The Sound of Broken Glass

By: Deborah Crombie

Narrated by: Gerard Doyle

Length: 11 hrs and 37 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

Excellent addition to a consistently good series

Would you consider the audio edition of The Sound of Broken Glass to be better than the print version?

Don't know--have read all the ones before this, and this is the first I've listened to. I'd be just as happy to read them or listen to them.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I would not say it was edge of the seat, but the plot was one that was very intriguing! Crombie wrote this on several entwined levels. She interspersed the history--and ultimate destruction--of the Crystal Palace in London in and out of the back story of characters whose lives had connected such, that over time, a form of destruction which had been building among them was almost inevitable.

In this unfolding--one witnesses the connections and ultimate destruction of a set of people whose lives came together seemingly by chance--but who would remain emotionally connected for many years into the future (that is, the present day). Which, of course, is when the mystery is taking place.

What I especially liked was the way the three layers of story moved in and out leading the reader to the conclusion--along with Gemma, Melody (and Kincaid--though he was more involved in their personal story than as a detective in this book) to the ultimate end. And it was more than just solving a mystery--it was an ending that brought all the pieces of the earlier story together and brought their connections to a different place as well.

What does Gerard Doyle bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

At first I couldn't decide--he has a nice warm, mellow sort of voice--one that almost lulled me rather than evoking that kind of inner excitement that goes with a good mystery. By the end of the book, however, I felt that his voice and his reading had been a very good choice. Because it was perfect for the revelation (as the back story) of the lives of very flawed people who had found each other (for good, for bad, for disaster) and become inextricably connected to each other--something told with the sound of great compassion (even for those who proved to be less than likable).

Any additional comments?

I felt that there were several less prominent issues in the story of the lives of Gemma and Kincaid that were left unfinished--or that of some of the people around them. But I assume we can look forward to learning more about all that in the next book--which I await with pleasure!

This writer has done a very good job of creating good mysteries and weaving in credible and engaging stories of the main characters--that stand on their own merits. Some mysteries seem to have background asides of the main characters' lives as sort of "filler" material. But a few do a wonderful job of making the reader feel really connected to them as people who live lives apart from their detecting--and one wants to read the next book just to find out what is happening there.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Coincidences Abound

I really have enjoyed the books of this series. This one, however, confused me on several levels. First of all, there's the really unlikely series of coincidences upon which the story and solution of this mystery are based. This number of connections would be hard to swallow in the smallest of villages; we're expected to believe that all these people come together exactly at this time and after all these years in a city the size of London!

I'm also trying to figure out the significance of the title and the information given in Chapter-beginning quotes about the old Crystal Palace. It's history is interesting, but the relevance to this story seems a bit obscure.

Gemma and Duncan and their developing relationship and blended family have been an important part of this series. Their domestic bliss, alas, so desired by fans, does not now add much tension or mystery. It's easy to see why authors delay these happy endings for as long as possible. Not to say they have become dull, but such perfect, loving people don't offer the same intrigue that the early Gemma/Duncan byplay did.

The smooth, lilting quality of Gerard Doyle's voice proves a bit too lulling for this sometimes slowly moving story. I think he's usually wonderful as a narrator, but he's not well suited to this listening experience.

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Deborah Crombie just cannot write fast enough!

The Sound of Broken Glass continues the story of Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James in a most satisfactory way, this time focusing more on Gemma. I find it hard to pinpoint exactly what makes Crombie's novels so much more satisfying than most others in this genre. Many combine engaging characters with interesting story lines, but somehow Crombie makes hers come alive. I feel as though these fascinating people exist somewhere, doing things of interest that I just cannot wait for Crombie to tell me about. The narrator also does an excellent job, moving easily from one character's voice to another without the disarming jolts that sometimes come from a male voice reading both male and female characters. I am always delighted to see an addition to the series coming out, anxious to listen to it (or read it), and sorry when it ends. If you don't know these books, start at the beginning of the series and give yourself the treat of many hours of engrossing story telling.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

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.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

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

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Engrossing story

Full of twist and turns. Gerald Doyle could read the phone book and I would enjoy it. Wonder tone to his voice without silly voices. Loved this book. Cannot wait for the next in the series. A bit of a cliff hanger

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Solid, not stunning

good story with good twists. I struggle to get into each of the books in this series but perseverance is rewarded.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

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.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Did Crombie phone in this one?

I listened or read the other 14 in this series within 4 months of downloading #1 from an Audible sale - and enjoyed all till this one.

The novels and characters grew more solid as the series progressed, and although Crombie seemed to "borrow" from best-selling UK crime novelists, the novels grew more original in plot and less cliche ridden in writing (with fewer "raised eyebrows" and "steepled fingers" and standard UK lines that we North Americans love). It took me three attempts to finish this instalment, however. Instead of turning to a Dickens novel or Edwardian poet for chapter starters, Crombie cites tourist and minor history websites--that element, though tiny, seems to symbolize the difference in #14. This one reads more like chick lit or YA than UK classic crime homage, especially as the incredible blended family becomes more --incredible -- and befriends pop stars...perhaps I had just expected too much. I don't enjoy noir but this was just too perky!

I love Gerard Doyle, but Jenny Sterlin became the voice of this series to me, especially as Gemma started to play a larger role.

11 of 16 people found this review helpful

Commercials?

What disappointed you about The Sound of Broken Glass?

I cannot finish this book. I have read all the others. I can't seem to get the characters in my mind so every time I hear a name I have to pause to think who that is. Maybe some books just need to be read. The greatest aggravation is the "commercials" for the websites. Every time the narrator mentions a certain place he then rattles off the website associated with it. Every time! If this is going to be the new trend in audible books then I have a vast library of my own to keep me busy. I won't be buying more. I would not mind them mentioned at the end of the book but not through out, repeatedly. Others may not mind the interruption of the story flow but I do.

Has The Sound of Broken Glass turned you off from other books in this genre?

No

What about Gerard Doyle’s performance did you like?

It does not add or subtract from the story

What character would you cut from The Sound of Broken Glass?

I just couldn't get involved enough in the book to care.

Any additional comments?

So disappointing for a series that I have enjoyed until now.

8 of 12 people found this review helpful