A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery by New York Times bestselling author Deborah CrombieThenIn the struggling but close-knit South London neigh of Crystal Palace — once the apex of Queen Victoria's glamorous Great Exhibition, ruinously gutted by fire — a gifted boy and his new neighbor, a solitary young widow, make a pact of friendship; only to see it tragically shattered by a shocking betrayalAnd now…Detective Inspector Gemma James's first case as lead Murder Investigator takes her to seemingly respectable, prominent barrister, found dead at a seedy/low rent hotel in Crystal Palace — naked, bound, and strangled. Is his death a sordid accident — or a more sinister murder? Gemma's investigation leads her, and husband, Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid into a labyrinth of secrets, murder, truths into the dark corners of the human condition…and truths better left uncovered…
