Water Like a Stone

The Duncan Kincaid / Gemma James Mystery Series, Book 11

By: Deborah Crombie

Narrated by: Michael Deehy

When Scotland Yard superintendent Duncan Kincaid takes Gemma, Kit, and Toby for a holiday visit to his family in Cheshire, Gemma is soon entranced with Nantwich's pretty buildings and the historic winding canal, and young Kit is instantly smitten with his cousin Lally.

But their visit is marred by family tensions exacerbated by the unraveling of Duncan's sister Juliet's marriage. And tensions are brought to the breaking point on Christmas Eve with Juliet's discovery of a mummified infant's body interred in the wall of an old dairy barn—a tragedy hauntingly echoed by the recent drowning of Peter Llewellyn, a schoolmate of Lally's.

Meanwhile, on her narrowboat, former social worker Annie Lebow is living a life of self-imposed isolation and preparing for a lonely Christmas, made more troubling by her meeting earlier in the day with the Wains, a traditional boating family whose case precipitated Annie's leaving her job.

As the police make their inquiries into the infant's death, Kincaid discovers that life in the lovely market town of his childhood is far from idyllic and that the dreaming reaches of the Shropshire Union Canal hold dark and deadly secrets...secrets that may threaten everything and everyone he holds most dear.

A 2008 Macavity Award Finalist for Best Mystery Novel.

©2007 Deborah Crombie (P)2018 Blackstone Publishing

Love this series!

I enjoy the back story of Gemma and Duncan and their family with the added mysteries they find fhe selves entangled in. Also, learning about different locations in London and England is an added bonus. SPOILER ALERT: I am hoping in the next few books of the series the author doesn’t involve Kit in the murders. He has gone through enough with finding now two dead bodies, one being his mother, and his life being threatened. He will need serious counseling!

I like this series.

This story was one of my favorites. As the book evolves you get to know Duncan’s families and some of his background.

Good story

Well told story with just enough intrigue & twists. Definitely worth the listen. Will look for more books by this author!

The saga continues

This is book 11 of the series. Besides growing understanding of the characters the author’s writing abilities have grown. Complex storylines are presented smoothly and Deborah Crombie becomes an ever better storyteller.

Fabulous story AND narrator!

I will sorely miss Michael Deehy as narrator of this series. I have skipped Books 5,6, and 7 as Jenny Sterling just doesn’t fit after the masterful voicing of Mr. Deehy. I am so sorry he is not the narrator going forward. Not sure I want to make the switch, so will pursue print copies of this amazing series from here on.
Gripping addition, this one.