DEBORAH CROMBIE: Everyone has been so patient with me. It's been more than a year since the last Kincaid/James novel, TO DWELL IN DARKNESS, was published. I am such a slowpoke, and I've been excruciatingly quiet on the subject of Kincaid/ James #17, simply because it can get very confusing if information goes out before the book is actually in the publisher's schedule. But the next Duncan and Gemma book is now scheduled for August, 2016! (I know that seems like a long way away, but those months will fly by, I swear.)
The book is called THE GARDEN OF LAMENTATIONS.
Here's a peek at what happens:
On a
beautiful morning in mid-May, the body of a young woman is found in one of
Notting Hill’s private gardens. To passersby, the pretty girl in the white dress
looks as if she’s sleeping. But Reagan Keating has been murdered, and the lead
detective, DI Kerry Boatman, turns to Gemma James for help. She and Gemma
worked together on a previous investigation, and Gemma has a personal
connection to the case: Reagan was the nanny of a child who attends the same
dance studio as Toby, Gemma and Kincaid’s son.
Gemma
soon discovers that Reagan’s death is the second tragedy in this exclusive London
park; a few months before, a young boy died in a tragic accident. But when still
another of the garden’s residents meets a violent end, it becomes clear that
there are more sinister forces at play. Boatman and Gemma must stop the killer
before another innocent life is taken.
While his
wife is consumed with her new case, Kincaid finds himself plagued by disturbing
questions about several previous—and seemingly unrelated—cases involving
members of the force. If his suspicions are correct and the crimes are linked,
are his family and friends in mortal danger as well? Kincaid’s hunch turns to
certainty when a Metropolitan Police officer close to him is brutally attacked.
There’s a traitor in the ranks, and now Kincaid wonders if he can trust anyone.
As Gemma
begins to see a solution to her case, she realizes she holds a child’s fate in
her hands. Can she do the right thing? And can Kincaid rely on his friends, both
inside and outside the Yard, to stand beside him as he faces the deadliest challenge
of his career?
I still have loads to do on this novel--finishing the fiddly bits, editing, copy-editing, page proofs--all the things that go into a finished book. And the art department at William Morrow is working on the cover. I can't wait to see what they come up with--for me, the cover really brings the book to life!
Readers, how important are book covers to you? Do the artwork and design of a cover influence your decision to buy a book?
