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Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James #12
Where Memories Lie
Detective Inspector Gemma James and her family are back in their Notting Hill house when Gemma receives a plea for help from her neighbour, Erika Rosenthal. Erika has never shared much of her past, other than telling Gemma that she and her husband came to London before the war as refugees from Nazi Germany. Her long-dead husband was a historian and was found murdered. His murder was never solved. But now the elderly woman needs Gemma's help. It's a cold case and one that Gemma has neither the time nor the resources to investigate. But then a tragic death places the investigation firmly in the present - and into the hands of her partner Duncan Kincaid. Determined to exact justice both Gemma and Duncan hunt down a chilling killer in a case that will have lasting repercussions for everyone involved...
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
415 people are currently reading
1752 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Crombie
53 books2,518 followersDeborah Crombie is the author of 17 novels featuring Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Detective Inspector Gemma James. The 18th Kincaid/James novel, A BITTER FEAST, will be released by William Morrow in October, 2019.
Crombie lives in McKinney, Texas with her husband, two German Shepherd Dogs, and two cats. She travels to Britain frequently to research her books.
Crombie lives in McKinney, Texas with her husband, two German Shepherd Dogs, and two cats. She travels to Britain frequently to research her books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 509 reviews
March 21, 2019
Where Memories Lie by Deborah Crombie is a 2008 William Morrow publication.
The best in the series to date!
Although it might seem that Erika Rosenthal and Gemma James are unlikely friends, they do cherish their relationship. So, when Erika phones Gemma and asks if she might discreetly investigate a delicate personal matter for her, Gemma agrees to help. Her inquiries, however, cause a domino effect, which leads to a string of murders, and more questions about the death of Erika’s husband, years ago, a case that has never been solved.
This chapter in the long running series was exceptional!! As you know, I’ve been working my way through this series, going on three years now. Nope, I’m not much of a series binge reader… obviously.
The series has been solid enough, although it got off to a bumpy start for me and remained unpredictable for a long while before it became a dependable series and finally started to live up to its stellar reputation. Yet, this is the first book in the series that I’ve rewarded with the big five.
I suppose the period of history, which is always of interest to me, and Erika’s personal, harrowing, and heartbreaking past is what resonated with me. The case is centered less on Gemma and Duncan’s personal relationship and more on their professional one. However, after exploring Duncan’s extended family in the last chapter of the series, the reader is given a little more insight into Gemma’s relationship with her parents after a health scare brings them together.
I loved how Crombie brought the threads together seamlessly, amid a compelling and emotional plot, showing the promised brilliance in her writing, I have been waiting for, but have only gotten glimpses of previously. Also, a key development, which I have been dying to see happen, finally occurred, which has me eagerly anticipating the next installment in this series!
5 stars
The best in the series to date!
Although it might seem that Erika Rosenthal and Gemma James are unlikely friends, they do cherish their relationship. So, when Erika phones Gemma and asks if she might discreetly investigate a delicate personal matter for her, Gemma agrees to help. Her inquiries, however, cause a domino effect, which leads to a string of murders, and more questions about the death of Erika’s husband, years ago, a case that has never been solved.
This chapter in the long running series was exceptional!! As you know, I’ve been working my way through this series, going on three years now. Nope, I’m not much of a series binge reader… obviously.
The series has been solid enough, although it got off to a bumpy start for me and remained unpredictable for a long while before it became a dependable series and finally started to live up to its stellar reputation. Yet, this is the first book in the series that I’ve rewarded with the big five.
I suppose the period of history, which is always of interest to me, and Erika’s personal, harrowing, and heartbreaking past is what resonated with me. The case is centered less on Gemma and Duncan’s personal relationship and more on their professional one. However, after exploring Duncan’s extended family in the last chapter of the series, the reader is given a little more insight into Gemma’s relationship with her parents after a health scare brings them together.
I loved how Crombie brought the threads together seamlessly, amid a compelling and emotional plot, showing the promised brilliance in her writing, I have been waiting for, but have only gotten glimpses of previously. Also, a key development, which I have been dying to see happen, finally occurred, which has me eagerly anticipating the next installment in this series!
5 stars
November 19, 2012
Twelve books into the series and these Kinkaid/James novels show absolutely no sign of getting old. It can be normal and sometimes expected for a long running series to seem a bit stale or 'samey' after a dozen novels but such isn't the case with Debora Crombie's fantastic detective novels. She seems to have a bottomless well of entertaining material to draw upon and write about. From long dead poets to the whiskey business to firefighting, life on boats...Crombie just seems to make the central theme of every novel just as entertaining and more importantly, just as FRESH as the next...
Memories focuses primarily on Erika Rosenthal, a character that we've been introduced before. Luckily enough, her back story is very much fleshed out in this novel. Erika has always been a rock for Gemma and yet she really doesn't seem to know much about her friend's past at all. Why does she never speak of her younger days? Why are there no pictures of her in her house? The fact that Erika is a German Jew who fled to England during World War II plays no small part in Erika's secretive nature in regards to her past.
Erika's father was a jewelry maker of some note as a child. When one of his most noteworthy pieces shows up in an auction catalog it turns Erika's world on its end. Erika thought she'd never see it again and it brings the whole of her past back into focus, something she's tried hard to forget.
Gemma is asked by Erika to look into where the auction house came upon her father's master work. Little does Gemma realize how her inquiries will dredge up the past of one of her closest friends and put into danger the lives of anybody who comes into contact with it. Much like Erika, the piece has a history and the two quickly come to light.
Just another great 'can't-stop-turning-the-pages' mystery that Crombie has delivered time and time again. This series has a full head of steam and doesn't show a single sing of becoming boring or old hat. If you haven't read a Kincaid/James novel you should really go back to the beginning and get caught up. You'll be happy you did.
Memories focuses primarily on Erika Rosenthal, a character that we've been introduced before. Luckily enough, her back story is very much fleshed out in this novel. Erika has always been a rock for Gemma and yet she really doesn't seem to know much about her friend's past at all. Why does she never speak of her younger days? Why are there no pictures of her in her house? The fact that Erika is a German Jew who fled to England during World War II plays no small part in Erika's secretive nature in regards to her past.
Erika's father was a jewelry maker of some note as a child. When one of his most noteworthy pieces shows up in an auction catalog it turns Erika's world on its end. Erika thought she'd never see it again and it brings the whole of her past back into focus, something she's tried hard to forget.
Gemma is asked by Erika to look into where the auction house came upon her father's master work. Little does Gemma realize how her inquiries will dredge up the past of one of her closest friends and put into danger the lives of anybody who comes into contact with it. Much like Erika, the piece has a history and the two quickly come to light.
Just another great 'can't-stop-turning-the-pages' mystery that Crombie has delivered time and time again. This series has a full head of steam and doesn't show a single sing of becoming boring or old hat. If you haven't read a Kincaid/James novel you should really go back to the beginning and get caught up. You'll be happy you did.
September 24, 2020
This 12th book in the series was great! It hit all the right notes for me. A pivotal point for Gemma in her personal relationships, both with family and Duncan. The story of Erica Rosenthal, Gemma's neighbor, the death of her husband, and their history going back to Nazi Germany was engrossing. I thought this was the best in the series so far! As always, I love the maps and quotes heading each chapter, that earns an extra star in rating!
March 31, 2020
I may have said it before, but this series just gets better and better! I love the way Deborah Crombie weaves recurrent characters into her mysteries. In this 12th novel, a friend of Gemma's, Erika Rosenthal, a 90 year old Jewish lady who fled Berlin just before World War II, reveals some interesting secrets about her past.
Crombie is a remarkably good writer and, although she is an American writing Scotland Yard mysteries, I am very impressed with her British English! I only found one word in this book that seemed a bit strange to me: yard (as in garden). Off to enjoy the next one in the series!
Second read (audiobook this time). Definitely deserves the 5 stars. I think this is probably my favourite of the series.
Crombie is a remarkably good writer and, although she is an American writing Scotland Yard mysteries, I am very impressed with her British English! I only found one word in this book that seemed a bit strange to me: yard (as in garden). Off to enjoy the next one in the series!
Second read (audiobook this time). Definitely deserves the 5 stars. I think this is probably my favourite of the series.
May 5, 2023
Gemma's friend, Erika, spots a beautiful Art Deco brooch in a prestigious London auction house catalog. She's positive it's the one that had been stolen from her years earlier, during WWII. Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Gemma James wants to help her friend by investigating how the auction house acquired the piece.
Where Memories Lie has multiple plots, multiple points of view, along with multiple time frames! At times it felt to be a bit overwhelming but I was still enthralled. When people who are seemingly connected to the brooch start dying in hit-and-run accidents, the mystery deepens.
I always enjoy reading about Gemma's and Duncan's sons (I'm a Kit fan.), as well as their relationship with each other!
Where Memories Lie has multiple plots, multiple points of view, along with multiple time frames! At times it felt to be a bit overwhelming but I was still enthralled. When people who are seemingly connected to the brooch start dying in hit-and-run accidents, the mystery deepens.
I always enjoy reading about Gemma's and Duncan's sons (I'm a Kit fan.), as well as their relationship with each other!
March 31, 2020
I love Erika's character, so this story had me riveted. Ms. Crombie does a good job of melding the past and present together. I guessed the guilty party early on, but was stumped as to the connection and the motive. Kept me guessing the reason right up till the end.
Just as I hoped after being introduced to Duncan's family in the last book, we get a closer look at Gemma's family in "Where Memories Lie". Wonderful ending, too. I can't wait to read the next one.
Just as I hoped after being introduced to Duncan's family in the last book, we get a closer look at Gemma's family in "Where Memories Lie". Wonderful ending, too. I can't wait to read the next one.
March 3, 2009
While Crombie usually sits near the top of my top-10 list of serious detective fiction authors, and while any Crombie book is always better than the average-bear mystery novel, I had trouble engaging with this one, in spite of the multiple-plot, multiple-time-frame nature of it. There is very little of Duncan in this one, and while Gemma is beset with family troubles, there doesn't seem to be much depth to them. Perhaps Crombie got too involved with her research on WWII Jewish experience in London - demonstrated as an epigraph into every chapter - and not involved enough in giving it more than lip service in the progression of characters and story. Her attempts to imitate British diction and dialogue also seemed to suffer in this one as well - as though throwing in the occasional use of "snog," "posh," and "brolly," would give characters that UK-feel. Maybe she's getting tired of the Duncan-James series?
May 5, 2022
3.5 stars.
I love this series.
The individual books vary in how well they engage me. Usually that depends on how well the writing—always excellent while not always working the magic—manages to outwit my difficulty with lots of POVs and bouncing between time frames, and on how interesting the plot topic and supporting subplots are to me. This time all of that fell a little short for me, but it remains a worthy read.
I love this series.
The individual books vary in how well they engage me. Usually that depends on how well the writing—always excellent while not always working the magic—manages to outwit my difficulty with lots of POVs and bouncing between time frames, and on how interesting the plot topic and supporting subplots are to me. This time all of that fell a little short for me, but it remains a worthy read.
February 22, 2016
This is the 12th adventure of Duncan Kincaid, a Scotland Yard detective and Gemma James, a police sergeant in London. The two were initially work partners, but as the series progressed a romance blossomed, so they separated professionally and moved in together domestically – all the while solving murders. The author’s books follow a formula with multiple narrative threads loosely connecting characters, sub-plots (usually a crime from the distant past that ties to the current investigation), the current investigation itself and the latest Kincaid/James domestic/romance issue.
In the first few books of the series this template worked very well, but as of late and again with this addition, this series has floundered terribly. There is simply nothing here in Where Memories Lie to grab the reader’s attention. The plot centers on the reappearance of a family heirloom that has been “missing” since just before World War II. The first 100 pages of the book introduce the reader to the characters involved in the current day and historical plot-lines. During the second hundred pages the reader goes through it all again, as Duncan and Gemma begin investigating and are told the exact same story.
This repetition would make literary sense if the plot and characters were complicated or complex, but they’re not. The “foundation” laid down in the 100 page opening is “patience testing”, simply rehashing it becomes mind-numbing, and cannot disguise the fact that the story and mystery are minimal. The culprit is obvious once introduced – and I don’t pride myself on solving the mysteries I read. Even poor Duncan and Gemma come across as mere shadows of themselves.
As stated, the first few four or five Duncan/Gemma books are very good, but unfortunately now – and for several of the previous books – this series has simply run out of gas. Pass on this one.
In the first few books of the series this template worked very well, but as of late and again with this addition, this series has floundered terribly. There is simply nothing here in Where Memories Lie to grab the reader’s attention. The plot centers on the reappearance of a family heirloom that has been “missing” since just before World War II. The first 100 pages of the book introduce the reader to the characters involved in the current day and historical plot-lines. During the second hundred pages the reader goes through it all again, as Duncan and Gemma begin investigating and are told the exact same story.
This repetition would make literary sense if the plot and characters were complicated or complex, but they’re not. The “foundation” laid down in the 100 page opening is “patience testing”, simply rehashing it becomes mind-numbing, and cannot disguise the fact that the story and mystery are minimal. The culprit is obvious once introduced – and I don’t pride myself on solving the mysteries I read. Even poor Duncan and Gemma come across as mere shadows of themselves.
As stated, the first few four or five Duncan/Gemma books are very good, but unfortunately now – and for several of the previous books – this series has simply run out of gas. Pass on this one.
September 1, 2009
First Sentence: Erika Rosenthal woke, her body jerking to the whump of the bomb, the flash of light from the incendiary flickering against her closed eyelids.
DI Gemma James’ former neighbor, Erika Rosenthal, has asked for her help. A unique Art Deco brooch, made by her father in Germany at the beginning of WWII, was thought to be stolen and thought by Erika to relate to her husband’s suicide many years’ ago. Now it is in the catalogue of a London auction house. Gemma’s information investigation becomes formal for Duncan when a young woman from the auction house is murdered.
I always begin reading a new Crombie concerned that her books are lighter than I truly like. With the quality of her writing, I always quickly change my mind.
I’m not big on investigators married to each other, but Crombie’s characters work and her characters ring true. All the characters were wonderfully done, particularly Erika and Gavin who, in his brief appearance, came to life
Her stories are so well plotted. The migration of the investigation from Gemma to Duncan was very well done. There are two stories in different times and I wasn’t certain where they were going to intersect. However, it was very powerful and effective when they did.
The more I read, the faster I found myself turning the pages. In the end, I was so glad I had read it and intend to go back and read the previous books.
WHERE MEMORIES LIE (Pol Proc-Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James-London-Cont) – VG
Crombie, Deboran – 12th in series
William Morrow, 2008, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780061287510
DI Gemma James’ former neighbor, Erika Rosenthal, has asked for her help. A unique Art Deco brooch, made by her father in Germany at the beginning of WWII, was thought to be stolen and thought by Erika to relate to her husband’s suicide many years’ ago. Now it is in the catalogue of a London auction house. Gemma’s information investigation becomes formal for Duncan when a young woman from the auction house is murdered.
I always begin reading a new Crombie concerned that her books are lighter than I truly like. With the quality of her writing, I always quickly change my mind.
I’m not big on investigators married to each other, but Crombie’s characters work and her characters ring true. All the characters were wonderfully done, particularly Erika and Gavin who, in his brief appearance, came to life
Her stories are so well plotted. The migration of the investigation from Gemma to Duncan was very well done. There are two stories in different times and I wasn’t certain where they were going to intersect. However, it was very powerful and effective when they did.
The more I read, the faster I found myself turning the pages. In the end, I was so glad I had read it and intend to go back and read the previous books.
WHERE MEMORIES LIE (Pol Proc-Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James-London-Cont) – VG
Crombie, Deboran – 12th in series
William Morrow, 2008, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780061287510
August 7, 2018
I just love this series!
June 5, 2017
Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James are caught up in a case involving Gemma's friend Erika Rosenthal and a broche made by her father that has long been lost but has turned up as an offering at and auction house. The tale advances on two fronts, Old history covering Erika's escape from Nazi Germany and her husbands murder in London and subsequent investigation and the present day investigation into he broche and several subsequent murders that appear to be connected. Another good author that I will be reading more of.
April 28, 2022
This entry in the series featuring husband-and-wife coppers Duncan and Gemma (he’s Scotland Yard, she’s with the Met) sees them investigating the theft of a resplendent Art Deco necklace that leads back to WWII, Jews fleeing the Nazis, and a decades-old murder. And then the present-day bodies begin to pile up….
November 29, 2023
As always with this author, a solid and enjoyable read. Duncan and Gemma are working together once again to solve a series of murders that involve an art deco brooch. Gemma's friend Erika has a larger role in this book than her typical light mention. Easy to read, one of my go-to series when I'm a bit unmotivated to read.
January 2, 2023
I love this woman more and more! The intricacies astound me. Louise Penny, PD James and Deborah Crombie, hooray for these women!
September 26, 2013
Some of my friends love this author but somehow, there is something missing that I can't identify. I think it is perhaps that I grew up in the UK, and there are some nuances that are hard to identify but are missing when American authors set their mysteries in England. Go figure. I'll still read them though. I did like the way in which this story involves the Second World War, and in particular the Holocaust, and ties it in with the art world and a famous Auction House that she calls 'Harrowby's', ..and yes we recognise that she is talking about Southeby's.
The plot is intricate...and I think I agree with another Goodreads member that the way in which Gemma moves into the investigation that is actually on the patch of her live-in partner, Kincaid, is rather irritating. True, it involves her elderly Jewish friend who escaped the Nazis in 1938, but she is also supposed to be supporting her mother who has just been diagnosed with Leukemia, fights with her father and leaves her 'stepson' to look after her much younger child....so I find it hard to accept her behaviour. That said, it is a good plot bringing together Nazi atrocities, uppper class snobbishness, and dirty dealings at a prestigious Auction house so there is enough there to keep the reader engaged.
The plot is intricate...and I think I agree with another Goodreads member that the way in which Gemma moves into the investigation that is actually on the patch of her live-in partner, Kincaid, is rather irritating. True, it involves her elderly Jewish friend who escaped the Nazis in 1938, but she is also supposed to be supporting her mother who has just been diagnosed with Leukemia, fights with her father and leaves her 'stepson' to look after her much younger child....so I find it hard to accept her behaviour. That said, it is a good plot bringing together Nazi atrocities, uppper class snobbishness, and dirty dealings at a prestigious Auction house so there is enough there to keep the reader engaged.
June 22, 2013
A fine story but nothing to ooh or ahh about. I've only read one other in this series (Leave the Grave Green) and things have changed a lot but it didn't seem as bad as some 12th books in a series. The mystery was okay but the personal things seemed to matter more. It wasn't a phone in mystery though as you sometimes get later in a series when really the author is just looking to tell stories about the characters and the mystery is barely there.
I just don't particularly care for Gemma; she's not a bad character, I just don't care about her. I didn't like her butting in on Kincaid and Cullen's case even if she was the reason they had it. I think I felt the same way in the other book, that I wanted more focus on Kincaid but the author seemed to prefer Gemma. I wonder if focuses switch book to book and if they'd gotten a different one for book club I'd feel differently.
There were some editing issues that annoyed me, extra beens and an 'll out of place. One I can forgive but there were at least three glaring ones and possibly more I'm forgetting at the moment.
I just don't particularly care for Gemma; she's not a bad character, I just don't care about her. I didn't like her butting in on Kincaid and Cullen's case even if she was the reason they had it. I think I felt the same way in the other book, that I wanted more focus on Kincaid but the author seemed to prefer Gemma. I wonder if focuses switch book to book and if they'd gotten a different one for book club I'd feel differently.
There were some editing issues that annoyed me, extra beens and an 'll out of place. One I can forgive but there were at least three glaring ones and possibly more I'm forgetting at the moment.
September 26, 2012
I would be hard put to choose a favorite in this series, however, I particularly liked this book. This thoughtfully plotted mystery visits a painful past between England at war and the plight of German Jews seeking asylum. That back story told through the voice of Gemma's friend, Ericka Rosenthal, a favorite recurring character and wise nonagenarian, forms a clever basis for the modern crime mystery. This is a common but never hackneyed device in Crombe's hands as she weaves several stories together using the past to inform the present.
Gemma is seen as the central character here, struggling to meet the demands of a serious job and duty to her family. It's fascinating to watch as she finally engages her issues with priorities and resolves them. Following the arc of Gemma/Duncan and company is satisfying in and of itself. It has served as a strong enticement to pick up the next installment in their hectic lives.
Gemma is seen as the central character here, struggling to meet the demands of a serious job and duty to her family. It's fascinating to watch as she finally engages her issues with priorities and resolves them. Following the arc of Gemma/Duncan and company is satisfying in and of itself. It has served as a strong enticement to pick up the next installment in their hectic lives.
April 28, 2023
I may like this best of the entire series. It moves along briskly, with all the present-day action happening in just a couple of days. The back story goes back many years, and could have been stretched out to explain a great deal more, but there's plenty of information to drive the present-day mystery.
June 18, 2020
How can I resist a story with my favorite secondary character in the series and one that hinges on the provenance of a fascinating piece of jewelry? Things move along on the family front as well. Another great addition to the series.
June 16, 2020
I checked and I'd read the previous entry in this series (Water Like a Stone) in 2009. Not sure why it's taken so long to revisit; the only excuse is that there are so many excellent British police procedural series out there, with old favorites and new authors galore. I fell back into the storyline of Duncan and Gemma and their family easily, and especially appreciate how the author makes the characters feel like old friends, or, in the case of the suspects in the mystery, intriguing new ones you want to learn more about. In many novels like this, the cast of suspects is pretty one-dimensional, but not with Deborah Crombie - she does a great job of fleshing out their backstories and sharing their strengths and their flaws. There is a bit of flashback in this book, to a post-WWII storyline involving the antique brooch at the center of the mystery. The switch between eras is never heavy-handed, and the earlier mystery informs this case without overwhelming it.
Gemma is one of my favorite characters; she juggles police work, navigating a relationship with Duncan, blending her own family, and coping with her mother's illness and her father's gruffness with grace, but also with the uncertainty and second-guessing that are simple human nature. One of my favorite passages is when she is considering marriage to Duncan, but says, "I don't want to be like my mum. I don't want to orbit around someone else's sun" (329). If, like me, you admire her independent, liberated approach to living her life, you'll love the end of this novel.
Gemma is one of my favorite characters; she juggles police work, navigating a relationship with Duncan, blending her own family, and coping with her mother's illness and her father's gruffness with grace, but also with the uncertainty and second-guessing that are simple human nature. One of my favorite passages is when she is considering marriage to Duncan, but says, "I don't want to be like my mum. I don't want to orbit around someone else's sun" (329). If, like me, you admire her independent, liberated approach to living her life, you'll love the end of this novel.
August 1, 2022
A diamond brooch from the 1930s lies at the heart of this tale, the 12th Kincaid and James book from Deborah Crombie.
Gemma's friend Erika Rosenthal discovers the diamond pin in an auction book that baldly states that i is a diamond cascade double-clip brooch created by her father, Jakob Goldshtein, in 1938. That single line brings back memories of Erika and her husband's escape from Germany as the Nazis gained power and began their hunt of Jews.
But it strikes a chord in the current world as a woman who works at the auction house Harrowby's is killed by a hit and run driver. And those two things are what bring in first, Gemma, and then Kincaid.
This is a story that brings two timelines together: Germany and the frantic rush of Jews attempting to flee the Nazis and current day, where too many questions will open up old war wounds and secrets long hidden.
This is a tense, compelling read with a definite psychological suspense. I had a hard time putting it down and far to easy a time to get caught up in the drama, the twists and turns of the story and what it all means for the characters. And along the way, it opens up part of what makes Gemma James tick, the conflict of being a modern police officer with family and fears of her own. It is very good.
Gemma's friend Erika Rosenthal discovers the diamond pin in an auction book that baldly states that i is a diamond cascade double-clip brooch created by her father, Jakob Goldshtein, in 1938. That single line brings back memories of Erika and her husband's escape from Germany as the Nazis gained power and began their hunt of Jews.
But it strikes a chord in the current world as a woman who works at the auction house Harrowby's is killed by a hit and run driver. And those two things are what bring in first, Gemma, and then Kincaid.
This is a story that brings two timelines together: Germany and the frantic rush of Jews attempting to flee the Nazis and current day, where too many questions will open up old war wounds and secrets long hidden.
This is a tense, compelling read with a definite psychological suspense. I had a hard time putting it down and far to easy a time to get caught up in the drama, the twists and turns of the story and what it all means for the characters. And along the way, it opens up part of what makes Gemma James tick, the conflict of being a modern police officer with family and fears of her own. It is very good.
February 14, 2018
Where Memories Lie is book 12 in the Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series, which I have been reading in order for a while now. This is a much more Gemma-centric book, Gemma is called to her friend Erika’s house to resolve a WW II related case. Erika is Jewish and escaped Germany with her husband. Her father, a famous jeweler, was left behind and perished in the camps. Gemma’s investigation into a piece of jewelry that has surfaced from Erika’s past, sets off a chain of present day crimes connected to past ones. Gemma and Duncan get to work together on the interconnecting cases. As well as dealing with the mystery and investigating the handling of past crimes, Gemma deals with a personal crisis in her family. An on-point depiction of the push-pull that many working women face.
This was a good read in this series, which is best read in order as the characters grow and their relationship changes over the course of the series. The ending left me anxious to read the next one and see what happens.
This was a good read in this series, which is best read in order as the characters grow and their relationship changes over the course of the series. The ending left me anxious to read the next one and see what happens.
February 2, 2023
A fascinating plot for Where Memories Lie bringing in the racism in England against Jews harbored there during WWII and the inner workings of the high end auction trade. Gemma is called in by her friend Erica Rosenthal where a jeweled brooch crafted and gifted to her by her father before she fled Germany and subsequently lost has appeared in an auction catalogue. What follows is an intricate story enveloping murders both present and past and a challenging investigation. This tale, told mainly from Gemma’s perspective, is also strong as we see more into her relationship with her family: Mom, Dad and sister. I absolutely love this series and this particular installment is one of the best. Highly recommended.
September 10, 2017
I love the characters in this series and how the author is developing them. This one focuses on Gemma's friend Erika, who escaped to London from Nazi Germany with her husband. She has learned that a priceless brooch which was stolen from her at that time is now being put up for auction, and she asks Gemma to investigate. The theft led to the death of her husband at that time, and now its reappearance apparently has led to two more deaths. Gemma, Duncan, and their teams all pitch in to solve the mysteries, both past and present. Great story!
June 15, 2022
An old neighbor of Gemma's calls her after discovering a diamond brooch her father had made and that was lost when they escaped Germany during WWII is listed in the brochure of an auction house in London. While Gemma unofficially looks into this a young woman is run over and soon afterwards, an elderly actor all of which involves Duncan and the police taking over the investigation.
July 13, 2023
Deborah Crombie weaves a masterfully told mystery with a compelling historical perspective. Duncan Kinkaid and Gemma James are back working together, unraveling a series of murders that have their roots in Nazi Germany.
As always, Crombie’s mystery is just a vehicle for examining love, commitment, and family, and she does it as well as anyone!
As always, Crombie’s mystery is just a vehicle for examining love, commitment, and family, and she does it as well as anyone!
March 23, 2025
This one seemed to move at a quicker pace and I liked how the old mystery and the new mystery unfolded so satisfyingly.
I do continue to scratch my head at our two main characters, though. Gemma takes personal leave yet spends all her time working a case that was never hers and imposes on the nurses at the hospital to let her in after visiting hours so she can see the person she took leave to be with. What the even heck, Gemma? Do you see yourself? You deserved the bollocking you got from your family. (At least most of it.) Duncan gets off without any of my disdain…in this installment anyway. (He got plenty in early books.)
I do continue to scratch my head at our two main characters, though. Gemma takes personal leave yet spends all her time working a case that was never hers and imposes on the nurses at the hospital to let her in after visiting hours so she can see the person she took leave to be with. What the even heck, Gemma? Do you see yourself? You deserved the bollocking you got from your family. (At least most of it.) Duncan gets off without any of my disdain…in this installment anyway. (He got plenty in early books.)
December 26, 2018
My first Kincaid / James novel and it’s a good one. When an Art Deco brooch, missing since WWII turns up at auction in London, a trail of lies, deceptions and murder surfaces with someone prepared to do anything to keep the truth hidden.
July 11, 2021
Best one yet.
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