A Share in Death – Deborah Crombie

My Rating – 4/5

Summary –

Superintendent Duncan Kincaid is on a well earned timeshare holiday in a picturesque Yorkshire village. But on the first night Sebastian Wade, young assistant manager at Followdale House, where Kincaid is staying is electrocuted. Kincaid now can’t let go his police instincts and the motley bunch of fellow holidayers become immediate suspects. Then another murder takes place and Kincaid has to employ his wits, running against time to solve the case and prevent any further deaths.

Review –

A Share in Death was the second surprise of the week for me after Elly Griiffiths’ A Room Full of Bones. After reading on the blurb that Deborah Crombie lives in Texas and looking at the cover that I later found totally misleading, I was prepared for an all American murder mystery. But I found that A Share in Death is steeped in Agatha Christie’s mould through and through. Same charming English countryside setting, similar cast of suspects and even mystery that is akin to Hercule Poirot. Crombie has maintained the same timeless style and barring a few references to the current time, (the book was published in 1993) the book can be straight out of 1950’s.

Crombie has a lucid style and the reading was effortless. The protagonist, Duncan Kincaid is charming, polite, chivalrous and of course good in his work. His young assistant Sergeant Gemma James is an equally endearing character. Young, recently divorced single mother and beautiful in a way that inspires confidence, Gemma is expert at interviewing people and Kincaid relies on her to test his hypothesis and conjectures. The supporting characters are a varied lot and play important role in the mystery. The mystery in the book is also equally engaging. If you are brought up on Agatha Christie like me, then most probably you will figure out the culprit midway through the book but that will not take away the pleasure of reading.

The relationship between Kincaid and Gemma adds an additional emotional layer to the book. They are courteous, trust and respect each other professionally though not yet friends socially. I am sure as the series progressed, their relationship must have evolved and gone through different phases and I am curious to read about it.

I am a very late starter to the series. It is now fourteen books old but I will surely be doing my best to read the remaining thirteen books as soon as I can. I have started with the second book, All Shall Be Well and enjoying it as much as this book.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time.

The book is available cheapest in India at –

1. Homeshop 18 2. Indiaplaza 3. Uread 4. Infibeam

My other Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series reviews –

1. All Shall Be Well 2. Leave The Grave Green