One of Crombie’s best yet. I read an early copy and was hooked from page one. Crombie knows how to keep a long-running series fresh, and I’m looking forward to more.

Enthusiastic readers of Deborah Crombie’s Kincaid/James police procedural series often have to wait a long time between books, but those readers are mollified by the excellence of the stories. The most recent book, A Bitter Feast, was a banquet for fans, with its Cotswold setting and closed country house plot. Following tradition, the new mystery is set in London.

How often is a detective superintendent in the same spot as a victim moments before their death? Kincaid and his sergeant, Doug Cullen, have plans to meet up in a Victorian pub in Lamb’s Conduit Street for a quick debrief on the knifing case of an elderly Asian shop owner. It’s Friday happy-hour and Kincaid nurtures a beer before his running-late sergeant arrives. He checks the time:

The young woman sitting alone at the next table seemed to mimic him, checking her own watch, then her mobile, with a frown of irritation. In spite of the blustery November evening, the room was warm from the fire and she had shrugged off her fur-trimmed anorak to reveal hospital scrubs. Their pale green color set off her dark skin and the dark twists of her hair.

Doug Cullen arrives, mentioning it’s been a bugger of a day as he cleans his rain-spattered glasses. While Kincaid fetches a Bloomsbury IPA for Doug, he notices the girl getting ready to leave.

The call came as Kincaid and Doug were putting on their coats, preparing to brave the windy damp for the short walk back to Holborn Station. Kincaid’s heart sank when he saw the name on the screen—Simon Gikas, his team’s efficient case manager. Hopefully, it was just paperwork. He’d promised Gemma he’d make the tail end of Toby’s ballet rehearsal.

It’s a knifing in Russell Square, not too far away. Simon sends a car and Kincaid tells Doug it looks like they’ve got themselves a murder. They check in with the PCs and the medics before approaching the body. A medic tells them the victim is wearing scrubs, and Kincaid feels a prickle of unease:

“Oh, Christ,” he muttered, stepping back and nearly treading on Doug’s toes.



“What is it?” Doug moved closer and Kincaid heard the sharp exhalation of his breath. “Shit. Isn’t that the girl from the pub?”



“I’m afraid so.”

Her name is Sasha Johnson: She’s a trainee doctor. When Kincaid is told she’s been stabbed, he thinks of Gemma. Coincidentally Gemma has recently been assigned to a task force on knife crimes which are on the rise. A reoccurring pattern in A Killing of Innocents is the meshing of Kincaid and Gemma’s professional and personal lives. While Kincaid and Doug hover over Sasha’s dead body, Gemma is plastered up against the wall of a rehearsal-room, suffering from “pins and needles,” waiting to watch their son Toby in The Nutcracker.

And just where the hell, she wondered, was Duncan?



He’d promised he’d be there to see Toby’s first appearance in the mouse head. Toby was also dancing in the opening party scene, but for him that paled in comparison to the thrill of wearing the mouse costume and wielding a plastic sword.

While Gemma waits, she thinks about work.

Her new job tracking and identifying knife crime in Greater London had at first sounded glamorous but had turned out to mean mind-numbingly dull days spent at a computer terminal at the new Met headquarters, poring over reports.



Gemma missed the CID team at Brixton, as well as boots-on-the-ground investigating.

Finally she gets a text from Duncan, telling her he’s got something for her, and to meet him in Russell Square. Sasha’s death is in Gemma’s bailiwick and given her relationship to Kincaid, it’s a natural that she and her former partner, detective sergeant Melody Talbot, would be asked to muck in and lend a hand. A busy working mother, Gemma is stretched to the max, constantly juggling childcare responsibilities and her job. She gets some advice from her young daughter’s trustee—advice that makes her uncomfortable . Louise doesn’t pull any punches.

“Gemma.” Louise’s voice held a command. “Listen to me. You’ve spent the last year running yourself ragged, cobbling together childcare by depending on Kit and on the kindness of friends. You’ve given up a CID job that you love. It’s time you faced the facts. It’s not working.”

Louise cuts to the chase, telling Gemma she needs a nanny.

It turns out that Sasha Johnson, a very private person, is part of a family in Kincaid and Gemma’s extended friend group—that fact is as uncomfortable for the police as it is for the family, especially when the coroner reveals that Sasha was pregnant. No one knew she was even in a relationship.

A Killing of Innocents has an unusual narrative. An estranged couple quarrel over the wife’s decision to go abroad, leaving a young daughter behind in the custody of the husband. It’s unclear how this plot interfaces with the primary story. Another strand is Gemma’s worries about her complicated home-front and the divergent needs of their children (much of which devolves upon her) amidst her delight, almost like a withered plant soaking up water, to be on the street working a case again. Then the knifing of the trainee doctor is followed by a second knifing, which brings unwelcome pressure from the higher-ups to solve the case quickly.

Crombie excels at weaving together a cohesive story out of disparate circumstances and characters. The thread that ties the book together is the visceral horror that deliberate violence can be and is visited on innocents. A Killing of Innocents is rooted in the relationship between Duncan and Emma; how their careers impact their family life and friendships. It’s absorbing, nuanced, and true to the personalities of two people we’ve come to regard as almost family.

This is the 19th mystery in Deborah Crombie’s Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series. Two workers at the same hospital are stabbed in separate incidents, Detective Superintendent Kincaid asks James and her partner to help in the investigation of the crimes. The London setting is described in detail and I enjoyed the twisty plot, but there were too many subplots and coincidences. I have read a few other novels in this series and look forward to discovering more.

Full disclosure: I am a avid reader of Jungle Red Writers, a blog that Deb Crombie and six other crime fiction writers co author. Thanks to this blog, I have been reading about the creation of Crombie's 19th volume of her Kincaid and James series from idea to publication.

From cover to end papers this novel is a delight. Crombie has the splendid talent that produces vivid settings, atmospheric plot and characters, so real the reader longs to step in and invite them to tea.
By book 19, Duncan and Gemma's blended family, complete with beloved pets, are as important to the plot as the crimes and resolutions. The setting is Bloomsbury, a section of London famous for it's literary connections, filled with prestigious institutions, and as ever home to the sparkling career-driven crowd. Into this upscale setting, a knife wielding killer appears. What at first appears to be random spins into challenging crimes that test the skills of Duncan, Gemma, and their partners, Doug and Melody. Doug and Melody take center stage here. The complexity of the mystery is mirrored in their often knotty relationship. No spoilers here, just a slam bang ending that leaves a reader meditating on excellence and wishing for more of Crombie's London.

I have long been a fan of Deborah Crombie’s meticulous and beautifully plotted police novels set in contemporary London. Her series characters, Gemma James and Duncan Comrie, are married cops who vary in rank through the series but who both move steadily up the chain of command. In this 19th outing, Duncan is working in the field as a Detective Inspector and Gemma is stuck in a frustrating desk job. They make their home in Notting Hill, their large, busy, and happy family providing a sidebar to the main plot.

Crombie’s series installments pivot between Gemma and Duncan’s investigations, and this novel is mostly Duncan’s. He catches the murder of a young doctor, Sasha, who was stabbed while walking through a park near her hospital. There are no witnesses (other than a five year old) and seemingly, no motive either. When one of Sasha’s co-workers is killed in a similar fashion, Duncan turns to Gemma, who is presently heading up a knife crimes unit.

The second victim was an especially unpleasant and vindictive nurse, and other than mutual dislike, the connection between the two victims seems tenuous. As the police unravel the lives of the victims, the dead woman (a doctor in training, what we would probably call an intern or resident) seems universally liked, and the nurse, the opposite. The work of Duncan and his team is careful yet interesting, and Crombie has assembled, through now 19 books, a varied crew around Duncan. Because of Gemma’s present assignment, she’s also involved, even going undercover in one enjoyable scene.

The new characters that struck a chord with me were Sasha’s flatmate, a young potter and sculptor named Tully, and Sasha’s brother, who only brings complications to the table. He is, as a British friend of my mother’s used to say, a bad hat, so on top of the grief Sasha’s parents go through, they are also forced to worry about their son, who has disappeared. Crombie has a way of creating characters that assume an almost tangible reality in your mind and as I read, I could almost “see” Tully.

I could not put this one down. Sometimes Crombie can elaborate a theme, but in this novel, the plot seems to be the thing, along with Crombie’s often exquisite prose and sharply rendered characters. If there’s a theme, it’s probably revenge, but mostly it’s a complex look at a complicated set of crimes. What a wonderful return for this beloved series.

This was an excellent installment to the series, a solid mystery with many twists and suspects. i enjoyed learning more about our characters lives.
Many thanks to William Morrow and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the 19th volume in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James, and they just keep getting better. The mystery, as always is complex and riveting. This installment also focuses on the relationship between Duncan and Gemma and their children as they struggle to balance careers and a loving family life.

This 19th in the series opens on the murder of a junior doctor close to the pub where Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his sergeant, Doug Cullen, are enjoying a pint.

Another death follows, and they eventually find links to a traveler from Kinshasa. As always, Crombie combines an intricate police procedural with intriguing developments in the lives of all her characters.

Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Doug Cullen are called to the scene of a fatal stabbing. They’re shocked to realize the victim is a young woman they had just seen in the pub where they were eating. Duncan’s wife, Gemma James, is frustrated that instead of being out in the field, she’s on a task force tracking knife crime in the Greater London area. She and her partner DS Melody Talbot are both bored with the administrative work and are happy for the chance to help on the case. Things are further complicated when Duncan and Gemma realize that their good friends were friends of the victim and her family. When another stabbing occurs, it will take the whole expanded team to solve this complicated crime.

This book is part of a long-running series, but the author does a great job of summarizing important background information about the main characters. This is helpful to those new to the series, as well as returning readers who need a refresher. The case is interesting, and I like that Duncan, Doug, Gemma, Melody, and Duncan’s new second-in-command, DI Jasmine Sidana, all contribute to solving the case. However, the team seems so fragmented, with each person working with someone else but never all working together and sharing information. Part of this is scheduling issues with team members balancing family and job, but a lot is because of tensions between Melody and Doug, whose friendship is strained because of events in a prior book. Melody’s drama with her ex-boyfriend also slowed the pace of this book and added to the awkwardness between Melody and Doug, negatively affecting the investigation. Without the usual camaraderie between the main characters, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as others in the series.

I like that DI Sidana started showing more personality in this book. She is an intelligent detective but sometimes lacks people skills. However, she shows a lighter side when she and Gemma go undercover at a club to get information on a possible suspect. These scenes are my favorite of the whole book. The case is eventually resolved, but there some things regarding the main characters are left up in the air. I prefer to have things more settled at the end of a book, but I’ve been following this series for a long time and am interested in seeing what’s in store for everyone in future installments.

~ Christine

If you have read prior books in this series, you know that Deborah Crombie is the queen of the police procedural. Her writing is impeccable and her novels are consistently smart. Stylistically, she tends to open her novels from the perspective of many people (police and civilians) with information which may or may not be relevant to solving the crime at hand — a technique that she uses throughout the book. It is then up to the reader to determine whether the vignette is a legitimate clue or a red herring. A Killing of Innocents is no exception. The novel begins with the murder of a female medical resident who is stabbed in a public park. Is she simply a random statistic in the increasing number of deaths by stabbing or is this something more personal? And, if the latter, why? The motive becomes clear far quicker than the perpetrator, but that doesn’t affect the reader’s interest in seeing the story through. I’m looking forward to the next installment. If you have not read any of the novels in this series before, you can easily read and enjoy the books out of order. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. Highly recommended!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary advanced copy of this book.

Excellent mystery added to the series featuring Gemma and Duncan, consistent with Crombie’s other books in the series. When Sasha Johnson is found dead from a stab wound, Duncan realizes he just saw her waiting for someone in the pub. As Duncan and Doug begin the investigation, Gemma and Melody become involved peripherally. Gemma is not investigating but on a desk job she is not happy with, as she and Duncan juggle 5eir family responsibilities. There are many characters, many red herrings, and this series is as engrossing as the first installment. Highly recommend the entire series, from start to this current book. Thanks to NetGalley for he ARC.

I have missed Gemma and Duncan and Melody and Doug. In "A Killing of Innocents" Deborah Crombie does an excellent job of reacquainting us with them. At the center of the book is a police investigation into murder and the story of that investigation is well told and suspenseful. Supporting characters to this investigation are the conversations among the characters, their inner thoughts and conversations, their day to day lives including getting children to dance classes, visits with friends, fixing meals, showing love and affection, playing with the dogs--all those things that impact and surround the work we do. I am hopeful that the next chapter in the series will come quickly--I really want to know what happens with Doug!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGakkey for giving me an opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this police procedural mystery set in London, England.

The story was well written and there were lots of red herrings. I really liked the characters because they came across as real people to me.

Highly recommended for fans of mysteries set in modern London.

Thanks to William Morrow & Co. and Net Galley for an ARC of this book. Deborah Crombie’s Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series is one of my all time favorites! The writing is spot on and the stories never get old or boring. Considering that this is the 19th book in the series that is amazing. The crimes are always fresh and interesting with lots of twists and turns thrown in. It all begins with a junior doctor being stabbed to death. More murders occur and there are plenty of suspects. As always we learn more about the entire team investigating the death as well as Gemma and Duncan and their family. The character development is always there and I look forward to many more adventures to come.

Reviews posted to Goodreads, Amazon and several bookish Facebook pages.

This is book 19 in the Gemma and Duncan series. I started with A Bitter Feast and was able to jump in this far without getting lost. A Killing of Innocents starts with a young trainee doctor being murdered and Duncan being on the case, with Gemma assisting. Great police procedural mystery based in the UK, with a solid mystery and a realistic view into working parent life along the way. Would recommend for those that like police procedurals and atmospheric settings.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the gifted copy.

Another excellent entry in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series. A young woman has been stabbed in Bloomsbury. It appears to be a random stabbing in a crowded square. Appearances can be deceiving, The team digs into the victim’s life and relations to discover the murderer before more stabbings occur.

Deborah Crombie writes one of my absolute favorite police procedural series - the Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James novels. The nineteenth entry - A Killing of Innocents has just released.

Kincaid and James are both Scotland Yard detectives, albeit in different departments. Sasha, a young trainee doctor is stabbed as she walks across a square to meet a friend. As it's a knife crime, both of their teams are on the case. But as the case progresses, they realize there's much more to this case than a random stabbing...

Crombie always writes an intriguing, multi layered plot that isn't easy to figure out. It's great fun to try and solve the crimes along with the detectives. I truly appreciate how those crimes are solved in Crombie's books - with a team that uses modern day methods as well as the ' old fashioned' ways. Interviews, intuition, experience etc. Adding to the mystery are some enigmatic missives that appear as italicized chapters. How will they figure into the plot?

But the biggest draw for me are the characters. From one of my previous reviews of this series. "... the most captivating of all, is the large group of characters that appear in each book, their lives changing and growing with every new entry. They're so well drawn, they've become almost real, especially Duncan, Gemma and their children. I feel like I know them. Although others may complain that the domestic details of the characters detracts from a good mystery, I find it gives the story much more depth. I've become invested in their lives and want to see where Crombie takes them from here. Sitting down with the latest feels like catching up with old friends." This is what has me always eagerly awaiting the next book from Crombie.

And no surprise - I loved this latest! The crime is solved, but the door is open for the next book. Can't wait!

Ms. Crombie has given us yet another grand performance of her skills as a writer. She takes great care, apparent when you read her books, to lay the story out and watch it unfold before your eyes. A Master with words that keeps you coming back for more. A Killing of Innocents is a great read.

Thank you to Deborah Crombie, William Morrow and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC e-book. Although this is book #19 in this series I had read this book as a stand alone. I would not recommend that. This series is definitely one that needs to be read in order. There are many characters and the background stories are important. That said I was able to get through the book fine but did have a difficult time keeping up with who was who and their background. Despite me having a rough time keeping up the story line was very exciting and the mystery an plot kept me engaged throughout the story. I'm excited to go back and read though the rest of the books and be able to gain insight onto the characters.

“A Killing of Innocents,” by Deborah Crombie, William Morrow, 368 pages, Feb. 7, 2023.

London Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Doug Cullen are in a pub on a rainy November evening. Kincaid sees a woman and assumes by her clothes that she is a doctor.

Sasha Johnson, a trainee doctor, leaves the pub and hurries through the evening crowd in the historic Russell Square. Out of the darkness, someone jostles her. A moment later, Sasha stumbles, then collapses. She has been fatally stabbed.

Kincaid and Cullen are called to the scene. Kincaid immediately calls in his wife, Detective Gemma James, who has recently been assigned to a task force on knife crimes which are on the rise. Along with her partner, Detective Sergeant Melody Talbot, Gemma aids the investigation.

But Sasha Johnson doesn’t fit the profile of the task force’s typical knife crime victim. Single, successful, career-driven, she has no history of abusive relationships or any connection to illegal drugs or gangs. Tully Gibbs, a potter, was her flatmate. Sasha was to meet Tully’s brother, Jonathan, at the pub, but he didn’t show. Sasha’s brother, Tyler, works for Jonathan.

This is book 19 in the series. Deborah Crombie’s books are richly layered and character-driven. I like how the main characters and their family have changed over the books. This also has a complex plot with enough twists to keep readers engaged. This is one of my favorite series.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.