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.

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.

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

'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.

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 had all the elements of a novel I'd love: Irish, messy interpersonal conflict, and a bustling restaurant setting. However, this fell flat for me. I wished Gilmartin had really dug into who each of the characters was a little more or that the male protagonist was swapped out for another woman whose life he had turned upside down. I didn't really love hearing his inner monologue. There might have been a little more mystery as well or a little less build to what we already know is going to happen (TW: assault, rape). Ultimately, it could have been a bit longer and really taken its time diving into the world that was established. That said, if this sounds like fiction that scratches an itch for you, it is well written and paced, so you won't hate it!

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

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

I found this beautifully written, and that kept me reading, but the plot itself was slight and the forward momentum slowed by the three voices: chef Daniel, former waitress Hannah, and Daniel's wife Julie. The character development of Hannah and Julie could have been fuller. The plot itself was all too depressingly life like, but I suppose it ended on something of a hopeful note.

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.