And Justice There is None

AND JUSTICE THERE IS NONE by Deborah Crombie is Book #8 in her Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James mystery series.
This book is excellently plotted with very interesting characters and situations. I like the emphasis on location. (In this book we learn about the history of the Notting Hill area of London.) There are layers of ‘back stories’ which all come together at the end.
This period is a very difficult one for Gemma and Duncan’s personal and professional relationship.
All of the ‘endings’ leave the reader with a great sense of sadness.
Highly recommended title and series.

Brilliantly complex. Crombie weaves a complicated plot into a multigenerational cast of characters and yet still comes out making everything seem believable. The main characters, Kincaid and James, continue to be developed into fully three-dimensional beings, and the rather gimmicky habit that the author has of dropping the detectives into a picturesque bit of England doesn't distract from the story. All the clues required to solve the murder don't appear until the last few pages, so there's no real way to guess the murderer, but that's a minor detail in a terrific book.

The Duncan Kincaid & Gemma Jones series by Deborah Crombie is one of my favorites and the 8th entry in this series was a really good one. Set over the Christmas season, Gemma is in charge of an investigation into the murder of a woman who was killed in her own driveway. At first the police’s attention is on the husband, but as more facts emerge, the circle of suspects grows ever wider. The details of this murder are also very similar to another woman’s murder, one that Duncan is heading up and it is decided to merge these two investigations which allows Duncan and Gemma to be once again working together.

Meanwhile their private live is moving along as Gemma’s pregnancy advances. They move into a house and are finally able to blend show more their families into one.

And Justice There Is None is a gripping story of revenge and murder and although there are some distressing details, this 8th addition to the series is an excellent one and after a less than stellar 7th book it was great to see the series back on track. show less

I found And Justice There is None to be one of the best of the series.This case's characters, layers of complexities, how Angel's back story connects, the dialogue and timing are all well done.

The richness of Duncan's and Gemma's busy lives both professional and personal add to the mix to make for an engaging, addictive read.

Decent British police procedural. 4.5 years ago, I read #2, All Shall Be Well. I rather liked it, but my comments there are equally applicable to this book. "While I enjoyed the book, I found it slow and tedious at times. Further, the conclusion, while pulling together various characters and unresolved questions, also draws a rabbit out of the hat." In #8, Gemma is no longer with Scotland Yard, but is a DCI. The main difference is that (1) she is pregnant with his baby and (2) they move in together. Nevertheless, Duncan finds a way to involve himself in the case, and Gemma professes to enjoy working with him again.

I know Crombie has her ardent fans, and that's fine, but the MC's seem kind of drab to me, and their relationship seems to show more be more one of convenience more than excitement. I won't be rushing out to grab another in the series. show less

In this installment of the popular series featuring Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, Duncan is now working as a Supt. for Scotland Yard while Gemma has been promoted to Inspector for the beat covering Notting Hill. It's also the beginning of some changes for their relationship as they prepare to move in together with their children and animals as well. The murder of a wealthy antique-dealing resident of Notting Hill, who lives near Duncan and Gemma's new place is murdered. The case is Gemma's. There is a lot of pressure. Duncan sees a similarity between it and an unsolved crime and asks to also be assigned to the case to explore the older investigation. Crombie proves once again that she is a step above most writers. There are many show more layers to the story. The plotting is nearly perfect. The current mystery is combined with an older story which is relevant. I enjoyed the chapter introductions which were short paragraphs from a couple of histories of the area in which the mystery is set. show less

A very good mystery with excellent characters. Crombie combines the plot with the personal lives of the characters very neatly. I enjoyed the snippets of information about Portobello Road that precede each chapter. The setting of London in the sixties is very effective, providing some social history of the area.