To say that Deborah Crombie's most recent book, A Bitter Feast, is a page-turner would be an understatement ... Crombie lays before the reader a maze with stops and starts at every turn. Her writing style invests in every character as she designs scenes full of detail from that character's point of view. She details information in brief scenes that lead the reader out of the dead-end maze only to make another turn and wait for the next crumb of information ... Plan a full weekend of tea and scones because this one is not to be put down.
Crombie tak[es] full advantage of the staples of crime fiction—loud quarrels, illicit sex, blackmail, threats of violence and backstories that reveal people to be not exactly what they appear to be. And the novel gives readers insight into the high-pressure world of restaurants. At times, the large cast of characters in A Bitter Feast...may become a little difficult to keep track of. But the mystery resolves itself in a satisfactory manner, and fans of Kincaid and James will appreciate how the family’s story moves ahead. In all, Crombie weaves an intricate tale that readers will wonder about and savor—just as much as they would truly enjoy a legendary meal from O’Reilly’s kitchen. Far from being bitter, this feast goes down very well indeed.
In the 18th elegantly written installment in her long-running series featuring Kincaid and James...Crombie gracefully puts a modern spin on the quintessential British Golden Age village mystery ... This superbly entertaining crime novel will delight mystery fans who crave character-rich, classically composed mysteries in the style and manner of those written by the late, great P.D. James.
I encourage a deep dive into A Bitter Feast, even if detective fiction isn’t your typical fare. A feast awaits, and it’s hardly a bitter one ... One of the joys in reading Crombie is relishing the witty details in the hunt for clues ... to dismiss Crombie or detective fiction as anything less than literature obscures the fact that literature can be entertaining despite what you may have been forced to endure in middle-school English ... Crombie fans old and new will rejoice.
The eighteenth entry in this best-selling series is notable for its portrayals of Duncan and Gemma’s children (especially the oldest, Kit), and for the addition of food as an item of interest, a factor that will extend the appeal from the series’ procedural-loving fan base to the foodie mystery crowd. This character-driven series just continues to get better.
Broadly drawn secondary characters erode the tale’s emotional underpinnings and the denouement strains credulity, but a strong sense of place and the core cast’s easy camaraderie provide ample distraction. Crombie fans and cozy aficionados will be well pleased.
Through it all, Kincaid and Gemma...keep stiff upper lips even when the dark revelations reach into Beck House. Leisurely, conscientiously plotted, smoothly written, and more surprising in its details than its larger arc.
