A Bitter Feast

When I think of the classic mysteries of the Golden Age, I automatically picture an English country house. In Deborah Crombie’s A Bitter Feast, Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his wife, Detective Inspector Gemma James, are invited for a fall getaway at Beck House a country estate in the Cotswolds. When a posh charity luncheon catered by brilliant young chef Viv Holland turns deadly, Duncan and Gemma are pulled into the investigation. While I enjoyed the masterful unfolding of the investigation and the fascinating behind-the-scenes look into a high-end restaurant kitchen, it was the iconic setting that… show more.

Crombie has a popular and long-running series featuring a pair of married London detectives. I especially enjoyed this entry as it’s focused on a high-strung and competitive chef, and a high-stakes charity luncheon for important guests and critics. But the chef’s growing reputation drags the past into the present, with disastrous results. The food is divine, and the hot kitchen with its sharp knives and pressure-cooker atmosphere makes a perfect backdrop for murder.