WHERE MEMORIES LIE

There’s an interesting phenomenon underway in the world of the British crime novel. The once tidy subcategory of the police procedural has spawned a sub-subcategory—the police family saga, which includes Crombie's popular series featuring Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James. We still have thefts and murders and other mysterious doings, but the nonvocational aspects of their lives get equal attention in the narrative. Jenny Sterlin, who has read earlier entries in the series, has everything well in hand. She reads the narrative with energy and subtlety, which add considerable pleasure. In addition, her characterizations of the large cast are believable, individual, and vibrant. The pleasures include Dr. Erika Rosenthal, who retains her strong German Jewish accent in spite of her lengthy residence in England. It all sounds right. R.E.K. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2008]