Review by Booklist Review
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.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly 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 (after 2009's Necessary as Blood). When Rebecca Meredith, a detective chief inspector with the Metropolitan Police and an Olympic rowing hopeful, drowns under suspicious circumstances during an evening training session on the Thames in historic Henley, the newly married Kincaid and James investigate what turns into a homicide case. Suspects include Meredith's overly friendly ex-husband, a K9 search and rescue volunteer who was in love with her, her old rowing coach, and even a police officer. Meredith had accused Deputy Asst. Commissioner Angus Craig of rape, and hers was not the only accusation. Crombie gives an insightful look into British police procedures as well as a vivid view of the vagaries of London neighborhoods. Kincaid and James's chaotic, happy home sharply contrasts with the often messy police business. Agent: Nancy Yost. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Crombie's 14th police procedural (after Necessary as Blood) featuring Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James further develops their personal and professional relationship. Rebecca Meredith, their colleague and an avid rower with Olympic potential, drowns while practicing along a familiar route on the Thames. Because of Rebecca's competitive and abrasive personality, the list of potential suspects becomes lengthy and complicated as Kincaid interviews her fellow athletes and detectives. Through their relentless efforts, Kincaid and James uncover a politically astute suspect who could permanently damage the reputations of numerous professional associates. Verdict Those familiar with Crombie's works will welcome another episode deepening the ongoing Kincaid-James relationship and enjoy the lengthy discussions about family happenings. Newcomers, however, will find that such details distract from the central plot. Although Crombie's novels have garnered her international acclaim, particularly in Germany, her multilayered and heavily textured style dampens the fluidity of a thrilling detective tale. [See Prepub Alert, 8/21/11.]-Jerry P. Miller, Cambridge, MA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
