In today’s world, I am giving this 3 stars. However, I suspect if I had read it back when it was published in 1997 I would probably have rated it 5 stars as it would have been one of forebears of this genre. In currents terms though it lacks the cutting edge and pace of books by Simon Kernick and Stuart MacBride.
That said, it was a nice read. A bit twee and the murderer was fairly obvious to me but it was enjoyable all the same. Think along the lines of the nice fluffy murders that you get in Midsumer and you will be on the right lines! Nothing to keep you awake at night or even on the edge of your seat but a nice little crime thriller anyway.
I would add though, I suspect this author probably improves as she writes more books and I bet the more recent ones are brilliant.
Synopsis: The murder at Holmbury St Mary was not one that Superintendent Duncan Kincaid of Scotland Yard would relish investigating. A man has been beaten to death in his own home. A man who just happened to be Commander Alastair Gilbert of the Metropolitan Police… Only adding to Kincaid’s problems are his tangled personal feelings for Sergeant Gemma James. And in an investigation of this importance neither can afford a breakdown in their relationship. Combining subtle emotional nuances and psychological insights with the intricacies of police procedure, Deborah Crombie produces a powerful contemporary mystery in the classic tradition.
Read and Rated 