Service

Thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC of Sarah Gilmartin's 'Service.'

Set in Dublin during )and in the somewhat distant aftermath of) Ireland's 'Celtic Tiger' when the country at large and and some of its people lost the run of themselves this is a story of abuse of power and position, and trauma, told separately and in the first person by three of the main protagonists. Superstar Irish chef Daniel Costello, his wife Julie, and Hannah, a one-time, short-lived waitress in Costello's high-end Dublin restaurant intersect at the height of Ireland's short-lived prosperity. The story centers on the almost hedonistic behaviors of the time but especially on the ego-ridden and testosterone-heavy surroundings of a restaurant kitchen - the misogyny, flirting, abuse, partying, the lack of consequences for the men, and the resulting trauma for the women.

Daniel is accused of sexual assault by another waitress. He's very well written. In the midst of his ego-driven belief that he's being besmirched by an opportunist #metoo warrior he rationalizes everything but the author very skillfully avoids making him a cliché or a caricature. He's human and we're almost allowed to sympathize with him. His passion for the food and his vocation as a chef is paramount.

Hannah, having initially been swept up in the glamor and money working in one of Europe's finest and hottest restaurants is, years later, still deeply traumatized by the experience and events and, again, written as a survivor with great skill by the author.

Julie is stuck in the middle and torn between her love for the man she married and the possibility that everything that he's being accused of could well be true. She begins reframing incidents in her own relationship with Daniel in the light of the accusations and his responses to them and fights to protect her two sons from the fallout of the scandal.

The events that led all three to where they are at the end of the book are expertly exposed, layer stripped from layer, in a really well-paced way. Things that we suspect are revealed to be true but not necessarily in a straightforward manner.

Having lived in Dublin during that Celtic Tiger bubble I would vouch for the accuracy of Sarah Gilmartin's portrayal of the way money became the be-all-and-end-all of certain sectors of society and how it drove behaviors that led to the experiences that all three characters engaged in and emerged from.

Bravo.

This is a book that will stay with me for a long time. I'm conscious of giving away spoilers bit I will say it is brilliantly written. It does deal with serious topics such a sexual assault. It is told from the POV of 3 different characters, and they are all credible. At times it feels as if you are reading their diary entries. S must read

Service by Sarah Gilmartin opens with a chapter narrated by Hannah, who spent a summer during her college years waitressing at the restaurant "T" run by the famous chef Daniel Costello. Hannah has just learned that Daniel is facing accusations of sexual assault by one of her previous colleagues and she is immediately drawn back to that summer spent working in the glamorous Dublin restaurant. She recounts the highs and lows of this much sought-after job, the people she worked with and served , the Sunday night post-service parties and all of the tension that came with working in this high-end restaurant.

This story is written from 3 points of view: Hannah, Daniel, and his wife Julie. When a story is written in this way, I usually find that I'm drawn to one person's chapters over another and get frustrated waiting for one of the narrator's chapters to finish so that I can get back to the narrator that I have connected with the most. That was not the case with this story. Each chapter added so much character and plot development and it was interesting to read the recount of one series of events by different people.

Service is wonderfully written. While it deals with a very toxic environment that unfortunately is on point with the reality of this industry, as well as really challenging and dark topics, the author writes in a way that really allows you to hear each side of the story. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, racing to the end of the book. It is a good mix of being both character and plot driven. It is fast paced but also gives you huge insight into each of the narrators. The descriptions of the work environment in the restaurant are completely encompassing to the point where you literally feel like a diner or waiter in that restaurant with a bird's eye view of all the goings on. I have read a few #MeToo movement books over the past few months and this one has been the most impactful by far.

With huge thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to honestly review Service by Sarah Gilmartin by issuing an advance copy.

'Service' is a compelling read, telling the story of a sexual assault scandal in triplicate. We see the past and present play out through the eyes of Hannah, a victim; Daniel Costello, the perpetrator; and Julie, Daniel's wife. All three characters are written extremely well, with exceptional uniqueness of voice.
Set in Celtic Tiger Ireland, Gilmartin perfectly captures the hedonism (and obnoxiousness) of the time and her sections set in the restaurant and busy nights absolutely immerse us into that world. The character that we are introduced to, even the secondary ones feel very real and authentic and, quite simply, Gilmartin builds this entire little world on the pages of what, at least for me, was a relatively short read.
The narratives then:
Hannah is a former waitress at Daniel Costello’s restaurant and, while the reasons for her leaving are clear to us from the start, it is interesting to read the reactions of the other two characters to that departure. Hannah is written with devastating clarity of the trauma suffered and there are some truly gut-wrenching passages of prose in her chapters.
Daniel’s chapters are more difficult to evaluate; we are shown these portrayals of his youth and earlier life that seem at odds with the allegation being made against him. There are sometimes astonishing displays of arrogance that showcase his sense (or demand, even) of privilege and what he deems that should entitle him to. Some of his final chapters made my skin crawl as the mask of respectability started to slip.
Finally, Julie is a very interesting portrayal. She is a woman who carried the can, so to speak, when her husband was striving to establish himself as a top chef. She kept house, brought in the money, and kept things ticking along. It’s the role she portrays here as well as she tries to split herself between supporting a husband she increasingly distrusts and looking after her two sons who are suffering in their own ways over the scandal.
Her interaction with Oscar toward the end of the novel is a really well realised moment; so too is another realisation she has late on in the novel.
All told, ‘Service’ is a powerful novel that tackles a difficult but important subject in an all-encompassing way that explores not so much the assault (a very brief recounting) but the ripples that shatter out from it, affecting many different people along the way.
My thanks to Pushkin Press, via NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

When the British headlines feature famous chef Daniel Costello and his sexual assault hearing, Hannah traumatic memories begin to surface. Driven by a series of flashbacks and current events from a handful of characters, this is a slowly burning ember of a story. Is Daniel guilty? If so, will he pay? Here from the Chef himself, his wife and Hannah.

If you worked even for a week in a restaurant this story is for you and all too familiar. This may be a high end Dublin restaurant
but the story is the same the world over. Sarah Gilmartin does a fantastic job of recreating the restaurant world and offers us a series of complex characters. The prose is carefully crafted and allows for the events to speak for themselves. What a book! Pick up Service!
#pushkin #serviceanovel #sarahgilmartin #service

I enjoyed this book! A fascinating take on working in fine dining with an unpredictable chef, I was taken back to my days in the restaurant business.
An important topic that was covered in an entertaining way.

I downloaded this one on a whim and finished it in 3 days, 2 of those being work days. I generally don't read books with sexual assault in them, but knew what I was getting into with this one. Usually in books with multiple POVS there is at least one that is unnecessary or really boring, but that wasn't the case in this book. Each POV added to the story and was equally entertaining. The SA portion was really well done without getting into unnecessary details. Overall it was a really realistic book of what would happen, or at least what I would have thought would happen. The authors note was surprising. I'll definitely be reading more books by this author.

This might be the best fiction book I’ve read that deals with working in the toxic environment of the service industry and the #metoo movement.

I found it incredibly fascinating to be inside the mind of the victim, the wife, and the rapist who found all manner of justifications for his behavior just as you would imagine that they do.

I found the ending to be very satisfying in a way I wasn’t expecting.

Let me begin by saying that I've read a few books recently by Irish authors and I have loved each one!

'Service' is a book that showcases the #metoo movement. The story surrounds Daniel Costello, a well known (fictional) chef, and the accusations of sexual assault/rape against him. The book alternates perspectives between three characters: Hannah, one of the waitresses, Julie, Dan's wife, and Dan himself. I could feel the heaviness of the characters' melancholy throughout the entire book, which ended up being one of the factors for my 5 star rating.

The author vividly detailed what it's like to work at a restaurant such as Dan's. She also portrays Dan exactly as I would imagine him to be if he were a real person in this situation. He is talented, charming, and classy, but also quietly egotistical and his internal monologues were often quite chauvinistic. Yet somehow it was still difficult at times to believe that he could he accused of rape, which is likely exactly how the author wanted me to feel.

We also see why victims often times do not come forward when they are sexually assaulted. The victim blaming in this book was very realistic; this happen in both a court of law and the court of public opinion. Speaking of public opinon, the effect that the rape charges had on Dan's young sons was sad; I felt so sorry for them and for Julie.

This book would make an excellent book club selection. It will generate a multitude of topics for discussion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

'Service' by Sarah Gilmartin is a literary fiction novel with a #metoo theme, set in Dublin during the celtic tiger years of the early 2000s and in the present time. The three main characters are Hannah, who was waitressing for Daniel for a summer, Daniel, the Chef and owner of Costellos Restaurant and Julie, his wife. Daniel has been accused of raping one of his waitresses and is currently awaiting trial. The story is very cleverly being told from the viewpoints of the three protagonists and it draws you into their lives and how they are all being affected by the accusation.
It is a great and well written novel that stayed with me long after reading it.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for providing me with an ARC for this captivating book.

I loved this book -- it is not an easy read due to the subject matter, but the writing is so good that I was completely engaged and really loved it.

Daniel has been accused of rape by a former restaurant employee, and this book shows him grappling with that while going through a trial. Julie has been married to Daniel for years and they have two sons. Hannah is a different former employee who had her own experiences with Daniel. The narrative is split between these three perspectives. One aspect I loved is that Julie's sections are directed right to Daniel, not the reader.

The split narrative made this book move very quickly. Most of Hannah's part are told in the past, the time that she was working for Daniel at a restaurant. The food writing and the restaurant atmosphere are captured so well. The writing is so lovely -- I could feel each character's experiences and each voice was so unique.

I loved reading Hannah's sections -- her excitement about the world was depicted so well and reminded me so much of being in my early 20s. Julie's sections were hard to read knowing about the allegations against Daniel -- I loved how well it showed the ability to have contradicting feelings about your spouse. Daniel's sections for me were the hardest, he had such an arrogant demeanor ooze off him.

Sarah Gilmartin does a very good job of showing how rape accusations impact the entire family, and community. This is a hard subject written with such care.

This is the first book I've read by Sarah Gilmartin and I am eager to read more! I am excited to see what she writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Ireland, then and now: *Then*, Hannah is a waitress at an upscale restaurant in Dublin, Daniel its celebrated chef, and Julie his supportive wife. *Now*, Hannah has distanced herself and her memories as much as she can from her time at the restaurant, Daniel is on trial, and Julie is struggling to figure out what she believes happened—or didn't happen—and how much she can give up, can block out, in order to stand by her man.

I read this on the strength of the publisher, GR friends' reviews, and, if I'm honest, the cover. The book cycles through the three perspectives—Hannah's, Daniel's, and Julie's—and though the book gets off to a relatively slow start, it's smartly written. Gilmartin is careful in her layering of Daniel's character in particular: it's not a matter of a 'there's no black and white', exactly (what happens is not in shades of grey), but he's never allowed to become one-dimensional. I did not enjoy either Daniel or the sections in his POV, but they were invaluable in keeping the story a complex read.

It is worth reading both the author's note at the end and the discussion questions; the latter have a few too many yes-or-no questions for my liking, but they frame some things differently than I would have gone for, which is always useful. I'll keep my review short—there are things I'd love to discuss with people who have read it but don't want to put in a review for fear of spoilers!—but the book has made to want to hunt up Gilmartin's first novel and keep an eye out for future works.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

Thank you to @netgalley and @pushkin_press for the opportunity to read this eARC.

Set in Dublin in the midst of a sexual assault case involving a famous chef in a high end restaurant, this novel drops you right in it.

I have been in a bit of a slump, or maybe just a busy period in my life, and have found it hard to concentrate on anything but this book caught my attention immediately. It has three POVs and develops in such a compulsive way.

To me, this feel like a cross between John Boyne’s Earth and Kitchen Confidential. I loved the little scenes of work at a busy restaurant spread throughout all the discourse on sexual assault and the different views between the accused, the victim and the accused’s wife.

I’m fully aware that my review isn’t the most coherent. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, the subject matter is dealt with in a sensitive manner while not shying away from the trauma and the writing is great.

Would highly recommend to anyone once they’re aware of the triggers and the subject matter

This would be a good book for my older students, esp as they are entering the work world. Told in three points of view, a young woman who worked as a waitress in a famous restaurant, the celebrity chef on trial for rape and his wife. Lots to talk about, esp the long term damage of sexual assalt

A great novel all around! Service has well developed characters, great pacing, and a unique storyline. It bounces around three different perspectives - the accused rapist on trial, a renowned celebrity chef in Dublin, the accused’s wife, Julia, and a victim who worked at said chef’s resturant, Hannah. The fact that you read from each of their perspectives brings a deeper level of empathy for the girls and women involved and the chef’s family as they navigate the public trial and conflicted feelings toward their father/husband. It also gives readers an interesting look into toxic restaurant culture, its underlying sexism, and the world of “acting” or “performing” in a way for tips/their livelihood.

Fabulous writing and an importatnt story. I think this was just as good as I hoped it would be and this book will be well receieved.

This is a very well-written book that tells a compelling story centered around three nuanced characters. The narrative successfully shifts between the perspectives of the three characters, each as intriguing and fleshed out as the others. This choice works very well, adding considerable depth to a timely story and delivering something fresh, even as the plot explores a topic — sexual assault and the MeToo era — written many times over. The backdrop of the restaurant lends a memorable setting that the author evokes vividly. The dialogue is organic yet intentional. The many pieces of the story feed off one another to produce a whole that works.

Service delves into the intricate lives of a waitress, a chef, and his wife, each entwined in a web of secrets and revelations. Set against the backdrop of a high-end Dublin restaurant, the narrative unfolds with palpable tension and complexity. Gilmartin skillfully navigates themes of power, abuse, and the masks we wear in society. The characters’ voices resonate authentically, drawing readers into their conflicting emotions and moral dilemmas. While the pacing occasionally falters, the overall impact is profound. Service earns a solid 4/5, offering a compelling exploration of truth and consequences in the face of scandal.

Set in Dublin, this book goes back and forth between Hannah’s time working at restaurant T and the present time, where her old boss is being tried for rape. It’s unrealistic in that this kind of trial wouldn’t happen in Ireland.

The characters are wonderful. I relate to them all, the Irishness portrayed by this author is also wonderful. At times I found myself believing Dan and hating myself for it !

Important subject matter and fabulously written.

Wow. This took my breath away with such exceptional crafting of the characters.

This novel is told from three perspectives: a talented, self-obsessed celebrity chef; a waitress he assaulted and his wife. Throughout the novel their perspectives are weaved through the story of a SA trial in Ireland against this chef, Daniel. The way in which Gilmartin wrote this man gave me chills. We’ve all met men like this; so exceptionally self-involved, misogynistic and dangerously ambitious.

Gilmartin addresses all the ramifications of SA, privilege, power dynamics, and the shortcomings of the legal system in such a delicate and masterful way. It made me feel incredibly seen as a woman. The perspectives of Hannah, the waitress, and Daniel’s wife, Julie, showed the damning effects these kind of men can leave in their wake - oblivious to the harm they’ve caused.

The writing is beautiful and the plot intricate but the content is very hard at times. A book I will highly recommend to all who will listen.

A stunning sophomore novel. i was intrigued by the setting as my partner is a chef, and i've always harboured this sickly-bitter fascination with the culinary world— all its deliciousness and poison: when does a chef know they are a chef? when you want people to taste your food. I thoroughly enjoyed the three POVs: the endearing hannah, the pained julie and of course, the egomaniac chef daniel. each voice is distinct with their perspective of the industry: the money you could spend on food, the fame you retain with food, and the torture you could withstand with food. i also appreciate the lens into the irish social culture and systems in regards to sexual harassment and rape. it is an important marriage of culinary megalomania and rape culture.

trigger warnings: sexual harassment, explicit depictions of rape and sexual harassment, court appearances, rape denial, complicit actions, inappropriate workplace interaction, rape denial, service industry abuse, spousal sexual harassment and rape, verbal abuse, physical abuse, emotional manipulation, emotional abuse

Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for this ARC of ‘Service’ by Sarah Gilmartin.

This book was so powerful and incredibly well written. I’m truly at a loss for words despite finishing this book just over a week ago. It’s inspiring and a must read for everyone in my opinion.

Since reading Sweetbitter I haven’t loved a book about the gritty underbelly of the service industry quite the same until I read Service.

Gilmartin nailed this industry, the people amongst it, the messiness, sexiness, the drama, but made it literary and the writing was bang on.

Loved it.

Please look up trigger warnings if you need to before reading this book. There are very heavy topics discussed and explored but I thought they were handled well.
At times it was difficult to read as we are seeing how the sexual assault court case effects the victims, the accused and the wife/family of the accused.
Having the three perspectives was really effective in showing all different perspectives and portrayed a realistic idea of how this would impact everyone involved.
I liked the writing style and the overall direction the novel took. I would definitely read more from this author and I'd recommend this book if you can handle the heavy topics.

This ebook ARC was provided by NetGalley and Pushkin Press in exchange for a free and honest review.

This was a very good read. The author has a talent for capturing toxic work environment; where something happens and you are polite to get past the shame and awkwardness. In addition, the descriptions of Hannah's trauma and Julie's retrospection were very vivid. The story has three protagonists; David, a chef was brought up during the times of a man is always right and acts accordingly (he is a misogynist and a bully). His wife Julie has always been complacent giving excuses to have a peaceful life until she cannot ignore things anymore when her children start to suffer. Then there is Hannah, a young university student working in the restaurant during a break in classes. Her naiveté is used against her and she is left scared from this incident.

I think that this book should be read widely to encourage people to: identify toxic work environments, to speak up and educate people on what can be considered sexual harassment or sexual assault.

A searing and topical read with themes of MeToo in a high-quality restaurant setting. A Michelin-starred chef facing rape allegations from ten years in Ireland. The story is narrated by three characters:
- Daniel is the fifty-something year old chef facing rape charges and currently on trial, his restaurant closed.
- Julie is Daniel’s wife, bearing the brunt of her husband’s infamy and trying to keep it together for her two sons.
- Hannah who is in her 30s but only 20-years old when she started working for Daniel and still dealing with her trauma.
This is a character driven read with the high-end restaurant vividly brought to life by Gilmartin: the fast pace, the tension in the kitchen and arrogance and anger of the chef. The food is fantastically described and the characters feel real. Gilmartin does a great job of not turning her characters, especially Daniel, into a caricature. My only gripe was the ending. It felt like it ended too soon and I wanted to see the fallout of the action. I didn’t understand why Daniel was so fixated by Hannah and why her action makes him react the way he does. However this was a stellar read.

When a famous Dublin chef is accused of sexual assault, Hannah is forced to reflect on the summer she spent working in the high-end restaurant. As the court date looms, Service follows three narratives - Hannah, the accused chef Daniel, and Julie, his wife.

This was such a brilliant, evocative and impressive read. The three distinct narratives worked incredibly well. Hannah was a sympathetic and realistic character as she thought back to that summer and what she did and didn’t do. Daniel’s repulsive and unrepentant inner monologue was uncomfortable to read. Julie’s perspective was particularly interesting and nuanced as she tries to protect her sons and her life, while contemplating whether to support her husband. A particularly memorable bit is when she remarks that she often asked how did she not know her husband was involved with other women when the real question is how did she not know that her husband was a predator.

It’s such a well-written, accomplished novel. I highly recommend it.

I just love Ireland - the scenery, the people, the landscapes, the pubs… and also reading Irish authors, and books set in the Emerald Isle.

Service is about Daniel: a famed chef in Dublin, who is accused of sexual assault from previous employees. The book is told from three perspectives: Hannah, a former employee; Daniel; and his wife, Julie.

The setting of a restaurant, and what goes on behind the scenes, was amazing! I love dining out, and always want to peak what’s behind the curtain. I’m sure many would relate to the toxic environment and demands of the service industry.

I think this is a good book club pick - there is lots of things I would love to discuss with others: the similarities (and differences) between Hannah and Julie, if you think Dan is innocent or guilty (and if this changes over the story), and the ending.

The writing and pace of the story hooked me from the first page, and kept me engrossed throughout.

I would definitely read more from this author. Thank you to @pushkin_press and @netgalley for the ARC copy 💚

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