Service

A “powerful and compelling” novel about power, consent, and complicity in our #MeToo era — for fans of Sweetbitter and I Have Some Questions for You (Joseph O’Connor, author of My Father’s House)

Tensions are at an all-time high in an upscale Dublin restaurant as its employees grapple with the fallout from a shocking scandal involving its head chef

The waitress, the chef, and the chef’s wife may all lovingly describe the food, but they agree on little else as their 3 voices reveal a story of power and complicity, and the courage it takes to face the truth.

When Hannah learns that famed chef Daniel Costello is facing accusations of sexual assault, she's thrown back to the summer she spent waitressing at his high-end Dublin restaurant when she was a young college student— the plush splendour of the dining rooms, the wild parties after service, the sizzling tension of the kitchens. But Hannah also remembers how the attention from Daniel soon morphed from kindness into something darker.

Now the restaurant is shuttered and Daniel tries to understand how his life is now completely out of his control. His wife Julie is hiding from paparazzi, trying to come to terms with the legal case while suddenly questioning her life and marriage as she attempts to protect her two sons.

Surrounded by the wreckage of the past, Daniel, Julie, and Hannah must reconsider what happened at the restaurant.

Beautifully written and cleverly told in 3 voices, this scorching novel explores uncomfortable truths about our changing social norms with nuance and complexity.

Story Locale:Dublin, Ireland

About the Author

Sarah Gilmartin is a critic who reviews fiction for the Irish Times. She is co-editor of the anthology Stinging Fly Stories and has an MFA from University College Dublin. She won Best Playwright at the inaugural Short+Sweet Dublin festival. Her short stories have been published in The Dublin Review, The Tangerine and New Irish Writing. Her story 'The Wife' won the 2020 Máirtín Crawford Award at Belfast Book Festival. Her debut novel Dinner Party was an Irish Times bestseller and was shortlisted for Newcomer of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards.

Author Residence: Dublin, Ireland

Author Hometown: Dublin, Ireland