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Service

Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Service follows three intertwined perspectives: Hannah, a waitress who recalls a summer at a high-end Dublin restaurant shadowed by tension and troubling encounters; Daniel, the celebrated chef facing sexual assault accusations and struggling with his past; and Julie, Daniel's wife, reflecting on her roles and the years behind closed doors. Together, their voices unravel a story exploring power, abuse, complicity, and the facades maintained in pursuit of truth.
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Format: Hardback
$4500
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This novel appeals to readers interested in emotionally charged literary fiction exploring social issues such as power dynamics and abuse, particularly within contemporary settings. Fans of character-driven narratives and those drawn to stories dissecting complex personal relationships and societal facades will find this book particularly engaging.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The waitress. The chef. The chef's wife. Three different stories, but which one contains the truth?

When Hannah learns that famed chef Daniel Costello is facing accusations of sexual assault, she's thrust back to the summer she spent as a waitress at his high-end Dublin restaurant. Drawn in by the plush splendour of the dining rooms, the elegance of the food, the wild parties after service, Hannah also remembers the sizzling tension of the kitchens. And how the attention from Daniel morphed from kindness into something darker...

His restaurant shuttered, his lawyers breathing down his neck, Daniel is in a state of disbelief. Decades of hard graft, of fighting to earn recognition for his talent - is it all to fall apart because of something he can barely remember?

Hiding behind the bedroom curtains from the paparazzi lenses, Julie is raking through more than two decades spent acting the supportive wife, the good mother, and asking herself what it's all been for.

Their three different voices reveal a story of power and abuse, victimhood and complicity. Service is a novel about the facades that we maintain, the lies that we tell and the courage it takes to face the truth.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Critically acclaimed: Praised as "absolutely compelling" with "effortless, elegant writing," this novel is described as a "powerful and compelling" and "hugely gripping literary page-turner." Reviewers highlight the sharp, visceral prose, masterful control of pace and tension, and the immersive portrayal of the high-end restaurant world. Noted for its nuanced perspective on the Me Too movement and emotional depth, the book is lauded as a deeply satisfying and expertly crafted work.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781911590804

Publisher: Pushkin Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 04 May 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: ONE

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 135.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 256

About the Author

SARAH GILMARTIN is a critic who reviews fiction for the Irish Times. She is co-editor of the anthology Stinging Fly Stories and has an MFA from University College Dublin. She won Best Playwright at the inaugural Short+Sweet Dublin festival. Her short stories have been published in The Dublin Review, The Tangerine and New Irish Writing. Her story 'The Wife' won the 2020 Mairtin Crawford Award at Belfast Book Festival. Her debut novel Dinner Party was an Irish Times bestseller and was shortlisted for Newcomer of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards.

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