What do you think?
Rate this book
Bone in the Throat
When ambitious wannabe chef Tommy Pagano takes a job in his cousin's restaurant in Little Italy, he finds himself in the middle of a Mafia-run business and embroiled with eccentric hoods, an unusual hitman, and the most incompetent wiseguys ever. A first novel. 25,000 first printing. $25,000 ad/promo.
290 pages, Hardcover
First published June 6, 1995
About the author
Anthony Bourdain
80 books6,112 followersAnthony Michael Bourdain was an American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian. He starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the human condition.
Bourdain was a 1978 graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and a veteran of many professional kitchens during his career, which included several years spent as an executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles, in Manhattan. He first became known for his bestselling book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (2000).
Bourdain's first food and world-travel television show A Cook's Tour ran for 35 episodes on the Food Network in 2002 and 2003. In 2005, he began hosting the Travel Channel's culinary and cultural adventure programs Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005–2012) and The Layover (2011–2013). In 2013, he began a three-season run as a judge on The Taste and consequently switched his travelogue programming to CNN to host Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. Although best known for his culinary writings and television presentations, along with several books on food and cooking and travel adventures, Bourdain also wrote both fiction and historical nonfiction.
Bourdain was a 1978 graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and a veteran of many professional kitchens during his career, which included several years spent as an executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles, in Manhattan. He first became known for his bestselling book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (2000).
Bourdain's first food and world-travel television show A Cook's Tour ran for 35 episodes on the Food Network in 2002 and 2003. In 2005, he began hosting the Travel Channel's culinary and cultural adventure programs Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005–2012) and The Layover (2011–2013). In 2013, he began a three-season run as a judge on The Taste and consequently switched his travelogue programming to CNN to host Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. Although best known for his culinary writings and television presentations, along with several books on food and cooking and travel adventures, Bourdain also wrote both fiction and historical nonfiction.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 469 reviews
January 13, 2016
A lot of people don't know this, but Anthony Bourdain used to write fiction, most people are aware of him for his tv shows: A Cooks Tour, No Reservations and Layover along with his food writing and his 1 cookbook. However, before all of this, back when he was still the chef at Les Halles in New York City, he wrote 3 books of fiction. Sadly they did not sell well and only due to his later fame were they rediscovered. That's really too bad, because they're great.
This shouldn't come as a surprise, but his fiction usually revolves in some way around the food industry, specifically cooks and restaurants. Also, organized crime is a large theme as well, again, not a shocker for anyone familiar with Bourdain and his work. He's always been public about his fascination with that particular world.
Bone in the Throat revolves around Tommy Pagana and his girlfriend. Tommy is an aspiring chef whose family has lots of mafia connections. Through these connections Tommy gets a job at a restaurant, he's just trying to learn how to be a chef, but the mafia and their demands keep getting in his way. How he and his girlfriend navigate this is the plot of the book.
And this is a GREAT book folks. I'm a fan of Bourdain and he's one of the few authors who's never once disappointed me. Now that I've said this, it will probably happen. I recommend Bone in the Throat highly, you won't be sorry you picked it up.
This shouldn't come as a surprise, but his fiction usually revolves in some way around the food industry, specifically cooks and restaurants. Also, organized crime is a large theme as well, again, not a shocker for anyone familiar with Bourdain and his work. He's always been public about his fascination with that particular world.
Bone in the Throat revolves around Tommy Pagana and his girlfriend. Tommy is an aspiring chef whose family has lots of mafia connections. Through these connections Tommy gets a job at a restaurant, he's just trying to learn how to be a chef, but the mafia and their demands keep getting in his way. How he and his girlfriend navigate this is the plot of the book.
And this is a GREAT book folks. I'm a fan of Bourdain and he's one of the few authors who's never once disappointed me. Now that I've said this, it will probably happen. I recommend Bone in the Throat highly, you won't be sorry you picked it up.
November 25, 2014
On the one hand, this novel reads like a caricature of The Godfather, like the fantasy of someone who has watched one too many Martin Scorsese movies. On the other hand, it is full of action, ribald dialogue, and asides about food that only a master chef could deliver. Not great literature--in that regard Bourdain is to Mario Puzo what Krispy Kreme is to fine French pastry, but you gotta admit, sometimes you'd really rather have a damned doughnut.
May 16, 2019
A mafia story with foodie/restaurant elements.
I did not care much for the mafia story, but I really liked the descriptions of the work in the kitchen.
-----------------------------------
Ein Mafia-Krimi im Restaurant-/Küchenchef-Milieu.
Die Küchenchef-Anteile haben mir sehr gut gefallen, den Krimi-Part fand ich weniger toll. Das Ende war allerdings wirklich überraschend, wenn auch für meinen Geschmack ziemlich unbefriedigend.
I did not care much for the mafia story, but I really liked the descriptions of the work in the kitchen.
-----------------------------------
Ein Mafia-Krimi im Restaurant-/Küchenchef-Milieu.
Die Küchenchef-Anteile haben mir sehr gut gefallen, den Krimi-Part fand ich weniger toll. Das Ende war allerdings wirklich überraschend, wenn auch für meinen Geschmack ziemlich unbefriedigend.
June 13, 2018
I went into this with no expectations, but it turned out to be great fun. Snarky, funny and entertaining, just like his food books. But with murder most foul.
RIP, Mr. Bourdain.
RIP, Mr. Bourdain.
April 2, 2020
This was a light read. And a great one.
I was watching the Sopranos and wanted to read a light novel involving the wise guys. I had seen Tony's tv shows and read his fantastic book, Kitchen Confidential. So, this book was exactly what I had hoped it would be.
I was watching the Sopranos and wanted to read a light novel involving the wise guys. I had seen Tony's tv shows and read his fantastic book, Kitchen Confidential. So, this book was exactly what I had hoped it would be.
March 28, 2014
I'm a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain. Having watched him compose beautiful stories through food and culture on his television shows, I knew he wouldn't disappoint me as a writer of fiction. His book "Bone in the Throat" was not as elegant and interesting as I had assumed it would be, but knowing Bourdain's taste for foul language and getting at the heart of a story helped me sink my teeth into this book. The story involves a group of mafia-types, police, and restaurant junkies who are playing a game of merry-go-round to see which side wins. I found myself not caring too much for any of the characters, but I think that's the point. You're not supposed to fall in love with these people. They're realistic in that they have good and bad qualities. They're flawed. I ended up rooting for a couple of characters who got mixed up in all that was going on and hoping they'd come out on top. They didn't come out unscathed in an ending that wasn't quite what I expected. I own more of Mr. Bourdain's books that I look forward to reading in the near future.
November 11, 2014
Unfortunately, this novel had too many characters. The main one(s) were not really developed effectively. I struggled to root for anyone. I knew that I was mean to root for the chef and the sous chef, but I just couldn't.
However, there is an excellent moment with a meat slicer that I found fun!
To be fair, this isn't my usual fare; I may be ill-equipped to judge.
However, there is an excellent moment with a meat slicer that I found fun!
To be fair, this isn't my usual fare; I may be ill-equipped to judge.
July 8, 2024
Love Anthony Bourdain and love mysteries but this one just didn't do it for me. Inundated with mundane details, imo. In the beginning I thought it was interesting because we get detailed description of one of the chefs cooking but then it turned out to be that much detail for a lot of things, many of which are not actually related to the storyline. This book is for you if you want to read The Sopranos meets The Bear.
February 6, 2008
Touted as a snarky mystery, this really is just fiction, almost more of a character study. This is one book I had to make myself finish. I had a hard time keeping track of the characters ("who is this guy again?") until late in the book because few were fleshed out enough to stick with me.
June 17, 2008
as advertised, a good beach towel skimmer
July 20, 2026
For all the many reasons to love Anthony Bourdain- his politics, his style, his unique bone structure- it was his relationship with writing that I most adored. Especially since he spent more than two decades in the New York food service industry. As a woman writer who also worked in New York food service for twenty years, I've always admired anyone who affirms the reality that you can write your way out of the kitchen. And Anthony Bourdain literally used the kitchen as a raft to parts of the world he had always dreamed and read about. How brilliant!
Bone in the Throat is a mobster-style crime novel set in Manhattan's Little Italy. Tommy is a knucklehead chef with a drug problem, an unpredictable love life, and an unfortunate connection to a recent murder. His uncle Sally is the bad apple always pulling Tommy to a life of crime when all he wants to do is cook. His friend, the chef, is fighting for his life to beat heroin addiction. His girlfriend, Cheryl, is all in until she finds out Tommy cheated on her with another waitress at the restaurant. The restaurant owner, Harvey, is a dentist whose restaurateur dreams landed him in a heap of trouble with the mob. The book is filled with characters and chaos, but the plot only inches along as it's deeply character-driven.
When it was first released in 1995, Kirkus Reviews gave it a lukewarm review, noting that the dialogue was underwhelming and the chef's heroin subplot was a turn in the wrong direction. I agree with them about the dialogue, but they got it all wrong when it comes to the chef. Kitchen Confidential may have been Anthony Bourdain's most popular book, but Bone in the Throat is most reflective of the life he lived before the fame, the money, and the big opportunities. Bourdain was a recovering heroin addict who continued struggling with addiction even after quitting heroin cold turkey. When he wrote Bone in the Throat, he was still a struggling cook focused on making it as an author. Much of the book is a reflection of the life he was living and had also survived. The characters were fictional, but as an author Bourdain pulled inspiration from the people he knew as well as personal experiences.
Unlike the Anthony Bourdain that the world fell in love with- globe-trotting to different countries and continents- the lead character of his book, Tommy, has never traveled anywhere, much like Anthony. Save for a few visits to Paris in his childhood when his parents came into some money, and he was an exceptionally local guy. Traveling in the name of food and connection didn't happen until the early aughts during production for his fourth book, A Cook's Tour, which would also become his first television show. And so, it reads as almost intimate that the entirety of Bone in the Throat takes place in New York, venturing outside the city only in a scene where Harvey heads out to Long Beach. Most scenes take place either in the restaurant, at Tommy's apartment, or in the Lower East Side.
In the same way that New York City was the main character in Sex and the City, food takes the lead in Bone in the Throat. Many scenes are deeply detailed in the food that is prepared, purchased, and enjoyed. Tommy has more than one love in his life. Friends like the chef, lovers like Cheryl and Stephanie. But there is no other conquest in his life more important than food. Tommy loves to cook; he loves quality food, and he loves any opportunity to flex his skills in the kitchen.
The book is a classic in my library because it shows a reflection of Anthony Bourdain that you'll never see in interviews or on television. And it's good because the fusion of mystery, narrative prose, and food is delicious. However, outside of those qualities, it's pretty cheesy.
There are so many people, nationalities, and cultures in New York - especially in the city. Bourdain's choice to make everyone either Italian or Irish flattened the plot. I get the mob appeal, and 1995 was prime after Goodfellas, but at times I wondered if the presence of the mob was an excuse to use the n-word, which appeared throughout the book. In 1995, that word was not allowed on television or in magazines, but could still be found in books and film.
I am hyper-aware of the fact that for many, the presence of the n-word is excusable in narrative fiction. However, as a Black reader, there's never a time I see it used without flinching and discomfort.
The ending was as bloody as I expected it to be when the book began with two high cooks in a kitchen fussing over a knife. But it wasn't "anticlimactic" like Kirkus Reviews suggested, and it felt like a solid lead up to Bourdain's second novel, Gone Bamboo.
Bone in the Throat is a mobster-style crime novel set in Manhattan's Little Italy. Tommy is a knucklehead chef with a drug problem, an unpredictable love life, and an unfortunate connection to a recent murder. His uncle Sally is the bad apple always pulling Tommy to a life of crime when all he wants to do is cook. His friend, the chef, is fighting for his life to beat heroin addiction. His girlfriend, Cheryl, is all in until she finds out Tommy cheated on her with another waitress at the restaurant. The restaurant owner, Harvey, is a dentist whose restaurateur dreams landed him in a heap of trouble with the mob. The book is filled with characters and chaos, but the plot only inches along as it's deeply character-driven.
When it was first released in 1995, Kirkus Reviews gave it a lukewarm review, noting that the dialogue was underwhelming and the chef's heroin subplot was a turn in the wrong direction. I agree with them about the dialogue, but they got it all wrong when it comes to the chef. Kitchen Confidential may have been Anthony Bourdain's most popular book, but Bone in the Throat is most reflective of the life he lived before the fame, the money, and the big opportunities. Bourdain was a recovering heroin addict who continued struggling with addiction even after quitting heroin cold turkey. When he wrote Bone in the Throat, he was still a struggling cook focused on making it as an author. Much of the book is a reflection of the life he was living and had also survived. The characters were fictional, but as an author Bourdain pulled inspiration from the people he knew as well as personal experiences.
Unlike the Anthony Bourdain that the world fell in love with- globe-trotting to different countries and continents- the lead character of his book, Tommy, has never traveled anywhere, much like Anthony. Save for a few visits to Paris in his childhood when his parents came into some money, and he was an exceptionally local guy. Traveling in the name of food and connection didn't happen until the early aughts during production for his fourth book, A Cook's Tour, which would also become his first television show. And so, it reads as almost intimate that the entirety of Bone in the Throat takes place in New York, venturing outside the city only in a scene where Harvey heads out to Long Beach. Most scenes take place either in the restaurant, at Tommy's apartment, or in the Lower East Side.
In the same way that New York City was the main character in Sex and the City, food takes the lead in Bone in the Throat. Many scenes are deeply detailed in the food that is prepared, purchased, and enjoyed. Tommy has more than one love in his life. Friends like the chef, lovers like Cheryl and Stephanie. But there is no other conquest in his life more important than food. Tommy loves to cook; he loves quality food, and he loves any opportunity to flex his skills in the kitchen.
The book is a classic in my library because it shows a reflection of Anthony Bourdain that you'll never see in interviews or on television. And it's good because the fusion of mystery, narrative prose, and food is delicious. However, outside of those qualities, it's pretty cheesy.
There are so many people, nationalities, and cultures in New York - especially in the city. Bourdain's choice to make everyone either Italian or Irish flattened the plot. I get the mob appeal, and 1995 was prime after Goodfellas, but at times I wondered if the presence of the mob was an excuse to use the n-word, which appeared throughout the book. In 1995, that word was not allowed on television or in magazines, but could still be found in books and film.
I am hyper-aware of the fact that for many, the presence of the n-word is excusable in narrative fiction. However, as a Black reader, there's never a time I see it used without flinching and discomfort.
The ending was as bloody as I expected it to be when the book began with two high cooks in a kitchen fussing over a knife. But it wasn't "anticlimactic" like Kirkus Reviews suggested, and it felt like a solid lead up to Bourdain's second novel, Gone Bamboo.
May 28, 2024
This was an entertaining read - especially if you like Anthony Bourdain & The Sopranos. The characters are almost all pretty horrible people but I just kept wanting to read more. I saw a review on here that mentioned how all the characters are written in Bourdain’s voice and honestly that’s a spot on observation. This is no great literary masterpiece but it wasn’t bad.
June 23, 2025
Really interesting read, you can tell it was written by a chef. Slightly slow start but keeps you intrigued. Gives a detailed look at life as a sous chef, especially one wrapped up with the mob. Would recommend.
July 1, 2026
3.5 easy to enjoy but for Bourdain completionists only (which I am not so don't listen to me)
Read
December 17, 2024I can't believe that Anthony stole my The Bear / Sopranos crossover fanfic.
May 10, 2012
Muito se tem falado do Anthony Bourdain nos últimos tempos, principalmente com a sua recente vinda ao nosso país. Embora não o tenha descoberto agora, não posso dizer que seja um seguidor. Isto é, vejo o "No Reservations" sempre que me lembro e gosto do que vejo. O problema é que nem sempre me lembro. No entanto, apesar de já conhecer o Anthony Bourdain há algum tempo, este livro obriga-me a ficar ao lado daqueles que só agora aprenderam que ele existe. Sou sincero: sabia que ele era um chef de cozinha; não fazia ideia que era um chef da escrita.
"Bone in the throat", ou "Osso na garganta",como se chamará, mais dia menos dia, a edição portuguesa (não é um palpite, é uma esperança de publicação), é um livro com óptimos ingredientes: bons personagens, excelentes diálogos, bastante acção, humor, morte, culinária e máfia.
A história gira em torno de Tommy Pagano, um cozinheiro, cujo tio Sally pertence à Máfia. Tommy não quer ter nada a ver com esses negócios, mas quando aceita fazer-lhe um favor, vê-se no meio duma investigação da polícia e do FBI ao seu tio Sally e restantes amigos mafiosos.
Julgo, no entanto, que a melhor frase que define este livro (e que foi a frase que me chamou primeiro à atenção; ainda antes de ler o enredo), publicada pela revista MAXIM, é "Goodfellas meets Masterchef". E é isto. Pensem no Goodfellas, aquele bom filme com o Joe Pesci, o Roberto DeNiro, o Ray Liotta e tantos outros, juntem-no com o Masterchef e ficam com 350 páginas muito, muito divertidas.
Dica para quem quiser adquirir um exemplar deste livro. Além das habituais lojas online, pode ir à Bertrand do Chiado. Está lá 5,50€. Perdoem-me a alusão gratuita a essa livraria (não sou funcionário, nem accionista, apenas cliente esporádico), mas é por uma boa causa.
"Bone in the throat", ou "Osso na garganta",como se chamará, mais dia menos dia, a edição portuguesa (não é um palpite, é uma esperança de publicação), é um livro com óptimos ingredientes: bons personagens, excelentes diálogos, bastante acção, humor, morte, culinária e máfia.
A história gira em torno de Tommy Pagano, um cozinheiro, cujo tio Sally pertence à Máfia. Tommy não quer ter nada a ver com esses negócios, mas quando aceita fazer-lhe um favor, vê-se no meio duma investigação da polícia e do FBI ao seu tio Sally e restantes amigos mafiosos.
Julgo, no entanto, que a melhor frase que define este livro (e que foi a frase que me chamou primeiro à atenção; ainda antes de ler o enredo), publicada pela revista MAXIM, é "Goodfellas meets Masterchef". E é isto. Pensem no Goodfellas, aquele bom filme com o Joe Pesci, o Roberto DeNiro, o Ray Liotta e tantos outros, juntem-no com o Masterchef e ficam com 350 páginas muito, muito divertidas.
Dica para quem quiser adquirir um exemplar deste livro. Além das habituais lojas online, pode ir à Bertrand do Chiado. Está lá 5,50€. Perdoem-me a alusão gratuita a essa livraria (não sou funcionário, nem accionista, apenas cliente esporádico), mas é por uma boa causa.
October 2, 2008
Libris interruptus...I was traveling on my motorcycle to see a film at the Zurich Film Festival with this book in my jacket pocket, but when I arrived at the venue, the book was gone. I was about two-thirds of the way through the book at the time of its disappearance. I guess it is a testament to how little I was engaged with the story that I did not make a search for the book after it went missing.
The story was okay. The characters were okay. The writing was okay. Therefore my rating on the first two-thirds of the book is "it was okay." Unfortunately, I was looking forward to finishing the story, since there are supposed to be some plot twists near the end. However, I'll sleep fine not knowing what they are.
The story was okay. The characters were okay. The writing was okay. Therefore my rating on the first two-thirds of the book is "it was okay." Unfortunately, I was looking forward to finishing the story, since there are supposed to be some plot twists near the end. However, I'll sleep fine not knowing what they are.
September 12, 2010
Even before he was big-time, Mr. Tony had a real clarity of voice and tone that help this novel cohesive and kept me reading. He does a nice job of rotating chapters through the eyes of many characters without getting bogged down by the variety; each chapter also advances the admittedly thin plot. I would've enjoyed more mystery and less novel, the ending was a foregone conclusion, though he did build some nice suspense especially during the face-in-the-meat-slicer scene, which was particularly toe-curling!
The wealth of great details and pacing of the action kept it entertaining and enjoyable. A nice light read on a lazy weekend. And Tony looks so young and cute on the back cover. . . .
The wealth of great details and pacing of the action kept it entertaining and enjoyable. A nice light read on a lazy weekend. And Tony looks so young and cute on the back cover. . . .
August 1, 2019
In 1995, just as he was starting to get attention, Anthony Bourdain wrote this paean to NY mob fiction with a culinary twist. "Bone in the Throat" doesn't cover any new ground in the story line, but the detailed restaurant/kitchen background makes it seem fresh. And you can't help hearing Bourdain's distinctive voice narrating. Plenty of New York landmarks (some no longer in existence) get a nod and anyone who was gallivanting around the West Village in the 1990's will be sure to get a bit nostalgic. There's even a character based on Al "Grandpa" Lewis whose restaurant was a bit of a tourist attraction back in the day. All in all, it is an enjoyable read and I'll probably check out some of his other fiction as a result.
March 29, 2021
Clearly written as a tribute from someone who loved mafia and gangster films ‘Bone In The Throat’ has all the ingredients you would need for a thrilling story about a crime syndicate. A drug addled chef, relentless feds and a guy who doesn’t want no part of the family business. A good and easy read.
February 26, 2008
An okay read, definitely not as good as his nonfiction
November 1, 2018
Enjoyed it, but Bourdain is better on tv than in the fiction section. 📚
April 21, 2025
A very good mob story, with a Bourdain twist. It did drag in places, and struggled with its own weight in the middle, but for his first published work it was very dang good. I'd recommend it.
April 29, 2020
As a fan of both Bourdain's television persona and his non-fiction work, I went into this with high hopes. I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed. I haven't read much crime fiction in the past, mainly due to lack of interest. This book, however, had me hooked from the prologue. Bourdain had a true talent for painting a picture with his words. This could very easily be translated into a script for film or television. The characters have heart and feel real. The story is full of twists and turns. I could almost swear that The Sopranos lifted more than a few ideas from these pages. When I reached the last few chapters, there was no way I could put the book down. The character of the chef was clearly based on Bourdain himself, but managed to avoid stealing the limelight from the other characters. Tommy felt like the kind of guy so many of us grew up with. Even if you didn't, you might still find yourself wanting to grab a drink with him sometime and catch up on old times you never had. We've probably all had a boss like Harvey at some point, as well. For those of us lucky enough not to have an Uncle Sally of our own, we probably know somebody that does have family like him. Bourdain's love for his original profession shined through in the scenes involving food. I was practically drooling anytime somebody was cooking. I highly recommend this book not only to fans of Bourdain, but to anyone interested in a true page turner, and especially to fans of crime fiction or mafia stories.
February 29, 2020
While I was/am a huge fan of Bourdain the travel writer and television host, I expected this delving into fiction to be average at best. While the story itself was pretty good, the dialogue between characters was rough. The characters were stereotypical especially the cops and mobsters to the point of being caricatures with everything being embellished to the nth degree. It's clear the main chef character is largely based on Bourdain, drug problem and all. Overall there is a solid plot here with a coherent story line and pacing that keeps you interested throughout. What's not to love really, mobsters overly involved in the restaurant business in New York while police are running surveillance on them, all with a couple chefs find themselves in the midst of it all. Given some practice, I think Bourdain could have developed into a fairly good fiction writer, but I guess we'll never know now.
May 25, 2024
Bourdain is excellent at description and has the soul of poet, which is why his nonfiction books are so delightful. That said, the best parts of this fiction piece are in the kitchen, the mafia plot was just too convulted to hook me and it seem like all of the characters were mainly a derivative of Chef-- particularly the female characters to me didn't feel authentic, they talked like a crass hard working Chef. As a woman who paid her dues in back of house it still felt like a totally male perspective and knowing how much Bourdain did emulate women, I would have liked him to have used a female pair of eyes to give him notes. Of course, he may just have told me to go f** myself or appreciated my terseness. I still will give his other fictions a go, I do love his writing style.
July 2, 2018
This seems to have been Bourdain’s first book, a hard-boiled gangster/restaurant novel set in Little Italy. There are hints there of the terrific writer he eventually became—black humor, ridiculous situations, and some convincing characters. However, it becomes clear to readers of Bourdain’s later work that the best characters and situations are largely straight out of his autobiography. Descriptions of food and food prep are lovingly done, and some of the horrors of the failing restaurant in which the protagonist works are familiar to readers of Bourdain’s rants in Kitchen Confidential and other books. It’s on the violent and gory side. If you can take that, and are genuinely interested in Bourdain’s development as a writer, you’ll enjoy this book.
January 30, 2022
Shouldn't be surprised that Anthony Bourdain's crime fiction is basically like if an Elmore Leonard novel was set in the New York restaurant world instead of the Detroit underbelly. That's not an insult. This was really entertaining. Good dialogue. It's a little "big" and I wouldn't call the crime part of it "realistic," however -- the characters are all basically caricatures of guys in mob movies/The Sopranos. But it's fun, and worth it for the Bourdaininess of it all.
August 8, 2022
Should you read this, try to forget that it's written by Anthony Bourdain, star of countless TV shows and overall badass dude who everyone loved.
Try to remember that this book was written almost 30 years ago by Anthony Bourdain, first time novelist and still full-time chef. Like many first timers, he's still finding his voice here. You won't be getting the guy who wrote Kitchen Confidential, or who narrated all those great travel shows. You're getting a guy heavily inspired by Elmore Leonard--not a bad thing in my book.
There's a lot to like here. Dirtbag characters in the restaurant world. Scummy, if not cartoony mobsters. Goofball FBI guys.
Much of this would likely be cut by a better, more experienced novelist, as Bourdain would prove himself to be in his follow-up novel, Gone Bamboo, a few years later.
One particular section really sticks out: an extended sequence where a character (the clear author stand in) goes on a drug score that turns out to be almost more than he could handle.
Try to remember that this book was written almost 30 years ago by Anthony Bourdain, first time novelist and still full-time chef. Like many first timers, he's still finding his voice here. You won't be getting the guy who wrote Kitchen Confidential, or who narrated all those great travel shows. You're getting a guy heavily inspired by Elmore Leonard--not a bad thing in my book.
There's a lot to like here. Dirtbag characters in the restaurant world. Scummy, if not cartoony mobsters. Goofball FBI guys.
Much of this would likely be cut by a better, more experienced novelist, as Bourdain would prove himself to be in his follow-up novel, Gone Bamboo, a few years later.
One particular section really sticks out: an extended sequence where a character (the clear author stand in) goes on a drug score that turns out to be almost more than he could handle.
June 25, 2018
I recently discovered the crime novels written by Anthony Bourdain. This was a really good one. Who knew he was such a good fiction writer! This one has a lot of details in the restaurant world which I enjoyed. It was an interesting story filled with crime, gangsters, drugs and food. I look forward to reading Bourdain's other fiction books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 469 reviews