The Sound of Broken Glass

A James and Kincaid Novel, Book 15

By: Deborah Crombie

Narrated by: Gerard Doyle

Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

In the past...

On a blisteringly hot August afternoon in Crystal Palace, once home to the tragically destroyed Great Exhibition, a solitary 13-year-old boy meets his next-door neighbor, a recently widowed young teacher hoping to make a new start in the tight-knit South London community. Drawn together by loneliness, the unlikely pair forms a deep connection that ends in a shattering act of betrayal.

In the present...

On a cold January morning in London, Detective Inspector Gemma James is back on the job now that her husband, Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid, is at home to care for their three-year-old foster daughter. Assigned to lead a murder-investigation team in South London, she's assisted by her trusted colleague, newly promoted Detective Sergeant Melody Talbot. Their first case: a crime scene at a seedy hotel in Crystal Palace. The victim: a well-respected barrister, found naked, trussed, and apparently strangled. Is it an unsavory accident or murder? In either case, he was not alone, and Gemma's team must find his companion - a search that takes them into unexpected corners and forces them to contemplate unsettling truths about the weaknesses and passions that lead to murder. Ultimately, they will begin to question everything they think they know about their world and those they trust most.

©2013 Deborah Crombie (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

Love a new Deborah Crombie!

What did you love best about The Sound of Broken Glass?

I love the complex way Deborah Crombie weaves a story and the interesting pieces of life she chooses to present to you.

What other book might you compare The Sound of Broken Glass to and why?

Any of Deborah Crombie's books share this same gift for story telling and suspense, I would recommend any of her books..

What about Gerard Doyle’s performance did you like?

Excellent narrative, very easy to listen to and great delivery.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Not sure, but something about music, that was a very interesting twist to this story

Great story and gifted reader!

The reset brings the story to life—thank you!
Deborah Crombie’s books are always intelligent and well written.

another hit story

Can't get enough of Debora Crombie"s story telling. Like the beginning chapter's history. Narrorator is terrific.

This book was on Fire!! Another smashing hit!

This book was on fire and tied me up all weekend! Smashing, character interactions, I love how Deborah keeps mixing it up with the old and new. Great plot twists and with relationships that keep you wanting more! Gerard Doyle…what can I say except a bit Awesome! I love his voices.
Can’t wait to start the next book in the series!

Favorite series

I love this series and this book is one of my favorites. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter reenforce the sense of how much background research was done before writing began.

James / Kincaid series - The Sound of Broken Glass

One of the best of the series. And a great narrator, capable of giving life (but no annoying, offensive, or nasal intonations) to each of the many characters.

Don’t be put off

I enjoyed this one as it’s about Gemma for a change and you get to see a softer side of Duncan. Some of the reviews are unfair. It’s not Chick Lit or a children’s narrative (Charlotte features a bit that’s all)
The chapter intros that cite period history from websites can be a bit monotonous (but I’d say that about Kate Ellis too) and you can just skip over them with the 30 sec timer. Problem solved.

More Than A "Police Procedural"

To be clear - I enjoy "police procedurals". This book goes beyond that classification.

Several fascinating story lines are woven together over the course of the book. I was intrigued to see how all the characters would eventually fit together. I was surprised and pleased by how the author did it..

I quickly became enthralled in the story and found it difficult to stop listening. The characters were interesting and the mystery had me guessing until the very end.

Narrator Gerard Doyle is superb! He differentiates the various character voices just enough. The changes are distinct, but not distracting.

I look forward to reading more books in this series.

Incredible Storytelling

How much do I love Deborah Crombie's stories? I love how Crombie takes care of all of her characters. Not only do the principals, Gemma and Duncan, advance and change in every book, but each character is impacted in some important way as the series continues. The children are growing, each one developing and changing. Many conditions in Gemma and Duncan's home life revolve around Charlotte's needs in this story.

Much of The Sound of Broken Glass is focused on the two detective sergeants, Melody and Doug. While Doug falls and breaks his ankle, Melody also falls, but in a completely dufferent way. Even the characters who only appear briefly, like Hazel, have something new happening in their lives. And, an incidental character from a previous book reappears, playing a central role. Jumping between two timeframes, we learn about Andy Monahan's back story. Will he become an endearing and lasting character? We'll see.

Expertly read by Gerard Doyle, this is one of my favorite series!!

never disappoints!!

Our book club favorite! Love the progression of the characters and the absorbing mysteries which are not laced with the common profanity of many current authors.