Crombie provides a short story between books for her readers. Family friend Erika ended up with a piano from a nearby bombed home after World War II. The home's occupants were not home, but were never found after the war. The piano bears an unmistakable signature which Kit, Duncan's son, recognizes belonging to an artist he researched for a school report. When they get out a volume about area artists, they find a portrait of him with a woman Erika remembers from the market back in the day. The woman was an accomplished pianist. Since neither individual was seen after the war, Kit theorizes they ran off together. He searches the Internet for evidence, resolving the mystery. While I enjoyed this short story, I will admit the evidence is rather shallow. I would prefer a little more "proof" so further evidence doesn't overturn the conclusion. ( )

Cute little VERY short story. ( )

This short story features two minor recurring characters from the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series. On a visit to the home of family friend Erika Rosenthal, Duncan's 14-year-old son, Kit, expresses an interest in Erika's piano. Erika tells Kit her story of finding the piano during World War II, and calls his attention to the unusual carving on the underside of the piano. Kit makes a connection between the pattern on the piano and something he has learned in school. Together, Kit and Erika solve a decades old mystery.

I picked this up as a freebie for my e-reader, and I've been waiting to read it until after I had read Necessary As Blood. When I finished that book last night, I wasn't quite ready to leave Duncan and Gemma's London, so I pulled up this short story. It was a little disappointing since it lacks the atmosphere and depth of character of Crombie's novels. Potential readers might have difficulty getting hold of a copy of this, since it wasn't published in print and it isn't as widely available from ebook vendors as it was when it was released to promote No Mark Upon Her. I wouldn't recommend going to extraordinary lengths to get a copy of this story since it doesn't contribute any vital information to the ongoing plot of the series. ( )

It was a good short story, made me interested in reading more from this author ( )