Now May You Weep

Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James #9

by Deborah Crombie

When Detective Inspector Gemma James is persuaded by her friend, Hazel, to take a trip to the misty Scottish Highlands, she jumps at the chance. But upon their arrival it becomes clear that Hazel has been concealing a dangerous secret. At their remote B&B the pair encounter Donald Brodie, the owner of a local distillery ...and Hazel's former lover. Their relationship had ended abruptly years before. Now Donald is convinced he can win Hazel back. But the lovers' reunion yields shocking - and mortal - consequences. Gemma soon discovers that, in this tight-knit community, there is no shortage of murder suspects. And beneath the hospitable surface, there lurks a hundred years of bitter family rivalry waiting to emerge ...As rich and history laden as a tartan plaid ...this is a pure gem' Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Scotland, British Literature

400 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2003

About the author

Deborah 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.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now You May Weep by Deborah Crombie is a 2005 publication.

After suffering a personal loss, Gemma is trying to move forward with her life. She and Duncan are now co-habitating and raising Kit and Toby together. But, a girls’ only get away with her best friend, Hazel, sounds like fun. However, Hazel has ulterior motives for taking this trip and may have mislead her friend.

Soon enough, Gemma learns things about Hazel that shakes her faith in the possibility of anyone truly enjoying a long lasting and stable romantic relationship. If this weren’t enough to spoil her time away, a ghastly murder puts the proverbial nail in the coffin. Worse still, Hazel has been taken in for questioning-

This is the tenth installment in the Kincaid and James series. As I’ve stated before, this series is very popular and well received. For me, it’s been a bit like fire and ice. Some installments have been simply outstanding, while others were way off the mark.

This one I am happy to report, is one of the good ones. I enjoyed the change of scenery, the historical details, and the truly emotional aspects of the story, which dares to tamper with a character we’ve long relied on for sound reason and balance. This story examines affairs of the heart, and the intense emotions love can evoke. Love can bring out the best in people, but also the worst, and can get pretty twisted when there is unrequited love, forbidden love, and jealousy involved.
As always, Gemma and Duncan have a few domestic issues at play. Here Duncan must deal with Kit’s grandmother who continues to pursue custody, and Kit’s refusal to submit to a DNA test which would prove his paternity once and for all.

Overall, this was an excellent installment in the series. I've been slowly working my way through the series, and I do mean S-L-O-W-L-Y-. Every year, I swear I’m going to finally get all caught up, but as another year winds down, I still have seven more books to go. Oh well, maybe in 2019- Of course by then, there’s bound to be a new release… *Sigh*

Such is the life of an overwhelmed reader. 😊

[Terri Lynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is only the second of the 9 Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James books I have not liked. There are several reasons but I will just list these:

(1) The Scottish "flavor" is thick and overpowering and is something I just don't like. I never liked Scotland and find I dislike most books set there. I love England, Wales, and Ireland but somehow never warmed to Scotland (though I love many Scottish people). I found myself wanting the characters to go home to London!

(2) The whiskey theme and the deadly dull descriptions about making it were too boring. I don't drink alcohol and never did. I have toured wineries while researching for travel guide updates and thought that was quite bad enough (although touring Napa in California and seeing the grapes growing is just lovely since I can eat grapes like they are going out of style) but this was something I had to slog through.

(3) I dislike the breakup of Tim and Hazel's marriage for no real reason than as a plot device. The whole point of this book was to break up Hazel's marriage to a man she adored and had a wonderful relationship with, the father of her little daughter Holly. The marriage of Tim and Hazel was wonderful. Why destroy it just because you can?

(4) Duncan has known since book 5 that Kit is his son. He is still just pussyfooting around with the notion of having a DNA test done to prove it. He has had to let Ian run the show as far as Kit is concerned for far too long and then there are the threats from Kincaid's ex Victoria's revolting parents. All he has to do is just get the damned test done with cotton swabs to the mouth at the doctor's so why wait 5 or more books to do it. Just do it man, just do it. File for your rights to the child. Give him stability. Instead here he is going on about whether he needs the results to love the child more or is trying to prove something. He needs to do it for the boy's benefit and to get rid of the insecurities Kit feels about belonging.

I am sorry not to like it. The last book got 5 stars from me and I found myself ordering a copy from Amazon. I wanted to like it. Ah well, on to the next one!

[Joe · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the ninth installment in the Gemma James/Duncan Kincaid Scotland Yard series with our heroes on the outside of a murder investigation involving Gemma's good friend and ex-landlord as a prime suspect. This book has the template of this series' earlier entries - the weaving of plots past and present, a cast of characters tied together in a murder investigation and Gemma and Duncan balancing police work with their personal relationship and children.

What is blatantly absent is a gripping story line. There are love triangles aplenty, more than enough information for this reader on the distillery industry and plenty of conversations about food, but the murder mystery never gains any traction. If you are new to this series, start at the beginning for this addition contains none of the subtlety, complexity and depth of those very good books.

[Carol/Bonadie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is why I listen to books. Michael Deehy’s Scottish brogue instantly transported me into a country I have long wanted to visit -- Scotland -- and a world that intrigued me, that of generations-old family-run whiskey distilleries. I could practically taste the whiskey every time someone took a sip because the experience was so well described. It sent me to dust off my bottle of port. I know, port is not whiskey, but one works with what one has. However, to the story... Gemma Jones accompanies her BFF Hazel to Scotland for a cooking course run by a college friend in the area in which Hazel was raised. Naturally, that is only the beginning, as Hazel runs into decades-old relationships and centuries-old conflicts, circumstances which threaten her. Once again Crombie does a nice job of telling two parallel stories full of interesting characters with hidden motivations.

[Julie Durnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great installment of the Gemma & Duncan series-loved the setting in Scotland this time, map included is always a plus for me! The whiskey distilleries backdrop of the mystery was interesting as well; and the little quotes heading each chapter are such a nice touch. I did not solve the murder in this one, in fact was completely surprised by the ending! Well done, Ms. Crombie, happy there are lots more in the series to read yet!

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, again, I enjoyed the book because I like reading about Gemma, Kincaid and their family. However, I'm not impressed with the mystery itself. The killer, Louise, was completely unbelievable. First of all, she is described by others as an "ice queen" and yet we only see her as pleasant when she interacts with Gemma, so it is very hard to picture her character at all. Why are people referring to her as a bitch when she never shows us that side of herself until she kills in the end? Are we really to believe that a "woman scorned" is going to kill the man she loved decades after the fact? And why, when Brodie was such a nice guy, that all characters thought the best of, are we to believe that he would be such an incredible ass to a woman who professes to love him? That he has been friends with forever, no less! And why did Gemma give a flip about the Frenchman who was described from the very beginning as looking deceitful and cold? Why were we told Callum wasn't interested in women? The lengths to which the author tries to send us on a misdirect are not something I appreciate as a reader. But, if you enjoy the series, as I do, you will like the new Scottish location and the additional development of the main characters.

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

About fifty percent Scottishness--poetry, romance, moors, drams and bottles and casks of whisky, kilties, crummy weather, more whisky, salmon, thievery, alcoholism, porridge, miserliness, oatcakes, the occasional nip of gin, and grudge-holding.

About forty-seven percent murder mystery--violence, suspicion, lots of suspects, absconding.

About three percent paranormal twaddle.

In short, a guid read.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoy this series. Gemma, newly promoted to Inspector, goes to Scotland with her friend Hazel on a cooking course. But hidden secrets from the past results in murder.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-ish reluctant stars

This installment works less well than its predecessors, and dims my considerable enthusiasm for the series.

Whereas previously the use of past stories woven with the present has been nimble and effective, here there’s little relevance between the two and the effect is is mostly distraction.

Unusually for the series, the heavy use of improbable coincidence and doubtful or simplistic motivations dampens the already weak and hardly suspenseful plot.

Even the usually interesting subplot is weak here, and, apparently as a plot device to insert more trouble and tension, senior detective Gemma has reverted to her earlier immature, impulsive tendencies.

The series is not romantic suspense, but this novel leans closer to the popular romantic historical fiction genre than to the crime fiction tradition it has followed so far. I expect this is a more enjoyable read for fans of “womens” fiction. I hope for a return to prior form in the next one of the series.

[Paraphrodite · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars.

I enjoyed the Scotland settings but not so much the story. I'm saddened about Hazel and Tim and I'm not sure I agreed with how Gemma handled the whole thing. Also I would have thought Kit deserved more attention instead of Duncan going off to support Gemma? . I'm interested in seeing what happens next with Duncan and Gemma.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ditto the others. This one has a blurb on the back comparing Crombie to PD James, high praise indeed…in fact the main character’s last name in all of these books is James…

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story. Felt like I was in Scotland.

[Carolyn Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars. I always enjoy Deborah Crombie's Gemma Janes/Duncan Kincaid mysteries and this one was no different, though I did feel it wasn't as good as some of her previous ones in the series. Now May You Weep starts off slowly - the murder doesn't happen until we've gotten to know the characters and situation. The pace eventually picks up and I did end up staying up late to finish it. This has Gemma James going off with her friend Hazel to a cooking weekend at a B&B in Scotland. The inn is close to a distillery and its history and owner play a large part in the story. Crombie likes to convey the particular history of a place or explore a distinctive kind of craft or business. In other books she's taken us to mystical Glastonbury, shown us how tea is blended, and explored London's Docklands and Portobello Market. In this one we get the whiskey distillery tour, and it's very thorough. I enjoy vicarious sightseeing in the British isles, but this one got a bit bogged down and the tension lagged. I was able to guess the murderer - I think I'm getting a good feel for Crombie's set-ups, but it wasn't obvious and I did second-guess myself a few times. Gemma and Duncan don't spend much time together in this outing - it's mostly Gemma's story. She is frustrated to be on the site of a murder and not be able to orchestrate the investigation, much to her annoyance, as well as that of the local inspector, whose toes she steps on. This lessens the police procedural aspect while there's much more emphasis on the entangled relationships of the characters. Gemma is shocked to find that the marriage of her friend and confidante Hazel is not as wonderful as she thought. The readers of her series are, too, because Hazel's calm, ordered household was held up as a paragon of domestic bliss where the children (usually including Gemma's boy Toby) were bathed and ready for a story while a delicious dinner was bubbling in the oven and soft music played on the stereo when Gemma would come by inevitably late from work. And Hazel, a psychologist, is perceptive, kind, understanding, a wise counselor, and always 'together.' Until her world falls apart in this book. I don't remember any foreshadowing in earlier novels, and I wondered how Crombie decided on Hazel as the lynchpin of the story. Hazel's husband Tim seems a totally different character here than in the earlier stories, though he wasn't often mentioned, and this seems like the author manipulated the character for the plot. True, we had only seen him through Gemma's eyes. As Gemma and Duncan have too often found in their detective work, alas, all is not as it seems.

[Matt Schiariti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crombie just seems to have a bottomless well of ideas and the ability to spindle them into a fantastic and addicting read.

This novel almost reminds me of a Share In Death, the book that started this fantastic series. A holiday gone wrong, Gemma is invited to her friend Hazel's old homeland in Scotland for what seems to be an innocent weekend of cooking school with some of Hazel's old childhood friends. What it is in fact, is Hazel's excuse to revisit an old lover, one she nearly married before an old family feud (Hazel's and Donald's families both came from a whiskey making tradition) tore them apart, causing Hazel to leave her beloved birthplace and move to London, get married and have a family. Gemma never knew her friend as well as she thought apparently because it turns out Hazel's been unhappy in her life for quite some time. In fact, she may never have been happy at all, always looking to the past and Donald Brodie, the Scostman lover who got away.

Gemma is incensed to find all this out of course, feeling betrayed and used as an excuse so Hazel could seemingly carry on an affair behind her husband Tim's back. But that's not the least of Gemma's worries. One bump in the road turns into many as Hazel's old flame turns up shot dead in the woods and the prime suspect is none other than Hazel.

This is primarily a Gemma James book, and a good one at that. Not to say Duncan's not in it. He's got his own family trouble to deal with back in London in the form of his son Kit, but the focus is on Gemma.

Also, as has become a staple in this series, the novel flashes back, giving insight on what happened before any of the characters were even born. The flashbacks are a mystery within a mystery, shedding light on what lead up to the family feud.

This is just a fantastic mystery, plain and simple. The characters are rich, the setting is vivid and Crombie does a wonderful job of keeping you guessing. As usual, several people have motives but the motive and criminal are never what and who you expect. Another great addition to this stupendous series.

[Rosemary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was probably my least favorite book in the Gemma James/Duncan Kincaid series thus far. The plot seemed to hinge on a lot of improbabilities and coincidences, plus some woo-woo stuff (Gemma's friend Hazel is somehow dreaming the dreams of her long-dead great-grandmother?). I also could have done without the faux Scots dialect that some of the characters speak--it's stereotypical and intrusive, and doesn't really add much to the characterization.

Still, that's not much to complain about in a series that is otherwise very well-written and plotted. By this, the ninth book in the series, Crombie has earned the right to a miss.

[Claude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps I'm not interested enough in whiskey, but I've read better Kincaid and James. I found the plot a bit contrived compared to other books in the series. But this won't keep me from reading on.


I enjoyed the second reading.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Scotland. No one died until halfway through the book. Stupid plot about jealousy over a whiskey distiller.

[Beth Rush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great installment with my buddies Gemma and Duncan as they solve crimes in Scotland! This mystery revolves around their great friend, Hazel and her former fiancé. With so many suspicious folks and activities, this was a fun one to follow.

[Kostas Kanellopoulos · Rating 1 out of 5]

Τα δάκρυα είναι για το χάσιμο χρόνου για αυτό το δήθεν αστυνομικό βιπερ νορα

[Beachreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

When ten characters in two different time periods are introduced in the first chapter, I know I am going to have difficulty keeping them straight, so I created a character list. Seven more characters appear in the second chapter, along with a third setting.

This is exactly what the author did in an earlier book in this series when Gemma James is promoted and she and Duncan Kincaid are no longer working together. I did not enjoy that particular story because the author deviated from the police procedural model which is what made this series good. I think splitting up the police twosome has caused problems for the author.

In the earlier book, Duncan leaves London to visit a cousin in the country. In this book Gemma leaves London to accompany her good friend and former child minder Hazel on a weekend trip to Scotland.

There are many pages of boring details about whiskey making that seem to be filler rather than an integral part of the plot. This is disruptive, just as a similar topic was in an earlier book. Another unwelcome aspect of this novel is Gemma's expressing an attraction to Daniel, the whiskey maker. She did the exact same thing in that earlier book. Is she in a committed relationship with Duncan or not? For goodness sakes, she has moved in with him and they have blended their families. I wish the author would not have her character exhibit such feelings for other men when she has finally moved in with Duncan.

As the story progresses, it settles into the mystery more. The setting, characters, dialog, and plot are well written and developed, but the ending is absolutely ridiculous. There is an element of paranormal activity written into the story which is unwelcome and unnecessary to move the plot forward. Leaving it out would have allowed for a more satisfactory ending.

I am torn between two or three stars for this one. Crombie is a good writer. I have no quarrel with her writing ability and she has some lovely descriptive phrases, but her story telling often veers off track, and goes to places it doesn't need to. Very good writing, character development, and well described settings cannot make up for the flaws in the stories.

I won't be reading anymore.

[TinaNoir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very favorite installment of the series so far. Would have been five stars except once again the author travels unnecessarily into the land of the woo-woo with present day Hazel having prophetic (or rather anti-prophetic?) dreams of something that happened in the past over 100 years ago that of course has a direct impact of a present day murder.

I think this is the first time I really was upset and sad about the victim. So far in this series I have been apathetic about the actual life of he victims. Even though the author has taken pains in previous books to make the victim a 'person' and not just the necessary element of a mystery to be solved, I never connected with them. But in this one I was very upset Donald was the victim. I thought the author made him such a magnetic personality even in the smallish amount of time he spent in the book. Oh well. Great story and I liked how she gleefully up-ended Hazel's life to give us this installment.

Also surprisingly enjoying the ongoing domestic travails of Gemma and Duncan's topsy turvy personal life. Didn't think I would but it adds some nice continuity to the series.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

New Detective Inspector Gemma James joins her friend on a cooking class trip to Scotland. The class held at a small B&B in the highlands has several guests besides the two women, the brother of the inns co-owner, a French businessman and the owner of a nearby distillery. Some cooking goes on but the main theme is that Gemma's friend who once lived in the area and was almost married to the distillery owner is still attracted despite being long married. When the Owner turns up dead, every one at the inn are suspect as well as several of the local residents. Despite being way out of her jurisdiction Gemma can't help be involved, epically since here friend becomes the main suspect. A good tale with lots of background of the Scotch distillery business and a side of a memoir from early years involving the ancestors of some if the current characters.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't love this one as much as the Glastonbury-set mystery (there's an historical backstory here that I found annoying until the very end. My problem, I know), but again I'm reminded at how well Crombie frames her mysteries. Not just the family detail--though she advances that nicely here--nor the setting--also excellently described. It's the way she uses the quotations before the chapters--surely there's a real word for that--to focus readers. Here it's snippets from Scottish poetry mostly and especially hearing it read, it does take one there. As I listen to this series I'm reminded more and more how I read mysteries for the characters. That's certainly one benefit of reading them in order: one sees how the relationships change. Excellent series for puzzles, frame, and characters.

[Sheila Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another interesting mystery in the Kincaid and James series. I like the way Deborah Crombie mixed the old journal entries into the present account.

[Mal Warwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Go figure: one of my favorite English mystery writers is . . . a Texan? Yes, it’s true. The biographical blurb in the back of Deborah Crombie‘s English mystery novels insist that she was born and lives in Texas. As an American myself, I can’t claim to be the final authority on the Englishness of Crombie’s narrative prose and dialogue. But I’ve spent enough time in the UK and with British friends not to be too easily fooled, and I’ll be damned if I can find any cultural or linguistic flaws in her writing. I appear to be in good company, too. Deborah Crombie has twice won the top award from the British mystery writers’ association.

THE NINTH NOVEL IN A SERIES
Now May You Weep is the ninth in a series of 19 novels Crombie has written since 1993 about the Scotland Yard duo of Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James. The two are sleuths who live together with his son, her son, two personable dogs, and an indifferent cat in a fashionable London neighborhood.

ENGROSSING AND DIFFICULT TO SET ASIDE
Like every other novel in its series, I found Now May You Weep to be engrossing and difficult to set aside. The scene is not England this time but Scotland, where Gemma James, recently promoted to Inspector and still recovering from a traumatic miscarriage, has gone for a long weekend for a cooking course at a rural bed-and-breakfast with her best bud, Hazel Cavendish. Hazel, long a rock of stability in Gemma’s topsy-turvy life, comes apart at the seams in the course of a weekend of shocking surprises and tragic events.

Crombie’s work is especially strong in painting a picture of the local scene—here, the Scottish highlands in all its stark, windswept glory. A major setting for the novel is an ancient distillery, which serves as the occasion for Crombie to explain in explicit and colorful detail how single-malt Scottish whiskey is made.

Now May You Weep is a stellar crime novel by a writer at the height of her powers. It’s an exceptionally fine read.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As Wikipedia notes, “Deborah Crombie (née Darden) is an American author of the Duncan Kincaid / Gemma James mystery series set in the United Kingdom. Crombie was raised in Richardson, Texas, and has lived in the United Kingdom. She now lives in McKinney, Texas. Crombie studied biology at Austin College” and writing at Tarrant County College. Ironically, she ranks among the top English mystery writers.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A full half a star of this review goes to the wonderful setting in this book. I visited the Scottish highlands and the distilleries along the River Spey a few years ago and it truly is a magical place. The Duncan Kincaid/ Gemma James series continues to be a favourite of mine and Deborah Crombie does a wonderful job capturing the atmosphere, beauty and isolation of this mystical area. She intersperses her modern story with one from the late 1800’s that slowly unveils to the reader the connection between the two. With Duncan left behind in London to look after their two boys, Gemma and her friend Hazel Cavendish are booked for a girls’ weekend and cooking class at a B and B along the River Spey. Hazel grew up a highlander and it occurs to Gemma very quickly that as close as she and Hazel are, she knows nothing about this time in her best friend’s life. An old friend and an old love of Hazel along with her cousin are some of the personalities Gemma encounters during her visit not to mention the realization of how much Hazel gave up when her family left the Highlands for Newcastle in her childhood and again upon her return there as a young adult. One of the guests at the B and B is murdered and Hazel is quickly in the frame as a possible suspect. Gemma is desperate to help her friend and beside herself with worry for her. Eventually joined by Duncan, the two work together with local police to solve the crime before anyone else is hurt. On top of the drama going on Speyside, Duncan’s son Kit is going through a drama of his own back in London. Now May You Weep is an entertaining instalment in this excellent series.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective Inspector Gemma James accompanies her friend Hazel Cavendish into the highlands to learn how to cook? How unlikely is that? Gemma leaves behind her children with her live-in, Superintendent Duncan Kincaid. Unfortunately Gemma doesn't really understand why Hazel wants to do this.

It turns out that Hazel is motivated by love, old love. Many years ago Hazel had to make a decision to leave Donald and start life anew. That seems to have worked out for her with her husband Tim and their daughter but you never know what goes on in a marriage. So there they are in chef John Innes kitchen receiving instruction. When Donald does show up it's immediately apparent to Gemma that there's something going on with Hazel. When Donald and Hazel leave the room after dinner. it leads to lots of questions and when Donald's body is discovered the following morning, even more.

Not only is Hazel a suspect but a local supplier Callum, and a young woman who has been pursuing Duncan, Alison, along with all the guests at the guesthouse. The local police take everyone in for questioning. Unfortunately they are not thrilled when Gemma tries to assist with the investigation and even less thrilled when her lover Duncan Kincaid, the Superintendent at CID shows up.

Meanwhile, Duncan's son from a previous marriage is trying to sort some stuff out on his own. This adds to the urgency of the investigation and the interest of the story.

There's a backstory of the two distilleries which is quite interesting and adds a bit of history to the feud between the families.

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should have been much more highly rated than it’s going to be. I thought the author’s movement between two timelines was at once tropey, tiresome, and made little sense in terms of the main plot. This felt like filler, and I was invariably eager to get past it and back to the main plot.

Having dealt with the difficulties of a miscarriage in the previous book in this series, Gemma James is eager to join her friend and former landlord, Hazel, on a weekend get-away to the highlands of Scotland. Hazel has rekindled an affair with a distillery owner up there, and she’s going to explore the viability of it. Gemma is unaware of the affair until they are ensconced in a neighbor’s bed-and-breakfast.

Hazel’s dalliance personified gets murdered one morning, and the cops assume Hazel did the job. But she has an alibi that clears her, and if you’re like me, you won’t detect the real killer until the end. I thought I had this figured out several times.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been several years since I read this first in the series, so jumping in at 9 is a bit unusual for me.

I enjoyed the weekend cooking school in Scotland setting. The plot was excellent, and the writing very clear and straightforward.

I had no problem picking up the threads of Gemma's life, no apparent spoilers for earlier books that I am aware of. Besides, it might be another few years before I resume the series in sequence, and by then I may have forgotten the specifics revealed here.

I borrowed a friends copy.

[Sharon Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Deborah Crombie must have been influenced by Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander. The Scottish rogue in this book, Donald Brodie, seemed a lot like Jamie Fraser in the Outlander. The accent, the kilt, the sex appeal: it was all there. I enjoyed the nostalgia and the portrayal of Scotland as a beautiful and mythical place. Though I have never been there, it is pleasant to go there reading books like these.
The first third of the book takes place in a Scottish B&B and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to meet all the characters, before the inevitable murder was committed. Then, it was just a case of watching Gemma and Duncan butt in to the official investigation. I am sure this never happens in real life. What kind of detectives would want to work on their vacation?
There was also a back story over a hundred years ago which was mildly interesting and in the end, played a role in the current story.
Once again, the best part of the book was watching the lives of Duncan and Gemma.