Necessary as Blood

Exceptional read on many levels. Chock full of new characters and 'old' favorites. In this case Duncan and Gemma deal with a young, beautiful orphan girl, Charlotte, whose artistic mother has gone missing, and whose father has been found murdered.

Many people to interview, lots of red herrings to investigate and questional characters including Charlottes' mother's family.

Crombie continues to develop the personal sides of the lives of Duncan, Gemma, their staff, friends and family adding emotional warmth and keeping the series fresh and engaging.

I received this book as part of the Early Reviews program, and it was my first introduction to the James/Kincaid mystery series.

I lived outside London back in the early 1980's and spent a lot of time in central London, so it was nice to return there 20+ years later through the eyes of Deborah Crombie. It is obvious from her descriptions of the City that she loves London. She also does a good job of putting a face to the racial tensions of East London between the immigrants from the remnants of the Empire and the white Anglo-Saxon residents.

The story is a police procedural revolving around the disappearance of a young artist, the murder of her husband and the aftermath for their young daughter. The story starts out slowly, but picks up show more steam fairly soon--not from the murder, which doesn't take place until well after the beginning of the book, but by the interplay between the main characters, their friends, family and co-workers. For the most part I enjoyed the characters, though I'm not sure there isn't too much American author in the dialogue. There are lots of false clues, chases down rabbit holes and the inevitable "ah-ha" moment when the story pulls together. Surprisingly, one of the high points of the book was the author's descriptions of Sandra's art. It really gave me an image. I wondered if the descriptions were based on something she has actually seen because they were so vivid.

I did think the ending was a bit too much treacle, and a push for the continued soon concept of series, but other than that, I would recommend the book to anyone wanting a mystery set in modern London. show less

First Line: The streets were greasy with moisture.

I don't know of another mystery series that I read in which the characters' personal lives are every bit as important to me as the investigation. By this, the thirteenth book, I feel like an old family friend as I read about Scotland Yard's Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his Detective Inspector Gemma James who works out of the Notting Hill station in London. Everyone in their families wants Duncan and Gemma married as quickly as possible, but Gemma doesn't seem to be as keen. Then something happens that puts all thoughts of marriage out of her mind.

Two months previously, a talented textile artist named Sandra Gilles left her three-year-old daughter with a friend at a flower show more stall in an open market. She said she'd be back in a few minutes. She never returned. Now her husband, Naz Malik, is missing. When his body is found, Gemma is concerned not only with finding out what happened to Sandra and Naz, but in ensuring that their daughter is taken care of properly. Seeing her name on reports of the crime, Duncan Kincaid and his partner, Doug Cullen, decide to join in the investigation.

For those who care more for the story than the characters and the characters' lives, I would imagine that this book would be a disappointment. For me, it was a feast. The actual investigation was convoluted enough that I didn't guess what had happened, and I enjoyed the background history of London's East End that was skillfully woven into the story. Marriage plans, sick parents, and two of the most realistically drawn children in fiction all added to an extremely pleasurable read.

I read a lot of mystery series. I don't think there's any way in the world that I can ever finish them all. Normally it's a sign of how much I enjoy a series by how "caught up" I am. Crombie has written thirteen books in this series, and this is a review of number thirteen. The only negative thing about this Cathy-esque mark of respect is that now I have to wait for the next book to be published.

Guess I'm going to have to make a dent in some of those other series, eh? Duncan, Gemma-- HURRY UP! show less

Necessary As Blood by Deborah Crombie

I have not read any of Crombie's Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James books, but that did not prevent me from enjoying the book from start to finish. I particularly enjoyed her beautiful description of the various houses in the East End. It was interesting to learn that the author does not live in England, but clearly she may be an outsider, but it allows her to give us the reader, a bird's eye vision of modern England. Her keen observations about racial tension in England were very interesting. Her description of some of the restaurants started to make my stomach rumble as the food based on her writing about it. It was a compelling book from start to finish. I will look for the other books in the series and show more try to read them.

Thanks to LT Early Reviewer for giving me the opportunity to read the book and share my impressions! show less

When a long-time friend doesn't show up for an appointment, Dr. Tim Cavendish calls his former tenant, Detective Inspector Gemma James. Naz Malik's wife, Sandra, had disappeared several months earlier, and now Naz is missing. As Gemma learns more about the circumstances, she too becomes concerned, particularly about the welfare of Naz and Sandra's 2-year-old daughter, Charlotte. Then Naz's body is discovered and the local police request assistance from Scotland Yard. Gemma's domestic partner, Superintendent Duncan Kincaid, takes the case. The detectives can't afford to ignore any potential suspects, from Naz's legal clients with ties to the Bangladeshi community, to Sandra's patrons and colleagues in the art world or her estranged show more relatives in an East End council estate.

I lived in the London area for several years between college and graduate school, and this series more than any other brings it vividly to life for me. I feel like I'm back in familiar surroundings. It helps that Duncan and Gemma are such interesting and likeable characters and the mysteries are always well-plotted, but the strong sense of place is what keeps drawing me back to this series. Most new readers will want to start the series from the beginning since Duncan and Gemma's personal lives are a central feature of the series. show less

Necessary as Blood is the next installment of Deborah Crombie’s murder mystery series featuring the characters Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid. Ms. Crombie’s lyrical writing style and character development make this book flow like hearing a story from an old friend. When you sit down to read this book it’s easy to fall into a page turning trance and the next thing you know you’re halfway through the book.
This series of books are set in modern day London, the main characters are detectives, Gemma in Notting Hill and Duncan with Scotland Yard. We join them living together planning a wedding. During this time, Naz Malik a friend of a friend is found dead only months after his wife Sandra Gilles turns up missing. Gemma takes it upon show more herself to make sure Naz and Sandra’s daughter, Charlotte, is put with a family who loves her and won’t exploit her situation or hurt her. The idea of anguish over child exploitation is a main theme throughout this book. So the reader not only travels through the police investigation into the murder and disappearance but also through the drama of keeping Charlotte safe.
This is the first book written by Ms. Crombie that I have read, but it certainly won’t be the last! She expertly weaves the story in such a way that when the reader learns who the culprit truly is it sheds new light on seemingly inconsequential bits of the plot line. I love stories that have hidden little gems that don’t really become clear until the end!!
Ms. Crombie also seems to have a very lyrical writing style. The best example I can give is when she describes the coroner’s office on page 125-126:
“Books covered the shelves, made towers on the floor, and overflowed the surface of the desk, where a computer monitor looked as if it were fighting for its life. File boxes were interspersed with the books, and the only visible spot on the wall was cover with an intricate bit of graffiti art. There were no chairs other than the one behind the desk.”
Although Ms. Crombie was born and raised in Texas, she has spent much time in England. This intimate knowledge of the English culture beautifully informs her work. The use of English colloquialisms adds to the setting of this book in an indispensible way.
This book will keep you guessing until the end! If you’re a lover of murder mysteries then definitely be to pick up Necessary as Blood. show less

Necessary As Blood is a police procedural, but it is much more than that. The reader is presented with the mysterious disappearance of Sandra, and her husband Naz, and their story revolves around their beautiful three year old daughter Charlotte.
Sandra is a British artist with a family background that is so distasteful to her that she has cut all ties from them. Naz is a solicitor of Pakistani descent, and when he goes missing, the mystery begins to take off.
In writing about the art of Sandra, the missing mother, Ms. Crombie reveals her own artistic abilities by making the collages, fabrics and photos come alive with words. Her descriptions of the meld of culture and society of the new Great Britain make three dimensional the challenges show more facing the incoming immigrants and the population that must absorb them.
The story is set in London and environs, and martial and relationship troubles mingle with racial and class tensions. The author lives in Texas, but British colloquialisms and local vernacular abound. This does not detract from the story, however, but only makes it richer.
I really liked this book, and found the characters to be well developed. Each one had his or her own unique challenges, certainly no superheroes here. Real people, real cops, real relationships, real parents, real kids. Yet all of it captures the reader, and the plot moves along nicely.
If you like a good mystery/police procedural with novelistic elements of marital and commitment issues, written with style and distinction, then this is the book for you. I, for one, am excited to see that Deborah Crombie has a good, solid backlist, and I am looking forward to exploring her other titles. show less