'Test Kitchen is phenomenal - a mad, magical, ten-course feast of a novel, gorgeously written, totally original, packed with ideas and invention. Incredibly ambitious too - so many characters, so many stories, all of it choreographed so expertly. I have no idea how Neil Stewart did it, even after reading it twice. It deserves to be a massive success. Three Michelin stars' Paul Murray, author of The Bee Sting

'An amazing novel . . . Veering from humorous to horrifying, Test Kitchen shows real insight into the mildly unhinged nature of both high-end restaurants and their diners - with wit, lyricism and a killer turn of phrase' Marina O'Loughlin

'Test Kitchen is like A Visit from the Goon Squad meets The Menu and I'm loving it!' Alice Slater, author of Death of a Bookseller

It's Tuesday night at sleek London restaurant Midgard. In the kitchen, knives race through mise en place; the front of house hums with anticipation: the stage is set for chaos.

The maître d' is tangled in a conspiracy he can't escape. A young foodie plots revenge. The nervous new sous chef is about to crack. A restaurant critic has her pen poised. A patisserie chef is haunted by an ex-lover who won't let go. And a diner with a terrible wound conceals an even more terrible secret.

Watching from the shadows is Marley, one of the waitresses. As stories collide and truths quickly unravel, she knows something terrible is about to unfold - but she's powerless to stop it.

Gripping and darkly comedic, Test Kitchen explores the twisted world of food, power, and passion - a biting tale of mothers, magic and mortality, served on a silver platter.

"If you have binged The Bear and want the literary equivalent, we have the book for you ... Stewart's vivid descriptions and sharp prose bring this story to life, with many twists and a dark humorous look at the culture of food, mortality wrapped in a mystery" - Glamour 'Best Books of July'

"Stewart's pitch black humour often takes a delighted lurch into the macabre - he captures the high pressure and utter farce of high-end dining perfectly and his wicked pen sketches of his characters are totally moreish" - The Times

"Unfurls with tremendous speed and energy, recreating the tense, thrilling atmosphere of the fine-dining restaurant world with aplomb . . . Stewart's blend of literary prose with the trappings of genre fiction shows a writer with great range. This ingenuity and flair are most noticeable in the depth of the characters' backstories, which are by turns depraved, hilarious and deeply moving" - Irish Times

"Stewart's descriptions are mouth-watering and his storytelling both claustrophobic and expansive. The heat rises gradually to a sizzle - and then a bang" - Mail on Sunday