A Bitter Feast audiobook

A Bitter Feast by Deborah Crombie is a 2019 William Morrow publication. Celebrity chefs and Murder! Gemma and Duncan are set to visit Melody Talbot, at her parent’s posh Cotswold estate. What was meant to be a relaxing time away, quickly spirals into a tragic series of deaths after a car crash Duncan was involved with, leads to the discovery that one of the victims died of poison, and not from the accident. If that wasn’t shocking enough, the victim turns out to be the famed celebrity chef, Fergus O’Reilly. Meanwhile, Melody’s mother is hosting an event, catered by local chef, Viv Holland. When someone close to Viv is the victim of a hit and run, her former relationship with Fergus comes under intense scrutiny. In the meantime, Melody encounters difficulties in her personal life and Doug takes the heat for interfering. This latest installment has a different atmosphere- perhaps not quite as dark- but just as absorbing. The celebrity chef and ‘foodie’ angle, is a fresh plot-line I thought worked out well. The twists are surprising, and while some may have figured out who the murderer was, I was taken completely off guard and found the conclusion to be a little tense. One other nice part of this installment is the further development of Duncan’s and Gemma’s children, especially the oldest boy, Kit. The only downside was that the concern for Duncan’s health cast a pall over the usual banter between he and Gemma, which I missed.Occasionally, Duncan and Gemma solve crimes while on holiday, or when visiting friends, and I think it is good to mix things up a little that way. The different location, allows the couple to work as consultants, instead of with assigned cases, and it also allowed the author to segue into a new phase after closing the last big multi-installment thread. That said, I do hope the series returns to the regular assigned cases which cause Duncan and Gemma to examine their own personal emotions as they manage their household and relationships. I’ve been reading through this series for several years. I have finally caught up with all the installments and will now have wait with everyone else for the next chapter to be released. I have enjoyed the journey and am looking forward to more time with Gemma and Duncan and the secondary characters we’ve come to know and love. 4 stars

3.5 starsThankfully, this book read as a stand-alone novel for me. When I was offered the book, I had no idea that this book was #18 in a series. Luckily for me, Deborah Crombie wrote and intriguing book about murders in the Cotswolds. Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his wife, Detective Inspector Gemma James have been invited to spend the weekend with friends, the Talbot family. They are there for a quiet weekend and to attend a charity luncheon.Arriving separately from his family, Duncan is involved in a fatal car crash. What's more interesting is that one of the deceased may have been dead prior to the crash. This crash is just the beginning, as the crash is investigated, the reader is introduced to various characters including Viv, a chef who left London to raise her daughter and work in the Cotswolds. Viv also happens to be the Chef preparing the food for the posh charity luncheon.As the various characters are introduced, it is evident that many have secrets and have secret pasts and interactions with each other. As the investigation progresses, the story is further told through flashbacks to Viv's work history in London. I found this to be an engaging and compelling read. I really enjoyed it and I have to say it made me want to go back and read the earlier books in the series. I enjoyed how the story was told and getting to know the characters both major and minor. I found this to be a fast read which did not disappoint and may even make you hungry with all the food talk. Plus, if you have never been to the Cotswolds, you may want to take a trip to both Upper and Lower Slaughter.Thank you to William and Morrow HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

For those who don’t like anything too dark out of their mystery/thrillers, Deborah Crombie’s newest mystery A Bitter Feast is sure to delight you! With a fascinating mystery but not too much darkness, this is a great October read! What appears to be a vehicular accident leads to the uncovering of a murder (or two) in the quaint setting of Cotswold village.About the BookDS Duncan Kincaid and his wife, DI Gemma James, have been invited for a relaxing weekend in the Cotswolds at the family estate of Gemma's detective sergeant Melody Talbot. When a vehicular crash ends in the deaths of two people, things quickly escalate. Chef Viv has left behind her role at Fergus O'Reily's famous Michelin-rated restaurant and is working at a local pub. When A patron of the pub picks Fergus up after noticing he seemed ill and gets into a crash, it becomes clear that Fergus was fatally poisoned prior to the crash.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?ReflectionI looked up Lower Slaughter in Gloucestershire, particularly after a character comments on the name and asks if it means what it sounds like (it doesn’t actually, it is apparently derived from the word “slough” which means wetland), and I seriously recommend googling it. It is one of the quaintest, photogenic fairy tale towns I’ve seen and I enjoyed the book much more after seeing it, because the great descriptions came to life in that context. It even has a road that was named the most romantic street in Britain in 2011. How adorable!It just so happens that the detectives are in Lower Slaughter at the home of Melody’s wealthy parents, and they come across a case. I though Melody’s worries about how she might be perceived differently by her colleagues after they knew the wealthy background she was raised in was an interesting element. In many fields, this wouldn’t be a negative. However, many people in the law enforcement profession are of more humble means than Melody. They do the job because they are passionate about it, not because they think it will bring great wealth.This is the first I’ve read in the series, but it is actually 18th in the line up. I did think there were a lot of characters, but I got to know them quickly and I had no trouble jumping in. Honestly if I was told this was a standalone, I’d believe it! The mystery is solely contained within these pages, and it’s a good one!While headed into town, Duncan and Gemma are involved in a vehicular crash that leads to an unexpected murder investigation. There are two victims dead following the crash, and one may have been dead prior to the accident. Quite a puzzle! One is Fergus, the former boss of Viv, the former chef at his Michelin-star restaurant in Chelsea. Viv is not created the most delectable sounding, high-quality pub food at Lamb, a pub in Lower Slaughter (seriously, mouth-watering descriptions of food). The other victim is Nell, a patron of Lamb who stops to pick Fergus up after she sees him walking down the road sick (at first she thinks he may be drunk).When it appears that Fergus may have been poisoned prior to the crash, Duncan and his wife Gemma (both detectives), help investigate even though they don’t really have jurisdiction. As the case unfolds, another murder comes to light.I loved the flashbacks to Viv’s time working in Fergus’s restaurant over a decade earlier. I learned a lot in terms of respect for what it takes to work in such a high-end, fine dining establishment. Those Michelin ratings don’t come easy!The settings in general were so fun, from the sprawling Beck House (owned by Melody’s parents), to the gardens, the quaint streets, the pub where Viv works, and even the flashbacks to the big city restaurant. Deborah Crombie certainly draws a good setting!Expect some good gossip into the back story of these characters and their relationships, some delectable food descriptions, an intricately-plotted story, and smooth as butter transitions as we keep up with each character. I loved this mystery!Thank you to TLC Book Tours and William Morrow for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Just excellent. An "outing" to the Cotswolds turns into a murder investigation. The character relationships amid scenes of professional chefs (time tension abounds--characters are always preparing to get ready for the next lunch or dinner service) are done well and are very credible.Crombie weaves together wonderful roles for not just Gemma and Kincaid but also Kit, and the entire "family" around a chef leading a successful restaurant. Highly recommended to all mystery readers, especially those who like Agatha Christie and English cozies.PS LOVED the map!

Although this is the 18th book in Deborah Crombie's series featuring two English detectives, she is absolutely not riding on her laurels. The characters are fully drawn, from adults to kids to dogs, the Cotswold setting magical, the mystery engaging--and oh the food! I read it twice just to be sure I didn't miss anything.

The latest in Deborah Crombie’s Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series, A Bitter Feast, is another dependable, good mystery. I’ve now read five of the books interspersed along the timeline of the eighteen-book series and this one fit in well.There’s never a dull passage because of the incredible intertwining of the mystery she’s telling. That’s probably her best asset as a writer. She takes a new deck, shuffles it, and deals a great mystery every time. Crombie’s next notable asset is how well she brings her characters to life. Whatever their imperfections, fears, or strengths, she gives them a reason to exist. They each bring something valuable to the story. She’s so true to their basic character that you’ll never see them act out of the essential person they are unless there’s a good reason and that helps make her stories work so well.She reminds you of their past whether you’ve read the previous books. For example, you see from where Kit has come and he grows, takes on new responsibilities, and matures. He’s a good kid and a real asset to the stories. He’s not perfect, but he takes what he’s got and tries to make it better, a sure trait of a well-written protagonist.As always, the setting (this one in a Cotswolds village and London) and the story (we have cuisine and the life of a restaurateur in this one) let the reader experience life in the UK and a career that may be vague. There were a couple of turns needed to move the story that I thought came a bit too easy. Yet, I only looked at them as minor inconveniences to the reading. I’m looking forward to the next.

Full review here: https://wp.me/pajm6f-t6Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid along with their three kids are invited to spend the weekend with Gemma’s colleague Melanie Talbot and her parents at their weekend mansion The Beck House. Situated in a quaint little Scottish village, it’s the perfect locale to spend the weekend with family! Melanie’s mother, Lady Adelaide Talbot has arranged a luncheon at her house, where the local chef Vivian Holland is said to cater for her guests including a number of food bloggers and journalists. Addie has certainly meant to encourage Viv’s talents and show her off to the world, but somehow disaster strikes in the form of a car accident involving a famous London based Chef and a local woman.This leaves the entire village shattered and the detective couple are forced to lend their hands in the investigation with the local police DI Booth to avoid more body count. But will it be too late for that?I totally enjoyed reading this book. In Spite of being a series, it totally worked as a standalone book as it’s very easy to catch up with Gemma and Kincaid and the other characters. Although the book is categorized as a crime thriller, I found myself to be distracted by all the delicious, mouth-watering cuisine, good wine, and the tranquil landscape of Britain’s most beautiful and historic Cotswolds. Author Deborah has made sure her readers doesn’t miss a bit of joy teleporting themselves the gorgeous green meadows and golden cottages, sipping delicious wine and crunching exotic meals!A Bitter Feast is a chunky book with every character and setting written to the slightest detail. I loved the suspense behind every new character, creating a sense of doubt and mistrust as the story grows. I loved how the author manages to show the same cottage which is mesmerizing in the daylight to be sinister and haunting in the dark! Deborah plays skillfully with words hooking her readers offering food, wine and a mindful of gardening ideas for their own homes! HIghly recommended read of the year. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC. All opinions are solely mine and are no way biased.

I really enjoy this series! I love all the characters and the descriptions of the settings, and the plots are always clever and developed in a way that does not become frantic or rushed as is the case with many mysteries. She takes her time to develop the back stories of the people involved and makes it all the more interesting. In this book, Gemma, Duncan, and their family are visiting Gemma's co-worker Melody Talbot's family on their country manor. A famous chef is involved in a fatal car accident with one of the local ladies, and it soon becomes obvious that there is murder involved. It is not clear exactly what the chef was doing in the lady's car since they didn't know each other at all. Was one of them just in the wrong place at the wrong time? And what was the chef's involvement with the local pub's excellent chef and her daughter? There also happens to be lots of information about food and the work of a chef in this story, which adds to the enjoyment.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I've enjoyed every book in the Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James series . I've only recently starting listening to them on audio and that is such a pleasure.  I love mysteries set in England. Even though there are now 18 books, I do believe it is important to read them all and in order.  There is a huge amount of character development in the main characters, their families, friends, and co-workers.The previous book Garden of Lamentations had each of the main characters involved in a variety of cases. So they did not have much interaction or time with personal developments, with little time with family and friends. A Bitter Feast is just the opposite with lots of time with family and friends as they are on a family weekend at a co-workers' home. Their co-workers are some of their best friends.The trip starts with Duncan in a car crash where the other cars' participants die. He and Gemma become involved in figuring out who the people are and why they died since something is off about it. As more deaths occur, they work to find the truth. In addition to the facts, they consider the people involved and their feelings, working with compassion.  Duncan and Gemma do such a masterful job  both professionally, and personally pitching in with a charity event.  Kit gets involved with helping at the event and is so responsible and considerate in his work.I love everything about these stories from the excellent world building, the well developed multitude of characters, the police aspects of gathering information, the close circle of friends and the family growth. There is so much detail on their emotional journeys with worries about Duncan's injuries and Melody's boyfriend troubles.    I look forward to each new one eagerly.I enjoyed Viv, a new character, who is a chef and single parent, with a difficult past. The food descriptions were fantastic.  The incredible descriptions and characters in this small town they visited were excellent and Crombie really brought these characters to life. Narration: Gerard Doyle handles this series well and I have enjoyed him with each listen.  I loved the English accents, although I don't know if they were accurate.  The characters had distinct voices, male, female and the children which felt authentic.  I was able to listen at my normal 1.5x speed.Listen to a clip:https://soundcloud.com/harperaudio_us...

The wait for Crombie's 18th mystery was well worth it. In A Bitter Feast, she takes Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James - and their three children - for a weekend in the idyllic countryside. Of course murder happens, and more than one. The several storylines are complex and interwoven in the expert way only Crombie can pull off. So are the multiple points of view. I was never confused about whose scene it was. Gemma and Duncan's teen son Kit plays an important role. Chef Viv's history pops up at intervals to twine in her London past. We are immersed in the difficult lives of professional chefs. We see intimate relationships backfire in alarming ways. You can almost touch and smell the English Cotswalds. And it's all in the service of the story. Crombie unpeels the layers of the puzzle slowly and carefully.Read this book. It was written by a master, and you'll happily lose sleep turning the pages.

This terrific mystery series just keeps delivering excellent entries--for characters, plot, and setting. It's highly entertaining, and it also has an interesting subplot of the dynamics of restaurant kitchens. Author Crombie develops new situations with each of these mysteries, so at #18, it is not a rehash of everything that has gone before. My full review is at https://readersforecast.blogspot.com/....