![]() Griffiths really amps up the drama by telling her tale through three separate voices: Harbinder, Cassie and another former student, Anna Vance. As the investigation proceeds, it appears the murders may somehow be related to the tragic death of another classmate years ago. Both murdered men were in the same class at a posh school as teens and, interestingly, so was Cassie Fitzgerald, a police officer whom Harbinder supervises. Harbinder Kaur is newly arrived in London, after being promoted to Metropolitan Police detective inspector, when she’s thrust into a high-profile case involving two murdered members of Parliament in Elly Griffiths’s engrossing “ Bleeding Heart Yard” (Mariner). Tempers flare and one finalist angrily quits the show, but things really heat up when someone is murdered - and everyone is a suspect. Meanwhile, someone is sabotaging this year’s competition: One baker’s sugar is substituted with salt, while another’s orange essence is replaced with gasoline. But everything seems a bit off this year, beginning with the fact that the producers have forced Betsy to take on Archie Morris, the lecherous star of another popular cooking show, as co-host. Six finalists gather at a rural Vermont estate for Bake Week, an annual, nationally televised event where amateur bakers compete to win the “Golden Spoon.” Hosted by Betsy Martin, TV baker extraordinaire, at her family’s manor home, Bake Week is an American tradition. In her debut novel, “ The Golden Spoon” (Atria), Jessa Maxwell takes a classic detective fiction device - suspects all gathered in a country mansion - and blends it with the cutthroat competition of a baking show to produce a delectably fun mystery. Crombie fans will welcome updates on Duncan, Gemma and other favorite characters, but “A Killing of Innocents” stands on its own for anyone new to the series. Against the grim backdrop of the murder investigation Crombie sets Duncan and Gemma’s generally happy but often-chaotic family life as the couple juggles solving crimes with raising three children. Meanwhile, Gemma, chafing at her new desk job, is only too happy to do some off-hours undercover work for Duncan’s team. The pressure builds when a second doctor, the man who supervised Sasha, is found stabbed several days later. As the book opens, a young doctor named Sasha Johnson is found stabbed in London’s Russell Square, and Duncan and his team must find the killer. Her new book, “ A Killing of Innocents” (William Morrow), was worth the wait as Crombie once again showcases her ability to intertwine family drama with a gripping police procedural. It’s been four years since Deborah Crombie published an installment of her best-selling series featuring Scotland Yard sleuths (and spouses) Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James.
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