In this 8th book in the 'Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James' series, the detectives investigate the death of a trophy wife and a cold case. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the series is a bonus.
*****
Detective Inspector Gemma James - who was partners with Superintendent Duncan Kincaid at Scotland Yard - has been transferred to Notting Hill Police Station. This eases the situation between Gemma and Duncan, who are romantically involved and moving in together.
The blended family will consist of Gemma and her little boy Toby; Duncan and his pre-teen son Kit; and - as it turns out - a cat and two dogs. In addition, Gemma and Duncan are expecting a child.
Gemma lands a big case at Notting Hill when Dawn Arrowood - the trophy wife of wealthy antique trader Karl Arrowood - is found with her throat slit.
Dawn had been having an affair with a pottery dealer called Alex Dunn, and Karl is suspected of killing his unfaithful wife - but there's no evidence against him.
Moreover, the brutal method of Dawn's death reminds Duncan of the unsolved murder of another woman, and the detective couple is soon working together on the dual cases.....which seem to be connected somehow.
Gemma learns that Dawn and Alex were part of a hippy-ish group of friends who met for coffee at Otto's Café every day. In addition to the lovers, the clique includes a gal who's a veterinarian and a man who runs a shelter for the homeless. The vet is thinking about opening a free clinic for homeless people's pets, which is a very difficult enterprise.
Also on hand are the café's waiter - who knows everyone in the neighborhood, and the café's owner - a Russian immigrant who's known Karl Arrowood for years....and is SURE Karl killed his wife!
As the story unfolds, the detectives' investigations in the present are interspersed with scenes from the past, when two immigrant families - one from Poland and one from the West Indies - became neighbors in Notting Hill.
Over the course of the book, we follow the fates of these Polish and West Indian families, and learn how they're connected to the crimes occurring now - and it's not a pretty picture. It seems that Notting Hill has a history of post-WWII black market shenanigans, along with smuggling antiques and drugs.
On the personal side, we observe Gemma and Duncan moving into their new digs and adjusting to life together; Duncan dealing with custody issues relating to Kit; and Gemma handling that old bugaboo - a male colleague who resents a woman boss and deliberately makes trouble for her.
I enjoyed the book. It's a good mystery that has clues dispersed throughout the narrative, perfect for the astute reader who likes to speculate about 'whodunit.'
Rating: 3.5 stars
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