Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James first appeared in A Share In Death and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Duncan and Gemma.

What is your name?
Duncan Kincaid
Gemma James

How old are you?
Duncan: Early forties.
Gemma: Mid-thirties

What is your profession?
Duncan: Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent
Gemma: I’m a detective inspector with the Metropolitan Police, currently posted to Brixton.

Do you have a significant other?
Duncan: Yes. I’m married to Gemma James.
Gemma: Yes.

What is his/her name and profession?
Duncan: She’s a detective inspector in the Met, and my former partner.
Gemma: Duncan Kincaid, detective superintendent in the Met. And my former boss.

Any children?
Duncan: Yes, three. Kit, my son with my first wife; Toby, Gemma’s son with her first husband; and Charlotte, our foster daughter.
Gemma: Yes, three. Kit, Toby, and Charlotte.

Do you have any sibling(s)?
Duncan: Yes, Juliet, a building contractor in Cheshire.
Gemma: Yes, one sister. Cynthia. We’re not close.

Do your parents live near you?
Duncan: No, they are in Nantwich, in Cheshire, where they run a bookshop.
Gemma: They live in Leyton, north London.

Who is your best friend?
Duncan: My detective sergeant, Doug Cullen.
Gemma: Hazel Cavendish.

Cats, dogs or other pets?
Duncan: Two dogs, Geordie and Tess (who is really my son’s dog) and three cats, Sid, Captain Jack, and Rose.
Gemma: Yes, both. Our son has a terrier, Tess. And I have a cocker spaniel named Geordie. I adopted him when his former owner couldn’t keep him. I’d never had a dog. Oh, and the cats. My husband came with Sid. The two kittens, my kids found in a shed in our garden. I’d never had a cat before, either.

What town do you live in?
Duncan: Notting Hill, an area in west London.
Gemma: London. In Notting Hill. The posh bit, but we’re not, really.

House or building complex? Own or Rent?
Duncan: House. Rent.
Gemma: A house. We rent it. It’s way above our pay grade, but that’s a long story.

What is your favorite spot in your house?
Duncan: The sitting room, with books, a gas fire, and my London Transport posters. (And with Gemma and the kids and the dogs and cats.)
Gemma: The kitchen.

Favorite meal? Favorite dessert?
Duncan: A good Sunday roast, with sticky toffee pudding for afters.
Gemma: Pasta with mushrooms. Then crème brulee.

Favorite hobby?
Duncan: Detective superintendents are too overworked to have hobbies. Unless you count reading, or playing football in the park with the dogs and the kids.
Gemma: Playing the piano. Except I never seem to find the time.

Favorite color?
Duncan: Blue
Gemma: Yellow.

Favorite author?
Duncan: Dylan Thomas
Gemma: I love reading books by Shirley Hughes with my kids.

Favorite vacation spot?
Duncan: The Shropshire waterways.
Gemma: Somewhere not in the country.

Favorite sports team?
Duncan: Liverpool F. C.
Gemma: Sports? I don’t have time to watch sports.

Movies or Broadway?
Duncan: Movies, preferably on the telly.
Gemma: The West End. Musicals. Especially with dancing.

Are you a morning or a night person?
Duncan: Night.
Gemma: Morning.

Amateur sleuth or professional?
Duncan: Professional.
Gemma: Professional.

Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
Duncan: My detective sergeant, Doug Cullen, my team at Holborn Police Station, and sometimes my wife (if I am lucky.)
Gemma: My partner and friend, DS Melody Talbot.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
Duncan: “Woke up, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my head. . .” Then Gemma and I take it in turn to get the kids to school, depending on who has the heaviest case load at work. I take the tube from Holland Park to Holborn, walk to the police station, and from there, it’s either directing a case, conducting interviews, doing paperwork, or appearing in court. If there is a big case on, all bets—and schedules—are off.

Gemma: We are always in a mad rush in the mornings, with three kids to get ready for school, and the dogs to go out. Duncan and I take it in turn to get the kids off, depending on our schedules. Then I’m off to the police station in south London, but in my job you never know what the day will bring. If it’s a slow day, I pick up something for dinner at Whole Foods on my way home. We cook, we tidy up, we get the kids to bed. Then, if it’s a really good day, Duncan and I have a glass of wine in the sitting room with our feet up, and talk about our days. And sometimes, on a really, really good day, I get half an hour on the piano. Very quietly.

You can read more about Duncan and Gemma in A Bitter Feast, the 18th book in the “Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James” traditional mystery series, released October 8, 2019.

Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his wife, Detective Inspector Gemma James, have been invited for a relaxing weekend in the Cotswolds, one of Britain’s most enchanting regions, famous for its rolling hills, golden cottages, and picturesque villages.

Duncan, Gemma, and their children are guests at Beck House, the family estate of Melody Talbot, Gemma’s detective sergeant. The Talbot family is wealthy, prominent, and powerful—Melody’s father is the publisher of one of London’s largest and most influential newspapers. The centerpiece of this glorious fall getaway is a posh charity harvest luncheon catered by up-and-coming chef Viv Holland. After fifteen years in London’s cut-throat food scene, Viv has returned to the Gloucestershire valleys of her childhood and quickly made a name for herself with her innovative meals based on traditional cuisine but using fresh local ingredients. Attended by the local well-to-do as well as national press food bloggers and restaurant critics, the event could make Viv a star.

But a tragic car accident and a series of mysterious deaths rock the estate and pull Duncan and Gemma into the investigation. It soon becomes clear that the killer has a connection with Viv’s pub—or, perhaps, with Beck House itself.

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?

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About the author
New York Times bestselling author Deborah Crombie is a native Texan who writes crime novels set in the United Kingdom. Her Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series has received numerous awards, including Edgar, Macavity, and Agatha nominations, and is published in more than a dozen countries to international acclaim.

Crombie lives in North Texas with her husband, German shepherds, and cats, and divides her time between Texas and Great Britain. Her latest novel, A Bitter Feast, will be available from William Morrow in October, 2019. She is currently working on her nineteenth Kincaid/James novel.

To learn more about Deborah, visit her website at deborahcrombie.com.

All comments are welcomed.