Part of Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James, book 15
First published 2013
Detective Inspector Gemma James returns to active duty in South London, leading a Murder Investigation Team with Detective Sergeant Melody Talbot. Their first case brings them to a rundown Crystal Palace hotel where they discover a respected barrister's body. The victim lies naked and bound, apparently strangled. James must determine whether this represents a fatal accident during risky behavior or deliberate murder. The investigation reveals the dead man had a companion who has vanished without a trace. As James and her team search for this missing person, they uncover disturbing connections that challenge their assumptions about the case. The inquiry forces them to examine the darker impulses that drive people to violence. Meanwhile, a parallel story unfolds in the same neighborhood decades earlier, where a lonely thirteen year old boy befriends his widowed teacher neighbor. Their relationship develops until a devastating betrayal destroys their bond. These two timelines converge as James discovers how past secrets shape present crimes.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, parallel-timelines
Setting: Crystal Palace, South London
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
359 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: violence