Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie

Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid of Notting Hill CID and Scotland Yard, respectively, are drawn into the life of three-year-old Charlotte Malik when her father, Naz, is found murdered. Charlotte's mother, Sandra, an artist, disappeared a few months earlier and when Charlotte repeatedly says that her father went to look for her mother the day he died, it leads Gemma and Duncan to believe the cases are connected. Delving into London's East End, specifically the area of Brick Lane, they try and find out who's responsible. On a personal front, Gemma worries about her mother's deterioration from cancer, the pressures of planning her wedding to Duncan and arranging care for Charlotte. Necessary as Blood is a worthy addition to this long-running British police procedural series.