I didn’t realise until I was well into the book that this is the second in the Kamil Rahman series, following on from The Waiter. It was a great read and works as a stand-alone; a sort of police procedural/crime with a bit of cooking thrown in for good measure. The main character used to be a detective in Kolkata but is now working as a cook in a London restaurant. Well written with some humorous touches and some great characters. I particularly liked DS Tahir Ishmael, a lothario detective with a tendency to mention fictional detective, usually at the expense of Kamil.

Briefly, Kamil, Anjoli the restaurant manager and Naila a student nurse are self labelled ‘The Three Duskyteers’ and are investigating why Salma, a friend and nursing colleague of Naila, was murdered. Alongside this complex investigation, Anjoli is concerned about the number of homeless men dying unexpectedly but seemingly with no suspicious circumstances, and they are also looking into this. But when Naila is threatened they wonder just how far the killer will go to protect their identity?

Although this seems quite a light read it does cover other darker aspects of life for women living in some communities where they are treated as second class citizens and are basically controlled by the men in their lives. Also the issue of homelessness, particularly in large cities like London and the way they are ignored by a lot of society. There are plenty of suspects but for once I didn’t get the right one! In fact I didn’t have a clue. This was a really good read, I enjoyed it a lot ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

3.5*

The Cook is the 2nd outing for Kamil Rahman, once a detective in Kolkata and now working in a family restaurant on Brick Lane.

When a friend of a friend drops into the restaurant to pick up a takeaway, she leaves her mobile phone behind. Kamil volunteers to take her phone to her flat, setting off a chain of events that he couldn’t have imagined. Meanwhile homeless people are dying at an apparently increased rate in the streets close to the East London Mosque and Kamil becomes inadvertently caught up in finding out if there is something untoward going on.

Rejoining Kamil and some of the characters from the previous book (The Waiter), particularly his flat mate and boss Anjoli and Detective in the Met was an absolute joy. There is a genuine warmth between the characters and Ajay Chowdhury is honed in providing realistic dialogue. The descriptions of the fantastic food from the restaurant were also a huge plus point.

The plot zips along and I welcomed that it was less wham-bam than the first book. After a slightly hesitant start, I was hooked and read it over 2 days. The reveal is a little bit of a stretch, but nonetheless the book is hugely enjoyable. It would work well as a stand-alone but I would always recommend starting at the beginning. My one slight irk was that I couldn’t recall Kamil’s backstory from the first book and it would have been great to have a short recap threaded into the early part of the book.

Thanks to Harvill Secker, Vintage, PRH and Netgalley for the ARC. I genuinely hope this book will be a hit.

Overall 4.5*
The second book in this series sees Kamil becoming involved in helping the police again to solve a murder in which he discovers the body. Although like most stories it may be read as a standalone, I would urge you to read The Waiter first as it has so much information about the main characters, it makes this one a better read. I was glad to see that there were not as much in the way of using the natural way of the Indian way of talking as there had been in the first book which made for an easier read for a Celt like me!! Lots of good insights into the European v Indian lifestyles along with the Muslim v Hindi ones too. Whereas the first book was just a 4* this one is nearly a 5* and look forward to the next one eagerly.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

Oooh now this was a real page turner, a very good read I have to say, kept me guessing up to the last page, really enjoyed it ..

Develops the personal narrative nicely from the waiter, giving a rounded portrait of an immigrant ex policeman now cook and dogged part time investigator into the alarming number of deaths that seem to happen around him and the broader restaurant family!

This time focused entirely on happenings within london rather than setting up the back story, there are multiple threads that eventually come together in pleasingly surprising ways. More of this please

The Cook is the second novel in a very entertaining but as yet short series from Ajay Chowdhury.
The Cook is Kamil Rhamen an ex-police detective from Kolkata who is now settled into his new life in London and enjoying a new relationship with Naila a beautiful student nurse from Lahore, until one night when Kamil finds Naila’s college friend strangled in her own apartment. The police have her boyfriend in their sights as the main suspect, but Kamil and Naila aren’t convinced and decide to do some investigating themselves. Meanwhile Anjoli, who is managing the restaurant while her parents have an extended break in India, is convinced someone is killing homeless people in the area. Could there be a connection?

3/5 Good

An enjoyable, easy to read , 2nd outing for the now chef and detective Kamil Rahman.

This time around, Kamil is putting his nose where it isn’t wanted as he looks into the murder of a lady he knows, as well as some strange deaths of homeless people

Well plotted and entertaining, full of Indian and Pakistani culture, you can almost taste and smell the food, it’s a good read though I felt slightly let down by the killer in the end.

Nevertheless it’s a good addition to this fresh new series, there is light humour, some decent twists and I do like Kamil so I’ll be certain to keep an interest in the series.

Very enjoyable read. I have read this author before and like the quirkiness of the books. They are different from other books

This was a very good read and highly recommended and features Kamil who is now working as a chef who was previously a detective in Pakistan. He becomes embroiled in a murder mystery that becomes a real page turner with great characterisation and also unusually manages to cover some relevant social issues.. A well told story with a surprise ending.

This is the first book for me from Ajay Chowdhury but not the last. it was utterly brilliant and down to earth... he describes the characters and the situations brilliantly and i felt i was there with them.... The food well that was mouthwatering and wish i had been there...
A twisty turny crime book but with a very unique slant to it ..... go on give it a read you will not be disappointed

Having read The Waiter and finding it not my style I was dubious when I began to read this book. All I can say is that it was great I did not want to put it down as it gripped me in from the very start. The story was told in a very timely manner and introduced frequently facts that made me keep thinking of what was really happening and who was responsible.. I loved the fact that Ajay used his own name in the book when stating previous criminal cases, so unique. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes this genre.

The first novel featuring former detective and now waiter Kamil was a treat, so I was delighted to be granted an ARC of the follow-up novel to review in exchange for the following unbiased review.

Once more we encounter Kamil in London’s Brick Lane where he has now been promoted to chef and can indulge in his passion for cooking extraordinarily delicious food. His sidekick Anjoli will be familiar to readers from the first novel, but another excellent addition to the cast is university student Naila, who is shocked to hear of her peer Salma’s murder, and DS Tahir Ishmael, who is set to investigate this crime.

This book combines a murder mystery with interesting character descriptions and sensitive allusions to pressing issues of our time, such as homelessness and domestic control. Each of these reasons highly recommended the novel, but the fact that Chowdhury packs so much into just one novel really means that it deserves as wide an audience as possible – and I hope it will obtain just that!

'Maybe we are like a fly on an elephant walking through the jungle: the elephant goes where it wants but the fly thinks it is steering it.'

This incredible book had me feeling like the above (quoted from book) Cause and effect: It had me changing my ideas continuously, as to who did what, why and the consequences of their actions.

The references to health and social care throughout the book, is to be admired; the topic of homelessness and the faces behind it is approached in an honest and respectful manner.

I'm not going to give anything away about the characters involved, but will say that I'd love to eat at Tandori Knights in Brick Lane!

Kamil Rahman #2

Kamil Rahman is a cook in a Brick Lane Restaurant. But he used to be a detective back in Kolkata. When a young woman Kamil Knows is murdered, the police are convinced her boyfriend is the culprit. Kamil isn't so sure and feels he has no choice but to start his own investigation. Meanwhile his friend and restaurant manager, Anjoli. is troubled by the rise in the number of homeless deaths in their local area. Initially the cases seem unrelated, but as the duo dig deeper, they discover connections that stretch from London to Lahore.

Kamil Rahman is a cook in an Indian restaurant on Brick Lane, London. He used to be a detective in Kolkata, India. He has an almost girlfriend, Naila. But when a friend of Niala's is murdered, Kamil is pulled in to investigate her death. The story is mostly told from Kamil's perspective. There's also a rise in the amount of deaths among the homeless men in the area. This is a descriptively written book. The main characters are likeable and believable. This is a cleverly crafted story that's filled with twists an it's unpredictable. I can't wait to see what the next book will involve.

I would like to thank '#NetGalley #RandomHouseUK #VintagePublishing and the author #AjayChowdhury for my ARC of #TheCook in exchange for an honest review.

"I searched for words to stem the flow and all I came up with was, 'Look, we can all blame ourselves. One action leads to another, which leads to do third, and before you know it, the mosque has been razed. That's life. We would never do anything if we didn't want our actions to have consequences.' But I don't think any of us were convinced."

Six months after the last case, former Kolkata police detective, Kamil Rahman, is now the cook at his family friends' restaurant, Tandoori Knights, on Brick Lane, London. His friend Anjoli Chatterjee is managing the restaurant whilst her parents are in Kolkata visiting a sick relative. The sudden murder of newcomer, beautiful, green-eyed, Naila's (the head waiter's niece over from Lahore) nursing classmate, Salma, causes Kamil to return to investigating. Anjoli is more busy with the restaurant, so Kamil enlists Naila's help, hoping romance will blossom whilst they sleuth. Anjoli has concerns, following the deaths of homeless people in the area is she right to see a pattern to their deaths? Who wanted student Salma dead and why, and will Kamil get to the bottom of it?

Book two of the Kamil Rahman culinary detective series picks up a short while after the first book ended, with another murder investigation, although I do think this could be read as a standalone story. Filled with the tastes and smells of Indian and Pakistani food, humour and the lives of the main characters and their friends, Kamil and Anjoli's close friendship is interrupted by the arrival of Naila, who appears to be making a life for herself away from controlling influences in Lahore. Complex and multi-layered with a number of interlinked investigations, it's a pleasure to follow likeable and honest Kamil as he uses his detective skills to help the Metropolitan Police Detective, also a friend of Anjoli's, Tahir. Marked by tragedies, progress is made until the culprit is unmasked, and let's just say it was not who I expected! Another thoroughly enjoyable read, I look forward to book three.

This is the second book by Ajay Chowdhury. Another good read. Enjoyed meeting the characters again. Good plot, well paced and interesting mystery thriller. I'm glad I read the waiter first as this followed on njcely

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an Arc

I really enjoyed the first novel featuring ex-detective, turned waiter (now promoted to cook) at Tandoori Knights, so I was thrilled to receive the second to review. Kamil is still working in Brick Lane, alongside Anjoli, who featured in the first novel. Anjoli is now managing the restaurant, while Kamil is discovering a new talent for cooking delicious food. The banter, and friendship, between these two give the characters depth, while they are joined by a third, the beautiful Naila, studying , a nursing at Kings and who has definitely caught Kamil’s eye.

When Kamil and Naila find her fellow student, Salma, murdered, they are again plunged into an investigation. Labelling themselves, ‘The Three Duskyteers,’ they set out to discover who – and why – Salma was killed. DS Tahir Ishmael is another fun character, a detective who tends to drop fictional characters into his speech and make fun of Kamil while admiring his tenacity. Meanwhile, of course, Kamil still hankers after ‘real’ police work, after being forced to leave Kolkata to come to London.

Although Chowdhury has a light, comedic touch, to his writing and dialogue, this is an intelligent mystery which deals with some dark topics, from controlling marriages and the expectations on women from the Pakistani and Bengali community that Rahman writes about, through to the plight of London’s homeless. For alongside the murder of Salma, is the fact that so many of the homeless around Anjoli and Kamil’s restaurant, seem to be dying suddenly. Add to the excellent characters and plot, is the intriguing ending of this novel, which offers both the author and his central character, the loveable Kamil, a chance to extend his investigative role. I look forward to reading more of his adventures, wherever the author decides to take Kamil in future. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

I enjoyed this book from start to finish. Although a fairly typical detective novel it is written for the reader. It is fast paced and all steps in the investigation are logical. Many twists and turns in the plot and like other reviews I did not see the conclusion to the story coming.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the advance copy of this book.

Kamil is a chef at an Indian restaurant in Brick Lane. However, he used to be a detective when he was living in Kolkata.. A young friend woman friend of Kamil is murdered and he gets on the case doing his own sleuthing. A new young lady love interest helps him along the way and she comes with her own problems herself having fled a toxic marriage in India. WIth some homeless murders thrown in this was a really interesting story with some good twists and turns. I hadn't read ''the waite'r' which was the first book in this detective series but I do not feel that affected my enjoyment of the story. I got a good understanding of the characters very quickly.
If you like detective mysteries you will certainly enjoy this book. It is well written and fast paced.

The second novel featuring the ex-Kolkata detective Kamil Rahman, this is an engrossing and involving read. We have really come to know and care about Kamil, as he becomes involved in the case of a murdered student nurse. Now a cook rather than the waiter of the previous novel, Kamil is balancing his restaurant job with his detective work, helped as always by his friend Anjoli. A complex and multi-layered novel, this is highly recommended.