Inspector Duncan Kincaid and his lover, Inspector Gemma James, drive up to Glastonbury on a holiday to offer comfort to the man who is writing the Latin. He is Kincaid’s cousin. Gemma find herself interested in one of the parties, a teenaged pregnant girl. And, Gemma experiences the strange pull of the mystic rounded hill known as the Tor. She understands why the teenager would climb to the top even as she is in labor.

The second half of the book is much better than the first, which is beleaguered by too many historic and mystical references to ancient goddesses and Sedona-like attributes of the Glastonbury area. We are left with the feeling that the author is trying to get us to adopt a personal hobby horse of crystals, King Arthur and herbal teas. Whether this is true or not, we become tired of Glastonbury and its residents, and are quite ready to move on. When James and Kincaid finally take over the story we want a swift resolution.

Another disappointment is the relationship between the main characters. The romance between British inspectors Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid has never caught fire. Even though the relationship takes a turn in this, their seventh outing, it is still a big yawn. Compare the James/Kincaid pairing with a similar longterm relationship featured in Jill McGown’s 11 books, and the difference is astounding. Even Martha Grimes’s books, which follow Crombie’s pattern of thumbnail sketches of strangers, followed finally by the arrival of the characters you know, have more zip.

I would skip this book, and the entire tired series, for a better one. Jill McGown’s series would be the better investment for those looking for a good British police procedural.

--Diane Gotfryd