The Girl Who Can Cook

She killed my best friend. Shame on me.

She lied and said it was self-defense. Shame on me.

She wrote a book about it. Shame on you.

It's been three years since chef Erin shot her boyfriend, John, five times during a domestic dispute. Two years since she was found not guilty on murder charges by way of self-defense. And one year since she opened Essen, a German restaurant in San Francisco's East Bay. You can read all about it in her memoir; there's a copy on the front seat of the car parked in front of Essen. The man in the driver's seat was John's best friend, Alex, a former engineer. He’s abandoned his career to take justice into his own hands, what he doesn't know is that soon he'll be inside, using those hands to peel carrots for the girl who can cook.

We don't want to trick you into buying this book with the truncated spin of words above. If the cover caught your eye and you enjoy psychological or dark romantic thrillers then please click "look inside" and judge the quality of writing for yourself.

This is Mike's debut novel and he's an unknown author. There aren't any quotes from famous friends. The New York Times won't return our calls, but we promise you, this book is worth your time and your money. It’s about all of us. It's about ramen noodles. And impractical love. And loss. And the way we each carry our past in different ways. Its got an amazing head-strong female lead and an inventive emotional arc that is unlike anything in the genre but with all the hallmarks of a classic psychological thriller. Let us be very clear: this book is dark and brutal but it's also VERY, VERY funny. We hope you love it.