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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie

Another Crombie masterpiece! While investigating the murder of a rower/detective, Kinkaid opens a can of worms; although James does not work the case with him, she starts at the other end of the can and meets him in the middle. 

Along the way, we learn about K9 Search and Rescue and become immersed in the world of rowing. The book reflects the balance that Kincaid and James struggle to maintain between their lives as detectives and their lives as parents. Adding three year old Charlotte to the brood of two boys, two dogs, and a cat makes their latter roles much more difficult - and more robust.

The mystery plot is convoluted and complex. With each book, however, Crombie moves closer and closer to the fiction novel genre, rather than merely producing mysteries. Although the mystery plots run through her novels, they are no longer front and center in the fiction that Crombie has created. This can be seen in No Mark Upon Her.