I really liked the sound of this book but unfortunately the writing style was just not for me.

Thank you to #NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Given the subject matter this is actually a very fun read.

Gory with a concept that makes it stand out-the protagonist is in jail and recounting her life of killing and eating men, brilliant!

Good research and knowledge which is always appreciated.

Humbert Humbert said that you can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style, and proud psychopath, murderer and cannibal Dorothy does not disappoint. on that front. Simile layers on simile to create a first person memoir of murder which is sensually grotesque. I had strong flashbacks to Alyssa Nutting's Tampa while reading this one: a proud monstrous woman commits monstrous acts with a heavy emphasis on sex, although I definitely preferred it to Tampa. As the story grows and you eventually learn what sparked Dorothy's liver eating rampage (with requisite nods to Lector, of course) and what she holds onto, A Certain Hunger becomes much richer and more delicious than a simple psychopath narrative.

Dorothy Daniels recounts her life and relationships; but Dorothy is no ordinary food writer and as her story unfolds her dark truth is revealed.

I loved this novel! Be warned the subject matter is very dark and a little gory (I loved it) and Dorothy's voice and her recounting the events that leads to each murder is fantastic. A gripping and truly original novel that had me hooked from the first page.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the noel in exchange for an honest review

Unfortunately not a story for me.

At first I was intrigued by the brash voice of the narrator but the number of recurring plot points that rely on the same small number of pivots and jokes, make the tone of voice tiresome by the mid point.

The female reimagining of the psychopath trope felt more like pick me girl than an attempt to divert the male gaze.

Gosh I absolutely loved this gem! It's so rare to be surprised by sheer originality and style and it was a pleasure to read this. So bold, unapologetic and juicy! Definitely not for the faint-hearted but what a great find. Can't wait for more from this author.

This took a chapter to get into and I wasn’t sure whether I would like it and then I was hooked! Dorothy is a psychopath in prison writing her memoirs. She tells us all about how she killed her victims, plotting how to do it and ate their body parts. Her lovers, gourmet food, New York, her jobs and sex. This book is fabulously gruesome – American Psycho meets Hannibal Lecter! Interestingly, the author pays tribute to Brett Easton Ellis and there are distinct American Psycho vibes running through it

I thoroughly enjoyed it. She said it took her eight years to write – it must have taken her such a long time to research slaughtering, how to kosher; her knowledge of Italy and restaurants and recipes. She should be commended for her research!

I would rate this book 5 stars and would like to see this made into a film.

Well I’m not sure that I was quite expecting this story when I started reading! My interest was piqued by the idea of a middle aged protagonist who appeared to be a rather colourful character, but gosh, I wasn’t quite expecting such a gruesome psychopath as Dorothy. Yet I found myself compelled to keep reading. Something in the way Dorothy spoke so directly to the reader meant that I just had to keep going. I’d say it was quite a juxtaposition of dark, gruesome, calculated murder; often quite beautiful prose about the joys of truly good food; and also often a helping of very dry, dark humour. Dorothy’s voice rang clear and calm from the pages and certainly the ending left you reflecting on the way we as a society view female psychopaths.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review.

DNF at 34%. I just couldn't get on board with the writing style. Lists and metaphors are overused, and it's very pretentious - which I realize is meant to fit the character of woman we're following, but it made it difficult to read. I felt the story lacked flow, and I couldn't find the drive to continue.

The premise of a female psychopathic food critic who kills and eats her lovers sounded fantastic, but I was disappointed with the execution.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc ebook.
Written in the style of a memoir, the lead character tells her tale - and it's certainly not one for the faint hearted or easily offended!
My only complaint was it was very wordy and pretentious - which fits her character as a food critic - but it made reading some parts feel like a bit of a chore, especially to begin with.
3.5 stars

In this novel Dorothy is telling us the story of her life. Of sex, gourmet food, New York, her lovers, Italy.. and killing four men. Because Dorothy is a psychopath, serving life in prison for murder.

It was an intoxicating, lush and thrilling read. I thoroughly enjoyed Dorothy's character, her narrative was full of insightful and cutting reflections, recounting with honesty and awareness her sexual and culinary exploits. She's unapologetic, bold, whip-smart, curious and hedonistic. Loved her.
Another thing that stood out to me was the writing, which was lush, flowing and gorgeous. I wanted to underline every sentence. I'll be recommending this book left and right.

3.5 stars rounded up.
Well this turned out to be a bit bonkers... and I do love me a splosh of bonkers! It seems to be becoming a bit more prevalent these books where the MC is a complete and utter wrong un and the reader is lulled into practically siding with them... rooting for them... Against all better judgement...
Dorothy is definitely one of these characters. We first meet her when she plunges an ice pick into the neck of the man she is "involved" with... She's a food critic, from the Hannibal Lecter school. She is also extremely well travelled. And she tells her story in flashback as she is currently, well, indisposed... And what a story it is. Bonkers all the way... Not entirely as credible as maybe the author hoped (or not) but, eye rolling aside, a bit of a rollicking ride all the way through. Also a tad graphic in places, be warned...
It shouldn't work, it shouldn't have been as enticing as it was, I probably shouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did, given the subject matter and all. But it was and I did, and that's that. Don't get me wrong, although I revelled at her evil and nastiness, I have no desire to make friends with Dorothy. I just kinda admire her reasons for doing what she did (albeit ott) even though the actions were abhorrent. And also unique... And it was extremely well written with dark humour peppered throughout.
A word of advice before I go, the sample feature of eReaders is made for this sort of book. I do suggest you "try before you buy" as it really isn't for everyone...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

A Certain Hunger

I loved this book! It may be gruesome in parts, after all, this is the memoir of a serial killer, but its sardonic wit and bible black humour is what impressed me most.
From her prison cell, Dorothy Daniels tells the story in her own words. In her 50’s, she is never going to get out. She recalls her previous life as a restaurant critic and editor in 1980’s and 1990’s print magazines. But she is at pains to explain that she has never slept with a chef. Dorothy came from a middle class background and had a mother for whom food was an integral part of family life. But Dorothy was the rebel of the family –mom’s kind, well meant, food gifts gathered dust on a shelf or rotted. Our heroine loved junk food instead.
And Dorothy grew up to become that rare creature – a female serial killer and cannibal. She recalls the men she killed, what body parts she harvested, how they tasted and that they now reside within her. As she puts it ‘It’s the food you desire when you can’t have it.’ Dorothy is proud to be a female psychopath as she believes that ‘women fake it better than men.’ Now she is studied by badly dressed, PhD students and as she also says ‘some of us were both with a howling void where our souls should sway.’ As Georges Bataille once said, ‘A kiss is the beginning of cannibalism’ and so it proves to be with Dorothy’s lovers.
There are food and drink references in the chapter headings and the book begins with ‘The Corpse Reviver’, a cocktail that features absinthe, and first appeared in 1987. Immediately the reader knows that they are in the hands of someone with very particular tastes. A hotel bar is described as ‘a wide slab of wood as smooth as fine Belgian chocolate and almost as dark.’ She appraises her next victim as he appraises her. The young man, Casimir, who thinks that he is picking her up, writes poetry at night while wishing that ‘quills were not so difficult and pretentious.’ But Casimir will almost rise from the grave to avenge his own death.
Then Dorothy takes the reader by the hand and leads us through the foodie obsessed ‘80’s and her life as a restaurant critic. In some ways this reminded me of restaurant critic, Grace Dent’s biography, ‘Hungry’, in which she describes the wilder, wackier restaurants and chefs’ ambitions that she encountered. Dorothy is finally made redundant with the coming of online blogs and people posting photos of their meals and restaurants with a few pithy words and of course doing it for free.
There’s a lot of graphic sex as well, almost as an hors d-oeuvre to the main act, bloody and final, as she takes what she wants and disposes of the rest. A victim and ex-lover, Gil, with a once luxuriant mane of golden hair, is described as having ‘faint lines of grey appeared like ghosts in a wheatfield.’ Out truffle hunting in Italy, the team is led by ‘A gnarled olive tree of a man.’ The editor who makes Dorothy redundant has ‘(her) nails clacking on her keys like cheap high heels.’ Dorothy launches a freelance career but considers the phrase ‘monetize my blog’ to be ‘so grotesque that Diane Arbus could photograph it.’ A knife is described as so sharp that it ‘made Dorothy Parker’s wit look dull.’ You smile while reading about well planned and well executed death.
There are echoes of ‘American Psycho’ and that wasn’t for the faint hearted as well. Dorothy moves among the well heeled in society. As she disposes of Casimir in an empty vacation house, she knows that its owners will be well insured as they have a cast iron Le Creuset oven. She is well educated, well read and talented. You would probably enjoy meeting and spending time with her for a while but she wouldn’t feel the same about you.
The book has been described a cannibal memoir, but I saw it as a study of someone who was unapologetic about what she was and what she did to assuage her desires. There might be rather more information than the reader needed to know about the working of Italian abattoirs, but it echoed the efficiency with which Dorothy deals with her victims.
A confident, assured debut novel about a woman who dared to cross taboos and is now denied what she needs most. I was left wondering what would happen to Dorothy next?
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

I struggled to review this book, as in fact, I struggled for the longest time to read it. If I hadn’t received the book from Netgalley I probably would have given up half way through but I didn’t and am pleased that I didn’t because I did end up enjoying it.

The good:
The premise … brilliant. A female psychopathic food critic who kills her lovers, then cooks and eats his organs. I mean, c’mon, what’s not to love.

The not so good:
The execution lacked some finesse. The language was overly pretentious particularly in the first half of the book.

But it gets better in the second half and relaxes into itself becoming more the romp that the premise promises.

So do I recommend it? Yes, not unreservedly and not without qualification but yes, A Certain Hunger is worth persevering with. Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this was a wild read! I knew it had a murderous theme but found the whole food-critic takes her passion for trying new delicacies very literally a little much? I think if I'd warmed to Dorothy, our lead character, a little more I might have taken a more open approach to the story.

I did enjoy the deadpan, cavalier tone and overall think it's just a subjective thing, as A Certain Hunger didn't quite tickle my taste buds, but could see how it would appeal to others!

I was looking forward to reading this book as the premise sounded interesting and a bit different. Sadly it didn't live up to my expectations. I understand why it was written in the pretentious waffle of a supposed food critic, but it made it very difficult to read or be interested in Dorothy and her psychopathic actions. I imagine there was supposed to be shock value in the sex and cannibalism, but I suggest that in order to feel anything the reader first has to have an interest in at least one of the characters, and unfortunately I didn't.
Thank you to netgalley and Faber and Faber for an advance copy of this book.

A newish spin on the fashionable taste for novels about female serial killers. Written in the the overblown style of an upmarket restaurant review, I liked the satirical use of such lyrical, often pretentious, language being used both for the protagonist's descriptions of food and of the way she killed her lovers. Especially given her penchant for savouring parts of their bodies cooked restaurant-style. Funnily enough, despite the gruesome detail given it all felt too comic book for it to be overly visceral - this is a plus point for me.

Dorothy, a former food writer, is writing her memoir from prison. She is now serving a life sentence after being caught out for the murder of her most recent boyfriend. But that particular murder is just the tip of the iceberg as far as Dorothy's crimes are concerned.

I am a little conflicted about this book. I am going to be totally honest and say that I considered DNFing several times during the first 6 chapters, making up nearly the whole first third of this book. I didn't like the constant metaphors, alliteration, and lists, lists lists and yet more lists. But then something happened. Maybe I just got used to the writing, but the things I really disliked seemed to become fewer and further between and I really started enjoying this book. There is the odd little dry joke but I have liked more humour in the story. I am really glad I stuck with this book and didn't fling it early on as it is a very entertaining read in the long run.

As it turns out, a book can both sate your appetites and make your stomach turn in tandem.

Dorothy Daniels, a food critic and self-proclaimed psychopath, walks us through every carnal impulse, each act of depravity, every salacious moment which assures her eventual incarceration; and she does not spare us the lurid details.

Dorothy is deplorable, morally reprehensible in every conceivable way, but she is nothing if not captivating. While not for the faint of heart, A Certain Hunger is perfect to sink your teeth into when you are craving a book as outrageous as it is obscene. If Dorothy had a motto, it would surely be "These violent delights have violent ends". She gets what she wants, and I cannot fault her for it.

Metaphor and simile pervade each and every page of this novel. After all, it is only fitting that a woman renowned for her eloquent writing must recount her downfall in equally exquisite detail. Though, while beautiful, the language certainly does nothing to make the grotesque more palatable - A Certain Hunger is (ironically) shamelessly unsavoury. Thankfully, I reserve particular admiration for a book that can make me wince.

A Certain Hunger is altogether engrossing and is sure to be a hit with fans of the genre. I will say, however, that a pitfall of intricate language is this: a word as distinct as "fecund" is impossible to ignore when abundant, and abundant it certainly was.

Although I loved the premier of 'A Certain Hunger' and enjoyed the writing style to an extent, I found Dorothy very, very difficult to connect with and I struggled to carry on with the novel. I wanted to love it so very much so I'm rather disappointed that this wasn't for me.

I will definitely recommend it in the future though as I know this was an 'it's not you, it's me' situation.