Ahmad Zikri Zikri itibaren Rusland, Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 8LB, İngiltere
Executive chef Gabriel Lightfoot runs the kitchen of the Imperial Hotel in London. He is under constant pressure to juggle the demands of the hotel management whilst secretly attempting to set up in business on his own. His kitchen staff consists of weird and wonderful characters from all over the world, he also has the added pressure of worrying about his Dad, back up north and dying from cancer. When one of the hotel porters is found dead in the basement, Gabe's world starts to unravel drastically, the added appearance of Lena in his life doesnt help matters at all. The opening chapters of 'In The Kitchen' appear a little confused and overwhelming - the vast array of multi-national characters make it a little difficult to keep up at times, however, after this initial burst of drama, the story slows down and events and characters are gently unfurled. There is a feeling of 'menace' running through the story, with some shadowy, dark secrets hidden away, with just a peek at what is to come every now and then. Gabe is a fantastically well-drawn character, by no means perfect, but basically a sound guy who wants the best for everyone he is involved with. This gets him further and further into trouble; with hotel management, his glamourous night-club singer girlfriend and his family back home. When Gabe visited his dying father and senile grandmother back home, he re-visits his childhood. When Gabe and his sister Jenny talk about their long-dead Mother it is fascinating to see how their memories differ, and how Gabe's whole take on life changes when he realises that his Mum wasnt quite what he thought. After initial difficulty with the first chapter or so, I was soon drawn into this story. The descriptions of place and character are wonderfully written and the story gently unfolds and kept me turning the pages wondering just what would happen next.