A Bitter Feast: A Novel (Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Novels)

When Duncan Kincaid and wife Gemma James, both detectives at Scotland Yard, are invited to a weekend in the Cotswolds, they are expecting a relaxing break. But then Duncan is involved in a car crash that leaves a local woman and a once-famous chef dead. It seems the weekend may turn into something far less relaxing than they’d planned.
The couple and their children are staying with Melody Talbot and her parents at the beautiful country estate known as Beck House. During a local lunch put on by Melody’s mother and catered by a local chef, Duncan and Gemma find themselves drawn into the investigation of the car accident. When a mysterious murder takes place in the village, more attention is focused on chef Viv Holland, who once worked for the famous chef.

A Bitter Feast is a fast-paced mystery with wonderfully developed characters and a storyline that makes it hard to put down. The author has a fantastic way of switching between characters and scenes to heighten the suspense, and I think that’s what makes this such a riveting read. Having finished this one, I know I want to read another in this series. I’m wondering how it is that I hadn’t heard of this author before now.