Reviews

Water Like a Stone by Deborah Crombie

marryd's review against another edition

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4.0

I really enjoyed the actual murder mystery and the characters. My only caveat was the nagging irritation that murder does not really visit some police families over again and this sat in the back of my mind as an irritant all the way through the story.

I really enjoyed the glimpse of the canals and narrow boats too which reminded me of Ngaio Marsh's Clutch of Constables which I think was written in the 70s and featured another couple involved in crime solving and relationship struggles.

tayparks's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

annie_g_scott's review

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mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.0

terri24601's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Other than one DCI’s intrusive, inappropriate fascination with his coworker’s short skirts, this was a good installment. (Why in the world do women write things this way?)

Anywho…

This series is pretty steady. Are there usually one or two interpersonal things like the above that irritate? Yes. But, the stories are well drawn and told from multiple POVs. Here, I thought I was onto who was the villain but it was a little more nuanced than one big bad, which I appreciated. 

Now…I wouldn’t invite Duncan and Gemma to visit me, but that is just the Murder, She Wrote of a series that doesn’t want to just keep the mysteries related to the day jobs of these two for some reason. Shouldn’t be a surprise since the very first book was not a crime that Duncan was assigned at Scotland Yard but one that happened while he was on vacation.

susanhenry's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

kjackmi's review against another edition

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4.0

Ah, the ever-reliable Deborah Crombie. A managable cast of interesting characters/suspects, an interesting mystery, a lovely, well-evoked British setting. These are always great to recommend to other police procedural fans!

sparklingspirit's review against another edition

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5.0

Excellent. I guessed the evil but the story was satisfying and as always
Gemma and kincaid are growing and learning.

mom2bugnbee's review

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4.0

4.5/5

dancingdane's review against another edition

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4.0

So far, this is my second favorite in the series. We get to see Duncan's family, which adds an extra layer to Kit's relationships with Duncan and Gemma. The thing I missed, though, was Duncan and Gemma trying to do their various jobs in London. Several of the recent novels have taken place out of their jurisdictions, allowing them to work together, if not officially. I do like the novels where they have to avoid stepping on each other's toes.

lahorinko's review against another edition

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5.0

  Excellent interweaving of plots.  Info on narrowboats & canals as interesting as main story.