Gluttony Bay

October 2, 2017
Wallace returns to the unusual, highly imaginative world of the Sin du Jour catering crew in his sixth installment (after 2017’s Greedy Pigs), the darkest yet. After the disastrous fallout from the American and supernatural presidential inaugurations, which Sin du Jour was hired to cater, the gang barely has a chance to breathe. Allensworth, Sin du Jour’s diabolical patron, kidnaps chef Lena Tarr—who’s sick with worry over her best friend, Darren Vargas, who’s missing—and head honcho Bronko Luck and whisks them off to Gluttony Bay, which happens to reside right next door to another infamous bay in Cuba. Lena and Bronko must cook up a feast for the diners, and, to their horror, they discover that someone they love is on the menu. Lena and Bronko’s dilemma is terrifying, and though Wallace’s trademark sharp humor is present, this installment is much heavier on horror elements than past stories, making a strong statement about the human capacity for cruelty. A spectacular, harrowing, and ultimately heartbreaking action sequence in the third act paves the way for the last installment. This novella is a gem to be savored, much like the delicacies that Sin du Jour serves up to its very strange clientèle. Agent: DongWon Song, Howard Morhaim Literary.

November 15, 2017

The celebration of the return of some of paranormal caterer Sin du Jour's staff is quickly quieted when one member does not appear. Then Bronko and Lena are taken by Allensworth to a very special restaurant: Gluttony Bay. With a spectacular view of Guantanamo Bay, Bronko discovers he is the "special guest chef," with Lena as his sous chef, at Gluttony Bay. In this highly exclusive dining room, only one thing is on the menu: humans. As the rest of the crew comes to rescue them, Bronko and Lena are forced with preparing a truly terrifying menu and taking on brutish restaurant workers, all hoping to escape a hellish kitchen deadlier than any they have faced before. Witty humor balances out macabre actions, with the fast pace and supernatural settings blending horror and fantasy into a delightful meal for the mind. VERDICT The penultimate novella of the "Sin du Jour" series (after Greedy Pigs) continues Wallace's imaginative romp through New York City restaurants, supernatural diners, and all-out devilish fun.--MM

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