What We're Reading: Jami Recommends

Summertime . . . and the reading is easy. And sometimes what we’re reading is a good mystery series.

I’ve been rereading Deborah Crombie’s Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James “British” series. The quotation marks are there because Crombie is actually a Texan, but you’d never know it. She spends a lot of time in England ꟷ both for pleasure and research ꟷ and it shows. All her books are convincing whodunits.

If traditional murder mysteries are your cup of tea, you can’t go wrong with Crombie.

I’d suggest starting with the first one, A Share in Death, so you can more fully enjoy the development of the two main characters.

The series revolves around Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James. Both are interesting, smart, and strong characters. Their relationship progresses in satisfying ways that seem inevitable without being too easy. And the crimes they solve are neither too graphic nor too pat.

Crombie is perfect for a lazy day on the couch, the hammock, the beach, or . . . anywhere.

The ancillary characters are also fully developed and I’ve come to care just as much about their fates. I recently finished book 12 in the series and am finally ready to jump into ones that are new to me. I love it when a mystery author I enjoy is prolific!