The Cook
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  • Published: 5 May 2022
  • ISBN: 9781473599307
  • Imprint: Vintage Digital
  • Format: Audio Download
  • RRP: $26.99

The Cook

From the award-winning author of The Waiter

Formats & editions
Paperback
12 Apr 2023
Audiobook
5 May 2022
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Ex-Kolkata detective Kamil Rahman has new murders to solve in London's Brick Lane. The gripping new novel from the award-winning author of the Sunday Times Book of the Month, THE WAITER.

The gripping new novel from the award-winning author of the Sunday Times Book of the Month, THE WAITER.

Kamil Rahman is a cook in a Brick Lane restaurant. But he used to be a detective back in Kolkata. And somehow trouble still knows how to find him.

When a young woman Kamil knows is murdered the police are convinced her boyfriend is the culprit. Kamil isn't so sure and feels he has no choice but to start his own investigation. Meanwhile, his friend and restaurant manager, Anjoli, is troubled by a rise in the number of homeless deaths in their local area.

The cases seem unrelated and as the duo dig deeper, discovering tentacles that stretch from Lahore to London, they find themselves in grave danger.

Together they take on the indifference of the authorities to the homeless and the casual racism that pervades the investigation of killings of Muslims - all while a supremely intelligent murderer is manipulating events to stay several steps ahead of them.

*AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW*

Praise for The Waiter:

'A hugely entertaining first novel, taking us from Kolkata to Brick Lane' Ann Cleeves

'An outstanding debut' Sunday Times Book of the Month

'A rip-roaring mystery that's engrossing from start to finish... a refreshing and welcome addition to the world of detective fiction. One of my favourite reads of the year' Abir Mukherjee
  • Published: 5 May 2022
  • ISBN: 9781473599307
  • Imprint: Vintage Digital
  • Format: Audio Download
  • RRP: $26.99
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About the author

Ajay Chowdhury

Ajay Chowdhury is the winner of the inaugural Harvill Secker and Bloody Scotland competition. He is a tech entrepreneur and theatre director who lived the first third of his life in India and then moved to London, where he cooks experimental meals for his wife and daughters. His first children’s book, Ayesha and the Firefish, was published in 2016 and The Waiter is his debut crime thriller.

portrait photo of Ajay Chowdhury

Also by Ajay Chowdhury

The Shadow
The Spy
The Detective
The Waiter
See all

Praise for The Cook

Kamil and Anjali are a terrific team. Chowdhury makes the murder mystery feel like a brand-new invention. His second thriller is chockfull of authentic flavours and tasty surprises that will leave readers wanting more.

Christopher Fowler, author of the Bryant and May Mysteries

Marvellous! A vivid romp through the Londoner's London, seen through the sharp eyes of a recent arrival. The only thing that induced me to put it down was the fact that it made me so hungry...

Alex Marwood

A real page-turner

Waitrose Weekend

Thrilling... This is a terrific series, a vivid portrait of the East End where a thriving economy is overshadowed by the effects of inequality

Joan Smith, Sunday Times

A real surprise... It is not just the descriptions of food that leave you hungry for more

Mark Sanderson, The Times

Chowdhury's portrait of multicultural London is as effective as his portrayal of the mixed feelings of his characters, who may enjoy aspects of their lives but still long for the pleasures they have left behind

Natasha Cooper, Literary Review

The Cook is an ideal summer read... [a] dazzlingly clever plot

Sunday Times, *Summer Reads of 2023*
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