A Killing of Innocents

Bestseller Crombie’s skillfully plotted 19th police procedural featuring the husband and wife team of Det. Supt. Duncan Kincaid and Det. Insp. Gemma James of Scotland Yard (after 2019’s A Bitter Feast) perfectly balances the investigative action with the characters’ true to life personal problems. The duo and their colleagues are called to Russell Square, where Sasha Johnson, a trainee doctor at Thomas Coram Hospital, lies dead, stabbed in the chest. The victim’s assailant acted swiftly and efficiently, fading away into the crowd before even she realized she’d been mortally stabbed. Why would anyone want to murder the respected and much loved doctor? The stakes rise after the nurse in charge of Sasha’s ward at the hospital is fatally stabbed in Soho Square. Once again, there are no witnesses. What’s the connection between the two murders? Crombie provides plausible suspects and motives amid entertaining interplay, including some friction, among the members of the squad. This entry can be read as a standalone, but it will give special pleasure to fans who have grown fond of the couple over the years. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary. (Feb.)