Antoine Laurain

'Enchanting...You can almost smell the croissants' Washington Post'Deeply poetic... Enchanting and atmospheric, beautiful and heartfelt' Library JournalHow can you mend a broken heart? Do you write a letter to the woman who left you - and post it to an imaginary address? Buy a new watch, to reset your life? Or get rid of the jacket you wore every time you argued, because it was in some way... responsible?Combining the wry musings of a rejected lover with playful drawings in just three colours - red, black and white - Antoine Laurain, bestselling author of The Red Notebook, and renowned street artist Le Sonneur have created a striking addition to the literature of unrequited love. Translated by Jane Aitken.Antoine Laurain worked as a journalist and in the world of antiques 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.

'Hilarious' Daily Mail'Superbly over-the-top' The TimesHow 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 kick the habit.The treatment is all too effective - Fabrice can no longer enjoy his favourite vice, even when he does light up. Then, in the aftermath of a horrific incident, he rediscovers the buzz of his very first cigarette, and his delight is positively criminal...This original and totally French black comedy asks how far you would go for pleasure - and just where any of us would stop.Translated by Louise Rogers Lalaurie. Antoine Laurain worked as a journalist and in the world of antiques 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.

'A cracking literary murder mystery' TatlerFrom the bestselling author of The Red NotebookWhen the manuscript of a debut crime novel arrives at a Parisian publishing house, everyone in the readers' room is convinced it's something special. Editor Violaine Lepage snaps it up - who cares that the author's identity is a mystery? And when the book is shortlisted for France's highest literary honour, she shares in the glory.Then a series of murders takes place in circumstances strangely reminiscent of those in the book. With the prize announcement approaching, the police are asking questions - and Violaine is more than a little worried about her own secrets coming to light...Translated by Jane Aitken, Emily Boyce and Polly Mackintosh.Antoine Laurain was born in Paris and lives there still. He is a journalist, antiques collector and 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.

'Beautifully written, superbly plotted and with a brilliant twist at the end' Daily Mail'If it wasn't so funny, you'd weep' Le FigaroFrom the bestselling author of The Red NotebookDiscontented middle-aged doctor Alain Massoulier has received a life-changing letter - thirty-three years too late. Lost in the Paris postal system for decades, it offers a recording contract to Alain's old band The Holograms, which split up long ago.Now, overcome by nostalgia, Alain decides to track down his old bandmates - including the alluring singer he secretly loved. But in a world where everything and everyone has changed, where will his quest take him?Translated by Jane Aitken and Emily Boyce.Antoine Laurain was born in Paris and lives there still. He is a journalist, antiques collector and 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.

'A master storyteller' Huffington Post'A delightful literary soufflé' Library JournalFrom the bestselling author of The Red NotebookWhile wandering through a Paris auction house, avid collector Pierre-Francois Chaumont is stunned to discover the eighteenth-century portrait of an unknown man who looks just like him.Much to his delight, Chaumont's bid for the work is successful, but back at home his jaded wife and circle of friends are unable to see the resemblance. Chaumont remains convinced of it, and as he researches into the painting's history, he is presented with the opportunity to abandon his tedious existence and walk into a brand new life...Translated by Jane Aitken and Emily Boyce.Antoine Laurain was born in Paris and lives there still. He is a journalist, antiques collector and 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.

'A delicious jeu d'esprit' The Times'Oozes Parisian perfection... a good dose of mystery, intrigue, and suspense from a master storyteller' Chicago Book ReviewFrom the bestselling author of The Red NotebookNathalia Guitry is an enigma that psychotherapist Doctor Faber can't solve. A photographer who can't take photographs since witnessing a murder, she is self-assured, self-aware, and seemingly impervious to his usually effective techniques. He hasn't been able to stop thinking about her since she walked into his consulting room and shattered his predictable professional routine.Desperate to break through Nathalia's uncrackable façade, he proposes something unusual: she'll write him a story about each resident of the building opposite, moving up floor by floor. But as the therapy progresses, he finds his own mask beginning to slip as he becomes consumed by her tales. How does she know so much about these strangers' lives? And what's waiting on the final floor?Translated by Louise Rogers Lalaurie.Antoine Laurain was born in Paris and lives there still. He is a journalist, antiques collector and 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.

'A brilliant love story' The Lady'Like finding a gem among the bric-a-brac in a local brocante' TelegraphFrom the bestselling author of The Red NotebookIn 1760, Guillaume le Gentil, astronomer to King Louis XV, sets sail for India. He hopes to record the transit of Venus, but rough seas - and war with the British - make his quest more complicated than he could have imagined.Two hundred and fifty years later, anxious, lonely Xavier Lemercier chances upon Guillaume's telescope. As he looks out across the rooftops of Paris, he glimpses an intriguing woman with a zebra in her apartment. Then she walks into his office, and his life changes forever...Translated by Louise Rogers Lalaurie and Megan Jones.Antoine Laurain was born in Paris and is a journalist, antiques collector and 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, France.

'A glorious time-slip caper... Just wonderful' Daily MailFrom the bestselling author of The Red NotebookWhen Hubert Larnaudie invites the fellow residents of his Parisian apartment building to drink a bottle of 1954 Beaujolais, he has no idea of its special properties. The next morning, Hubert finds himself waking up in 1950s Paris, as do antique restorer Magalie, mixologist Julien, and Bob, an American on his first trip to Europe.After their initial shock, the Paris of the past begins to work its charm on all four. But ultimately, they need to get back to the present. And time is of the essence...Translated by Jane Aitken and Emily Boyce.Antoine Laurain was born in Paris and is a journalist, antiques collector and 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, France.

'A master storyteller' Huffington Post 'A hymn to la vie Parisienne' GuardianDining alone in an elegant Parisian brasserie, accountant Daniel Mercier can hardly believe his eyes when President François Mitterrand sits down to eat at the table next to him. Once the presidential party has gone, Daniel discovers that Mitterrand's black felt hat has been left behind. After a few moments' soul-searching, Daniel decides to keep the hat as a souvenir of an extraordinary evening. It's a perfect fit, and as he leaves the restaurant Daniel begins to feel somehow . . . different.Has Daniel unwittingly discovered the secret of supreme power? For two years the iconic item of headgear plays with the lives of the men and women who wear it, bringing them success that had previously eluded them. Shot through with a delicious, wicked sense of humour, The President's Hat is a vivid re-creation of 1980s Paris, and an enchanting exploration of life's possibilities.Translated by Jane Aitken, Emily Boyce and Louise Rogers Lalaurie.Antoine Laurain worked as a journalist and in the world of antiques 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, France.

'The very quintessence of French romance' The Times'A masterpiece of Parisian perfection' Queen CamillaBookseller Laurent Letellier comes across an abandoned handbag on a Parisian street, and feels compelled to return it to its owner. The bag contains no money, phone or contact information. But it does hold a small red notebook, full of handwritten thoughts and jottings that reveal someone Laurent would very much like to meet.Without even a name to go on, and only a few of her possessions to help him, how is he to find one woman in a city of millions?Translated by Jane Aitken and Emily Boyce.Antoine Laurain worked as a journalist and in the world of antiques 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, France.

Egy szép párizsi reggelen Laurent Letellier épp a könyvesboltja felé igyekszik, amikor az utcán elhagyott női táskát talál.Nincs benne semmi, amiből kiderülhetne, kié, ám annál több személyes holmit rejt: fotókat, hajcsatot, egy üveg parfümöt, dobókockákat, mobiltelefon-töltőt, Patrick Modiano egyik regényét és egy feljegyzésekkel teli, piros noteszt. Miközben Laurent a noteszt lapozgatja és az ismeretlen nőtől származó feljegyzéseket olvasgatja, egyre erősebbé válik benne az elhatározás: meg kell találnia a táska tulajdonosát. Kitartó nyomozása szép lassan szerelmi fogócskává alakul, amely nemcsak az ő, de a titokzatos ismeretlen életét is fenekestül felforgatja... „Egy dolog felkutatni egy nőt, hogy visszaadjuk a retiküljét, de távollétében berendezkedni a lakásában, térdünkön a macskájával, na, az azért egészen más. Laurent másnap este a Williamtől kapott pótkulccsal kinyitotta a bejárati ajtót - tulajdonképpen nem is volt rá szüksége, hiszen nála volt Laure-é. A konyhában megetette a macskát, aztán töltött magának egy pohár Jack Daniel'st. Belekortyolt a füstös ízű whiskybe. A bourbon felmelegítette, végigcsordogált az erein, ellazította az izmait. Visszament a nappaliba, és most úgy nézett végig a helyiségen, mintha valami titkos átutazó volna, aki néhány napra befészkelte magát ide..."

A könyvelőként dolgozó Daniel Mercier magányosan vacsorázik egy párizsi étteremben; egyszer csak illusztris vendég, François Mitterrand telepedik a szomszéd asztalhoz. A vacsora végeztével a köztársasági elnök ottfelejti a kalapját, Daniel pedig úgy dönt, megtartja emlékül a fejfedőt, nem sejtve, hogy ezzel egész addigi élete fenekestül felfordul. A talizmánként szolgáló fekete kalapnak köszönhetően az átlagos kisember szakmai pályafutása meredeken felível. Mielőtt azonban a kalap segítségével a politikai hatalom rejtélyes működésébe is beleláthatna, a könyvelő - hasonlatosan a köztársasági elnökhöz - elveszíti a kincset érő tárgyat... A híres fekete kalapról szóló modern mese sziporkázóan szellemes és ironikus; hitelesen idéz fel egy korszakot, miközben az emberiség régi közös vágyáról is szól: milyen jó lenne néha egy kis varázslat, hogy legtitkosabb álmaink valóra váljanak...