A Killing of Innocents

Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Novels, Book 19

De: Deborah Crombie

Narrado por: Gerard Doyle

New York Times bestseller Deborah Crombie returns with a new novel focusing on Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James as they must solve the stabbing death of a young woman before panic spreads across London.

On a rainy November evening, a young woman hurries through the crowd in London’s historic Russell Square. Out of the darkness, someone jostles her, then brushes past. A moment later, she stumbles, collapsing against a tree. When a young mother finds her body and alerts the police, Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his sergeant, Doug Cullen, are called to the scene. The victim, Sasha Johnson, is a trainee doctor at a nearby hospital, and she’s been stabbed.

Kincaid immediately calls his detective wife, Gemma James, who has recently been assigned to a task force on knife crime. Along with her partner, detective sergeant Melody Talbot, Gemma joins the investigation. But Sasha Johnson doesn’t fit the profile of the typical knife crime victim. Single, successful, daughter of a black professional family, she has no history of abusive relationships or any connection to gangs. She had her secrets, though, and Kincaid uncovers an awkward connection to his Notting Hill friends Wesley and Betty Howard.

As the detectives unravel Sasha’s tangled relationships, another stabbing puts London in a panic, and Kincaid’s team needs all their resources to find the killer stalking the dark streets of Bloomsbury.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Deborah Crombie (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Great if you follow this series

I loved the book and the family soap opera, but cannot imagine this as a standalone, or the place to start this thoroughly enjoyable series. I really like Gerald Doyle, and normally would give him five stars, however, having listened to all the slough house books as they come out, i was distracted by thinking I was listening to Roddy Ho most of the time.

Great story

I thought it was a well constructed story. The narrator was great. His voice seem seem to carried the story through the highest and lows. I loved the characters and thought the author did a great job of constructing police officers teams that were more like real people. Story was interesting and more than enough detail and mystery to keep the reader/listener engaged and interested.

People’s lives & detective work continue….

I enjoy the familiarity of the cast of characters. The introduction of a few new people. Watching the children mature & go through new phases. I have sufficient drama in my own life. I appreciate a relatively gentle story.

Delightful characters

I’ve become so fond of these characters, I’m sorry that this is the last in the series. That said, some of the plot devices in this one was a little bit “ what? No way he/she would do that. “. But because I love these guys, I allowed my disbelief to be suspended. Gerard Doyle is a wonderful narrator.

Too many tea breaks

I missed the usual interaction between Gemma and Kincaid and got confused between all the different plot lines. Not her best work .

Enjoyed reading about pottery making! thanks

I Would have liked to hear more about Kinkaid family and new Gibbs characters in this novel.

Excellent as usual!

Love, Love, Love this series! Another excellent story and narration. Deborah Crombie never disappoints. I wish I didn’t have to wait so long for the next installment in this series.

Of course I loved it!

I love this series the characters, story all of it now….. to wait for the next!

Lots of characters

I have now read all of the books in this series, and have enjoyed most of them. As the series goes on, more regular characters seem to join the group, and I found it confusing, since Crombie has written so few books lately. I would love to be someone who has just started reading the series so that I can go from book to book with little time in between! That probably means that I should start over myself, or at least re-read the last few books.

This installment is a good whodunnit, with a number of unexpected twists, but I am slightly disappointed when the culprit is someone minor to the story, leaving the reader with little chance to work out the solution.

That said, I am hoping that Deborah Crombie releases a new book in the series sooner, rather than later. Gerard Doyle is excellent, as always. His array of voices and accents to differentiate the characters is truly remarkable.

Another superb read from Deborah Crombie

It was a long wait for this book, but totally worth it. I’ve read and enjoyed all the previous Gemma/Kinkaid novels, but this one is the best so far - lots of interesting plots and subplots involving old and new characters. Crombie transports us to London and keeps us intrigued with relevant issues and fascinating characters. I can’t wait for the next novel.