NECESSARY AS BLOOD is Deborah Crombie’s 13th novel featuring Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, but it is far from an unlucky outing. Her masterful mix of thorough policing and the convoluted family life of Kincaid, James and their two boys is always a joy to read, bouncing from the rough-and-tumble of a London that seems to get more brutish by the day, to the playful romping of a loving and intimate clan.
And this book’s central tale is about family: an extended one of Bangladeshi immigrants trying to make their way in a sometimes difficult and expensive land, and the tragedy of Sandra Gilles; her husband, Nasir Malik; and their very young daughter, Charlotte. One day, Sandra simply disappears from view and is never heard from again.
Months later, Malik is found murdered in a nearby park. There is no one left from Charlotte’s little family, and in this particular case, the extended family that has an interest in raising Charlotte is comprised of violent racists who certainly will not treat a mixed-race child with love and care. Surely the missing woman and the murdered man are somehow connected, but that will take heavy police work, and Kincaid and James get down to the business of solving the case.
This is a traditional Crombie story: well-written, super-strong and filled with fascinating characters, able description and flowing prose. The author manages to get that perfect mix of police acting professionally and as human beings, and one feels their rage against the system, as well as their commitment to getting the job done right and the culprits put away. It’s another solid addition to the Crombie canon, and is highly recommended. —Mark Rose
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• WATER LIKE A STONE by Deborah Crombie
• WHERE MEMORIES LIE by Deborah Crombie
