Home
/
Fiction
/
The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs
The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs
Jul 16, 2025 2:36 AM

Author:Irvine Welsh

The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs

At Edinburgh's Department of Environmental Health, hard-drinking, womanising officer Danny Skinner wants to uncover secrets: 'the bedroom secrets of the master chefs', secrets he believes might just help him understand his self-destructive impulses. But the arrival of the virginal, model-railway enthusiast Brian Kibby at the department provokes an uncharacteristic response in Skinner, and threatens to throw his mission off course. Consumed by loathing for his nemesis, Skinner enacts a curse, and when Kibby contracts a horrific and debilitating mystery virus, Skinner understands that their destinies are supernaturally bound, and he is faced with a terrible dilemma.

Reviews

Irvine Welsh is in a class of his own...[his books have] a seething life in them that rivets attention and an inventiveness with story and language that continually amuses and amazes

—— Guardian

It is an exquisitely paced black comedy. It has clever and funny things to say. There was a rumour that Welsh's last novel, Porno was to be his last. You'll be glad it wasn't

—— Evening Standard

Flickers with the dynamism, black humour and imaginative bravado that is Welsh at his best

—— Financial Times

An outrageous and exhilarating foul-mouthed book

—— Sunday Times

Vintage Welsh: Brilliant, graphic, with frequent forays into the grotesque

—— Sunday Tribune

This is Welsh's tightest narrative structure in some time, and a pleasing change of pace after his previous two novels...a carefully considered blend of three-dimensional realism and expertly judged modern gothic horror. Welsh is such a convincing writer that you never doubt his plot for a moment

—— Literary Review

The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs is Welsh back on cracking, page-turning, stomach-churning, gut-busting form. You'll whiz through it, in a good way

—— Independent

Rattles along with impressive energy

—— Daily Telegraph

The great liberation of Welsh's writing is it's ability to capture the lust for freedom...the most touching and beautiful of his writings...if her carries on like this he'll start dragging the place [Scotland] back to the bloody enlightenment

—— Independent

This transitional phase in his life is has been mirrored by a new direction in Welsh's writing as evinced by this new book, The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs. The novel is less visceral than his past work and is more in dialogue with Celtic writers such a Oscar Wilde than it is music, the form he has long claimed his inspiration

—— GQ

Welsh gives more than a passing nod to Dorian Gray in this latest outing...in a supernatural twist Welsh unleahes his usual irresistible mayhem

—— Herald

This, his eighth work of fiction since Trainspotting, has all the ingredients of his earlier success. I found it funny, dark and readable, showing the author on good form

—— The Times

Irvine Welsh's novel is...a powerful and intelligent fable about human emotions and behaviour

—— Sunday Telegraph

A beautifully controlled novel

—— Literary Review

There's plenty here to pull you in and, it must be said, I do really like the cover

—— meandmybigmouth Blog

Stories, generations and nationalities collide in what is an entertaining and superior novel

—— Lesley McDowell , Independent on Sunday
Comments
Welcome to zzdbook comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdbook.com All Rights Reserved