Many thanks to the author, Daria Lavelle, @netgalley, and the publisher, Bloomsbury, for a digital ARC of this novel, which came out in the UK and Ireland on 22 May.
Normally, I would write a short synopsis at this point, but I think it’s best to read this book without knowing too much of the plot, so I'll keep my summary to one sentence: Konstantin Duhovny can taste the memories of the dead. That's all you need to know. What unfolds after that is an incredibly creative mix of lusting after food, romance, some Japanese folklore, cook-off competitions for the ultra-rich, an investment from a wealthy Russian financier who may or may not be a gangster ...this book reminded me of Terry Pratchett in its originality, its sudden and unpredictable plot twists, and the way that everything mentioned throughout the novel comes together at the end.
This is also a very sensory book, filled with sights, smells, tastes, and the hectic pace of life in a city like New York. And If you're a foodie like me, this book will make your mouth water. There's so much about food in here, and many of the dishes mentioned sound delectable.
Aftertaste is the most original book you'll read all year, probably all decade. If you're looking for an inventive page-turner that offers something different, or a good book for summer holidays, I would recommend this.

I want to start by saying this book didn’t immediately grip me, the concept around Kostya and his clairgustance had me intrigued, but I couldn’t put together the story that felt a little jagged. However, I was so glad that I persevered because about half way into the story I started to begin to see the threads that Daria was weaving together and how the story began to slot together. From then on this book had me gripped, I became heavily emotionally invested in the characters and the outcome of the story, so much so that by the end I was a sobbing mess. This tale is a carefully told one of grief, death, loss, love and letting go, Daria handles sensitive topics marvellously to create a supernatural thriller with a plot twist I can guarantee you will not see coming. From the mouthwatering descriptions of food to the New York restaurant food scene with a whole host of hungry ghosts, this book was a refreshing take on life after death.

Kostya’s life seems bleak at best, with his dead-end job dishwashing, he unexpectedly discovers his ability to taste the last meals of those long departed to help those that they left behind have a final conversation, to get closure. With this revelation of being able to summon spirits through the food he cooks, Kostya embarks on a journey through the New York City restaurant scene eventually being able to open his own restaurant to cater to both the dead and the living. However, when the party psychic who tried to warn him off summoning the restless spirits providing his aftertastes stumbles back into his life and the relationship between them starts to shift into something more, will her secret connection to the afterlife stay hidden. With more signs appearing in the living world that something is amiss in the spirit realm will Kostya be able to let go of his grief in time to help the spirits find rest?

Kostya as a character goes through huge development during this story, we initially meet someone so overcome by their grief and just floating through life with no direction and aim. His aftertastes give him purpose, but try and try as he might getting them to work for him is not as easy as it seems. He wants to make a dent, to leave behind a legacy, do something good, his motivations are balanced, both selfless and selfish. His gift allows him to feel a connection to the world around him and with misfortune never far around the corner he clings to his connection to the other side despite the advice of others around him and the visible signs. Maura, is all fire, with a hunger for life but with plenty of hidden secrets, she shifts Kostya’s perspective on what he wants and needs from his life.

The romantic subplot is subtle but perfect for the story, it provides in my opinion that edge that brings the story together, all of the thread becoming more closely woven when Maura enters the plot. I absolutely adored the descriptions of the food, so vivid you could almost taste it despite its sometimes fantastical nature. Also, exploring the New York restaurant scene and having a lot of the book take place within a kitchen, both professional and novice provides the aspect that I was looking for within this story. As I’ve mentioned before this story takes grief and death and puts a new refreshing spin on the topic, the idea of having one last meal with departed loved ones and how letting go is such an important part of a sensitive process. With the ending the way it was, I almost wanted more but at the same time feel fulfilled with the outcome and where the characters were left. Having said that, I did not see the plot twist coming, and it took my breath away.

This was so unique! I got pulled into the story from the first few pages.

The book follows Konstantin, who, after losing his father, starts experiencing strange aftertastes of the departed's favourite food. He goes through his childhood, and adulthood, with this strange new ability, until one day he decides to make the thing he is tasting, and accidentally brings someone back from the Dead. Only it's not as awesome as it sounds, and things soon start to go awry...

The story deals with grief, loss, love and friendship in a wonderful way. Using food as a way to connect with people, and bring them closure - it was heartbreaking to read certain stories.

I loved Frankie's character, and would have loved to see more from him. The love story, in my opinion, was not as convincing as it could've been, though I see why it was necessary for Konstantin's growth and development as a character. I just didn't feel as connected to their relationship as I would normally. Though I did find Maura as a character quite relatable, and I enjoyed the glimpses we got of her past.

Overall great writing, good pacing and loveable characters. An enjoyable read, and certainly out of my comfort zone!

Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital copy of this book.

I thought this book was a great spirit fantasy and running through it there’s a very real thread that, I’m sure speaks to us all. Who wouldn’t want an hour with loved ones we’ve lost but at what price?
As well as this theme, we encounter the very real sadness of suicide, not letting go and being unable to move on.
I was totally absorbed into this story. Who would have thought Konstantin, a Chef, could cause such havoc in the spirit world! Then there’s the sacrifice he made to put it right.
It’s a really good and easy read and gives us food for thought.

A very interesting premise with something missing.

I enjoyed the overall themes of the story and the first half was well paced and entertaining. However, the latter half of the story dragged. I found it hard to connect to any of the characters and found Konstantin and Maura’s relationship to be rather forced.

Overall, an interesting read if somewhat slow paced and lacklustre.

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

I was excited to dive into this, the premise immediately intrigued me. The way it explores the emotional connections between food and grief was both beautiful and interesting.

The descriptions of food are vivid and sensory, each chapter left me feeling hungry. You get to explore the evocative power of food - not just as sustenance, but through memory, emotion, and legacy.

It took me a little while to get used to the ghost "rules," especially the food hall element, which felt a bit abstract at first. But once I let go of trying to understand everything and just leaned into it, I found myself enjoying it more. The way it ties together the presence of ghosts, the power of food, and the human need for connection was compelling.

That said, while the beginning flowed really well and kept my attention, the second half started to lose some momentum. There were a lot of elements introduced, and by the time the big climax arrived, I felt a bit underwhelmed. However, the ending pulled things together nicely.

Overall, Aftertaste was a rich, heartfelt read that I truly enjoyed. It’s a book that lingers like the memory of a good meal.

4/5

If the dead could put the taste of something in your mouth so vividly that you knew every component how would that change how you live your life? That’s the intriguing premise of this book.

There are really interesting thoughts on grief underpinning this but with a great and unexpected plot so it’s fun the read as well as think about. There are also loads of pop culture references peppered throughout.

If you don’t like reading vivid descriptions of food then avoid this, otherwise dig in.

I loved this , quirky, indescribable, absolutely delicious story and the author is definitely a ‘master chef’ in my eyes. It defies description and categorisation, combining horror, an epic love story, the supernatural and food writing in one glorious banquet of reading. The aspects of love portrayed - familial, friendship and romantic - are beautifully drawn and the idea of favourite meals, however elaborate or humble, bringing our love ones back to us is comforting and just seems right somehow.

Aftertaste is one of those books that’ll be everlasting in my mind for its uniqueness and Daria’s ability to literally make me hungry through words. This was such an incredible story, I did struggle at first in understanding the plot but after the first 50 pages I flew through and read this in one sitting . If you want magical realism, ghosts , a love story and lots and lots of food! This will definitely be for you , just remember to not feed a hungry ghost !
I also will never be able to see Reese’s peanut butter cups the same way
Thank you to netgalley and Bloomsbury for the e-arc in exchange for a honest review

I started out really loving the concept and execution of Aftertaste. The supernatural element of “clairgustance” is handled perfectly, such that it is believable and desirable. Kosta’s relationship with his father (and soon, his grief) is moving, poignant. Actually a perfect book to read shortly after I read the non-fiction On the Scent: Unlocking the Mysteries of Smell -- and How Its Loss Can Change Your World.

Then it starts dragging. Maybe it’s because I’m not really a foodie - I mean, I love a good meal, but I’m just not so invested in the gourmet experience, the ingredients, the romanticism.

I do feel that the hungry ghosts, the reason for their “badness” is left too long. The bit about having to let them go is a bit saccharine. Maybe I was just tired of it by the end, but it didn’t have me weeping (the beginning, with Kosta and his dad, did).

That said, the writing is lyrical, and I don’t regret reading it. I just grew a little tired of it.

Grief , love , heartbreak and a myriad of other emotion are explored with throughout food and his tastes
the start was sloe but once it kicked off i was super into it

Aftertaste- Daria Lavelle

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book, unfortunately I was unable to complete as I broke my iPad and therefore I cannot give a review. I will be looking out for this one when it’s published. Thanks again

Aftertaste is one of the most unique books I’ve read in a while. Kostya, a dishwasher with the strange ability to summon ghosts through food, decides to open a restaurant that serves closure to the dead — and things get wild from there. It’s part culinary fiction, part ghost story, with a touch of romance thrown in.

The idea is weird in the best way, and the writing really brings it to life — especially the food descriptions (seriously, you’ll get hungry). I loved the emotional layers, especially Kostya’s relationship with Maura, a party psychic with her own hidden motives.

It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did, I couldn’t stop (well, adulting made me, but you get it). A creative, bittersweet story about grief, love, and the ghosts we carry. Definitely worth picking up if you’re looking for something different.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC — all opinions are my own.

Thank you to the author and publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I really liked the concept of this book. The writing was really good and the story was intriguing and heartfelt. Very emotional and thought provoking.

Daria Lavelle’s Aftertaste is a genre-bending feast of a novel that blends culinary fiction, supernatural intrigue, and aching romance into something wholly original. With vivid prose and darkly whimsical imagination, Lavelle serves up a story that’s both delectable and haunting — a tale of grief, passion, and the peculiar power of food.

At the heart of the novel is Kostya, a disillusioned dishwasher with a dead-end life and a hidden gift: he can summon ghosts through the dishes he cooks. When this strange ability begins to attract the attention of lost souls desperate for closure, Kostya seizes the opportunity to open a restaurant in New York City that serves the spiritual as much as the physical. The premise is delightfully weird — part Ratatouille, part The Sixth Sense — but Lavelle treats it with emotional depth and creative flair.

The stakes are raised by Maura, a party psychic with secrets of her own. Their slow-burn relationship is tender, complicated, and tinged with the melancholy of two people who are both connected to — and haunted by — the dead. As Kostya’s menus grow more powerful and the boundary between the living and the Afterlife thins, Lavelle steers the narrative into morally murky waters. Can healing the dead harm the living? Should closure come at a cost?

Lavelle’s writing is lush and sensory, especially when describing food — expect to crave things that don’t even exist. But beyond the flavors and phantoms, Aftertaste is a story about the ache of unfinished business, the hunger for connection, and the ways people carry their ghosts — metaphorical or otherwise.

Perfect for fans of The Night Circus, Kitchen Confidential, and The Lovely Bones, Aftertaste is a darkly charming, bittersweet novel that lingers long after the final course. It’s a standout debut and a must-read for anyone who loves their fiction imaginative, emotionally resonant, and just a little bit haunted.

What a magnificent book. As soon as I read the synopsis of Aftertaste by Daira Lavelle, I knew it was for me. A story where the dead return for one final meal with a loved one? That idea clutched at my heart.

My husband and I share so many of our memories through food, so this concept hit hard. Kostya’s gift, tasting a ghost’s aftertaste, feels intimate, strange, and deeply human.

The story is simple in premise but full of complexity: grief, longing, quiet romance, and the kind of sorrow that hums beneath your skin. The writing is lush without ever being too much, and the food descriptions? Sensory and stunning. You feel every bite, every memory tied to it.

A slow burn, but a meaningful one. This story lingers. 4.25 stars.

Kostya discovers that he has the ability to summon the spirits of the dead by recreating their favourite food.. He works his way up by learning to cook these food until he opens his own small restaurant, but things don't go to plan.
This is definitely a trope that I've never read before, definitely a novel way of summoning ghosts. I did struggle to get into the book, but persevered and was drawn into the story. There is a love interest in Maura, a party physic, who has her own reasons for using his talent but does give him a dire warning about what he is doing. Definitely worth a try if you want to read something different.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Thanks to Daria Lavelle and NetGalley for this ARC!

Unfortunately (and ironically) this book suffers from a case of “too many cooks”. It doesn’t stick close enough to one particular mood or theme for long enough for me to get overly attached to anything that was happening in the book. It has an interesting concept but something about the execution made me distant from the narrative.

Kostya has the ability to summon ghosts through food that he cooks but is currently a dish washer. Kostya then follows his dream to open a New York restaurant that serves closure to the bereaved and deceased. However there are many reasons for why he shouldn’t do this as he has his own ghosts, he is falling for a psychic and he is threatening the stability of the afterlife itself. Will Kostya succeed in his dream or will it all come crashing down.

This book was unputdownable except adulting made me put it down. From the off I was fascinated by Kostya and his “gift”. This was well written and the characters were all pretty much likeable. I definitely recommend reading this book as whilst I have read May books about the afterlife I have never read one about aftertaste until now 4.5 ⭐️ read

I loved the concept of this book as thought it was unique and I hadn't read anything of a similar story to it before and I really enjoyed it. I did think it took a little for me to fully get into it which is why the three stars but overall I did enjoy this one