Reviews

Around Christmas I like to read a Christmas mystery, but there really aren't that many that are compelling. This is one of them. Duncan & Gemma are spending the week between Christmas and New Year with Duncan's parents, bringing his recently discovered son he had with his ex wife (they divorced while she was still pregnant & she told him the child was her new husband's) and Gemma's son, Toby, by a previous marriage. Gemma is nervous about meeting Duncan's family which is very different from hers. Plus she is more at home in the city than she is in a country setting. She receives a warm welcome from his parents, but almost immediately she and Duncan become enmeshed in an old murder when his sister, Juliet, finds the body of a baby in an old barn. Juliet has always like to build and repair things & has started a building business. Juliet is also having serious marital problems. Her husband has accused her of sleeping with his partner, Piers. Duncan's family home is in an area that is laced with canals and the history of canal boats is an important feature here. There are a number of different story lines here that come together in a startling conclusion. This is one of my favorites in this series.

gawronma's review

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4.0

Excellent. One of the best Crombie books in years. Her characters keep developing and changing with each new book.

fluffyturtle's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

mrs_merdle's review

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4.0

This series gets better as she goes along.

angrygreycatreads's review

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4.0

Water Like a Stone is book 11 in the Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James series. This is a Christmas book, as Duncan and Gemma take the children to visit Duncan’s parents for the holiday. Unfortunately, the body of a small child is discovered by Duncan’s sister as they arrive and Duncan finds himself and even his family drawn into the case. This was a lighter read and spent a lot of time focused on Duncan and Gemma’s kids and their relationship with Duncan’s family. The reader also meets Duncan’s sister as she is dealing with accusations of infidelity, a troublesome teen child, embezzlement and a struggling new business. This was a quick, lighter read, well written, not much of a mystery for the reader to solve, but there is a case to follow in which Duncan is not the lead detective, and a lot of plot dealing with family life. A nice addition to the series, I enjoyed it and will certainly continue reading about Duncan and Gemma

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