“Crombie’s characters are rich, emotionally textured, fully human. They are the remarkable creations of a remarkable writer.”—Louise Penny“Nobody writes the modern English mystery the way Deborah Crombie does—and A Bitter Feast is the latest in a series that is gripping, enthralling, and just plain the best.” — Charles Todd, New York Times bestselling author of The Black Ascot and A Cruel … bestselling author of The Black Ascot and A Cruel Deception
New York Times bestselling author Deborah Crombie returns with a mesmerizing entry in her “excellent” (Miami Herald) series, in which Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James are pulled into a dangerous web of secrets, lies, and murder that simmers beneath the surface of a tranquil Cotswolds village.
Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his wife, Detective Inspector Gemma James, have been invited for a relaxing weekend in the Cotswolds, one of Britain’s most enchanting regions, famous for its rolling hills, golden cottages, and picturesque villages.
Duncan, Gemma, and their children are guests at Beck House, the family estate of Melody Talbot, Gemma’s detective sergeant. The Talbot family is wealthy, prominent, and powerful—Melody’s father is the publisher of one of London’s largest and most influential newspapers. The centerpiece of this glorious fall getaway is a posh charity harvest luncheon catered by up-and-coming chef Viv Holland. After fifteen years in London’s cut-throat food scene, Viv has returned to the Gloucestershire valleys of her childhood and quickly made a name for herself with her innovative meals based on traditional cuisine but using fresh local ingredients. Attended by the local well-to-do as well as national press food bloggers and restaurant critics, the event could make Viv a star.
But a tragic car accident and a series of mysterious deaths rock the estate and pull Duncan and Gemma into the investigation. It soon becomes clear that the killer has a connection with Viv’s pub—or, perhaps, with Beck House itself.
Does the truth lie in the past? Or is it closer to home, tied up in the tangled relationships and bitter resentments between the staff at Beck House and Viv’s new pub? Or is it more personal, entwined with secrets hidden by Viv and those closest to her?
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The Cotswolds, cooking, fabulous meals, endearing characters, a clever mystery. So many thing to love in Deborah Crombie’s latest edition to a top rate series
Nobody writes the modern English mystery the way Deborah Crombie does — and A Bitter Feast is the latest in a series that is gripping, enthralling, and just plain the best.
After a bit of a reading slump, I picked up the latest in Deborah Crombie’s Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series, knowing I’d be served a top-notch read. And boy, was it. I love food fiction paired with a good mystery, and this one is worth a Michelin star! Duncan and Gemma and the kids are spending the weekend, with Melody and Doug, at Melody’s parents’ country place just outside a village with a pub serving unexpectedly good food. A tragedy occurs on the way with implications for everyone gathered for the weekend as well as the pub’s owners and staff. Well-paced and compelling, with great characters and enough charm to entice me to take a trip to the Cotswolds — and yet, there are dangers behind those lovely golden stone garden walls. I’m a sucker for novels that give me emotional experiences and while I don’t want to give anything away, this book gave me a doozy.
A Bitter Feast is a rich banquet for mystery lovers. Three cheers for the chef, Deborah Crombie!
If you are already a fan of the marvelous Deborah Crombie, you don’t need me to tell you how wonderful this is–it’s part of a series, yes, but works perfectly as a standalone—so if you’re starting here, hurray. And lucky you. Gemma and Duncan are fascinating, relatable, smart and on a compelling case. Clear your schedules–this terrific British-through-and-through mystery will keep you riveted!
I love this series! Duncan and James have changed their lives so much. I enjoy watching their family of five has grown to include friends and co-workers as well as their pets. Although, I am a little worried that Sid was barely mentioned in the “Garden of Lamentations” and none of their pets were mentioned in “A Bitter Feast”.
The mysteries are intriguing. Often we are introduced to in-depth talented characters pursuing careers in what they enjoy doing whether it is rowing, music, art, or technology. We learn about their craft and passion along with Duncan and James.
Deborah Crombie is one of the few authors that I have found that does not follow the same outline in each story. It is never the same person solving the clues or getting themselves in dangerous situations. Sometimes we get to know the killer. Other times, they have a very small part in the story until the very end. She keeps me guessing until the end.
I can barely wait for the next book!
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 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.
Gemma James & Duncan Kincaid series No super hero’s just Rralistic British coppers.
I’ve enjoyed all the Duncan Kinkaid/Gemma James books, but A Bitter Feast may be my favorite yet. Fast-paced, twists and turns, wonderful family dynamic, plus set in the Cotswolds. Mysteries don’t get any better than this.
Deborah Crombie’s A BITTER FEAST had me wishing I could attend that splendid dinner in a beautiful Gertrude Jekyll garden in the Cotswolds, but perhaps without the car crash. I wanted to savor this treasure, but couldn’t stop reading to satisfying conclusion . . . perhaps I’ll go back to listen on audio; the sample sounded brilliant!
Gemma summed up their adventure in wonderful understatement, “I’ve liked it here much better than I thought I would. Aside from the complications.”
Of course, the complications are necessary to the story, to give the team something to do and the reader something to worry about. This time through, Kit made vital contributions to the teamwork, and with Duncan injured, Gemma, Melody, and Doug need all hands to deal with investigations and to wrangle the younger members of the family — and the dogs. Also, those meals won’t materialize on their own. Melody’s parents are wonderful hosts, her mom “wanted everyone to feel welcome.”
For extra pleasure, look up Gertrude Jekyll gardens, and maybe treat yourself to a gin and grapefruit. Alas, no chef Viv to cook for me, but I can imagine.
One tiny technical quibble: In the Kindle version transitions to an earlier time have a date notation, but there is no such notation for the return to present — the change in type size, which I noticed halfway through, is apparently too subtle for me, but now you know. 😉
Kincaid and James take their family on a vacation to the Cotswolds, where Kincaid literally runs into a murder. The complicated lives of all the characters are explored but well balanced.
This book is from one of my favorite series! I love the characters and the way they react to the world around them. The settings are vividly described and the main plot lines are always fully developed. This particular book was one of my favorites.
I love this entire series.
I always look forward to the next episode of Duncan and Gemma! As usual, I was not disappointed, and I can’t wait for the next book!
This was the first book I have read in this series. It makes me want to start with book one.
I savor each Crombie mystery as the writing, people and atmosphere pull me into to the English way of life and murder.
This can be enjoyed as a stand alone book but please read some of her others as each character has grown and changed over time.
Duncan and Gemma started as police detectives working side by side. He was divorced and Gemma was raising her son with help from her parents. Melody and Doug did not appear until later on in the series as the new breed of detectives. All have their own backgrounds and secrets.
It was a delight to be in the countryside, among the upper class, and enjoy the flowers, the food and the roaring fire. Melody has invited Doug, Gemma and Duncan to her parent’s estate. Ivan and Addie may be wealthy but they are smart, considerate, and pull their weight.
Viv is an excellent chef running a small place and is staging a food feast at Ivan’s home with help from her staff Ibby, Jack,and Bea. You meet Joe, Roz,Grace, and Kit. It’s supppose to be an exciting weekend of games, food and drink. But it starts off badly when Duncan is nearly killed in a car crash. The other driver and passenger are known to some of the others and the deaths become murder cases. Viv is hiding things, but so are many others as the tension increases in a small community. Detective Booth is looking into it with help from the four visiting detectives. The book reflects back on earlier times easily and explains motives and fears. This is a cozy mystery in today’s society with today’s problems.
Duncan’s car accident is sharply written, scary and so realistic and the incident is deeply moving and it affects not just his family ….the repercussions carry on. This is a thoughtful and moving novel of every day people trying to live as best they can. For those who love the series, Kit, has become a terrific young man, with insights and empathy. Duncan and Gemma have a solid marriage and Melody is facing her own issues about family. Every character is richly depicted and will stay with you after you finish…..I need to reread an older book by Crombie, I am not ready to leave the English ways just yet!
A Bitter Feast is a cozy mystery style police procedural. The main characters, married members of Scotland Yard (a detective superintendent and detective inspector), take their kids on a trip to the country to stay with a coworkers wealthy family. They travel in separate vehicles and Duncan is in a car accident which results in the deaths of the two individuals in the other vehicle. The cause of the accident and the deaths is a mystery, and Duncan and his wife Gemma involve themselves in the investigation.
A Bitter Feast is an interesting, slow burn mystery set in a bucolic area. One of the dead individuals is a chef so there is a substantial, sustained focus in this book on cooking and professional kitchens. A Bitter Feast is the newest installment in a long running series and can be read as a standalone novel, though the character relationships and connections will be clearer if you read the series in order. I recommend this book for fans of British cozy mysteries and cooking cozies.
3.5 stars The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #ABitterFeast #mystery #cozymystery
Love her books!
The only thing that could be better than a Duncan and Gemma mystery is a Duncan and Gemma mystery involving food—and this is it. In many ways, this book has the same feel to it as many of the Golden Age mysteries: the perfect village setting, red herrings galore, and characters you genuinely care about. Put it on your TBR pile immediately!
This latest entry in Deborah Crombie’s excellent series just zips along from short scene to short scene, effortlessly melding the perspectives of a large cast in such a way the reader can keep most of them straight. (I did have to go back once to check on what one secondary character said to another when it became evident that might be a key to the mystery.) The car accident at the heart of the beginning dramatically grabs the reader by the throat and vividly describes the physical consequences, those immediate and those that arise afterward. It was illuminating and terrifying.
As to the mystery, this includes what we have come to expect from a Crombie book: a past incident inciting the present and a child in danger. And each member of her large cast of ‘family’ gets to play a part in solving the mystery. I especially enjoyed Kit’s role. I have to confess that I had an inkling who the murderer might be well before it was revealed, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story.
One more note: If you’ve seen Disney’s Ratatouille movie, you’ll better grasp the fine dining kitchen milieu.