Aftertaste is an upmarket, speculative novel about a chef who discovers that his food can bring spirits back for one last meal with their loved ones, and his journey through the NYC restaurant scene as he works to open a restaurant serving closure, never expecting to fall in love along the way, or to wreak absolute havoc on the Afterlife in the process. It’s Sweetbitter and Kitchen Confidential meets Under the Whispering Door and The Midnight Library, full of food writing and magic, plus lots of twists and a fast-paced finale.

Daria Lavelle writes fiction, most of which features some pretty impossible things. Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and raised in the New York metro area, her work explores themes of identity and belonging through magic and the uncanny.

Her short fiction has appeared in Dark Matter, The Deadlands, Dread Machine, and more, and her work has been shortlisted for prizes by The Masters Review and The Molotov Cocktail Zine.