I was really drawn to the premise of this book, and this did prove to be interesting. I liked the concept of our mysterious narrator and I felt that it was well written. I do think that perhaps it could have been executed better to live up to its full potential - overall the book felt a bit too long and could have benefitted from some editing to keep the pacing taut and engaging. A great idea that maybe just feels a little unfinished.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Test Kitchen by Neil Stewart is a tense read that conjures up the restaurant business and the people that work and eat there.

This is essentially a series of short stories, the guests at each table in a Michelin starred dining room having their own stories. The kitchen scenes remind me of Boiling Point and the descriptions of the food remind me of Gregg Wallace on Masterchef but, in this case, they are ironic. Many of the staff in the kitchen have their own complex back stories and all are held together by the mystery of the narrator.

At times this was laugh out loud funny and I enjoyed most of the stories but it really was too long and could do with some brutal editing. I can’t decide what I feel about the ending and will look forward to the book being published to learn what the general opinion is. On the whole, I enjoyed this as much for the setting as for the narrative. I just felt I was reading an unedited version.

With thanks for a review copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown Book for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I tried so hard to get into this but we just weren’t clicking. The premise was extremely interesting and I really was excited to read it, No doubt it is very well written, the various foods so deliciously described that I spent most of the book hungry. But the story just wasn’t for me. It was strange but not in a good way and I had so many questions that remained unanswered.

This is a darkly observant novel featuring a multitude of characters who work (and dine) in a London restaurant called Midgard. There are interwoven stories involving both the kitchen staff and diners and is written beautifully. This is a book for fans of Boiling Point and the 2006 film Caffeine .