Service: the scorching, engrossing new novel from the Irish Times-bestselling author of Dinner Party

I’ve chosen some books recently that I’ve needed to trudge through. This book was quite the opposite, I looked forward to reading it each night. I liked the format of the chapters being from the perspective of the different characters. It was interesting to me that you got to find out how they perceived each other, his opinion, her opinion & the truth. It is such an important topic. Fortunately I have never found myself in this situation but the book highlights the horrendous entitlement some men feel is theirs over the years. I liked the restaurant setting, a lot of things were relatable even if you’ve not worked in that environment personally. It would have been interesting to see how it finally concluded.On the whole a really thought provoking and enjoyable book that I’ve already recommended to my husband.

In Sarah Gilmartin’s ‘Service’ we meet three main characters, each of whom tell their perspective of the story when head chef, Daniel Costello, is accused of retrospective sexual assault. Having worked hard to leave his working class roots behind him, Daniel, now in his fifties, is well-known, well-off, has a lovely home, a successful business and a seemingly happy home-life with his wife and two teenage boys; however when a previous employee of his reveals that she was sexually assaulted by Daniel and the case goes to court, Daniel finds himself not only fighting for his freedom, but also for his marriage. His wife, Julie, an interior designer who has worked hard at creating her own business and has been a good mother to the couple’s two boys, finds herself questioning her husband’s innocence, despite his protestations that his accuser is lying - and it is not just her husband’s innocence Julie finds herself questioning, but their whole marriage too. And then there is Hannah, a young waitress and a favourite of Daniel's who worked at the restaurant at the same time as Daniel’s accuser, and someone who has her own story to tell. But does her story support Daniel’s, or her fellow worker’s?A well-written and topical story which looks at the life of a group of people in the restaurant trade who work hard, but who party harder. The descriptions of Hannah’s working life and the treatment she receives - not just at the hands of her male colleagues, but of some of the male clientele who feel she is ‘up for grabs’ - makes for eye-opening reading, as does the cocaine and alcohol-fuelled parties the staff indulge in after the restaurant has closed. I have to say that I worried for these girls who left themselves so vulnerable by drinking large quantities of alcohol and snorting coke and I pitied poor Hannah, a country-girl who tried hard to fit it with the party lifestyle of some of her city colleagues, but who was less able to cope with the aftermath. There is a lot more I would like to discuss, including how an incident can be totally written-off by one person, but how that same incident can totally devastate the other person involved - however, to do so would reveal too much of the story for those who have yet to read it. An unsettling yet compelling read and, as such, I would be interested in reading more from Ms Gilmartin.4 Stars.

I really liked the writing, it is confident and authentic, and you feel that you are in the safe hands of an excellent story-teller.I wish the outcome could have been different, that Daniel had not acted as he did given his talent and how hard he had worked, and given I liked Hannah, and didn’t care so much for Tracey. But the fatal flaw, the arrogance, the entitlement left no other option, I guess.

Hannah, a young student lands a job as a waitress at a famous Dublin restaurant, and is in thrall to the whole thing – the atmosphere, the adrenalin buzz, the often very generous tips, the celebrity diners. She’s a quick learner and soon attracts the attention of Daniel, the head chef. Julie, Daniel’s wife and mother of their two young sons, remembers their roots and tries to keep Daniels grounded.Then comes the accusation of historical sexual assault and rape, and although Julie stands by her man she finds it difficult to believe 100% in Daniel’s innocence.This is a tight, almost claustrophobic story which manages to capture the atmosphere of a busy Michelin starred restaurant, and of a marriage floundering amid a trial, the loss of income due to the closure of the restaurant, and the stability of home life for their two boys.Although I enjoyed this I preferred the author’s first book The Party. Having said that I look forward to anything she produces in the future.

Nah, this is a goodie from a really good writer who doesn't shrink from excellent fictionalising of day-to-day misogyny in the overheated world of the restaurant and its kitchen. Really enjoyed this and recognised the types she evokes. I look forward to more from her, because there's an authentic voice here and it's bursting to get out even more. Go, Sarah Gilmartin!

I really enjoyed this book. The story gives a great insight into the restaurant life. I could really visualise what I was reading. I slowed down my reading towards the end of the book as I didn't want to finish reading it ! Highly recommended.

The pressure of working at a high end restaurant is well evoked, albeit in less detail than Stephanie Danler managed in ‘Sweetbitter’ (2016). The streets and sights of Dublin also feature to good effect. The writing is crisp but emotive, particularly from the female POVs. The pace is slow in the first half (it’s literary fiction, after all) but picks up towards the end. The ending is credible. The author breaks no new ground here, but her execution is first rate.