From the author of the international bestseller The Elegance of The Hedgehog comes a mouth-watering tale delving into the life of a monstrous food critic.

'A foodie's delight; just don't read it when you're hungry'Daily Mail

'The exquisite descriptions of eating are like nothing you've read before' Good Housekeeping

After a lifetime of presiding over cowering chefs and pursuing sensual delights, France's greatest food critic is dying. Given just forty-eight hours to live, Pierre Arthens has one last ambition - to recall the most delicious food to ever pass his lips, an elusive taste from his childhood.

From his luxury penthouse at 7 Rue de Grenelle, Pierre casts his mind back over a lifetime of flavour: eating barbequed sardines with his grandfather; the warm, crumbly pastry of an apple tart; his first taste of velvety sashimi. But orbiting around him are a cast of family and acquaintances, each with their own story to tell about the greed and ruthlessness that has paved the way to Pierre's search for the perfect meal.

'An exquisite French black comedy' - The Times

'A foodies delight; just dont read it when youre hungry' - Daily Mail

'The exquisite descriptions of eating are like nothing youve read before' - Good Housekeeping

'Barberys novel explores the food critics quest through his upper bourgeoise Parisian eyes and via those with the less savory perspectives of him, in some seriously delectable prose' - Electric Literature

'Barbery has a knack for describing food, and for evoking the physical and emotional sensations it produces' - Financial Times

Muriel Barbery is the author of four previous novels, including the IMPAC-shortlisted multimillion-copy bestseller The Elegance of the Hedgehog. She has lived in Kyoto, Amsterdam and Paris and now lives in the French countryside.