Times Best Seller author, newest book is AMAZING.......
If you like Police procedural mysteries with some suspense and excellent writing and research, this is the book for you.
though Deborah lives in Texas, she travels to London to research every book she writes and it shows in her writing and true "Brit" english
Deb knows how to draw you in, I feel like I am there hovering over the investigation team, although she doesn't overkill on places, you can picture every scene as you were right there, only bad thing was having to turn that last page, knowing the story was over for the time being, hopefully to be continued
I hope everyone enjoys this book (an entire series) as much as I did, I highly recommend this one and the rest of series
Mar
Anonymous
Posted Wed Mar 06 00:00:00 EST 2013
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Anonymous
Posted Wed Mar 20 00:00:00 EDT 2013
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Anonymous
Posted Tue Mar 19 00:00:00 EDT 2013
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Overview
In the past . . .
On a blisteringly hot August afternoon in Crystal Palace, once home to the tragically destroyed Great Exhibition, a solitary thirteen-year-old boy meets his next-door neighbor, a recently widowed young teacher hoping to make a new start in the tight-knit South London community. Drawn together by loneliness, the unlikely pair forms a deep connection that ends in a shattering act of betrayal.
...