I received this book as ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I found this book rather interesting from the very beginning, and I did enjoy that each chapter was perceived from a different characters perspective, without overlap.

I enjoyed each character development and the story was rather gripping.

I found the story to be a bit of a slow burn at first, but halfway through the book, it suddenly sped up, which I didn't expect, and then I felt I was a little overwhelmed with the increased pace.

However, with the twists and turns that came, it managed to keep me on my toes.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
THE CHEF by Robin Mahle is a good thriller set up in a restaurant setting. The restaurant's daily life made me think of Gordon Ramsey's show. It was nicely set up and so realistic! It was so enjoyable!
But then all the madness started and I was constantly on the edge! It was so intense!
This book is about obsession and how far things can go if you have one!

Kira and Dante have their restaurant, it's their dream and they are ready for everything to succeed. When restaurant critic comes around everyone is on the edge but positive reviews are like dreams come true! They are positive that things from there will go just up... They could not be more wrong!

Thank you Joffe Books and NetGalley for this fantastic thriller!

So, if you’re from L.A., just back slowly away from the book. It take’s place in a world where you take the I-10 places (not just the 10), where you can buy restaurant space for not much money that includes an employee parking lot, and where everyone in L.A. seems to drive non-Tesla luxury sports cars (if, however, the author had mentioned being surrounded by Teslas, I wouldn’t have blinked).

In short, if you’re a native Los Angeleno, you will be yanked from the story time and again. (The author did do some research as we have both the DTLA Farmer’s Market and the old zoo road.)

Now, if you take the L.A. out of this, you have an entertaining though unbelievable tale of one seriously twisted chef! I will say that the behind the scenes of the restaurant industry felt so realistic. I really appreciated this part of the book. There’s an afterword where the author credits her son for a lot of this knowledge and I’d say that it really added a layer of verisimilitude to the book.

The plot is…definitely fantastical. I mean, there’s a lot of crazy here. But it’s also much-your-popcorn fun. I didn’t really love Dante, but I did enjoy Kira and was rooting for her.

A fun take on a truly Hellish Kitchen. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

• ARC via publisher

This thriller hits the ground running, with the owner of a new restaurant stabbed in the arm by her head chef during a busy dinner service. The replacement that Kira and her husband find seems perfect, jumping right in and working well with the rest of their kitchen staff. At first. Before long, things start to go wrong. The plot never slows down, the setting is different and intruguing...but I never found myself rooting for the couple or worrying about what would happen to them. I went in expecting to really enjoy this one, but it fell flat for me.

This was not my cup of tea. I was intrigued by the blurb but couldn't get into the story. The pacing was terrible and the writing was confusing.

A story had good twists and turns, keeps me turning the pages to the end.
It was full of action and adventure to read, and good characters in the plot,
A winner for the author and I recommend this book.
From Net Galley and Joffe for my voluntary review

This book reminded me of Vanderpump Rules with murder mixed in. Drama and lies? This book has that!

I appreciate the concept and originality but think it's a three-star book. Here are my impressions:

* The twists and turns got ridiculous at a certain point.
* The pacing felt off. Some chapters felt drawn out and then it did too much in the end.
* Although I liked the author's writing style, the action scenes were harder to follow. It could have been clearer about who was doing what,

Thanks for the advance review copy.

I'm sorry to say that I just couldn't get into this story and gave up at about 30%. Nothing caught my attention - characters, storyline, writing style. I'd liked the description, it sounded promising. Sadly not. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

I couldn’t put this down it was just so good! I loved all the layers to this story as everything built up and then all crumbled.

The cover was killer!! The book was fast paced and I absolutely loved it!! I cannot wait to read more my this author

What a ride! This had me holding my breath multiple times throughout the book. Marco is true villian, no redeemable qualities. I liked the multiple POV and seeing how both Dante and Kira reacted to the weird things occurring differently.

Kira and Dante leave New York and move to LA in hopes of opening a Michelin Star restaurant. They are off to a rocky start, as they are heavily in debt. Dante is flirting with the sous chef, the head chef “accidentally” stabs Kira, the head chef is caught doing drugs and gets fired.

Then they hire a new head chef – Marco – and things are starting to turn around. Or has the trouble just begun?

Told in alternating narratives of Kira and Dante, it’s a slow burn that picks up and doesn’t let you go until the very last page! So good – absolutely loved it!

RECOMMEND

Robin Mahle's "The Chef" serves up a tantalizing blend of suspense and tension that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end! 🍽️ From the moment our protagonist hires Chef Marco, the narrative takes a thrilling turn as the dream of opening a restaurant becomes a living nightmare. 💔 With dwindling finances, a suspicious head chef, and marital tensions bubbling to the surface, the stakes couldn't be higher.

Mahle expertly crafts a story filled with twists and turns, leaving readers guessing until the shocking final reveal. With each page turn, the tension builds to a crescendo, culminating in a climax that will leave jaws dropping. 😱

If you're craving a gripping thriller with a side of culinary intrigue, "The Chef" is sure to satisfy your appetite. Mahle's masterful storytelling and unexpected twists make this a must-read for fans of suspenseful fiction. 📚✨

This book has many suspensful and intense moments that push it towards an exhilarating climax, recommended.

Kira and Dante are following their dreams, running their own restaurant. With a rave review from a local food critic, they’re busier than ever. When they lose their head chef, they quickly take on another. But strange things start going on in the kitchen. People start keeping secrets, people start getting sick… and people start dying.

Told from a triple perspective, The Chef, is a page turner of a thriller, following Kira, Dante, and their new chef, Marco.

I enjoyed the husband and wife dynamic and their dynamic with Angelo, too. The twists and turns were good, but they weren’t quite “jaw-dropping” enough for me, which is where it lost a star.

I was attractive to this book because my husband is a chef. I enjoyed the restaurant setting and thought it was a nice change from the usual domestic thriller.

A good, fast paced and easy read. A solid four stars from me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for my advanced copy.

This was a quick read and very fast paced. It was easy to read and enjoyable. It's not often that you find a thriller set in a restaurant, so that kept the book interesting and kept me reading to find out what was going to happen. All of the relationships between the whole cast of characters definitely added to the suspense and also added more dimensions to the story than I was initially expecting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the advanced copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

This was my first book that I have read from Robin Mahle and I will definitely read from her again.

This story involves a married couple that hire a new chef for their restaurant. But after hiring him weird things have been happening.
This was such a great “popcorn” thriller that just made you want to keep reading without putting the book down. I love the restaurant setting, I loved the dilemma between the married couple. There was some twist that was not expected.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Chef was a solid thriller and I think anyone who enjoys intrigue in their books (and top chef or chopped) will have a fun time reading it. Set amongst struggles between married couple Dante and Kira as they try to keep their restaurant going (along with their marriage) they quickly find themselves banding together against a peculiar chef they hire.

I didn’t think this brought anything particularly new to the genre but I enjoyed the read and as a fan of chef shows and behind the scene restaurant stories, I found a lot to keep me hooked. I think this one is a sure thing for thriller readers.

This was a quick, sharp, thriller. Really enjoyed it and finished it in a day! Eager to see what’s next from this author.

I started as a server in a New York restaurant. That’s where I met my husband, Dante. Now we’re opening our own restaurant in Los Angeles. It’s our dream come true. But it’s turning into a nightmare. We’re nearly out of money. I had to fire our head chef after he ‘accidentally’ stabbed me, and was doing drugs out back! And now I’ve caught my husband flirting with a waitress. He used to flirt with me like that. Then Chef Marco shows up. He's the answer to our prayers. He’s cooked in top restaurants all over Europe. He also has the most stunning green eyes. We hire him on the spot! That's when the nightmare really begins! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, mystery, romance, drugs, back stabbing, secrets, and a few crazy twists and turns! The storyline was interesting and kept me glued to my kindle! I will recommend reading this book as it was worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!