Greedy

A Novel

What would you do for a seat at the table? In this deliciously dark thriller set in remote Japan, a desperate gambling addict masquerades as the private chef to a reclusive billionaire with deadly taste—from the twisted mind behind Claire, Darling.

They will kill me soon, Edward Cook thinks. When the Yakuza are unable to collect what he owes, Ed realizes that they'll go after his wife and child next. Broke, desperate, and unemployed, he stumbles upon an unusual ad: Chef wanted! Private chef needed for a high-profile businesswoman. One million yen per day.

Ed accepts the job. He hasn't earned any Michelin stars, but he knows his way around a kitchen. Leaving his life in Tokyo behind, he departs for an opulent estate in the mountains owned by Hazeline Yamamoto, his enigmatic and reclusive benefactor, a disgraced socialite with a predator's smile and exacting palette. Hazeline's world is one of taste, connoisseurship, and experimentation—she is a certified gourmand. But when you can afford filet mignon for every meal, you begin to seek out the strange and forbidden.

The closer Ed gets to Hazeline and a brighter future that she promises—if only he remains loyal—the closer he is to realizing the chilling truth about her altruism. In this shadow world of unimaginable wealth, there are worse monsters than two-bit gangsters. The wind blowing through Hazeline’s home carries the sound of screaming, and Ed finds himself feeding all kinds of beasts.

Perfect for fans of Parasite and The Menu—enticing as a starter, meaty as a main dish, and full of satisfying just-desserts—Greedy is a suspenseful poison-pen note to classism and an ode to Japanese cuisine, a horror-tinged thriller unsuitable for vegetarians but full of shocking delights for every reader.
“Sinister, stylish, and utterly addictive, Greedy is a feast of a novel. It’s playfully fiendish and a seductive blood-soaked gourmet thriller you won’t be able to put down. I’m hungry for more from Callie Kazumi.”—Lucy Rose, bestselling author of The Lamb
© courtesy of the author
Callie Kazumi is a British-Japanese writer who started work on her first book after being gifted Stephen King’s On Writing by her father. She lives in London with her husband and her Bichon Frisé, Betsy. Claire, Darling is her debut novel. View titles by Callie Kazumi

About

What would you do for a seat at the table? In this deliciously dark thriller set in remote Japan, a desperate gambling addict masquerades as the private chef to a reclusive billionaire with deadly taste—from the twisted mind behind Claire, Darling.

They will kill me soon, Edward Cook thinks. When the Yakuza are unable to collect what he owes, Ed realizes that they'll go after his wife and child next. Broke, desperate, and unemployed, he stumbles upon an unusual ad: Chef wanted! Private chef needed for a high-profile businesswoman. One million yen per day.

Ed accepts the job. He hasn't earned any Michelin stars, but he knows his way around a kitchen. Leaving his life in Tokyo behind, he departs for an opulent estate in the mountains owned by Hazeline Yamamoto, his enigmatic and reclusive benefactor, a disgraced socialite with a predator's smile and exacting palette. Hazeline's world is one of taste, connoisseurship, and experimentation—she is a certified gourmand. But when you can afford filet mignon for every meal, you begin to seek out the strange and forbidden.

The closer Ed gets to Hazeline and a brighter future that she promises—if only he remains loyal—the closer he is to realizing the chilling truth about her altruism. In this shadow world of unimaginable wealth, there are worse monsters than two-bit gangsters. The wind blowing through Hazeline’s home carries the sound of screaming, and Ed finds himself feeding all kinds of beasts.

Perfect for fans of Parasite and The Menu—enticing as a starter, meaty as a main dish, and full of satisfying just-desserts—Greedy is a suspenseful poison-pen note to classism and an ode to Japanese cuisine, a horror-tinged thriller unsuitable for vegetarians but full of shocking delights for every reader.

Reviews

“Sinister, stylish, and utterly addictive, Greedy is a feast of a novel. It’s playfully fiendish and a seductive blood-soaked gourmet thriller you won’t be able to put down. I’m hungry for more from Callie Kazumi.”—Lucy Rose, bestselling author of The Lamb

Author

© courtesy of the author
Callie Kazumi is a British-Japanese writer who started work on her first book after being gifted Stephen King’s On Writing by her father. She lives in London with her husband and her Bichon Frisé, Betsy. Claire, Darling is her debut novel. View titles by Callie Kazumi
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