In the Kitchen is a superb novel. Slowly but surely, in Monica’s capable vision the reader is taken into the lives of staff at a cosmopolitan hotel in London. She makes you look around at all the people that are needed to make this institute work.

The story is told from the perspective of Gabe, the head chef, heading in directions he didn’t think about for long enough, and the plot centres on the mysterious death of a porter. The suspense builds as we learn more about the lives of the diverse characters that are affected by this death – and why.

Monica is an observer and the magic of her debut novel, Brick Lane (which was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize) is replicated here. Her understanding of different cultural backgrounds and her ability to understand victims, persecutors and the bystanders in this context is extraordinary. A book to savour.