A Bitter Feast

I thoroughly enjoyed this character-driven mystery set in the Cotswolds, UK. This book, the 18th in her series, rides the line between police procedural (as the MCs Gemma and Duncan are detectives in London; and two other characters are police as well) and cozy, as the action all takes place within a small village. As with most cozies, it's the relationships among the characters that matter; a good deal of our reading pleasure is in discovering the backstories that connect the characters, the knots behind the tapestry, as it were. I love that the secondary characters are psychologically coherent, varied, and imperfect. Characters who are wonderfully talented still make meaningful mistakes; those who seem misanthropic or strange are show more capable of loyalty and honesty; those who are young and impulsive are also capable of thoughtfulness and empathy. The prose is pleasing, without being "writerly" or self-consciously poetic, which resulted in me feeling as though I were looking through a transparent window into the little village and watching the events unfold. Would recommend for fans of Louise Penney, Martin Walker and Charles Finch. show less

If anyone asked me to name my top five mystery series, Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James books would be on that list. A Bitter Feast is an absorbing mystery with an added bonus or two: one, Kincaid, James, and their three children get to leave London for a while; two, readers get to wander along the narrow lanes of a beautiful area of England; and three, any foodie worth their salt is going to appreciate the mouthwatering menus Crombie serves up.

It is my firm belief that Deborah Crombie has been liberally sprinkled with fairy dust. She has a way of telling a story that quite simply makes it a pleasure to read. The mysteries are always good, and the one in A Bitter Feast is no exception. A fatal car wreck ratchets up the show more tension, not only concerning the identity of a fatality but also concerning the well-being of one of the main characters.

But I have to admit that a lot of Crombie's fairy dust has been sprinkled on the power of her characterizations. Her ensemble cast is superb, and at the moment, I cannot think of anyone else in crime fiction who does it better. By this eighteenth book in the series, these characters have become personal friends. Readers have seen them grow. They've seen them overcome tragedy and experience extreme happiness. Moreover, readers have watched Duncan and Gemma's three children grow. Each child has his or her own personality and life, and each one is fully capable of adding to the story without taking it over. In A Bitter Feast among other things, they provide quite a contrast to Viv Holland's troubled young daughter.

Crombie fans, rejoice! The wait is over and you have another wonderful mystery to carry you off into your happy place. For those of you who have yet to experience a Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James mystery, there's no time like the present. Since the characters' lives are central to the series, I recommend starting with the very first book, A Share in Death. You have so much wonderful reading ahead of you that I'm a tad envious! show less

Wow, we’re already at the 18th instalment of this great series. When I picked this book up, I was slightly worried how I would like it, considering that I haven’t exactly had much luck with long-running series this year; the latest Dupin a disappointment almost as badly as the latest Bruno.

Would Deborah Crombie let me down as well? Would she make me wish for Duncan and Gemma, whose exploits I’ve been following for years, to finally ride into the sunset?

The answer, fortunately, is a resounding “NO!”.

Set this time in the Cotswolds – and thus outside Duncan’s and Gemma’s jurisdiction – we find ourselves at Beck House, the summer house of Melody Talbot’s parents, Ivan and Addie. What was planned as a carefree weekend show more for Duncan, Gemma, Melody and Doug with a charity luncheon turns into something much more sinister when it comes to light that one of the victims of a car accident had already been dead at the time of the collision...

The other victim of said collision was actually Duncan Kincaid himself – fortunately alone in the car at the time. The fact that I just felt compelled to mention he was alone is a strong indicator for one fact: You know you really like a series and its characters when you’re actually truly worrying about what’s going to happen to one of the main characters.

During the entire book which switches perspectives frequently and naturally (meaning you don’t get confused at all!) I was wondering what might happen to Duncan. I was keeping my fingers crossed all the time and worried with Gemma about him.

I’ve always liked her as well and I sympathised even more with her during this book because she constantly has a lot on her plate: She has to organise the kids, has to be a “proper” guest of the Talbots, a friend to several characters in the book and takes part in the investigation with Duncan (both being supported by Melody and Doug, of course!).

It’s not only Gemma, though: Everyone – including even minor character like Kit – get a fair amount of “stage time” and, surprisingly, everyone is actually interesting.

This applies to the local cop, DI Colin Booth as well: Booth, who could have reacted territorially, gladly accepts the help he’s getting from his London colleagues and they, in return, don’t try to take over his investigation. I’m not sure how realistic that actually is but it surely helped with the lively atmosphere.

Booth is smart, down-to-earth and simply very congenial:

““Colin Booth, Gloucester CID. And you are?” Gemma noticed that he hadn’t used his rank, and that in the few moments since he’d arrived he had very unobtrusively loosened the knot in his tie. She was beginning to like Colin Booth.”

So did I.



Even the interludes – describing past events in the lives of some major characters – were actually enjoyable and helped understand current events better.



One sentence, early on, reminded me strongly of the entire series and, especially, this book...

“Down-to-earth food, and delicious, the sort of thing he’d grown up on in Cheshire.”

... which is similarly down-to-earth and delicious.



No, Crombie didn’t let me down and I’m happily awaiting the 19th book!



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You will be forgiven if your mouth waters uncontrollably while reading Deborah Crombie’s latest entry in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James mystery series, A Bitter Feast (HarperCollins, 2019). The action is set in the picturesque Cotswolds and centers around a pub in the village of Lower Slaughter, which boasts a world-class chef serving up the ultimate pub food. Why such a talent is toiling in obscurity after having shone at a Michelin-starred London eatery is just one of the mysteries that is eventually unraveled here. Others are more momentous, involving multiple suspicious deaths and the private lives of various village denizens.

Crombie often weaves together storylines from the past and present in her mysteries, and A Bitter Feast is show more no exception. At regular intervals we jump back to chef Viv Holland’s time in London, learning how her culinary career began and why she left it behind. Characters from that past play key roles in the present, drawing the two storylines together in the end. Meanwhile, Detective Superintendent Kincaid and Detective Inspector James find their holiday weekend turned into a busman’s holiday almost at the off, when Duncan is involved in a serious automobile crash that leaves two people dead. His own injuries keep him from fully asserting himself in the subsequent investigations, but fortunately the local constabulary proves to be both up to the task and not afraid to accept help from Scotland Yard when it’s offered. It’s a refreshing change from the usual obstructionism that local law enforcement tends to exhibit in run-of-the-mill murder mysteries.

Devoted fans of the series will be delighted that even though Gemma and Duncan have ventured out of London and away from their Metropolitan Police home base, many of the series’ most prominent secondary characters are along for the ride. Of course the couple’s children are along, and it’s a relief to find that Duncan’s son Kit is starting to outgrow his overly sensitive teenage persona and becoming a more well-rounded character in his own right. But we also get more-than-cameo appearances from Gemma’s detective sergeant, Melody Talbot, and Duncan’s own DS, Doug Cullen, as the quartet are spending the weekend at the country home of Melody’s posh parents.

And then there’s the food. Oh my, the food! Crombie does a fine job of illustrating the chaos of a working commercial kitchen, and an even better job of describing the output of that process in delectable ways. I wasn’t very far into reading before I was tempted to book the next flight to the Cotswolds. Only the knowledge (revealed in Crombie’s author’s note) that the pub and chef are fictional kept me curled up in my reading chair until the end.

For me, the appeal of Crombie’s work is tilted more heavily toward the compelling characters and world that she has created, though there’s nothing wrong with her plotting. I love both Duncan and Gemma, and I enjoy spending time with them, their blended family, and their friends. It was smart of Crombie to give a fresh feel to the series by moving the action outside of London, while retaining the core character set that drives much of the reader’s interest. And as always, even as a mystery is solved, the characters’ lives continue to grow and develop. This time around, I’m eager to read the next entry to find out how Melody’s personal dilemma resolves itself.

If you’re already a fan of Duncan and Gemma et al., you don’t need me to tell you this is worth your time. If you’ve not had the pleasure of meeting them yet, I would suggest starting with the first in the series, A Share in Death, and working your way forward. Some series don’t need to be read in order, but this one is infinitely more rewarding if you experience the characters’ growth and change along the way.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. show less

This is the 18th in Deborah Crombie’s Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series. It is the first one that I have read…how did I miss her all these years?

Set in the Cotswolds, the Kincaid/James family has been invited to the estate owned by the parents of Melody Talbot, Gemma’s DS, for a weekend featuring a charity luncheon. A local chef, once an up and coming culinary star in London who has retreated to a quiet life in the country, has been tapped for this event. When a character from her past shows up and ends up dead, the mystery begins. A car accident, a hit and run, and an attempted murder ensue.

I enjoyed this police procedural. It was a fast, engrossing read. Crombie captured the ambience of life in the Cotswolds and featured some show more colorful characters. Nothing too heavy here, but a step up from “cosy” mysteries….although there was a lot of tea served!

I realize that by the 18th novel, the author should expect readers to know the characters’ backstories, but I do wish I knew more about the histories of the Kincaid/James children. Although there were some hints, there was an air of mystery about how the family came to be. I guess I will have to go back and read this series from the beginning! show less

Sitting down with a new Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James mystery is like visiting with old friends. I love Deborah Crombie's characterizations and her wonderfully drawn plots. In this one, Duncan Gemma and their family are spending a beautiful fall weekend in the Cotswolds. They are guests at Melody Talbot's family's country home and everyone is looking forward to the break. (Melody is Gemma's Detective Sergeant). unfortunately, the weekend does not start out swimmingly for Duncan as he is involved in a fairly serious motor vehicle crash just a few miles from Beck House where the rest of his family is waiting for him. Then follows a couple of days of murder and mayhem in Lower Slaughter (the village close to where Beck House is located.) show more Ms. Crombie weaves her usual magic with her characters, and it's like we're right there where the action is. By the time we close the covers on the book, we feel like we know everyone intimately. I love this series, and now can't wait for Deborah Crombie to write the next one. Thank you so much for the escape Deborah. show less

Review of Advance Reader’s Edition

A relaxing weekend getaway in Cotswolds takes Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Gemma James and Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and their children to Beck House, the home of Detective Sergeant Melody Talbot’s parents. A fancy garden party for charity, catered by a local chef making a name for herself in the Gloucestershire community, is the centerpiece of the weekend. But a tragic traffic accident followed by the mysterious deaths of people connected to Chef Viv’s pub pull Gemma and Duncan into an investigation of tangled relationships, secrets, and resentments. Can Duncan and Gemma find the answers before the murderer strikes again?

In this, the eighteenth outing for Gemma and Duncan, the show more expected characters are in place, with a focus on Kit as well as on several other diverse and interesting characters. Having the children involved throughout the story adds a unique dimension and gives the reader an honest and realistic look at Gemma and Duncan’s family responsibilities.
Past and present come together in the unfolding story, with the two threads woven into a satisfying narrative. There is sufficient backstory for those new to the series; however, reading the earlier books will provide readers with a more complete understanding of the relationships.

A strong sense of place, smoothly woven into the telling of the tale, adds dimension and depth as the superb descriptions bring Cotswolds to life for the reader. The compelling plot keeps the reader guessing; the underlying tension in this deftly-plotted narrative keeps the suspense mounting as the plot takes several unexpected twists before reaching a surprising denouement. Readers will find this satisfying mystery, with its creative focus on food, completely unputdownable.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher show less