Necessary as Blood

I don't know why it has taken this one so long to come to the top of the read pile. I had it signed at Bouchercon, which was months ago, and she is the featured author next month at Mayhem in the Midlands. That would normally have gotten this read a long time ago. Oh yes I remember now.

I started the saga of Naz and Sandra in February in the midst of the Ruth Rendell feast which happened earlier this year. Unfortunately, I started it directly after reading Simisola. Although the plots differ, the thematic background of each of these books is essentially identical. And when Sandra disappeared, I could tell why. I didn't know who, but I could tell that the book was heading into people trafficking. I didn't feel up to another round of degradation, so I put the book aside.

Now that it's spring and I haven't been locked up in the house for months, I felt ready to face it again. And the plot was handled deftly enough to lead me to suspect a few people I shouldn't, but finally settle on the right one in the first offhand remark which Duncan and Gemma miss. This is par for the course for me. I didn't know the very first time, but I wasn't led astray by the red herrings.

This book marked a welcome change in the series. Up until this book, Duncan and Gemma suffered from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer syndrome. All you vampire geeks will remember that the slayer could never be happy, never find contentment. It was part of the job description. I was beginning to think that Gemma was the slayer. The end of each book brought her some new heartache. Her personal life ran the gauntlet from bad to worse to miserable. I always knew if something nice happened, Gemma would pay for it at the end. And although I loved the concentration on different areas of London and think Gemma and Duncan are interesting characters, I ended each book screaming, "Throw the girl a bone, for God's sake. Anything. Relieve the misery."

Apparently Deborah Crombie heard me. She threw Gemma a ton of bones. At least one may be of the "be careful what you wish for" type, but I was relieved. I nearly quit reading the series. I quit reading Elizabeth George for this very thing. I can read the news if I want unrelieved misery. Tension and conflict are great in a series. But most people have good news every once in awhile.

The plot of Necessary as Blood concentrates on the East End of London. The markets and gentrication and the council housing are all featured. Race relations are involved, and the usual police politics. And in a clever way, the actual solution has nothing to do with this. And the plot tests your prejudices. Why do you suspect the person you suspect?

This book does a good job expanding the list of suspects. Sometimes, you just know that a person is questioned merely to add to the suspect count. Here, everyone is a little suspect because you know so little about them and their relationships to the victims. All the information is second hand. Who is lying and why? And there is a certain amount of lying to save face. And with no close family or spouse to question, it's hard to pinpoint the character of either victim.

This was the best of the series for me. I loved the story being complex. I love the supporting cast. And I adored the ending. I wasn't screaming at Ms Crombie after this one.

I can't wait to say thank you to Deborah Crombie at Mayhem in the Midlands. A great manageable conference. You really get to talk to the authors and attend great panels. The conference is within walking distance of restaurants and shops. It's a relaxing fun time. Come join us.