In a Dark House

By Deborah Crombie

An abandoned Southwark warehouse burns next door to a women's shelter for victims of spousal abuse. Within it lies the charred corpse of a female body burned beyond all recognition. At the same time, workers at Guy's Hospital anxiously discuss the disappearance of a hospital administrator -- a beautiful, emotionally fragile young woman who's vanished without a trace.

And in an old, dark, rambling London house, nine-year-old
Harriet's awful fears won't be silenced -- as she worries about her
feuding parents, her schoolwork . . . and the strange woman who
is her only companion in this scary, unfamiliar place.

Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid -- lovers and former partners -- have their own pressing concerns. But they must put aside private matters to investigate these disturbing cases. Yet neither Gemma nor Duncan realize how closely the cases are connected -- or how important their resolutions will be for an abducted young child who is frightened, alone . . . and in serious peril.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 13, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061829703

Deborah Crombie

Deborah Crombie is a native Texan who has lived in both England and Scotland. She now lives in McKinney, Texas, sharing a house that is more than one hundred years old with her husband, two cats, and two German shepherds.

Reviews for In a Dark House

[rosalita_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The 10th book in this series finds Duncan and Gemma investigating a London warehouse fire where a woman's body is found in the ashes. Was it arson? Who is the dead woman? Was she murdered first or did she die in the fire? Lots of questions, and by the end of the book an equal number of answers. There's also minor progression on the personal front, though not much.

[ansy_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Perhaps I should start with the first book of this series. Will have a look for it, because this was not bad, but there was so much missing in the storyline for me

[Lamarr C Edwards · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent characters, excellent plot. A joy to read. You will enjoy it

[tgpistole · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have read several books in this series but not in order. It is interesting to see how both the personal and professional relationships between the two protagonists ebb and flow. The story itself is an intriguing one. The pieces that eventually link was initially were separate investigations by Duncan and Gemma are a bit of a stretch but Crombie makes it work. It a good read.

[diana.hauser · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

IN A DARK HOUSE is Book #10 of Deborah Crombie’s Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James mystery series.The gorgeous maps set the location of Southwark, Bankside and South Bank as the ‘main characters’ in this particular title.A serial arsonist is setting fires in the area and Duncan Kincaid and later Gemma James are involved in solving several mysteries, murders, child abductions and arsons in this intricately woven plot - full of backstories, and interesting characters. The title is part mystery, part crime drama, part police procedural, part historical fiction, part travelogue and part sociological study.The information about firefighters and investigative work is very interesting. I also find the main location and its historical references a main draw to this series.A very good read. Highly recommended title and series.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In a Dark House by Deborah Crombie is the 10th entry in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James detective series. This is a series that has totally grabbed me, and once I pick up the next book, I literally can’t put it down until it’s finished. In this outing, there is a lot going on with a serial arsonist causing havoc, a body that needs to be identified, and a missing child that has been kidnapped. Apart part from their jobs, Duncan and Gemma also have the hearing about the custody of Duncan’s son looming over them.As both Duncan and Gemma race against time to both find the missing child and to solve the various crimes, another body comes to light. Her identity actually helps to move the investigation along. Working together and with other members of their team, they slowly begin to put the various pieces together. In A Dark House is a multi-layered story that the author keeps on track with deft plotting and fully developed characters. Crombie continues to build and expand upon Duncan and Gemma’s homelife and makes these characters feel familiar and empathetic. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and now look forward to the next one.

[empressreece · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars It was good- consistent writing that Crombie always displays. It wasnt knock your socks off great or anything like the novel she wrote set in Glastonbury on the moors, The Finer End. That was an amazing book- Im hoping for another story from her like that.

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like this author and her characters so much I actually felt compelled to go BACKWARDS in the series to catch up on some installments I had not yet read. (Then, to justify my actions to myself, I thought - rather pathetically - well, Duncan and Gemma are my “friends” and so what’s wrong with wanting to catch up with them?)This crime series features London Scotland Yard Detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James (not yet married to each other in this book). The two of them juggle care for their blended family with investigating murders. They are both attractive, in love with each other, and well-adjusted. Imagine!This book begins with suspected arson in a warehouse in Southwark that is owned by a politician. In the course of investigating the fire, a woman’s body is discovered, and it is clear she was murdered before the fire. For the rest of the book the detectives try to discover the connection between the various strands of the crime. Complicating matters are a number of parallel plots all involving missing women who could fit the profile of the woman discovered in the warehouse. Gemma joins Duncan in his investigation, as do the local firefighting team; Duncan’s partner - Doug Cullen; and the local inspector for Southwark, Maura Bell. Evaluation: I have yet to be disappointed by a crime novel by Deborah Crombie. The crimes are complex enough to hold one’s interest, but not so much so that you’d have difficulty following them. And the characters are endearing. Although this is a part of an ongoing detective series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

[brookeashley-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this on my Nook on the plane ride to San Francisco, and I was about 40 pages from the end when they announced we had to turn off all electronics to prepare for landing. To which I responded, "ARRRRRRGGGHHH." Deborah Crombie put together the best mystery I've read in a really long time here, with an unidentified murder victim and numerous seemingly unrelated threads, and it was absolutely impossible to predict how anything was going to be resolved. Having to wait until this morning to finish it was literary torture.

[newsieq · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A woman’s body is discovered in a burnt-out warehouse; an autopsy reveals that she was murdered before the fire began. The building’s owner is a well-connected politician, who is evasive when questioned by the police. And an ambitious female firefighter with a nose for investigation has suspicions about a serial arsonist. A lonely disabled woman’s housemate disappears suddenly and a search of her belongings reveals she has been keeping secrets and telling lies. A doctor who kidnaps his ten-year-old daughter has the tables turned when the daughter disappears with his accomplice. Then his ex-wife, also a doctor, is nowhere to be found. Scotland Yard Detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James are on the cases. In addition, the two are dreading a hearing to determine the fate of Kincaid’s birth-son Kit, whose grandparents are seeking custody. Kit won’t consent to DNA testing to determine whether Kincaid IS truly his father, which complicates matters. I found In a Dark House in my secret fiction stash – and had forgotten how good this series is. I’ve read most, but not all, of Deborah Crombie’s wonderful mysteries. They’re complex, well-written and plotted, and feature two of the most attractive characters in the mystery genre. In a Dark House has it all and certainly doesn’t disappoint.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

With Kit's hearing with the judge over his grandmother's attempt to gain custody of him a few days away, Duncan is put on a homicide that occurred in a suspicious warehouse fire in Southwark that could be arson. Three women from the area are missing. The child of one of the women is also missing. Although it is Duncan's case, Gemma gets involved because her priest friend calls her to report one of the missing women. There's plenty to commend this book including a very smart female firefighter. Another strong entry in this series!

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In the London borough of Southwark, in the wee hours of the morning, a vacant warehouse burns. What initially appears to be a routine fire becomes anything but routine when, first, a woman's naked body is discovered in the flames, and second, investigators learn that the building is owned by a prominent member of parliament. Scotland Yard detective Duncan Kincaid is assigned to the case and must diplomatically deal with, not just the politics of the situation, but also the tensions with the Southwark police, who resent the Yard's intrusion into their territory. Meanwhile, Duncan's significant other and former partner, Gemma James, becomes involved in the search for a missing woman who lived just a few blocks away from the burned warehouse. When it appears that their cases may be connected, Duncan and Gemma work together to solve the mysteries.Crombie juggles several plot threads that eventually converge and finally resolve. She skillfully maintains a consistent degree of tension across the various threads, resulting in smooth transitions between scenes. Few writers could pull off a plot filled with so many coincidences, but under Crombie's hand they're hardly noticeable. Ultimately, though, there are too many coincidences to survive close examination of the plot, so I can't give it 5 stars.The book can be read as a stand-alone. However, the development of Duncan and Gemma's relationship and family situation is one of the main features of the series. Readers who find this aspect of the series appealing will want to read the books in order.

[smik_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An abandoned warehouse burns next door to a women's shelter for victims of spousal abuse, an apparent case of arson. But it is the charred corpse within -- a female body burned beyond all recognition -- combined with the political sensitivity of the case, that entangles Superintendent Duncan Kincaid in its twisted skein.At the same time, Kincaid's lover and former partner, Gemma James, is coping with twin crises of her own, one personal and the other professional. Gemma must put her private concerns aside to investigate the disappearance of a hospital administrator, a beautiful, emotionally fragile young woman who vanished without a trace. Yet neither Gemma nor Kincaid realizes how closely their cases are connected -- or how important the resolutions will be for a young child who was a victim of parental abduction.In an old, dark, rambling house, nine-year-old Harriet worries about her feuding mum and dad, her friends, her schoolwork. Most of all, she worries about the strange woman who is her only companion in this scary, unfamiliar place. The events that led her there happened too quickly and are too complicated for a child to fully comprehend. But despite her youth and innocence, Harriet's awful fears will not be silenced: that she may never see her parents again ... and that her own life is in serious peril.I liked the way you get an in depth view of characters other than Kincaid and James - Rose the firefighter, Kincaid's sergeant Cullen, the locum priest Winnie, Fanny the young Asian woman fighting a debilitating disease. Lots of lovely strands all meshed together in a plausible yarn.