Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • The Waiter

  • Detective Kamil Rahman, Book 1
  • By: Ajay Chowdhury
  • Narrated by: Mikhail Sen
  • Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (131 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
The Waiter cover art

The Waiter

By: Ajay Chowdhury
Narrated by: Mikhail Sen
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Midnight at Malabar House cover art
A Killing in November cover art
The Dentist cover art
Outback cover art
Misplaced Loyalty cover art
The Scarlet Papers cover art
Why She Died cover art
Fatal Isles cover art
A Walk Into Darkness cover art
Ratking cover art
The Dead Dog Day cover art
A Nice Place to Die cover art
The Tilt cover art
Summary Justice cover art
Murder in Tuscany cover art
Aspire to Die cover art

Summary

Brought to you by Penguin. 

The Times Audiobook of the Week.

Kamil Rahman, disgraced detective-turned-waiter, is about to find himself embroiled in a case that might just change his life...for better or for worse.

Disgraced detective Kamil Rahman moves from Kolkata to London to start afresh as a waiter in an Indian restaurant. But the day he caters a birthday party for his boss's friend on Millionaire's Row, his simple new life becomes rather complicated. The event is a success, the food is delicious, but later that evening the host, Rakesh, is found dead in his swimming pool.

Suspicion falls on Rakesh's new wife, Neha, and Kamil is called to investigate for the family, with the help of his boss's daughter, Anjoli. Kamil and Anjoli prove a capable team - but as the investigation progresses, Kamil struggles to keep memories of the case that destroyed his career in Kolkata at bay...and his past will soon catch up with him in some rather unexpected ways.

©2021 Ajay Chowdhury (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A hugely entertaining first novel, taking us from Kolkata to Brick Lane." (Ann Cleeves)

"A rip-roaring mystery that's engrossing from start to finish...a refreshing and welcome addition to the world of detective fiction. One of my favourite reads of the year." (Abir Mukherjee)

What listeners say about The Waiter

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    72
  • 4 Stars
    40
  • 3 Stars
    13
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    75
  • 4 Stars
    33
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    61
  • 4 Stars
    34
  • 3 Stars
    15
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good listen,

listened all the way through kept my interest and a number of twist and turns,

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Stirring

A beautifully crafted novel perfectly illustrating both societies and cities and a young man’s journey and recognition of the cynicism of adulthood.

SPOILER ALERT
I hope he does return to London and join the Met as it has the makings of an excellent literary crime series with a difference!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story brilliantly narrated

loved the book. The plaiting of two segments really worked to build the layers and maintain the readers attention. Had to try really hard nit just to consume in one go.
The narration was perfect, the range of tones and accents added authenticity often missing in audiobook.
Thank you both.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

whodunnit in London and Kolkota

Well plotted detective story with a kind of Agatha Christie whodunit at its heart. very absorbing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very enjoyable

Well paced plot and excellent narration, lovely voice! Enjoyed the reasoning behind various bits of questionable decision-making on the part of some of the characters, more about human flaws than good and evil, much more believable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great plot and well structured

I got this on a recommendation and so pleased I did. The contrast between the detective and the waiter is so well drawn.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Bland

I'm getting increasingly bored with stories that go back and forth in time, to tell us readers what the "trauma" or original sin was that then caused the present events. The characters of this book could be interesting but unfortunately are very two-dimensional. They change their mind and values very easily and quickly. The thriller plot itself was paper-thin. I quite liked the narrator, even though there were weird, longer than you'd expect pauses sometimes, I guess an editing issue? All in all not awful but there's so much better out there.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An absolute cracker

Listened following a recommendation and delighted. I cared about the characters who felt like real people, the plot was believable but constantly wrong footing, and there’s a real sense of place(s). I know the East End of London reasonably well and felt like I was there. Now I want to visit Kolkata! I really enjoyed the narration too. An immediate favourite.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Refreshing - well written and surprising

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters are plausible and many of them evoke sympathy. There were plenty of plot twists and unusually I didn’t work out ‘whodunnit’ until just before the reveal.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book.

I was sorry to get to the end of this audio book and have preordered the sequel.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful