Aftertaste

De: Daria Lavelle

Narrado por: Ari Fliakos, Tessa Albertson, André Santana, Kristen Sieh

“A haunting evocation of pain and pleasure, and the power of food.”—Nigella Lawson

What if you could have one last meal with someone you’ve loved, someone you’ve lost? Combining the magic of Under the Whispering Door with the high-stakes culinary world of Sweetbitter, Aftertaste is an epic love story, a dark comedy, and a synesthetic adventure through food and grief.

A food story to binge.

A ghost story to devour.

A love story to savor.

Konstantin Duhovny is a haunted man. His father died when he was ten, and ghosts have been hovering around him ever since. Kostya can’t exactly see the ghosts, but he can taste their favorite foods. Flavors of meals he’s never eaten will flood his mouth, a sign that a spirit is present. Kostya has kept these aftertastes a secret for most of his life, but one night, he decides to act on what he’s tasting. And everything changes.

Kostya discovers that he can reunite people with their deceased loved ones—at least for the length of time it takes them to eat a dish that he’s prepared. He thinks his life’s purpose might be to offer closure to grieving strangers, and sets out to learn all he can by entering a particularly fiery ring of Hell: the New York culinary scene. But as his kitchen skills catch up with his ambitions, Kostya is too blind to see the catastrophe looming in the Afterlife. And the one person who knows Kostya must be stopped also happens to be falling in love with him.

Set in the bustling world of New York restaurants and teeming with mouthwatering food writing, Aftertaste is a whirlwind romance, a heart-wrenching look at love and loss, and a ghost story about all the ways we hunger—and how far we’d go to find satisfaction.

©2025 Daria Lavelle (P)2025 Simon & Schuster Audio

bizarrely beautiful

this is a weird story but there are so many beautiful feelings. I love it

Devoured It!

If you’ve worked in restaurants, love to cook, or simply love how food can trigger memories and emotions, this is the book. Story, narration, emotion, all on point. Delicious.

A Fusion of Literary genres in a great story

Aftertaste is a novel with elements of speculative fiction, fantasy, romance, and mystery. Honestly, I wouldn't even know which section of Barnes & Noble to look in for this book—“The Best Multi-Genre Books of 2025”?

The plot is a masterful blend of classic New York City themes: love, loyalty, and friendship; immigration and the melting pot; perseverance and the struggle to overcome grief; ghosts, crime, and culinary brilliance; even the inner workings of all-star professional kitchens. Yes, all of that—and more.

And then there's the secret sauce: the language. Page after page, the writing is so rich and satisfying, you simply can't put it down.

My only regret? That it ended too soon. So I read it again—and it was even better the second time.

Heart Wrenching

This book is unlike anything I have ever read. It’s joy, sadness, love, grief and longing. Honestly, I will absolutely be thinking of these characters and their story for years to come.

Fun, fresh, feast!

I loved this from start to finish. The concept is so unique and really makes you think - about food and the purpose it serves in our lives and memories it holds. The performance was fantastic - engaging and great sound effects for an added touch. Thinking of it as Twilight meets The Bear and can’t wait for more!

A bittersweet and heartbreaking story about food, love and loss

This was so much more than I thought it would be, this story captivated me from beginning to to end. The audiobook was wonderfully done. Listening while reading along on this one was an absolute joy. I cannot say enough about this story!!

One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. The food descriptions alone make it worth it.

I didn’t know what to expect by this book but I loved it! Like nothing I’ve read before. A great story with interesting characters and amazing food writing! Definitely worth a listen. I also liked the narrators.

More, please!

I loved everything about this book! I'm a chef and a foodie and I love books about kitchens and chefs and food and spices. The HUGE disappointment I faced when I finished it, is the fact that I couldn't find any more books from this author on Audible!

The taste of love and death

This book is amazing, you won't be able to stop listening. It's mouth watering that even at the end you want more. It's love, your favorite meal, and that yearning for connecting with a loved one who has passed on just one more time not caring what the consequences may be. I highly recommend this book, so much so that I want to listen to it again.

Did not like the story or characters.

It’s the macabre and edgy version of Before The Coffee Gets Cold, except I didn’t like this at all. You’d think that sensory details would immerse you into a foodie story more, but when you describe salt five different ways, you’ve lost me. I was bored and then the story gets harsher and more dark, I think because the author might’ve sensed our boredom. Overall, I wasn’t engaged with the story or the characters. The writing was clunky too.