New York Times Notable author Deborah Crombie is regularly named among the greats of British-set crime fiction (P.D. James, Ruth Rendell, Elizabeth George et al) for her riveting police procedurals featuring Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, Scotland Yard partners as well as devoted life-mates.
A brilliantly conceived and executed, deeply atmospheric mystery, No Mark Upon Her embroils Kincaid and James in the case of the puzzling drowning of a rower, a Met detective, on the Thames. A finely-hued and twisting tale of psychological suspense—a story rich in deadly secrets, salacious lies, and unexpected betrayals—No Mark Upon Her is everything Crombie’s fans have come to expect from this exceptional writer…and more.
From Booklist
Crombie, a three-time Macavity Award winner, an Edgar Award nominee, and a New York Times Notable author, stages another New Scotland Yard procedural here, with the team of Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his partner through the series (now his wife), Inspector Gemma James. It gets off to an eerie start. The body of a rower is discovered tangled in debris in the Thames. The victim is a young woman, Rebecca Meredith, a detective with the Metropolitan Police, who had been undergoing a punishing training regimen in hopes of qualifying for the women’s single scull event in the upcoming Olympics. The investigation is especially tricky because of Meredith’s professional status. It gets trickier still when Kincaid and James discover a host of suspects, including Meredith’s ex-husband and the rowers with whom she trained. An added shock is the attempted murder of one of the search-and-rescue team members who found Meredith’s body. Adding to the considerable interest of plot and characters here is the expertise Crombie shares on the rigors and skills of sculling. --Connie Fletcher
Review
“Macavity Award-winner Crombie examines the corrupting nature of power in her riveting 14th novel featuring Scotland Yard Supt. Duncan Kincaid and Det. Insp. Gemma James.... Crombie gives an insightful look into British police procedures as well as a vivid view of the vagaries of London neighborhoods.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))
...[R]eaders who savor excellent writing will find that Ms. Crombie delivers it again. (New York Journal of Books)
“Crombie is very talented at putting together a richly atmospheric whodunit.... [A]s a creator, she energetically inhabits the many strange worlds she shows her readers....” (Washington Post)
“Ms. Crombie again has turned out a gripping and nicely tailored mystery and added another chapter to her chronicle of Kincaid and Jones.” (Washington Times)
“No Mark Upon Her is again deserving of fans’ devotion due largely to her intelligent, subtle wit and above all, her meticulous attention to detail, from sculling equipment and competitive jealousy to a 3-year-old’s birthday party meltdown to the deep bond between a man and his dog.” (Miami Herald)
“Her writing is sophisticated and her suspense taut.” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
[A] psychological thrill-ride that explores the allure of power, the pull of jealousy, and the seduction of greed. (The Tuscon Citizen)
This is a lovely, satisfying British police procedural with many relationship subplots that lend texture. (Suspense magazine)
Description:
New York Times Notable author Deborah Crombie is regularly named among the greats of British-set crime fiction (P.D. James, Ruth Rendell, Elizabeth George et al) for her riveting police procedurals featuring Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, Scotland Yard partners as well as devoted life-mates.
A brilliantly conceived and executed, deeply atmospheric mystery, No Mark Upon Her embroils Kincaid and James in the case of the puzzling drowning of a rower, a Met detective, on the Thames. A finely-hued and twisting tale of psychological suspense—a story rich in deadly secrets, salacious lies, and unexpected betrayals—No Mark Upon Her is everything Crombie’s fans have come to expect from this exceptional writer…and more.
From Booklist
Crombie, a three-time Macavity Award winner, an Edgar Award nominee, and a New York Times Notable author, stages another New Scotland Yard procedural here, with the team of Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his partner through the series (now his wife), Inspector Gemma James. It gets off to an eerie start. The body of a rower is discovered tangled in debris in the Thames. The victim is a young woman, Rebecca Meredith, a detective with the Metropolitan Police, who had been undergoing a punishing training regimen in hopes of qualifying for the women’s single scull event in the upcoming Olympics. The investigation is especially tricky because of Meredith’s professional status. It gets trickier still when Kincaid and James discover a host of suspects, including Meredith’s ex-husband and the rowers with whom she trained. An added shock is the attempted murder of one of the search-and-rescue team members who found Meredith’s body. Adding to the considerable interest of plot and characters here is the expertise Crombie shares on the rigors and skills of sculling. --Connie Fletcher
Review
“Macavity Award-winner Crombie examines the corrupting nature of power in her riveting 14th novel featuring Scotland Yard Supt. Duncan Kincaid and Det. Insp. Gemma James.... Crombie gives an insightful look into British police procedures as well as a vivid view of the vagaries of London neighborhoods.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))
...[R]eaders who savor excellent writing will find that Ms. Crombie delivers it again. (New York Journal of Books)
“Crombie is very talented at putting together a richly atmospheric whodunit.... [A]s a creator, she energetically inhabits the many strange worlds she shows her readers....” (Washington Post)
“Ms. Crombie again has turned out a gripping and nicely tailored mystery and added another chapter to her chronicle of Kincaid and Jones.” (Washington Times)
“No Mark Upon Her is again deserving of fans’ devotion due largely to her intelligent, subtle wit and above all, her meticulous attention to detail, from sculling equipment and competitive jealousy to a 3-year-old’s birthday party meltdown to the deep bond between a man and his dog.” (Miami Herald)
“Her writing is sophisticated and her suspense taut.” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
[A] psychological thrill-ride that explores the allure of power, the pull of jealousy, and the seduction of greed. (The Tuscon Citizen)
This is a lovely, satisfying British police procedural with many relationship subplots that lend texture. (Suspense magazine)