A Bitter Feast by Deborah Crombie

A BITTER FEAST by Deborah Crombie is the latest (#18) in the Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Scotland Yard detective series by this best-selling author.  There are references to past adventures and a familiar cast of characters, but this could be read as a stand-alone mystery, too.  The story takes place primarily in Lower Slaughter, a small English village where Kincaid, James and their children have been invited to spend the weekend at a colleague’s parents’ estate. Thoughts of long walks and relaxing in the Cotswolds countryside have to wait when Kincaid is involved in a road accident where two people are found dead. It’s a bit of a mystery as to why they were together and what ties one, a celebrity chef, may have to the village, especially after it appears that he may have been poisoned. Crombie deftly introduces characters and provides some needed backstory in flashbacks as the mystery grows. She definitely evokes the natural beauty and British village life where everyone knows each other and where dogs are an essential feature, too. Viv Holland, chef at the local pub, and her staff are key characters and Crombie provides ample details about food preparation, making the meals sound so appealing. Give yourself a treat and enjoy A BITTER FEAST which received a starred review from Booklist.

The Body in the Castle Well by Martin Walker

THE BODY IN THE CASTLE WELL by Martin Walker is the first mystery in the Bruno, Chief of Police series that I have read and it certainly won’t be the last. This appealing series is set in the Dordogne region (the former province was called Périgord) of France allowing Walker to skillfully incorporate references to local history, specialty wines (like Bergerac and Monbazillac), and delicious food. In THE BODY IN THE CASTLE WELL, a young art history student disappears from the small village of Limeuil near fictionalized St. Denis. When Bruno and Balzac, his basset hound, discover her body, several questions arise. And further inquiries into the death of the vivacious and likeable Claudia Muller lead to suspicion of foul play and several suspects, including a recently released convict with interests in falconry, an art historian and former Resistance fighter, and a lawyer boyfriend based in London. The mystery is written mainly as a police procedural with various government officials being involved due to the wealth and prominence of the young woman’s family. Walker juggles numerous characters, plus some romantic interests and is adept at describing the locale and its residents, with mention, for example, of Josephine Baker, the famous singer and WWII agent. THE BODY IN THE CASTLE WELL is a relatively cozy crime novel with enough twists to merit a starred review from Booklist. For me, it was a perfect introduction to a new series and an engaging summer read.