‘Hilarious’ Daily Mail

‘Superbly over-the-top’ The Times

How far would you go to enjoy a cigarette? When headhunter Fabrice Valantine faces a smoking ban at work, he decides to undergo hypnotherapy to help him quit the habit.

The treatment is all too effective - Fabrice can no longer enjoy his favorite vice, even when he lights up. Then, in the aftermath of a horrific incident, he rediscovers the thrill of his very first cigarette, and his delight is positively criminal...

This original and totally French black comedy explores how far you would go for pleasure - and where any of us might draw the line.

Translated by Louise Rogers Lalaurie.

Antoine Laurain worked as a journalist and in the antiques world before becoming the award-winning author of ten novels, including The Red Notebook and The President's Hat. His books have been translated into 25 languages and sold more than 200,000 copies in English. He lives in Paris.

Louise Rogers Lalaurie is a writer and translator from French, including Frédéric Dard's The King of Fools and The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths by Olivier Barde-Cabuçon, both published by Pushkin Vertigo. Her work has been shortlisted for the Best Translated Book Award, the Jan Michalski Prize for Literature, and the Crime Writers Association International Dagger.

Pages: 240, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm