Description

‘A fun romp through New York’s restaurant scene and the world of the undead’ Sunday Times

Kostya is haunted. Still reeling from the loss of his father, he’s working as a dishwasher when he discovers something extraordinary. The tastes that have flooded his mouth without warning since childhood – thin-skinned dumplings bursting with lightly sugared sour cherries – are being sent by spirits seeking closure and, by cooking their food, Kostya can bring them back for one last meal to find it.

Maura is moonlighting as a psychic when a man with curious talents enters her booth. She’s the only one who understands what Kostya is really capable of – as well as the consequences of messing with the afterlife. And as Kostya and Maura fall deeply, irresistibly in love, the line between supporting his dreams and keeping her own ghosts at bay begins to blur.

While Kostya and his best friend, Frankie, work towards opening a New York restaurant with a unique menu and unprecedented clientele, Maura senses a supernatural catastrophe looming that could see them losing everything…

Publisher Review

Debut author Daria Lavelle has distilled the tension of The Bear with the descriptive floweriness of Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer … A fun, thoughtful exploration of grief, love and the nature of hunger. Feast upon its pages * SFX * Part ghost story, part gastro romance * Mail on Sunday * I savoured every minute reading this epic story about life, death, love and loss … Original and addictive * Daily Mail * A heart-warming read – a fascinating mix of food, romance and the supernatural * Take a Break * Food lovers will find a huge amount to enjoy here, as will anyone who enjoys ghost stories with a twist * Crack * Aftertaste is practically exploding with love, life and flavour. I relished every word — Louise Kennedy, author of TRESPASSES A wondrous work where the culinary transcends the ordinary. Lavelle’s debut of grief, memory and loss is deftly and satisfyingly layered — Kevin Jared Hosein, author of HUNGRY GHOSTS Aftertaste is simply one of those books everyone’s going to be talking about * Radio Times * A highly original, entertaining tour-de-force … It had me in mind of The Ministry of Time, whose readers I think will love this * The Bookseller * A raucously witty and entertaining novel. This expertly crafted, suspenseful tale is seasoned with a perfectly judged amount of the supernatural. The genuinely heartfelt, touching moments elevate Lavelle’s writing to a level that is nigh on impossible to put down. Meanwhile, the lavish culinary descriptions are a real danger – do not read on an empty stomach! — Leo Vardiashvili, author of HARD BY A GREAT FOREST Brilliantly constructed and wholly original, Aftertaste is like no novel you’ve ever tried before. It’s much more than your usual dish – it’s a whole literary tasting menu. Packed with ghosts, romance, fine dining and the mob, it will leave you stunned, thrilled and totally satiated — Julia Phillips, author of BEAR A hauntingly evocative journey through the realms of pain, pleasure and the power of food — Nigella Lawson [A] much anticipated darkly comic debut … about food, ghosts and the New York culinary scene * Vogue * A decadent debut that marks the arrival of a sparkling new voice. Dark and delicious, sincerely moving and at times laugh out loud funny, a heady, bittersweet, beautiful novel about life and death, grief and closure, passion and hunger. A must-read — Rachel Harrison, author of SO THIRSTY and BLACK SHEEP A breathtaking novel. Combining the grit of the restaurant world with the magic of the afterlife, Daria Lavelle perfectly blends unexpected ingredients into a book you’ll want to savour. It’s a story about grief that’s filled with humour, warmth and astounding creativity — Laura Hankin, author of ONE-STAR ROMANCE and THE DAYDREAMS This is a terrific book. Aftertaste offers the glories of food and cooking – all the yes-chef details we now love – in a cool, brilliant and suspenseful novel whose spec-fic plot wants to talk about the mysteries of sense-memory and death. I could not put it down — Joan Silber, author of SECRETS OF HAPPINESS AND IMPROVEMENT Deliciously evocative, bitingly inventive, written with humour and heart — Elizabeth Day, author of THE PARTY and MAGPIE A fun romp through New York’s restaurant scene and the world of the undead * Sunday Times *