Description

How far would you go to enjoy a cigarette? When headhunter Fabrice Valentine faces a smoking ban at work, he decides to undertake a course of hypnotherapy to rid himself of the habit. At first the treatment works, but his stress levels begin to rise when he is passed over for an important promotion and he finds himself lighting up again – but with none of his previous enjoyment. Then he discovers something terrible: he accidentally causes a mans death, and needing a cigarette to calm his nerves, he enjoys it more than any other previous smoke. What if he now needs to kill someone every time he wants to properly appreciate his next Benson and Hedges? An original and totally French black comedy from bestselling author, Antoine Laurain.

Publisher Review

Praise for The Portrait: 'A delightful literary souffl� that fans of his other charming books will savor.' Library Journal Praise for French Rhapsody: 'Anyone who enjoyed Laurain's previous novels The President's Hat and The Red Notebook will doubtlessly enjoy this new romp' Portland Book Review 'Beautifully written, superbly plotted and with a brilliant twist at the end' Daily Mail 'The novel has Laurain's signature charm, but with the added edge of greater engagement with contemporary France' Sunday Times Praise for The Red Notebook: 'Definitely a heartwarming tale' San Diego Book Review 'An endearing love story written in beautifully poetic prose. It is an enthralling mystery about chasing the unknown, the nostalgia for what could have been, and most importantly, the persistence of curiosity' San Francisco Book Review 'This is in equal parts an offbeat romance, detective story and a clarion call for metropolitans to look after their neighbours ... Reading The Red Notebook is a little like finding a gem among the bric-a-brac in a local brocante' The Telegraph 'Resist this novel if you can; it's the very quintessence of French romance' The Times 'Soaked in Parisian atmosphere, this lovely, clever, funny novel will have you rushing to the Eurostar post-haste ... A gem' Daily Mail Praise for The President's Hat: Waterstones Spring Book Club 2013 -- Kindle Top 5 -- ABA Indies Introduce Choice -- Shortlisted for the Typographical Translation Award 2013 'Its gentle satirical humor reminded me of Jacques Tati's classic films, and, no, you don't have to know French politics to enjoy this novel' Library Journal 'A hymn to la vie Parisienne ... enjoy it for its fabulistic narrative, and the way it teeters pleasantly on the edge of Gallic whimsy' The Guardian