The Gourmet

<p><strong>From the author of the international bestseller <i>The Elegance of The Hedgehog</i> comes a mouth-watering tale delving into the life of a monstrous food critic.</strong></p><p><strong>'A foodie's delight; just don't read it when you're hungry'</strong><cite>Daily Mail</cite></p><p><strong>'The exquisite descriptions of eating are like nothing you've read before' </strong><cite>Good Housekeeping</i=cite></p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p>