The Chef
Published by Diogenes as Der Koch
Original Title: Der Koch

Maravan, 33, a Tamil asylum seeker, is working as a kitchen hand in a top hotel in Zurich, at a level far below his abilities. For Maravan is a gifted and passionate cook. In Sri Lanka his great aunt had introduced him to the art of cooking, and not least into the secrets of aphrodisiac cuisine. When he is fired, his colleague Andrea encourages him into a deal of a very special kind: joint catering for love menus. At first they cook for couples with whom they are put in touch by a sex therapist. But word gets around about the success of Love Food, and a much wealthier clientele starts showing an interest: men from the world of politics and business – and from the grey zones on their margins. Maravan is worried that the business could become ›unsavoury‹ – and indeed it does. But he is in urgent need of the money in order to enable his family back in Sri Lanka to survive.

Contemporary Literature
320 pages
2010

978-3-257-06739-2
Martin
Suter

Martin Suter was born in 1948 in Zurich. His novels (including Love and Fury and Melody) and Business Class stories are major international successes. In addition, since 2011 the gentleman thief Allmen has been solving cases in his own crime series. Martin Suter lives with his daughter in Zurich.

Photo: © Joël Hunn

Quotes

Tages Anzeiger, Zurich
»Martin Suter is a virtuoso in the refined drawing together of strands of plot.«
Neon, Munich
»Simply fantastic!«
NZZ am Sonntag
»Suter's success is phenomenal.«
Der Spiegel, Hamburg
»A smooth design-bestseller«
Le Monde, Paris
»An oeuvre, which is remarkable documented, with a rhythm as captivating as appetising.«

Movie adaptations

2014
Der Koch, Ralf Huettner