The Rise and Fall of a Kitchen Tyrant
Power, Obsession, and Collapse in the KitchenBy Chef Michael Smerda
Length1h 44m
About this audiobook
Viktor Haller didn't just build a restaurant—he built a kingdom. Behind the gleaming stainless steel and Michelin-star ambition, he ruled with a military discipline that inspired both awe and terror. In this kitchen, perfection wasn't a goal; it was a survival tactic.
Chef Michael Smerda brings his 40 years of industry experience to this searing satirical novel. It is a raw, cinematic journey into the heart of culinary madness, exploring the moment when the pursuit of greatness turns into an all-consuming obsession. From the high-pressure service of South Beach to the inevitable, explosive collapse of an empire, this story reveals a cold truth: when you strip the humanity out of the kitchen, even the sharpest knives can't save you.
Discover what happens when the gearbox finally shreds and a man who controlled everything realizes he can't control the fall. A must-listen for anyone who has ever felt the heat of the line.
Audiobook details
GenreHumor, Mystery and Thriller
Length1 hr 44 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateMar 15, 2026
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
10The Weight Of Two Doors
2Introduction: The Ghost In The Kitchen
11The Return
3The New Arrival
12Night Of The Two Fires
4The New Order
13The Aftermath
5The Assimilation
14The New Breed
Show all chaptersShow less
6The Critic
15The Exception In The Machine
7The Brand
16The Potemkin Kitchen
8The Second Country
17The Sound Of The Gearbox Shredding
9Counterfeit Authority
18Epilogue: The Silent Hearth
More from Chef Michael Smerda
Birdie & HarlowTaylor Wolfe7h 50m$26 · $0.00
TimeReaping in DeadwoodAnn Charles13h 2m$23
Santa's HusbandDaniel Kibblesmith, A P. Quach5m$4 · $0.00
The Facts of MidlifeRobyn Peterman4h 49m$15
Chaos in a CoupeDivya Dugar9h 18m$18 · $0.00
The Life of DaiDai Henwood, Jaquie Brown8h 2m$26 · $0.00
Poems of ParentingLoryn Brantz42m$9 · $0.00
What If? 10th Anniversary EditionRandall Munroe7h 29m$23
Welcome to PawneeJim O'Heir6h 24m$24 · $0.00
Going PostalTerry Pratchett13h 36m$33 · $0.00
Mapp & Lucia: Complete SeriesE. F. Benson59h 54m$2 · $0.00
Woman UninterruptedBrodie Kane7h 1m$24 · $0.00
Hot Cowgirl Sh*tLacie Evans2h 15m$15
The Complete Novels of Mark Twain - 12 Books in One Volume (Illustrated Edition)Mark Twain155h 29m$2 · $0.00
You Will Get Through This NightDaniel Howell6h 56m$24 · $0.00
My Dear HamiltonStephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie23h 7m$46 · $0.00
The Night Before Christmas at Dunder MifflinBrian Baumgartner, Ben Silverman6m$4 · $0.00
Pride & PrejudiceJane Austen14h 52m$1 · $0.00
The Complete Works of SakiSaki, H. H. Munro52h 37m$2 · $0.00
The Palliser Novels: Book 1-6Anthony Trollope181h 39m$2 · $0.00
EmberJeffrey Wilson, Brian Andrews13h 58m$23
The New Human Revolution, vol. 1Daisaku Ikeda7h 46m$12 · $0.00
An Ex to Grind in DeadwoodAnn Charles13h 19m$23
Meddlesome MoneyMildred Abbott8h 21m$20
Hell Divers IX: RadioactiveNicholas Sansbury Smith13h 47m$23
Midnight ShadowsS.E. Smith5h 40m$17
CollateralBrian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson13h 8m$23
Look TwiceEva Hudson9h 48m$20
The Natchez Burning TrilogyGreg Iles96h 18m$53 · $0.00
The ReunionJana Deleon6h 31m$26 · $0.00
Animal 3K’wan6h 33m$20
The Complete Sherlock Holmes Novels & Stories (4 Novels + 56 Short Stories)Arthur Conan Doyle71h 53m$2 · $0.00
To Hold and ProtectSandra Owens7h 59m$8 · $0.00
The Last StrawSharon Sala9h 1m$29 · $0.00
Savy WisdomPeggy McColl2h 53m$15
Raymond Chandler – Ultimate Mystery CollectionRaymond Chandler82h 8m$2 · $0.00
3 a.m. Premium: Books 1–5Nick Pirog15h 27m$25
The Labyrinth of the SpiritsCarlos Ruiz Zafon27h 55m$53 · $0.00
Sign of the MakerBrian Shea7h 13m$17
Will Trent: Books 5–7Karin Slaughter42h$53 · $0.00
You may also like
The Crisis of the Soul – 3 Classic Psychological Fiction NovelsHarold Frederic, Leo Tolstoy, Joseph Conrad20h$1
Fool’s TalkOs Guinness10h 16m$20
The Pardoner's WalletSamuel McChord Crothers6h 15m$2 · $0.00
Christmas Is a Sad Season for the PoorJohn Cheever24m$7 · $0.00
Culture vs. AnarchyMatthew Arnold15h 20m$2 · $0.00
Psychological and Existential Alienation - 3 Classic Isolation FictionFyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, H. G. Wells16h 16m$2
One, None and a Hundred ThousandLuigi Pirandello7h 11m$14 · $0.00
BabbittSinclair Lewis15h 37m$1 · $0.00
The 5 Questions for Ethical DecisionsDavid W. Miller7h 2m$23 · $0.00
Crucial InstancesEdith Wharton4h 10m$2 · $0.00
It’s Not about the CoffeeHoward Behar4h 23m$12
Tales of the Long BowG. K. Chesterton6h 42m$2.30
Speaking ChristianMarcus J. Borg6h 39m$24 · $0.00
The Wisdom of MorrieMorrie Schwartz, Rob Schwartz7h 33m$17
Thought VibrationWilliam Walker Atkinson3h 9m$2 · $0.00
Shallow SoilKnut Hamsun9h 35m$2 · $0.00
A Return to LoveMarianne Williamson2h 40m$18 · $0.00
The Death of Ivan IlyichLeo Tolstoy2h 35m$10
Never Play It SafeChase Jarvis7h 17m$7 · $0.00
Culture and AnarchyMatthew Arnold13h 57m$2 · $0.00