Pre-numbered label used for registration.

Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid books have an endearing, almost old fashioned quality about them. Kincaid, her Metropolitan Police hero, is the sort of cop who, in reality, disappeared when Dixon Of Dock Green finished - from his shambles of a bachelor apartment to his penchant for driving an MG Midget Kincaid is one in a million.
This, Deborah Crombie's second novel, lacks the polish of her later ones such as Dreaming Of The bones yet delivers a similar tale of recounting the murder victim's life in all its hitherto unknown detail in order to find the killer. That the victim, Jasmine Dent, also happens to be Kincaid's neighbour and friend is an interesting detail but does not really rub shoulders with reality; how many flat dwellers in London even know of their neighbours' existence never mind being on first name terms? Kincaid suspects that Jasmine Dent's morphine overdose was no pre meditated suicide pact but the weapon with which she was murdered. Quite what the motive for the murder of a harmless and terminally ill middle aged woman could be is only revealed in the final chapters and it is between these events that Deborah Crombie's powers of suspense building begin to show the promise which more recent books have confirmed. The reader is led down path after path in search of facts only to come up against the brick walls of cast iron alibis or lack of motive; it is commendable that the narrative is so forceful here that the brick walls only appear at the last second. The solution, when it comes, leaves the reader kicking his shins at not seeing the clues beforehand - always the sign of a well written mystery.
This is not Ms Crombie's finest book but the signs of her growing sophistication of style are here and All Shall Be Well is as good a place to start as any.

Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid books have an endearing, almost old fashioned quality about them. Kincaid, her Metropolitan Police hero, is the sort of cop who, in reality, disappeared when Dixon Of Dock Green finished - from his shambles of a bachelor apartment to his penchant for driving an MG Midget Kincaid is one in a million.
This, Deborah Crombie's second novel, lacks the polish of her later ones such as Dreaming Of The bones yet delivers a similar tale of recounting the murder victim's life in all its hitherto unknown detail in order to find the killer. That the victim, Jasmine Dent, also happens to be Kincaid's neighbour and friend is an interesting detail but does not really rub shoulders with reality; how many flat dwellers in London even know of their neighbours' existence never mind being on first name terms? Kincaid suspects that Jasmine Dent's morphine overdose was no pre meditated suicide pact but the weapon with which she was murdered. Quite what the motive for the murder of a harmless and terminally ill middle aged woman could be is only revealed in the final chapters and it is between these events that Deborah Crombie's powers of suspense building begin to show the promise which more recent books have confirmed. The reader is led down path after path in search of facts only to come up against the brick walls of cast iron alibis or lack of motive; it is commendable that the narrative is so forceful here that the brick walls only appear at the last second. The solution, when it comes, leaves the reader kicking his shins at not seeing the clues beforehand - always the sign of a well written mystery.
This is not Ms Crombie's finest book but the signs of her growing sophistication of style are here and All Shall Be Well is as good a place to start as any.

This review from Amazon sums up the book perfectly.A satisfying well-crafted book.

As the possible muderers built up I felt I was reading a literary "Midsomer Murders": everyone had a motive. I enjoyed the light, old-fashioned feel of this storyline whilst wondering how many Detective Superintendents would be given free-rein to investigate a murder so close to home.

The ending spoilt it - there was too much of a leap in the dark, the jigsaw pieces might have fallen into place for Kincaid, but I felt I hadn't had that information and consequently a bit cheated.

RELEASE NOTES:

To be released at the Ipswich meet-up or on the OBCZ shelf.

RELEASE NOTES:

I picked this up in Ipswich to re-distribute...left on the P&R bus into the city this morning, as part of my unofficial 'Cambridge Public Transport Day'. Enjoy, lucky finder :)